<p>What are the bare essentials that the collegeboard look for in the 25 minute essay? Do they look for central idea and thesis in the introduction? And are 4 paragraphs sufficient instead of 5? Also, where can I view actual essays that have been scored by the collegeboard?</p>
<p>See collegeboard.com on the SAT test preparation section, for Writing:</p>
<p>They have examples of each level of essay, 1-6, all graded for you.</p>
<p>They'll give you a Prompt, for example, on the topic of "pressure." </p>
<p>It gets you thinking. You write your opening paragraph in which you state your THESIS, your claim that you present in a sentence or three. It should be a "pro" or "con" idea, a debatable point of view that was stimulated by their prompt.
Don't debate it back and forth in the opening para; just pick one side that you think you can prove with 2-3 worthwhile examples. (Example of your thesis: "Pressure can sometimes produce a superior work product." Another person could write a different thesis, "Pressure causes sloppy work and inferior results." Both are fine as starting points for Para. 1. You just have to prove yours.)<br>
Then pick 2, perhaps 3, examples that will support or prove your thesis.
Choose the examples from history, literature, science or personal experience but NOT just b.s. like "why I hate to be put under pressure..."
(Before you begin to write out the examples, take a moment to jot-note the name of your 2-3 examples (e.g. "Winston Churchill" and "my grandmother's approach to housework" and -- this is important: WHY you chose it; how it proved your thesis. (e.g., Churchill..showed great leadership under pressure/ World War II; grandma's housework.. works fast, best organized when expecting visitors).
Then you write a paragraph for each example.
It's fine to use just 2 examples; sometimes it's hard to have enough time for 3. Better to go into depth and detail about two.
While you're at it, try to think and mention some differences or similarities between the two examples. For instance, after writing about Churchill in a paragraph, don't just write a separate para about grandma. Link them. Start the grandma paragraph, "Unlike Churchill, my grandmother does not entertain military generals with vital agendas. She does, however, care about her household as much as Churchill cared for his nation. So when company is expected, and she's under pressure, she scurries around to clean house..."
After you've done your 2 or 3 examples, it's time for a BRIEF conclusion., as a final paragraph. It should NOT be flowery or provide anything brand new. If you've done your job, you'll have already built up to the conclusion in the paragraphs about the examples.
So it might sound like this, "Churchill and my grandmother never met, but they share a similar working style. Whether a person leads a nation at a turning point in history, or is a simple homemaker anticipating a family visit, sometimes people perform their best work under pressure." And that would be your final paragraph. It restates your thesis, but by the time it does, you've proven your point with your examples so your reader is ONSIDE with you!</p>
<p>If you run out of time, leave off the conclusion rather than the thesis or examples.</p>
<p>If you have extra time, go back and change some weak words into stronger ones. Use words you really understand; don't stretch and misuse fancy words! For example, if you have a dull sentence like this: "My grandma says she likes to get the house clean." it is better to bring it up a level. Use details such as: "My grandma prefers an orderly environment, including clean counters and uncluttered corners." If you see the word "get" there's probably a better word: "My grandma claims she benefits from a clean house."</p>
<p>There's no 5-paragraph rule. I think it gets taught this way b/c the tutors find it easiest for most students to say this:
first para = intro/thesis
second, third, fourth paras = 3 examples
fifth para = conclusion</p>
<p>Most students, however, find it hard to write that fast and do a thorough job on 3 examples. If you do 2 examples well, you'll end up with 4 paragraphs and that's just FINE.</p>
<p>Make meaningful, insightful points about your 2 examples. Put in relevant DETAIL about your example that supports your thesis. For example, if you know a battle that shows Churchill operating best under pressure, name and describe the battle with a sentence. If all you can say about Churchill is he was in charge of England, then you don't know enough about him to make him your example. Choose a different example-- one that you CAN write about.
Examples from literature are often famous characters from novels or plays: Romeo, Hamlet, Holden Caulfield, Lenny in Death of a Salesman, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, ...whatever you've read and know the story very well. One character can illustrate many different theses, so practice writing different essays and supporting different theses with your same favorite character.
If you don't like to read history, then watch The History Channel. For science examples, chill in front of The Discovery Channel or National Geographic.
The week before his SAT, my son was burnt out so watched a "Biography" Channel special about Henry Ford inventing the Model T Ford...and he used that because his head was full of details about how he built the assembly line, set up the wage system, believed he was benefitting the working man by providing family mobility... In one hour, he had many details ready to use. I think the prompt came up about "one person changing the lives of many" so he fit in the Henry Ford example. He could have used the same biography to give examples for "a person's job affects his family life."</p>
<p>Scorpio, I'm sorry about the link posted in #2 of your thread.
I'm trying to help a lot of people at once.</p>
<p>The link got chopped off. Here's what you need instead to find it:</p>
<p>It helps to see what the SAT scorers think is a terrible, okay and great essay. </p>
<p>To see a range of examples, all graded 1-6, see this collegeboard link. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the sample essays.</p>
<p>I can't write it out in a line, b/c this site somehow cuts it off, so i'll put it in a column, but you type it out as a line:</p>
<p>collegeboard.com/
student/
testing/
sat/
prep_one/
essay/
pracStart.html</p>
<p>paying3tuitions, although the whole link just doesn't show up, it still correctly links to the same webpage. It just shortens it b/c sometimes there's addresses that would take up almost four lines.</p>
<p>thank you, lin. I'm a dinosaur re: technology but I want everyone to do well with their writing!</p>
<p>Thank you paying3tuitions for your useful post. The only thing I was wondering about was the almost playful/ humorous attitude by saying, "Churchill and my grandmother never met, but they share a similar working style. Whether a person leads a nation at a turning point in history, or is a simple homemaker anticipating a family visit, sometimes people perform their best work under pressure". Also "Unlike Churchill, my grandmother does not entertain military generals with vital agendas". I think those are really good examples, but I was wondering if the people who grade the essay might have a problem with adding humor or what not.</p>
<p>YOU ARE RIGHT. Scorers will not likely have a sense of humor. If they did, then sitting in a dark room scoring hundreds of these will suck it right out of them.
Stay serious.
I think I was getting a little punchy from critiquing all of these.
Keep it on the straight-and-narrow; you can't go wrong. Humor can really fall flat when you can't see your audience!
Good question, and I hope I put it to rest. STAY SERIOUS.</p>
<p>What I was trying to do, but should have presented seriously, was demonstrate that you can make a transition from your first to your second example by mentioning them in the same sentence. Make a thoughtful connection, comparing or contrasting them, as you leave the first example and move on to discuss the next.
That's better than starting each paragraph, First...Secondly...
or the obvious, "Another example of this is..."</p>
<p>But only attempt that if you're very comfortable writing. The fallback posiition is to use the topic sentences that are ordinary, "One example from literature is..."</p>
<p>I disagree with paying3tuitions on the inclusion of humor - it seems to me, after researching the SAT essay and what to include in it - that anything to get your essay noticed and brighten the essay-readers' days would be good to include. </p>
<p>This article released by the Washington Post when the new SAT format was introduced brought the aspect of humor to my eyes. I recommend reading it for some potentially helpful essay-writing tips. Also, thank you paying3tuitions for your extremely helpful advice. I am definately going to attempt to apply your tips in my essay.</p>
<p>I got 11 out of 12 on my Jan SAT. Don't use personal examples, use something from the books that you read before, write as long as you can. It worked out for me.</p>