3.0 SAT Essay - Essay Introduction

Introduction:

Writing well, though not easy, is a skill that may be reduced into understandable parts.  Too often, students make the false assumption that one has to be born with a gift to write.  Though this may be true if one is pursuing creative writing, this is not the case for academic writing, and certainly not the case for scoring big on the SAT essay- great news for students who have thrown their hands in the air out of frustration.  The key idea is this: if you know the traits that win big points with the grader, i.e., your audience, then following the formula creates a solid likelihood for success.  What follows is a close look at the structure, audience, and winning characteristics of the SAT essay. 

Here are the facts:

• The multiple-choice section of the exam influences 70% of your score, leaving 30% of your score to the essay.
• Students have 25 minutes in order to read the prompt and complete the essay.
• The top possible score to earn is a 6 (from one reader).  Top possible score from two readers is a 12. 
• To establish fairness, two readers score the essay according to a rubric that is posted by the College Board.
• Readers are trained to grade holistically; this is a fancy way of saying that a few mistakes cannot omit a student from a high score. 
• The essay is the first section on the exam.
• Typical writing prompts stem from either one or two quotes, building a question that asks students to evaluate the claim(s) and develop a point of view, i.e., argument using various means of evidence for support.