SAT essayThis time of year much of the anxiety I feel from students comes from those preparing to take the SAT and, in particular, write the SAT essay.

So, how do you go about writing a great SAT essay? You need to practice writing essays based on prompts from earlier SAT exams.  The College Board, those people who bring you the SAT, are kind enough to let you look at some past SAT essay prompts.  Just as you practice for the other sections of the SAT, you need to practice analyzing and writing essay prompts.

You will always have 25 minutes to write the essay and you should start by spending the first five minutes planning what you are going to write. Develop a strong thesis statement and then think about examples to support that statement. While factual support for your positions is great, some studies have shown that even with grossly wrong facts and analysis, essays often received a high score.

Plan on writing your essay in the five paragraph format including an introduction, three paragraphs of supporting discussion and a concluding paragraph. Here is a more detailed description of the standard five paragraph format.

If  you have time, write more as some studies have shown that the longer the writing the higher the score with the SAT. Of course, you need to make sure that your writing is legible.

For more help, here is an earlier article on some helpful hints on writing the SAT essay.

Following this advice, you too can receive a great score on the SAT essay section.

If you would like help finding the best college for you or your student, I offer a FREE 1/2 hour consultation to discuss your needs for college admissions counseling. Give me a call now at 952-449-5245 or drop me an email.