The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment is a program designed to evaluate a student’s college readiness in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing. One component of the TSI is the writing section, which requires students to compose two essays based on provided prompts. Though the prompts themselves will vary, understanding common essay formats and strategies can help improve performance. Here are some examples of effective TSI writing essays:
Prompt: Some people believe that pursuing a college education is important for finding a good job and being successful, while others believe that college is not necessary. Develop an essay that argues your position on this issue.
Essay: While a college education is certainly not the only path to success, completing some level of higher education has become almost mandatory for obtaining gainful employment and achieving financial stability in today’s workforce. There are several reasons why pursuing education beyond high school, whether an associate’s degree, bachelor’s, or advanced degree, is important for career opportunities and long-term earnings potential.
First, many well-paying jobs now require at minimum an associate’s or bachelor’s degree as a condition of employment. Fields like healthcare, business, engineering, and information technology routinely list a college credential as a basic qualification on job postings. Even positions that may have only required a high school diploma in the past now prefer or demand some college coursework. This credential inflation reflects the increasing complexity of work and the desire of employers to hire candidates with specialized skills and knowledge.
Second, those with a college degree on average earn significantly more over their lifetime than those with just a high school diploma. Research from the US Census Bureau shows that bachelor’s degree holders earn about 66% more annually than individuals with only a high school diploma. While not guaranteed, higher education provides access to opportunities and careers that lead to a higher earning potential and standard of living down the road. The long-term financial returns of pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree certainly justify the upfront costs of tuition for many fields.
Finally, today’s economy values and rewards critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and technical skills – all abilities strengthened through college curricula. Whether learning trade skills at a community college, developing expertise in a specific major at a four-year university, or gaining specialized knowledge in graduate school, higher education cultivates valuable applied competencies valued by employers. While life experiences and on-the-job training can also foster such capacities, postsecondary schooling provides a structured learning environment focused on career development.
Of course, college is not the absolute solution for everyone seeking employment or success. Alternative paths exist through technical schools, apprenticeships, starting one’s own small business, or climbing the ranks within a company from entry-level. For most modern career trajectories, at minimum an associate’s degree increasingly unlocks more and better jobs, opportunities for salary growth and promotion, and long-term financial security when compared to solely a high school education. Overall, pursuing higher education demonstrates an investment in one’s career potential and future that is difficult to achieve without some college coursework in today’s economy.
Prompt: Should high school students be required to complete community service hours in order to graduate? Develop an essay that argues your position on this issue.
Essay: Requiring high schoolers to complete a set number of community service hours before graduating makes sense and should be implemented as a policy. Mandating volunteer work produces substantial personal and social benefits that better prepare students for citizenship and success in college or a career.
Participating in community service fosters important life skills and character traits valued by postsecondary institutions and employers. Students gain firsthand experience working with diverse groups of people, thinking critically to solve problems facing their community, communicating effectively, and demonstrating leadership, organization, and time management as they plan and carry out service projects. Beyond strengthening resumes, volunteering cultivates compassion and exposes youth to social issues they may not otherwise encounter, helping broaden perspectives.
Community service also imparts invaluable civic lessons. By investing time giving back, students come to better appreciate the support systems that allow a functional society to exist. Volunteering illustrates how citizens collectively addressing problems builds stronger, more equitable communities from which all residents benefit. This hands-on exposure encourages lifelong habits of civic participation and social responsibility critical for a democracy to thrive.
Objections claiming community service amounts to unpaid labor hold little merit. The hours required are typically modest, involving flexible schedules that accommodate students’ lives. Unlike jobs, volunteering involves personally meaningful work versus duty for wages. Additionally, high schools allowing credit and documentation motivate participation, countering arguments of compulsion.
Overall, mandatory community service is a low-cost policy yielding tremendous returns. It strengthens students as citizens by inculcating socially-minded character and an ethic of public service while revealing how individual contributions make systems-level change possible. Well-rounded youth primed for engaged adulthood makes any community service mandate a sound investment.
Prompt: The recent outbreak of the coronavirus has caused many changes in society. Compose an essay analyzing how the pandemic has impacted education at all levels, from elementary school through college/university. Explore both negative and positive effects.
Essay: The coronavirus pandemic has substantially altered education across all grade levels over the past year, with both downsides and potential upsides still emerging. On the negative side, schools shifting to remote and hybrid learning models presented considerable challenges. Loss of in-person interaction hindered classroom engagement for many students, especially young learners still developing focus. Technical difficulties frustrated users, and inadequate home internet access risked exacerbating the digital divide. Vastly reduced socialization left students feeling isolated. Teachers faced obstacles translating curricula online and assessing student comprehension without customary in-class tools.
Circumstances also spurred creative solutions and innovations with potential long-term benefit. Educators rapidly upskilled in virtual teaching pedagogy and technologies like Zoom conferencing. Schools invested in infrastructure upgrading networks and device distribution. Alternative learning timetables offered schedule flexibility. Online teaching freed class discussions from physical space constraints. Document cameras, screen-sharing, collaborative documents and Whiteboards enhanced interactive lessons beyond what was possible face-to-face.
At the college level, transitioning to remote instruction proved especially disruptive but catalyzed reforms. Widespread adoption of asynchronous online coursework expanded access, convenience and scheduling independence for non-traditional students juggling work/life demands. Permanenthybrid program options could make higher education participatable for more learners long-term. Research collaborations also advanced via new virtual communication avenues.
While campus closures interrupted critical co-curricular, career and social development aspects detrimental to well-being, workarounds promoted through digital clubs, concerts and activities addressed loneliness issues. Moving forward, education institutions incorporating selective permanent virtual components alongside in-person modalities could realize bandwidth expansion aiming to reach all communities. Overall, crisis upheaval sped transformation with potential to augment education accessibility, methods and experiences over the long haul through innovative applications of lessons learned.
Andrew Stroud