<p>I got two 9's on my previous tests. I really can't say the reason I didn't get 12. I filled two pages with middle sized handwriting, I wrote 2 germane examples, I concluded with "indeed". What else do I have? Grammar? I made about 2-3 mistakes. The 12ers share please what exactly did you do for 12?
Thanks!</p>
<p>As long as you keep grammatical errors to a minimum and nothing too distracting that the reader cannot focus on your thesis/support, that’s not your biggest issue. </p>
<p>You need solid examples to support your thesis. Literature and history is a great way to get a 12. Think 1984 (Orwell), historical revolutions, etc. Using big words helps but don’t use a word you don’t understand the meaning of and it must be appropriate. Don’t add every big word you can think of just for the heck of it, I’d imagine the graders would be able to see right through that. </p>
<p>There’s some great threads on 12’a here. Sorry I can’t link you ATM I’m on my phone</p>
<p>^
I agree with ghuskies. :] Just want to add that sometimes personal examples (as long as you don’t stray away from the prompt and stay focused) can be a great asset to your essay. I used two personal examples on the Jan. SAT and received a 12.</p>
<p>Ok! So here is the plan:
*2 pages with middle handwriting
*history+literature examples
*no/few grammatical errors
*organized structure</p>
<p>Concise and clear thesis. No need for fluff, like normal essays for English class. Hope that helps!</p>
<p>
By all means.</p>
<p>Hi,
I was also wondering this. I’m never taking the SAT again but I got an 11 and would like to know why exactly.
I used 2 germane examples, one from history and one from literature
I had 0 grammar errors
It took up the whole 2 pages in fairly small handwriting
I finished it completely
It had a clear thesis
It had extremely good vocabulary
It was organized: short intro, 2 body paragraphs (1 for each example), short conclusion</p>
<p>Just by reading the description, doesn’t it sound like a 12? It satisfies pretty much everything a 12 asks for. Yet it was an 11…</p>
<p>^Did you vary sentence structure?</p>
<p>Each reader is different. They could have simply just not liked your examples as much as the next kid’s. 11 is great!</p>