SAT Bootcamp strategy: Ace the essay

December 4, 12:29 PMCollege Admissions ExaminerLauren Starkey

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If you’ve taken the SAT before, you know that the first thing you encounter is a 25-minute essay section. Many students are intimidated by the mere thought of it—how is it possible to write a great essay in less than half an hour?

Here’s the good news: the folks who score your essay aren’t expecting incredible writing. They know that under the time constraint you won’t be able to spend much time thinking in-depth about your subject, or revising what you write. Instead, they’re looking for a “polished rough draft,” one that addresses the essay prompt in an organized way, taking a side on the issue presented and backing it up with examples.

Prepping for the essay is trickier than for other sections of the test. There are plenty of books and Internet sites with thousands of multiple-choice practice questions—and their answers. But the essay is more subjective; who’s going to score it for you? Even with the scoring rubric explained on the College Board’s website, it’s not easy, especially if you’re trying to evaluate your own writing. At SAT Bootcamp, we focus instead on practicing the first five minutes of the essay: planning.

Once you’ve got an essay prompt, which consists of a quote and an assignment, set the timer for five minutes and come up with a thesis statement and a handful of examples that illustrate your point of view. Essay scorers are looking to see how well you back up everything you say, so it’s vital that you spend a few minutes coming up with ideas. Then organize your notes in a list. Since you’re aiming for a five or six paragraph essay, you’ll need your thesis statement at the top (it’s the heart of your introductory paragraph), followed by your best example and two or three others. It makes sense to start with the best as 25 minutes goes by quickly; if you save it for last, you might run out of time before you have the chance to really explain it. 

That’s it for SAT Bootcamp Essay practice. Everyone can do it; spend five minutes a few times a week, using prompts on any of the SAT Prep websites listed to the right of this post. Once you get really good at responding to SAT Essay prompts and brainstorming ideas, you’ll be able to use your first five minutes organizing an effective essay that will be relatively easy to write—just follow your plan!

This series of SAT strategy posts is based on Lauren's workshop SAT Bootcamp. For more info on the workshop, check www.satbootcamp.us