How Long Should Your SAT Essay Be: Essential Writing Tips
SATs are an important test that all high school students who plan on attending a University must take. This test can give us anxiety, stress, and a lot of sleepless nights while we prepare for the outcome which can determine our future. One issue many students have is when dealing with the essay portion of the SAT test. You are given a limit amount of time to bust out the best project you’re ever going to write, but what do they really expect from you in such a short amount of time? Here are some tips on how you should write your SAT essay.
Plan it out before hand:
You won’t know your assignment prompt until you walk into the test, but you can have a solid game plan before you go in. Make sure your grammar and spelling is up to par with the test, pick up a thesaurus, so you are prepared to wow whoever reads your assignment with your vocabulary, and always remember to breathe. Don’t let the essay get the best of you and overwhelm yourself.
Know the basic outline of an essay:
This is something you have been learning since elementary school and stick to it. Have five solid paragraphs with at least five sentences in each paragraph. This is a set up that will guarantee success with writing your paper. It’s okay to go above that but never under.
You don’t necessarily have to start at the beginning:
If you read the prompt and know that your middle paragraphs will be great, start with those. If there is something fresh in your head, it is always good to write it out first before you forget. Doing this can also help you with your beginning and ending paragraphs as well since it gets your juices flowing, and creativeness is already happening.
Always remember to proofread:
Proofreading and editing is key to an important writing assignment. You may think that your assignment is fine but in the rush of things you could have mistakenly forgotten a comma or spelled a word wrong, and that’s cool, it happens to everyone but don’t let a small mistake cost you big. After writing your paper, re-read it slowly and pay close attention to detail. If time permits take a few moments, clear your head, and read it again just to be sure. If you can even get away with it, read it aloud, this will help you catch mistakes because you’re hearing it not reading it.
These are just a few tips to ensure greatness from your SAT essay. Remember to not stress out, always proofread, and breath!