Education can turn the wheels of development for a society and its people. Your educational qualifications play a key role while mapping the success graph of your career. After finishing school, getting enrolled in a recognized college can give one’s career the required boost. College is an embodiment of opportunities, catering knowledge which is beneficial for the existing world order. But getting a college of your dreams requires talent and hard work.
Every year thousands of students sit for the SAT examination. They are all inspired by one dream- to study in the leading educational institutes of America. Most of the American colleges take admission based on the SAT percentiles and scores. This standardized test evaluates a student’s comprehension and reading abilities. The test is divided into four categories- reading, writing and language, math and an optional essay.
Understanding the SAT Essay
The new SAT essay format makes the essay completely optional. The students attempting to write the essay have to complete the same in 50 minutes. The 50 minutes are in addition to the overall three hours provided for the test. The essay prompt contains a passage presenting the arguments of an author on a debated topic. The student is required to acknowledge the various logical and grammatical tools used by the author to stand his claim. The new SAT essay instructions require you to highlight three important parameters:
1. Evidence – These are the premises used by the author to support the major premise. Usually, they are statements of factual information or results, from a study or survey. They are the pillars of the author’s arguments.
2. Reasoning – These are the threads connecting the premises with the conclusion. The reasoning used by the author rallies the evidence and leads them to the claim.
3. Stylistic or Persuasive Elements – This element refers to the tone used by the author. Some authors use scientific methods to develop their arguments while others rely on emotions. Style of the passage is best understood by the words & phrases used by the author.
By using these three parameters the student is required to explain the author’s argument. The student has to understand how the author uses these parameters in the passage. However, the identification of these factors is not enough to write a good essay. Apart from pointing out these parameters, the essay should also contain:
- Relevant Introduction – Like every other school essay it’s prudent to construct your SAT essay in three parts. The same being introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction should clearly state your findings. A strong introduction is the best way to structure your essay.
- The Body – The strong introduction should be followed by a gripping body. The body discusses the findings using the three parameters discussed above. It is important to maintain the flow of the essay. The body should be well connected with the introduction.
- Conclusion – No matter how well you have written your essay, it is incomplete without a conclusion. The conclusion should very well summarize your arguments. Often, students fail to give a proper ending summarizing the entire essay, losing on marks which they shouldn’t have.
Essential Tips to Crack the SAT Essay
The new SAT essay tests your writing, reading as well as analytical skills. Among all the other multiple-choice questions it requires a completely different approach and planning. Follow these tips & tricks to improve your SAT score:
- Practice sample SAT essay prompts.
- Read newspaper, novels, and magazines to improve your reading and comprehending skills.
- Revise the general rules of grammar.
- Read the passage carefully and identify important points.
- Refrain from providing personal insight and opinion on the topic discussed in the passage.
- After finishing your essay, it’s important to proofread it once.
- Repetition of details should be avoided.
- Avoid any biases while reading the passage, be objective.
- Learn frequently used persuasive techniques and styles used by authors.
- Use simple and clear sentences over complex ones.
Benefits of joining SAT coaching
Institutes for SAT coaching in Dubai like Sage Education Services provide expert guidance. The guided courses provided by Sage Education Services are truly enriching. They are beneficial for the final test. Especially in the case of an essay, the review provided can help you improve the quality of the same.
Time management is another area where a coaching institute can be of key help. One has to read the passage as well as write the essay within 50 minutes. Generally, the length of the passage is more than 500 words. The tone of the passage makes it difficult to read and comprehend. This makes the whole exercise time-consuming. But with practice and proper guidance from experts such as Sage Education Services, one can learn to manage the time.
While writing your essay one has to be mindful of its tone. An essay having an informal tone can land you a lot SAT essay score. It is imperative to note that the essays are scrutinized by academicians and experts. Therefore, the tone of the essay should be formal. Avoid overwriting and organize your essay into paragraphs.
The SAT essay score is not required while seeking admission in most of the colleges. But, there are some colleges which make SAT essay score mandatory criteria for admission. If you want to apply in these universities, then attending the optional essay is a must. Some universities are recommending SAT essay score, only to be considered during the admission process. The SAT score is the only directory in these universities and not mandatory. However, having a good SAT essay score will give you an edge in the application process.
A good SAT essay score can land you in the college of your choice. Joining one of the best SAT training centres can help you to increase your essay scores. There you will always get the finest opportunity to showcase your writing skills and abilities. The extra effort that you will put in will surely pay off in the long run. It should be kept in mind that writing a good essay is not rocket science. With the required practice, one can surely pass the test with flying colours.