<p>Recently, my English class completed an in-class synthesis essay and previously in the year we had done an in-class essay for rhetorical analysis. Both are in preparation for those who will take AP Comp next year. On both essays, I received an 8. While I am aware that 8 is very good, I want to improve my writing to its highest potential. I want to be able to write with that "wow-factor" that earns a 9, but I don't know how one would go about getting there. I understand writing often will improve style and overall writing ability, but I have been doing that and my writing appears stagnant. Any suggestions as to other approaches that will improve my writing? (Not just in AP essays, but in all scopes of writing)</p>
<p>The problem you have is that you think practice makes perfect when its perfect practice that makes perfect. You can’t just write essays and hope to improve. You have to know exactly what you want to improve and then you practice until you have that skill down pat where you do it on every essay without thinking about it. Just focus one one thing each week over the summer. Start with maybe writing a great hook and then move to thesis statements and then move on to transitions etc. Focus on a new thing each week and have one day a week where you try to put it all together.</p>
<p>Things to work on:
- Hook
- Thesis
- Transition
- Evidence
- Analytic statements
- Conclusions
- Final sentences</p>
<p>Some of these may seem simple but by the end of the summer you will be surprised by how much you have improved by focusing on one technique at a time. Just focus on those specific things. You can read up online how to improve them and you can also watch youtube videos on them. Then practice them. The only full 5-paragraph essay you should be writing for practice are the ones you use for review.</p>
<p>Some other things that could help:
- Grammar; you may be the best writer in your English honors class but it is probably full of grammatical errors (even some of the essays in AP English that get 7-8 have a couple grammatical errors). The cool thing about working on this is that you can work on it by studying the SAT writing section.
- Vocabulary; My advice is to get a vocabulary workshop book and just work through it over the summer. Using an academic vocabulary takes you from the mediocre essay to the 8-9 level
- Become more worldly; Study the world and learn about controversial issues. Discuss them with others.
- Read college-level books; my favorites are Count of Monte Cristo and Catch-22. You can pick up some golden lines and just their styles are interesting.</p>
<p>My AP Lang teacher probably put it best when he said “The people that are going to get 9’s on the essays are the people that can just write because they can write because they can write. It’s like the people that are just good at math for no apparent reason.” Read some of the samples essays posted on CollegeBoard’s website, and you’ll understand what he means. The 9’s are just mind-blowing.</p>