Hey guys! Can you please give me an essay score (0-12) for this SAT essay. I’m open to any tips and constructive criticism, but please don’t be rude. Thank you!
Prompt: “Is it more important and valuable to acquire knowledge or take action?”
Essay:
The question “Is it more important and valuable to acquire knowledge or take action?” suggests that the mind may be more powerful than the fist. In other words, it is evident that knowledge is more valuable than action because a well-formulated plan based on acquired knowledge trumps hasty and brash actions.
Consider the case of D-Day during World War 2, were Allied forces rushed the beaches of France to gain territory. They were led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was known for his strategic expertise and acumen. He and his officers cleverly planned out every single invasion on every single beach, calculating how to take advantage of weak points discovered in the German line while minimizing troop casualties. Evident through the Allied success, his acquired knowledge and intrinsic thought were crucial to the victory in D-Day and the war. Without his insight and valuable judgement, the Allied forces wouldn’t have been so fortunate and successful, signifying the importance of acquired knowledge and thought.
Another example is India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Paired with the legendary Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru wanted to greatly weaken the British during the war for independence. After careful consideration of facts, he concluded that rather than fighting bloody conflicts, Indians should march to the coast of India and gather the salt themselves, greatly damaging the vital British monopoly on salt. His planning from research and observation was essential to India’s success, reminding the British that Indians were a force to be reckoned with. Additionally, he managed to avoid pointless deaths by planning out this nonviolent protest. Because of his excellent insight and calculations, he caused pivotal change in Indian history.
Lastly, consider “Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock is not known for his brute force, but rather for his mind. He thinks out every possible scenario and carefully gathers clues and facts, which turns out to be more successful than the brash actions taken by the British police force. His strategic judgement helps him take on masterminds like Moriarty while simply taking actions gets the commissioner and the police no where. His valuable forethought and research leads to his success and serves often as an important turning point in the plot.
As evident through the examples of Jawaharlal Nehru, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Sherlock Holmes, knowledge is more important than actions because facts are often deadlier than swords.