Person Writing on a Paper - SAT Essay Tips

16 Effective SAT Essay Tips For Writing A Killer Essay

Mastering the art of writing the SAT Essay is crucial for achieving a high score on the SAT. With our helpful SAT Tips, we aim to ensure you get the best possible score, as your essay score contributes significantly to your total SAT score. So, read on to discover how to turn your SAT Essay into a strategic advantage that will make you stand out from other candidates.

What Is The SAT Essay?

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To begin, let’s talk about the SAT essay. The essay is optional but will require an additional fee of $17.00 for testing. There are only 25 colleges and universities that require the SAT essay currently. The essay score will appear on each score report you send to colleges, even if this is not a requirement for the school. 

You can find a full list of college and university requirements for the SAT essay on the College Board’s website. If you are unsure of where you want to apply for college, it is highly recommended that you take the SAT essay. This way, you have it completed and won’t have to worry about it later. The prompt for the SAT essay always remains the same. 

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What You’ll Do in the Essay Section

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The SAT Essay is a concise assignment. You only get 50 minutes to read a 650-750 word passage, analyze the author’s devices to structure her/his argument and write a full-fledged essay. It requires a particular approach that’s unlike the essays you’ve been writing for English class in school.

What is Expected of Students in the SAT Essay Section?

Reading

A successful essay shows you understood the passage, including the interplay of central ideas and important details. It also shows an effective use of textual evidence.

Analysis

A successful essay shows your understanding of how the author builds an argument. It examines the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and other stylistic and persuasive techniques and supports the claims with well-chosen evidence from the passage.

Writing

A successful essay is focused, organized, and precise, with an appropriate style and tone that varies sentence structure and follows the conventions of standard written English.

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12 Effective Tips For Writing A Killer SAT Essay

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1. Give a Clear Thesis

An effective SAT essay must have a clear thesis statement, which is essentially the essay’s main argument that the reader can easily identify. To create a strong thesis statement, it is essential to identify the passage’s main idea and list the methods the author uses to support it. It is advisable to copy the exact words describing the author’s central claim from the prompt into the thesis statement to ensure the graders see that your thesis is on-topic.

2. Include Both an Introduction and a Conclusion

Including both an introduction and a conclusion in your SAT essay is crucial for achieving a good Writing score. The introduction paragraph introduces the reader to what you will be discussing and helps you set up the structure of the essay. A well-constructed introduction is also a good indicator of the quality of the essay. If time is limited, it is better to have an introduction rather than a conclusion. A good introduction should include your thesis statement, which should be about the devices the author uses to build the argument.

3. Use Effective Language and Word Choice

Effective language and word choice are important for scoring well on the SAT essay. Avoid being repetitive and making grammar mistakes. Maintain a formal style and objective tone throughout the essay. Refrain from using first-person statements like “I” or “My” and strive to use various sentence structures. Demonstrating a consistent use of precise word choice and maintaining a formal style is essential for achieving a high score.

4. Only Use Information From the Passage

To score well, it is crucial to avoid using outside knowledge and focus solely on information from the passage provided. The SAT essay requires specific details drawn from the passage for support. Avoid getting drawn into the topic and using external information, as the graders want to see that you have effectively analyzed the given passage.

5. Focus Your Essay on Relevant Details

It is unnecessary to mention every detail that makes an argument effective. Instead, focus on a few key points to make your essay more coherent and likely to score higher in the Analysis section. The ability to identify and explain the most essential parts of the argument is more important than listing every persuasive device used by the author.

6. Keep It Tidy

Writing legibly is crucial, as the graders read numerous essays daily. Illegible handwriting may lead to a lower score. Pay attention to your handwriting and ensure it is neat and easy to read to avoid any issues with comprehension.

7. (Indented) Paragraphs Are Your Friend

Following the traditional essay structure of an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion is beneficial for your SAT essay. The introduction should describe the text, paraphrase the argument, and introduce the elements you will discuss. The conclusion should restate the goal of the passage and summarize the points made in the essay.

8. For Example

Use specific examples from the text in your body paragraphs to support your thesis statement. Brief, relevant quotes from the passage can strengthen your arguments and demonstrate your understanding of the author’s techniques.

9. Don’t Worry About the Exact Terms for Things

If you forget specific terminology, describing how the author builds the argument in simpler terms is acceptable. Focusing on conveying the author’s methods effectively is more important than using complex terminology. If you know the official terms, use them in your essay.

10. You Should Write More Than One Page

Length matters on the SAT essay, as explicitly mentioned by the College Board. Aim to write more than one page to ensure you cover the necessary points and provide ample support for your arguments.

11. Be Objective When Reading the Passage

Maintain objectivity when reading the passage to write an effective SAT essay. Practice reading persuasive essays and gaining objectivity to analyze how arguments are constructed. Instead, avoid focusing on whether the argument is good or bad and analyze the author’s techniques.

12. Practice

Practice is essential for improving your analysis and writing skills for the SAT essay. Practicing analysis and writing regularly will enhance your ability to write a successful essay. If you struggle with reading speed, practicing writing quickly can help you balance the extra time spent comprehending the material. Practice writing the entire essay within a single sitting to enhance your ability to complete the task efficiently.

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SAT Essay Tips: How To Effectively Manage Time

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1. Reading the Passage Carefully in the First 5 Minutes

I cannot stress enough the importance of reading the passage carefully in the first five minutes. This is your one chance to understand the author’s viewpoint and the rhetorical devices they use. Taking notes while reading is crucial to help you remember the critical concepts and build a strong foundation for your essay. Focus on how the author conveys their viewpoint and connect the dots between paragraphs to understand the passage’s flow. Look for rhetorical devices and note how they are used throughout the passage.

2. Planning your Essay in the Next 10 Minutes

After reading the passage and understanding its content and structure, it’s time to plan your essay. Utilize the scratch paper provided to sketch out your essay. Identify if the author’s text is more of a first-person account or a thesis supported by figures and numbers. The SAT essay analysis tips and decide on three aspects of the author’s claim you’ll discuss in each paragraph. This structure will help you organize your ideas and ensure a coherent essay.

3. Writing your Essay in 25 Minutes

Now that you’ve read the passage, taken notes, and planned your essay, it’s time to start writing. You have 25 minutes to draft your essay. This might seem like a short time, but with your preparation, it should be enough. Ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence supporting the main claim. If at any point you feel unsure about your essay, refer back to your scratch paper to make any necessary adjustments.

4. Proofreading for Ten Minutes

With time running out, you must take the last ten minutes to proofread your essay. Check for any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or awkward phrasing. Make sure your ideas flow logically and coherently. This is your final chance to make any necessary edits, so make the most of it.

With these four steps, you can effectively manage your time during the SAT essay and improve your overall score. Practice makes perfect, so implement these SAT essay tips in your practice sessions to enhance your essay-writing skills. By following these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to acing the SAT essay section.

UPDATE: The SAT Essay is Discontinued

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The College Board has announced that after June 2021, it will no longer offer the Essay portion of the SAT, except at schools that opt-in during School Day Testing. Thus, it is no longer possible to take the SAT Essay unless your school is one of the small number that choose to offer it during SAT School Day Testing.

The Discontinuation of the SAT Essay: Impact on the Digital SAT (DSAT)

In 2024, the SAT went fully digital, and the essay isn’t a section on the digital SAT (DSAT). This means that students who take the SAT digitally will not have to complete the essay portion as part of the test. As a result, test-takers won’t have to worry about preparing for this portion of the exam or spending extra time writing an essay on test day.

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