<p><a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/150054.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/150054.html</a>, which reports on the first year's administration of the writing section, states that "Only 8 percent of essays were identified as using the typical five-paragraph essays"</p>
<p>Also, lefthanders have to push their hands and pencils across the page, instead of dragging them. It is physically more akward and tiring - and it is slower!!!! Try it and see.</p>
<p>I've learned to strongly identify with anyone who has pen smears all along the base of their left-hand.</p>
<p>I'm left-handed - that's why I asked the question.</p>
<p>Though I've dealt with the ink smears all my life, I never felt I was at a disadvantage in writing. The only thing I hated back in school was writing in those spiral notebooks! But, I adjusted and never used it as an excuse.</p>
<p>Sure, it's mostly a right-handed world, but I've never used my left-handedness as a disability. My dad and one of my brothers is left-handed and other than being a minority in some way, that's all it is.</p>
<p>There's a thread in the SAT section from someone with a 9 on the essay and a 490 on the overall Writing score. I think there was a problem with the grid or it should be re-scored. </p>
<p>Or maybe the whole writing section thing is just crazy and collegeboard doesn' know what it's doing!</p>
<p>I'm lefthanded, and I DO see it as a handicap to writing quickly. All you righties out there should try this little experiment. Use your right hand to write, but start on the righthand side of the page, and move from right to left. Try a few lines, and then tell me if you think it is more physically taxing than writing left to right. I'm formulating a theory here....</p>