<p>I'm taking the SATs in May, but I'm a bit conflicted as to what's "accepted" for the essay portion. Many of my friends/family have been telling me that it's always better to pick ONE side and support it with examples, because not picking a side (by this I mean, arguing both) will be seen as "wishy-washy" or indecisive. However, I personally think that many of these questions are so vague that the answers really depend on context, and I just CAN'T say 100% of the time that something is true or isn't.</p>
<p>So! That said... do you know if it's alright to argue both sides, of sorts, if I support both with examples and explain how the context for each differs? Or is it a general rule of thumb that I should just get over myself and pick one side anyway?</p>
<p>If you are a strong writer, you are more likely to get a 12 if you offer for and counter arguments and support both sides. That said, if you are a so-so writer (or you do not write well under pressure, like me) pick a side and support it with strong examples.</p>
<p>So is my family being fairly... "simple" in thinking that it will look as if I couldn't decide just because I support both sides? Granted, I have no clue if I'm actually doing it well or not (I'm going to have a friend read it and tell me if he thinks I did a decent job), but it just seems to me that picking one side, in the particular question I had, was waaaay too black-and-white, and that NOT addressing both sides would leave holes in my paper.</p>
<p>I'm sure that in some (most?) cases, it will be easier for me to just pick one side, it was just in this specific question that I had today that I really felt my essay would be more complete by addressing both arguments.</p>
<p>The problem with justifying the statement is that you have to be sure not to contradict yourself. In order to support both sides, you have to justify the statement- that is, say there are different answers for different circumstances. You can't just present both cases. To argue both sides, you have to say, "This answer is this in these circumstances and the other in these," because's it's arguing a point, not two points (justifying a statement is still arguing one point by in effect saying the statement is not specific enough to yield any one correct answer).</p>
<p>This essay is about YOUR opinion on an issue (or THE opinion you are pretending to have), not about the issue itself. You are not writing an informative paper, you are writing a persuasive essay. Don't just present both sides- that will get you a low score.</p>
<p>I'm a very good writer and I got 8/12!! I'm still trying to figure that out. I felt pretty confident about the writing section. Does anyone have any tips to get a 12/12?</p>
<p>Carpe Aeternum -- I think (?) I did that. The question was about whether censorship is justifiable, and I wrote about different circumstances in which it would/wouldn't be, and why those different circumstances result in it being acceptable or not. I think that's what you're saying? I didn't mean to imply that I had one argument for both (I think that's what you mean by contradicting myself).</p>
<p>Don't just present both sides
Good point; I think/hope I did more than just stating the facts, and actually discussed why they lead to... whatever the example is.</p>
<p>Triggy, spot on. What you did is justifying the statement (a word I believe is used on the actual essay prompt on the SAT). That is a perfectly allowable way to answer the question.</p>
<p>as long as you're not actually <em>wishy-washy</em> as in something like "x, but kinda like y too," I don't think it can hurt - it can show you're actually thinking. I basically used a "somewhat" thesis on mine and got a 9 out of 12.</p>
<p>I've always been told to pick one side, but also think of possible counter arguments and shoot them down. I got a 10 with something like this: P1 - obvious argument for my side, P2 - "advocates of side two would say XYZ, but they are incorrect because of ABC", P3 - deeper, less expected argument for my side (more creative).</p>
<p>Oh, and also for the SAT I think it really helps to add literary and historical allusions to support your side. My friend prepared by reviewing all the major themes of all the books we've read since freshman year and ended up using something for Scarlet Letter as an example. She got a 12.</p>
<p>I got an 11 just supporting one side, and I was in a time crunch for the last five minutes. Although creativity is appreciated, it is not necessary for a good score. In fact, sticking to a formula is probably the most reliable way to get a high score consistently. It is much easier and safer to argue one side, but if you choose to do two, make sure to explain why each one is valid in different scenarios (as people have mentioned). Alternatively, present both but choose one you like better in general. The last of your three body paragraphs (the first two explaining the merits of both) will offer evidence of why a particular viewpoint is preferable. Here is a good formula that basically can't go wrong if your essay is stylistically interesting (at 8:00 on a Saturday, that is):</p>
<p>1) Short Intro that is specific, with CLEAR thesis
2) Body paragraph 1
3) Body paragraph 2
4) Body paragraph 3
5) Conclusion that is not a repetition of what is in the essay (some extension)</p>
<p>If you want to argue both sides but want to choose one over the other eventually:
1) Intro
2) Body paragraph explaining merits of viewpoint #1
3) Body paragraph explaining merits of viewpoint #2
4) Body paragraph explaining why #1 is better than #2
5) Conclusion</p>
<p>I did one example from personal life, one example from history, and one example from pop culture/literature/current events (it depended on the practice prompt; for the real one I did literature). Just make sure they aren't all the same.</p>
<p>I agree with Baelor, but I suggest that you just pick one side. The SAT essay is not designed to measure how well you write or how well you think or how creative you are - it measures how well you write a basic persuasive essay in 20 minutes. I got an 11 (without doing any practice essays, just reading essay tips my school handed out for the SAT) using 2 personal examples and 1 historical example (and I don't consider myself to be a particularly good writer). I argued 1 side completely, even though I didn't really believe what I was saying. The graders don't know what you really think, and they're grading on a very strict set of criteria. I suggest you write a simple, well-supported essay arguing only one side, because:
1. it's easier to get a high score that way
2. you can't come off as "wishy washy"
3. it's fairly difficult to write a good essay arguing both sides effectively in 20 minutes at 8:30 in the morning. </p>
<p>that said, if you think you'll be able to pull it off, by all means go for it. I'm just saying there's an easier way (in my opinion).</p>
<p>True. Also, feel free to invent stuff as needed. I just completely invented personal examples. They'll never know. They also don't check for historical accuracy. They don't care that Cleopatra never actually killed her suitors by hanging them or whatever will be a convenient concrete detail. Just don't push it too far, of course.</p>
<p>@Baelor - In the same vein, my friends’ SAT tutor told her to make up a book (The Random SAT Book by “name of SAT tutor”) and use it as an example for the essay.</p>
<p>hmm i always pick a side and i got a 11 and a 12 so far, all you really have to do make up believable facts/people. for example, i decided that no matter the essay topic i will always use the same 3 topics: Newton, MLK and ping pong. its been working for me so i suggest you should pick a side. also make sure to include quotes</p>
<p>“i decided that no matter the essay topic i will always use the same 3 topics: Newton, MLK and ping pong. its been working for me”</p>
<p>LOL. WongTongTong, thank you so much for that tip! I found it brilliantly amusing.
Finally read something on this site I have never heard before and might actually use.</p>
<p>no im serious lol.
all you have to do is be able to think quickly in order to manipulate what your topics are in order to answer the prompt effectively.</p>