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SAT Essay Help
A plethora of tips designed to amplify your SAT Essay score
Overall Advice on Your Essay
1. Proofread if you have time.
2. Handwriting, spelling and accurate examples leave positive or negative impressions.
3. Don't skip lines between paragraphs; only indent for a new paragraph.
Reading
1. Explicitly mention the text's central idea.
2. Explicitly mention the text's most important details.
3. Avoid inaccurate interpretations of the text.
4. Make use of direct quotations of the text, paraphrases, or both.
Analysis
1. Answer the prompt completely and directly.
2. Explicitly mention author's reasoning and stylistic/rhetorical tools.
3. Use evidence from the text that proves your thesis.
4. Avoid guessing readers' emotions.
5. Tie back to the thesis at the end of each body paragraph.
6. Aim for 2.5 pages (incl. Intro and Conclusion) of detailed analysis.
Writing
1. State your thesis clearly and precisely in your intro.
2. Use effective transitions between paragraphs and within body paragraphs.
3. Intro and Conclusion should grab your reader and be approximately 3-4 sentences.
4. Use Standard English grammar.
5. Introduce each body paragraph with a strong topic sentence.
6. Use present tense when analyzing a text.
7. Vary your sentence structure and avoid being too casual.
8. Avoid awkward/wordy sentences.
9. Use appropriate collegebound vocabulary.
Good
Not Good
Proofread if you have time.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Overall Advice
Good
Not Good
Handwriting, spelling and accurate examples leave positive or negative impressions.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Overall Advice
Good
Not Good
Don't skip lines between paragraphs; only indent for a new paragraph.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Overall Advice
Explicitly mention the text's central idea.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Reading
Good
Not Good
Explicitly mention the text's most important details.
Explain how each detail relates to the central idea.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Reading
Good
Good
Good
Not Good
Avoid inaccurate interpretations of the text.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Reading
Good
Not Good
Make use of direct quotations of the text, paraphrases, or both.
Quotes/Paraphrases MUST be relevant!
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Reading
Good
Not Good
Good
Not Good
Answer the prompt completely and directly.
Do not simply summarize the text.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Analysis
Good
Not Good
Explicitly mention author's reasoning and stylistic/rhetorical tools.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Analysis
Good
Not Good
Use evidence from the text that proves your thesis.
Properly introduce and analyze all quotations/paraphrases.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Analysis
Good
Not Good
Avoid guessing readers' emotions.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Analysis
Good
Not Good
Tie back to the thesis at the end of each body paragraph.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Analysis
Good
Not Good
Aim for 2.5 pages (including Intro and Conclusion) of detailed analysis.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Analysis
State your thesis clearly and precisely in your intro.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Use effective transitions between paragraphs and within body paragraphs.
above all, furthermore, therefore, as a result, etc.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Intro and Conclusion should grab your reader and be approximately 3-4 sentences.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Use Standard English grammar.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Introduce each body paragraph with a strong topic sentence.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Use present tense when analyzing a text.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Vary your sentence structure and avoid being too casual.
Spell out words: 'and' 'with' or 'could not' vs. '&' 'w/' or 'couldn't'
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Avoid awkward/wordy sentences.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good
Use appropriate collegebound vocabulary.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Category: Writing
Good
Not Good