<p>In the SAT Essay, do you think starting the essay with the quote can get the attention of the grader?</p>
<p>I believe it could, provided you are able to give the person who said it. If you are going to do that, make sure it is the right speaker and is relevant to the prompt.</p>
<p>I personally use a “Ever since man created civilization” or a “Ever since the dawn of society” kind of a spiel which I mold to the prompt. However, if you know a quote that fits the prompt perfectly, use it. For example, the AP French essay prompt last year was (in essence), “Do we need to follow all rules at all times?” A perfect quote that I used was Rousseau’s “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains” (of course, in French).</p>