<p>So we're forced to write an essay in 25 minutes on a most capricious prompt. It's a luck of the draw. What really is the purpose of the SAT essay, and what score is considered a high one?</p>
<p>The purpose of the essay is to see if you can organize thoughts, express ideas in complete sentences, and properly use terminology, such as "... a most capricious prompt." Whether or not you are actually well versed in content relating to the essay prompt is secondary.</p>
<p>On CC, anything less than 12 out of 12 is probably considered fatal, but I imagine for folks grounded in reality, a 9 or up will indicate strong mastery of the skills being tested.</p>
<p>Thanks. I was just wondering because I've heard that many colleges don't pay attention to the essay much less the writing section. But I got a 10 anyway without finishing.</p>
<p>Most people would call me a good writer. (My Common App essay is [url="<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=291193%22%5Dhere%5B/url">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=291193"]here[/url</a>]; you be the judge.) I got a 9 on the SAT essay because I write slowly, methodically, and never start without an outline in my head -- and apparently, a page and a third in 25 minutes just doesn't cut it. Maybe I'm in denial, but I'm skeptical about whether it really measures anything more useful than the ability to BS as much as possible (length being the most important factor here) in a very limited amount of time.</p>
<p>I just read your essay, camlelia. It's wonderfully written - nice to see someone who's passionate about something. It will really win over adcoms.</p>
<p>Thank you (and I hope so)! :)</p>
<p>i got a 12 essay, but my style has always been just to sit down and start writing...no outline or anything</p>
<p>Great job, greenbay. But I have to outline in order to write a focused essay or else I'll just write discursively about irrelevant information.</p>
<p>well i also heard that colleges download the essay from your sat 1. They probably want to see how well you can write under pressure and possibly to see if there is a tremendous disparity in flow, style, structure in your regular essays you submitted to the universities to see if someone wrote them for you etc</p>
<p>The SAT Essay's real purpose is so that the College Board won't lose their most important customer: The University of California System, which forced them to change the test from 1600 to 2400. With the amount of tests that College Board administers to UC applicants, the College Board had to cater to UC's demands.</p>
<p>The essay means nothing to me. I scored a 6 (although it should have been higher) yet I only missed 4 of the multiple choice questions and scored a 700 on verbal. I have 4.04 GPA (Fairfax county) and know how to write. I'm not sure if colleges care as much about the writing since they have their own essays. UVA has 3 and I thought I did a great job on each. My only problem in any testing is the time limit pressure.</p>
<p>I dislike the SAT essay. It is rushed and chaotic. It puts slow, careful writers at a disadvantage. It is uncreative -- they merely look for a formula.</p>
<p>I've heard that the main reason they added the essay is to provide a legit sample of a students writing, since so many students get outside help for their college app essays. I suppose this is a good reason after all.</p>
<p>I have to say I am glad my kids did SATs before the essay was added. My sons were both very slow writers, with lots of drafts, rewrites, etc. My daughter on the other hand is the type that can sit down and b.s. anything. She would have had a great advantage over my sons. It doesn't seem like a fair test of writing skill, to me anyway.</p>
<p>I personally don't think the SAT essay means anything, but then that might be the normal bias among students with low scores. (I guess.) I got an 8, which is hardly an excellent score, but I am generally considered a fairly good writer. </p>
<p>I do think the essay-grading rubric might have rather a lot to do with length, which would explain my own situation -- my essay wasn't particularly long (one-and-a-half sides or thereabouts) -- and that the essay tilts pretty heavily towards the sort of person who can just sit down and scribble something out on a particular topic without 'wasting' valuable time on thinking (which I really can't).</p>
<p>And of course, my proctor called time a couple of minutes early!</p>
<p>I got an 8 essay and 610 CR, and a 5 on the English Language AP</p>
<p>Those do not match very well. </p>
<p>My proctor was explaining the math instructions to the ADD students in my room, who were allotted 12 extra minutes on their essays. Hard to concentrate. </p>
<p>I do not recommend the disabilities room road for anyone who does NOT have ADD or ADHD, or extra time.</p>