SAT with Essay

The SAT Essay is 50-minutes long, and it comes at the end of the test. It is a lot like a typical college writing assignment, in which you’re asked to analyse a text. The SAT with essay demonstrates your college readiness. It includes the following assignments:

1. To read a persuasive passage dealing with a central argument
2. To analyse and identify the various analytical tools with which the author builds an argument to persuade an audience
3. To support your explanation with evidence from the passage and provide sufficient reasoning to link claim and evidence together  
4. To adhere to standard conventions of the English language so that there are no grammatical errors 

The essay will be graded across three categories:

Reading:

The Reading score determines the student’s comprehension of the passage. It involves his ability to distinguish between central and sub-claims, and to find evidence that supports the author’s claims. 

Analysis:

The Analysis score determines the quality of the student’s evaluation of the passage. It involves the student’s evaluation of the author’s persuasive techniques that he uses to succeed at accomplishing his mission: persuade the audience. 

Writing:

The Writing score determines the quality of the student’s response. It involves his ability to organize and structure the essay uniformly while maintaining the integrity of the grammar used.  

Should I Take the SAT with Essay ?

Take the SAT Essay if the schools for which you are applying require the test   

Typically this information is provided by the school to prospective applicants or is listed on the school’s website. It’s important to note that even if your current list of prospective schools does not require the test, you may find yourself applying to other schools that might. Go to the College Board website, type in the name of a college, and College Board will show you if the given school requires or recommends the SAT essay.   

Take the SAT Essay if you are good at writing and analysis  

Even if you are certain that none of your prospective schools require the test, a high score on the optional essay portion of the test could still be a positive for your admission. It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skill and ability in writing and critical thinking.

Take the SAT Essay if you are not certain which schools you’d like to attend  

Definitely take the test if you are uncertain which schools you’d like to apply to. This gives you the maximum amount of options for schools without having to worry about going back later to take the essay portion of the test.  

Take the SAT Essay if the schools for which you are applying reccomend the test   

For the most part, if the college recommends you take the essay, you should take it, especially if you are applying to a competitive school. Thousands of other students are going to have strong GPAs, high SAT scores, and a great application essay. To compete with them, if you take the SAT Essay, you have another opportunity to showcase your strengths and talents; if you don’t take the SAT Essay, you are leaving room for your competition to complete the essay and outshine your application.  

SAT Essay: Time (50 minutes)  

While writing practice essays in your spare time may not be your definition of fun, it will help boost your scores. Timed essays are not only a major part of the SAT Writing Test, ACT, and AP tests but also of college midterms and finals. To prepare for the essays, gather the essay questions from previous tests, and practice writing essays within the given time limit. You only get 50 minutes to read a 650-750 word passage, analyse the devices the author uses to structure her/his argument, and write a full-fledged analytical essay. Remember the SAT essay isn’t about your opinions on the given persuasive text, rather an analytical account of the text that you read.

Here are some tips for timed essay-writing: 

Learn to identify the tools of analysis. You may have a lot to say, but the SAT essay is again evidence-based analysis and hardly about your opinions. Before you start writing, think about the question and plan out your answer. It is important to identify the main claim that the author is trying to make. With that in mind, make sure your essay has a clearly defined thesis statement, picking up the most relevant persuasive techniques employed by the author. For the hook line, several "standard" introductions can be applied to a variety of topics. It can help to find a few quotes that you could use to kickstart your essay, but use examples and add details that support your statements. Get your thoughts out quickly, and don't get stuck trying to make a sentence perfect. Remember to always proofread.  

SAT Essay: Conclusion  

Doing well on the SAT essay will make you stand out. In this era of dwindling writing abilities, a well-executed essay can go a long way to impress admission officials. Colleges also prefer students who like to push the envelope. Opting in for the SAT essay shows that you are not afraid of a challenge and that you are willing to take chances. We strongly suggest that you prepare for it. You must understand what your assignment is precisely, and how to best accomplish the task at hand.