<p>Hi! I am preparing for the October 2014 SAT. Essays have always been my weakness, so could someone please grade this essay or possibly give me some pointers? (I wrote this in 25 minutes and it filled up both pages)</p>
<p>Prompt: Should people be judged by their potential rather than by their experience and achievements?</p>
<p>"You can always achieve more if you try," is a common saying that rings true in everyday life. Every person has the ability to achieve greater goals and become more a more successful individual. We must look at a person's potential and judge him by what he has the ability to do rather than focus on his past achievements. This universal notion is seen in history, literature, and my personal experience.</p>
<p>The Civil Rights Movement is an excellent example of judging a person's potential rather than just his past experiences or achievement. Many individuals in that time period lead quotidian lives and had no previous involvement in any political or social change. Rosa Parks, for example, was an ordinary African American woman. One day, in 1955, when forced to give up her seat on a bus to a white male, she refused. Her refusal shows that Rosa Parks was capable of standing up for her beliefs. Her bravery lead to future movements such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where hundreds of school boys refused to ride segregated buses. Further in the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream..." speech that sparked the interest of many African Americans. It led them to believe there truly was a chance that one day their posterity could live in a society free of segregation and prejudice based on race. These individuals all had their own achievements prior to their work in the movement. However, what they are remembered for today is their courage, ability, and strength to stand up for what they believed was morally correct. </p>
<p>In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter", Hester, the main protagonist committed adultery, an action that was thought of in society as an unforgivable sin. She was branded with the letter "A" that caused people to ostracize her. Instead of allowing her past to deter her, Hester decided to change herself and become a charitable and helpful contributor to society. As a result, the "A" that previously symbolized the crime she had committed now stood for "Able". In her society, Hester was remembered from then on for her potential to be a better person, regardless of her previous mistakes.</p>
<p>As a cross-country runner, I have gotten used to running 5K races. In each race, runners are judged for the times they achieve in completing a race. Although these records are an indication of the ability of the runner, what people truly should judge is how much work a runner puts into his training. Runners push through countless workouts and injuries to run faster and harder at each successive race. The potential they have is exemplified in this hard work and perseverance that the runner goes through in order to succeed.</p>
<p>The importance of a person's potential over what past experiences he has gone through is clearly seen in the Civil Rights Movement, "The Scarlet Letter", and my cross-country training. A person is capable of much more than is seen in a single experience or achievement. "You are more than what you can see," is an excellent quote that sums up this idea.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help!</p>