<p>I’m in that class right now, and I would not recommend a sophomore to take it unless they are incredible writers. The College Board rubric, which my teacher uses to grade papers, is not what you are used to seeing in regular classes. In fact, a 5 out of 9 on the College Board rubric = an A in 11th grade English, according to my teacher. </p>
<p>But if you’re not budging, I would read a lot of tough passages about various subjects from different time periods. Learn to absorb the main point of a selection straight away and identify the tone, audience, and attitude of the author. Essay writing is sort of difficult to improve in a short amount of time, but just improve your essay planning skills for timed essays. Good luck.</p>