SAT Essay Examples
As with other test essays, the secret to excelling on the SAT essay section is planning ahead for the examples and evidence you want to use. But you might be wondering how this can be done on the new SAT essay because the whole point of the essay is to use information from the given passage when answering and you don’t know about the essay ahead of time.
Well, the truth is that since the specifics of each example depend on the passage and obviously vary with each test, the examples you want to cover can be defined and, therefore, planned ahead of time.
In this blog, we’ll discuss some good SAT essay examples that will help you craft almost any SAT essay. By practicing examples of the most common types of essays asked on the SAT, you’ll reduce planning time during the test and increase the amount and quality of content you can write in the limited time. This will help build your confidence and enable you to approach any SAT essay test with a positive attitude.
If you’re looking for an answer to the question, “Is there an essay on the SAT?”, here it is: In January 2021, the College Board announced that the essay portion of the SAT will no longer be asked after June 2021. Some schools still offer the SAT Essay section with some school day testing. Therefore, it is no longer possible to take the SAT essay, unless your school offers it during SAT school day testing.
Although SAT essay scores were already optional by most colleges, this means that the canceled SAT essay section is no longer required by the College Board. This will likely lead to changes in college applications such as no longer considering essay scores for the ACT or SAT, requiring more writing samples for recruiting.
For each passage, you have to play to its special strengths. If there are many statistics or facts involved, you can discuss them in your essay. If it’s more about personal appeal or emotional anecdotes, you can discuss them. But if you struggle with analysis in limited time, it’s good to memorize such examples beforehand so that you can have a helpful checklist while reading the essay. It will point you in the right direction.
Below we have discussed some examples of SAT essays on various topics such as evidence and argument that you can use as star evidence to support your thesis. We also guide you through the type of evidence you can use to support your thesis across a range of SAT essay prompts for each example. After you visit the blog, you’ll realize how helpful the pre-designed high-scoring student SAT essay examples are.
Examples of evidence
The author uses the most basic technique to construct an argument that supports his points with evidence. The author can use different types of evidence to support his claim. But here we’ll discuss a unit (facts and statistics) that commonly appears in official SAT essay prompts.
Example 1: Facts and figures
Using facts and figures to strengthen one’s argument is one of the most reliable techniques that writers use to build an argument. It is usually seen in essays written about social studies-related and scientific topics where specific facts and data are readily available.
How to identify it?
Statistics are usually found in the form of specific numbers about the subject under study. It may be shown as tables, percentages, or other means of communicating information. Below are some examples of statistics from an official essay prompt for the SAT, “Let There Be Dark,” written by Paul Bogard.
Example: In the United States, 8 out of 10 babies born will never know dark enough for the Milky Way
Example: In Western Europe and the United States, the amount of light in the sky increases by about 6% per year on average.
Non-numerical data can also be used to describe physical evidence. You will often encounter information presented with references to research surveys, studies, experts, or other sources from which they are derived. Below is another example from the same topic.
Example: The World Health Organization has already classified night shift work as potentially carcinogenic to humans.
Why is it persistent?
Statistics and facts are methods of making persuasive arguments because the writer is not making random points as to why the argument is likely to be correct. There are actually some facts, statistics, studies, or other types of reliable information that support the author’s argument.
In the examples above, Paul Bogard cites specific facts about the problems of light pollution (when he says that most children in the United States will not be lucky enough to see the Milky Way) to support his argument that light pollution is a real problem. He then proceeds to present facts pointing out how light pollution is a big problem (carcinogenic for people working at night).
By presenting valid facts and information rather than merely forcing a subjective opinion and beating about the bush, Paul Bogard empowers the reader to connect the dots themselves. It gives the reader a power or ownership over the argument, making it more persuasive. This is because the reader ends up with the same statement even on his own, rather than blindly trusting Bogard to tell him what to think.
Example type 2: anecdote
Another technique often used by writers as an alternative to presenting evidence with facts or figures is the use of anecdotes. This type of evidence is usually found in speech or other types of SAT essay prompts that are personally directed at the reader.
How to identify it?
An anecdote refers to a short story about a real event or person. This is when a writer discusses their own personal experience or someone else they know or have heard of. Below is an example of an anecdote from an official SAT essay taken from former US President Jimmy Carter’s foreword.
One of the most humbling and unforgettable experiences of our lives happened in the coastal plain. During our trip, we hoped to see caribou. However, to our surprise, we saw the migration of thousands of caribou with their newborn calves.
The sweep of tundra around us burst into life within minutes with the sound of hooves and the roar of beasts in the wind. Watching the dramatic procession of porcupine caribou herds was a once in a lifetime experience. We now understand why this particular birthplace has been described by many as “America’s Serengeti”.
Why is it persistent?
Although anecdotes are not facts or figures, they can be a reliable technique of conveying information because it is more interesting for the reader to go through anecdotes than to read dry, boring facts. People trust experiences more if they can personally relate or connect with them, even though that doesn’t always mean the statement is true.
In the example mentioned above, instead of talking about statistics supporting the creation of wildlife refuges, Jimmy Carter uses an anecdote to convey the same point using wonderful images of nature, which works more effectively. By allowing readers to experience this majestic event of caribou migration, Carter stimulates the reader’s sympathetic feelings toward wildlife conservation and therefore makes the reader more likely to agree with him on wildlife conservation.
Conclusion
We hope that the above essays will help you in your SAT preparation and get a good SAT essay score. Be sure to check out our other blogs on how to prepare effectively for the SAT.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is it helpful to prepare SAT essay examples?
SAT essay examples will help you get a good SAT essay score because they have several things in common with the test pattern:
- All these paragraphs try to convince the reader of the truth of the author’s claim.
- These are all about the same length.
- All of these can be analyzed and written about in a relatively short period of time
2. How can practicing essay examples help you get a better SAT essay score?
Practicing these essay examples will give you a decent idea ahead of time of argument-building techniques that will help you tremendously on test day and boost your overall SAT essay score.
3. Will the strategies used by the author on the SAT be complicated?
The main technique used by the author will not be too complicated. This is because you cannot spend time analyzing and writing complex strategies. Therefore, you can prepare yourself in advance with the SAT essay examples found throughout many common topics persuasive passages.
