1. The Essay: It is optional but your target school may require it!
Adapted from Kaplan
SAT Premier 2017
Chapter 26

2. Should You Write It?
If you aren’t doing the essay, you may leave after the final multiple choice section.
Unless you are 100% certain that all of the colleges to which you are applying DON’T require the essay, it is highly recommended that you complete the essay.
If you find out you need the essay after you have taken the SAT, you will need to retake the ENTIRE TEST.
If your colleges of interest don’t require the essay, taking it won’t negatively effect your score. You may even do very well!
Because it is standardized, you CAN LEARN how to write a high- scoring essay!

3. What Does It Look Like? First you will read high-quality text.
Then you will write an essay analyzing the author’s argument.
You will have 50 minutes to complete the section.

4. The Kaplan Method for Completing the SAT Essay
Step 1: Read the source text and take notes.
Evidence to support claims
Reasoning to develop ideas and connect claims and evidence
Stylistic or persuasive elements to add power to the ideas expressed
Step 2: Use the Kaplan Template to create an outline.
Step 3: Write your essay.
Step 4: Check your essay for mistakes in grammar, spelling and clarity.

5. Step 1 (10 Minutes)
Read the source text, taking notes on how the author uses:
Evidence to support claims
Reasoning to develop ideas and connect claims and evidence
Stylistic or persuasive elements to add power to the ideas expressed
What is “source text?”
words about a general interest topic, typically in favor of the author’s argument
Identify three Features such as juxtaposition (putting two things together to enhance how different they are), imagery, and symbolism that the author uses to build his/her argument.
Features will make up the key elements of your essay
Can be stylistic as above or even data (statistics) used to support a claim

6. Step 1 Continued What kinds of notes should I take?
Evidence to support claims (cited data or statistics, authoritative sources supporting the argument, etc.)
Reasoning to develop ideas and make connections (the author explains his logic for using a specific piece of evidence to support a specific claim)
Stylistic or persuasive elements to add power to the ideas expressed (using figurative language, irony, metaphor, other elements to appeal to emotions)
Underline and circle the following:
Central ideas
Important details
Facts and opinions
Textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both)

7. Step 2 (8 Minutes) Use the Kaplan template to create an outline
Outlines are huge time-savers
Organizing your thoughts will help you write more quickly
Memorize the basics of the Kaplan outlining plan-you can’t bring it with you to the test

8. The Kaplan Template for the SAT Essay

9. Step 3 (30 Minutes) Write your essay.
Provide your own precise central claim.
Use a variety of sentence structures.
Employ precise word choice.
Maintain a constant and appropriate style and tone.

10. Step 4: (2 Minutes)
Check for mistakes in grammar, spelling, and clarity.
A few minor mistakes won’t do much damage.
Proofreading will help you catch obvious errors that come from quickly writing.

11. The Prompt
The prompt is essentially the same for all tests although the text is not.
Become familiar with the idea behind the prompt and assignment as soon as you can.

12. Example of a Generic Prompt:
As you read the passage below, consider how (the author) uses
evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
Reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
Stylistic or persuasive elements, such as a word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.
SOURCE TEXT APPEARS HERE
Write an essay in which you explain how (the author) builds and argument to persuade (his/her) audience that (author’s claim). In your essay, analyze how (the author) uses one or more of the features listed above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of (his/her) argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage.
Your essay should not explain whether you agree with the (the author’s) claims, but rather explain how (the author) builds an argument to persuade (his/her) audience.

13. The Essay Scoring Rubric
The following College Board site has a detailed rubric and explanation of the essay grading:
ding-scores/essay
Here is a similar site from the same source with sample prompts:
questions/essay

14. Time Running Out?
If you are running out of time, focusing on two strong body paragraphs and a complete conclusion is much better than rushing a third body paragraph or leaving the essay unfinished.

15. Practice and Review Go to pages 590-593 of the text.
Review the techniques from this presentation to answer the questions.
Discuss the process and answers with your teacher.
Complete the exercises on pages as if it is Test Day.
Review the answers with your teacher.