<p>Hi there! </p>
<p>I was hoping I could start a thread for those of us who are looking to get some essay practice in before the October SAT. I've recently written one, transcribed it onto my laptop, and thought I would post it here for someone to mark. Since I figure I'm not the only student who needs help with this, I'd love to make this a thread specifically for pasting and commenting on each other's essays. Thoughts? </p>
<p>Prompt: Is the way something seems to be not always the same as it actually is? </p>
<p>RESPONSE </p>
<p>Appearances are frequently deceiving. As illustrated in works of film, recent findings in social psychology, and in the politics we encounter on an everyday basis, the way something appears at first glance is rarely true to what it is upon further analysis. </p>
<p>A demonstrated by Spirited Away, simple appearances can betray a huge depth of complexity. In Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar Award-wining animated film, what begins as a tedious family move-in day swiftly becomes a full-scale adventure as understated, anxiety-stricken, ten-year-old protagonist Chihiro attempts to navigate the spirit world to reunite herself with her parents. Everything in the film, from the character design to the plot twists, propagate the idea that even the most dull of situations can carry the potential to shock and surprise. </p>
<p>Similarly, Malcom Gladwell’s novel ‘The Outliers’ tackles what he refers to as “The Myth of Success” and surmises that often what appears to be success as a result of natural-born talent is, in fact, the result of extreme bouts of hard work. Drawing case examples from a wide variety of disciplines including music, sports, and engineering technology, Gladwell builds a case for this “10,000 Hour Rule,” expediting that success isn’t as it seems—the product of an innate gift—but rather, the product of long hours of work. </p>
<p>The Miss America Pageant presents perhaps the strongest case to take appearances with a grain of salt, and underscores the necessity that exists in delving deeper to unveil truth. The organization, calling itself a scholarship competition, presents itself to any unsuspecting onlooker as being an organization with a single-minded interest in a woman’s intellectual vitality. The Miss America contest, however, allocates only 20 seconds of a contestant’s entire performance to the Question and Answer section, instead allocating large portions of the contest to such events as swimsuit competition. Logical consideration immediately reveals a gross discrepancy between its aims and its actions; a preliminary look could not stand further from reality in this case. </p>
<p>After careful consideration of the Miss America Pageant, Malcom Gladwell’s ‘The Outliers,’ and Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away,’ it’s made clear appearances are insufficient in garnering a true appreciation of reality. The events of our time, with their many causes and effects, cannot be processed on appearances alone; to do so would be to oversimplify and potentially misunderstand them entirely, as illustrated by the examples of this essay. </p>