<p>As many of you may find this prompt dreary...familiar, I got this example prompt straight from a practice test out of Gruber's book. </p>
<p>"The most exciting thing we can experience is the mysterious. it is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle." (Albert Einstein).</p>
<p>Assignment: In which ways have you experienced "the mysterious" and how has taht made you feel alive and excited about life? Based on your experience or experiences, discuss how the above quote rings true and how science or art illustrates the "mysterious."</p>
<p>My essay:
“The mysterious,” or the unknown, just as the sagacious Albert Einstein once said, is “the most exciting thing we can experience…the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”</p>
<p>Indeed, the desire to know the mysterious has always been and will always be the impetus of inventions, the motivation of discoveries. It is not out of the desire to experience and know things yet possible to be known that human strives to be better, that Newton questioned a falling apple and discovered the law of universal gravitation, that Mozart created wondrous symphonies to appease his lust for the beauty of music, that Galileo Galilei found out that our Earth doesn’t stand still; or that Einstein himself discovered the photon electric effect, the one discovery said to begin a new science revolution. </p>
<p>That yearning to satisfy our curiosity is one which isn’t satisfiable in the first place, for it is one of the most fundamental emotions of a human-being. It is the one emotion that we all are given when we ‒ as babies ‒ first come into this world, and look at it with the utmost curiosity, and amazement of all our heart ‒ that we cry. Hence, it is limitless. It makes humanity, with its unlimited curiosity, know no limit.</p>
<p>Our curiosity toward the unknown is the root of observing; we observe our surrounding to get to know it. Curiosity is the heart of studying; we study to get to understand what we observed but yet to understand. Curiosity is the essence of discovering; it, indubitably, brings us human to where we are today. </p>
<p>It is the mystery of a yet to be born life inside my sister, whether it will be a niece, or a nephew, that drives me to finish the test as early today as possible; it is the mystery of a new horizon that I may never know about, the mystery of a famed, prestige college’s life that push me to my best today, amidst anxiety and excitement. It is the mystery of not knowing what question will come up next - will it be easy, or will it be difficult? ‒ that makes me feel uncertain, restless, that makes me feel hope. It makes me, it makes you, it makes us alive.</p>
<p>And now I'm seeking answers for some relevant questions:
First of all, would this style of writing work? I personally think it is better than the nonsensical that Collegeboard always forces us all to write, and this style is the one that I feel very comfortable with (I did the one above in 21-22 mins, and often do better for other prompts), but as you can see, it is out of the norm and I wonder if it is acceptable for SAT graders. If yes, please grade it for me.</p>
<p>Second, many say a test taker should try to fill out all the space, but the difficulty varies a lot depends on our very different handwriting. So, would there really be an optimum length, or should I just try to make my handwriting bigger, a 'fill it all," where actual contents are not so important as the feeling of "longness."</p>
<p>Third, no so pertinent, but I am not a native English speaker. are the colleges actually more lenient on the CR and writing section, and more harsh on the math section for non-American test takers?</p>
I personally find it an excellent essay - powerful, expressive, moving - and would give top marks.</p>