<p>Well, I haven't taken a real SAT yet, but my mock essays, given and graded variously by Dr Li's MathEnglish and Revolution Prep, have been 0 (lol), 6, 10, 8, 6 and 8; I think the first two can be ignored as flukes. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I'm getting contradictory advice on how many paragraphs and examples you should/can use. It is acceptable just to use a single example for the entire essay? Is three too many?</p></li>
<li><p>I try to use historical examples on my essay, but I've been told that the graders really dig literary ones. Which really makes absolutely no sense to me, how you're supposed to objectively establish a point by using a work of fiction...but I digress. Is it true that you should try including at least one literary example in your essay?</p></li>
<li><p>Should my opening paragraph briefly mention the arguments that I'm going to use later in my essay? Again, I've gotten different answers on this.</p></li>
<li><p>Should I try to rebute possible opposing arguments in my essay?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’d also appreciate an answer to the first question. Some people have insisted that three examples are what can get you an 11 or 12, but I honestly have a hard time coming up with three examples all from different sources (literature, history, personal event, etc.).</p>
<p>Format = opening paragraph, 3 example paragraphs, conclusion paragraph. If you really can’t manage 3 example paragraphs, then go with two. One is NOT enough!</p>
<p>Your opening paragraph should state your thesis - which is a “yes” or “no” answer to the essay question. You then illustrate that with your examples, and restate it in your conclusion (“As these examples from history and literature show, puppies are always better pets than kittens.”).</p>
<p>Rebutting opposing arguments: essential for the ACT essay, not required for the SAT essay. And you won’t really have time for it . . . just do the five paragraphs they’re expecting.</p>
<p>Finding good examples:</p>
<p>(1) look at a bunch of sample essays (including the ones posted here on CC) and see how other people have used literary examples.</p>
<p>(2) pick three or four examples that you like (literary works, historical events, famous people, whatever), and practice them (over and over and over!) with different essay questions. You can find a good list of old SAT essay questions [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/8682997-post1.html]here[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/8682997-post1.html]here[/url</a>]. The bottom line is how many different essay questions can you answer using Martin Luther King, or Bill Gates, or the Russian Revolution, or ??? . . . in the end, you should be able to answer ANY question using the examples you’ve picked. It just takes practice - lots of practice!</p>