The SAT essay is an optional section added to the redesigned SAT in March 2016. Students are given 50 minutes to read and analyze a provided source text and then plan and compose an argumentative essay explaining how the author builds an argument. While the essay is optional, many colleges use it to supplement other materials in their admissions process. As such, preparing for the SAT essay structure and developing strong sample essays can help students demonstrate their writing abilities to admissions officers.
The SAT essay prompt provides students with a high-quality source text of approximately 650-750 words. Students are asked to analyze how the author constructs an argument and the rhetorical strategies used. The essay must analyze the source text but students can also bring in outside knowledge as evidence to support their analysis. Strong responses will thoroughly discuss the elements outlined in the rubric including the author’s central claim, main reasons and evidence used to support that claim, as well as other rhetorical devices like stylistic or persuasive elements.
Students should plan to spend about 10 minutes reading and analyzing the source text before beginning their writing. Effective planning involves identifying the central claim or thesis and jotting down the main points of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic or persuasive techniques used. Outlining how these elements are structured and sequenced in the argument will help formulate an organized analysis. Some key elements to outline include:
The author’s central claim or thesis statement
Main points or reasons given in support of that claim
Evidence like facts, statistics, examples or anecdotes used for each reason
Stylistic or persuasive devices like emotional language, repetition of ideas, rhetorical questions
Overall structure or sequencing of the argument
With about 40 minutes remaining, students can begin drafting their essay response. Strong SAT essay samples follow a clear introduction, body, and conclusion structure. The introduction should restate the prompt and provide a clear thesis statement analyzing how the author constructs the argument. Each body paragraph should focus on analyzing one element outlined in the plan such as a main reason supported, a piece of evidence, or a rhetorical technique used. Concluding paragraphs should reiterate the central claim and summarize the overall analysis without introducing new information.
Some key insights and examples to include in body paragraphs analyzing the SAT source text argument include:
Discussing a key point or reason the author gives and how it relates to the central thesis. For example, “The author’s first main point is that universal healthcare would increase government spending and national debt. To convince readers of this reason, statistics are presented showing projected increases in costs.”
Analyzing the type of evidence used for a certain reason and its effectiveness. For example, “To support the point that universal healthcare is unaffordable, the author cites a study that found it would cost $32 trillion over 10 years. Including this factual evidence from an objective third party study lends credibility to the argument.”
Identifying rhetorical devices and explaining their impact. For example, “Throughout the passage, emotive language is used to make universal healthcare seem threatening, like when it is described as a ‘government takeover.’ This fearmongering rhetoric aims to sway readers’ opinions.”
Strong sample essays will thoroughly discuss at least two elements of the argument’s construction across multiple paragraphs to fully address the prompt. They will also maintain a formal style using academic vocabulary to demonstrate advanced writing ability. Varied and complex sentence structures keep the response engaging while careful proofreading eliminates any grammar, spelling or punctuation errors.
As the SAT essay is scored based on a clear rubric, practicing with sample source texts and model responses is essential for understanding what constitutes a high-scoring essay. Students should analyze published rubric-based scoring to glean insights on what stands out in excellent scoring responses. Some key takeaways of high-scoring SAT essays include:
Providing a well-articulated thesis acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses in the argument’s construction.
Thoroughly discussing at least two elements outlined in the plan across multiple paragraphs with specific examples and details from the passage.
Maintaining a formal style using a sophisticated vocabulary of rhetorical analysis terms.
Organizing ideas in a clear introduction-body-conclusion structure with topic sentences and concluding thoughts for each paragraph.
Demonstrating advanced syntactic variety in complex sentence structures.
Carefully proofreading for any grammatical errors, inconsistent punctuation or spelling mistakes which are automatically deducted.
Preparing for the SAT essay with extensive practice analyzing sample source texts against the rubric can help students hone the strategic writing and rhetorical analysis skills needed to score highly. While the essay may be optional, taking the time to achieve mastery over this unique genre shows colleges a student’s dedication to strengthening their communication abilities through preparation and practice. With focused study of sample essays, outlines, and rubric-based feedback, students stand the best chance of demonstrating their potential on this challenging section.
Andrew Stroud