prep expert new sat essay

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS1. What Is The Format?2. How Is It Different?3. How Is It Scored?4. Is It Harder?5. Should I Take The Sat Essay?EXPERT STRATEGIES1. Skip The Directions2. Exploit Vocab3. Fill 3–4 Pages

4. Create a Plan5. Write 5 Paragraphs6. Thesis First7. POP Last8. Repeat Thesis9. Stay Active10. Link & Connect11. Stay Objective12. Find PKP13. First Pass – PS14. Second Pass – CREW SAID15. QIS Analysis16. Introduction Template17. Body Paragraph 1 Template18. Body Paragraph 2 Template

19. Body Paragraph 3 Template20. Conclusion TemplatePRACTICE SAT ESSAY

SAT ESSAY INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Welcome to the SAT Essay portionof the Prep Expert Course! The NewSAT Essay on the 1600-version ofthe SAT is different than the oldSAT Essay on the 2400-version ofthe SAT. Here are a few of themajor changes:

Optional The essay is nowoptional. However, I expect

every Prep Expert student to

take the essay portion of the

new 1600-version of the SAT. I

will explain why later.

Analytical The previousversion of the SAT Essay

required students to write a

persuasive essay. You had to

convince the reader that your

position on a particular topic

was the correct one. The new

version of the SAT Essay

requires that students write an

analytical essay. You now need

to analyze how the author of a

passage develops an effective

argument.

50 Minutes You now havemuch more time to write the

SAT Essay. On the previous

version of the SAT Essay,

students were limited to 25

minutes to write a full two-

page essay. You now have

double that time, but must

also read and analyze a

passage, which you didn’t

previously have to do. But the

good news is that we will teach

you how to analyze the

passage methodically so that

you have plenty of time to

write a compelling essay.

Despite these changes, there arestill lots of effective strategies totackle the SAT Essay. Previously, at2400 Expert, students loved ourstrategies for the prior version ofthe SAT Essay that allowed them toget perfect, or near-perfect, scores

every time. And this is still true forthe New SAT Essay! Many of thestrategies that were applicable tothe old SAT Essay are stillapplicable to the New SAT Essay.And the New SAT Essay is moreformulaic than ever. Even thoughthe College Board tried to changethe essay so that students couldnot game it anymore, we havegamed it again. So get ready tolearn some powerful strategies toace the New SAT Essay!

SAT ESSAYFREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS

1. WHAT IS THE FORMAT?2. HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?3. HOW IS IT SCORED?4. IS IT HARDER?5. SHOULD I TAKE THE SAT ESSAY?

SAT ESSAY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Is The

Format?

Time 50 minutes

Passage Type Argumentative. Theauthor of the passage will try topersuade the reader of a particularposition. Your job is to analyze howeffectively the author develops hisor her argument.

Passage Length 650 – 750 words.

Passage Content Topic for abroad audience. You will not needto have prior knowledge of thetopic in order to write a compellingSAT Essay.

Passage Complexity High schoollevel (grades 9 -12).

Last Section Unlike the previous2400-version of the SAT Essay thatwas always the first section of theSAT, the 1600-version of the SATEssay is always the last section of

the SAT.


How Is It

Different?2400 SAT Essay 1600 SAT Essay

Required Optional

Persuasive Analytical

25 Minutes 50 Minutes

First Section Last Section

Required vs. Optional On the

2400-version of the SAT, the essaywas required and part of your SATWriting score. On the new 1600-version of the SAT, the essay isoptional and a completely separatescore outside of your SATEvidenced-Based Reading & Writingscore.

Persuasive vs. Analytical On the2400-version of the SAT, the essaywas persuasive. While you maybelieve that it’s easier to write apersuasive essay because you areable to write about your opinion, itwas actually a difficult task because

of the academic evidence you hadto provide in order to back up yourclaims. On this 1600-version of theSAT Essay, all of the evidence youneed can be found in the passage.Therefore, the New SAT Essayactually requires even less outsideknowledge than before. Youropinion on the topic no longermatters whereas on the previousversion of the essay, your opinionon the topic was all that mattered.So you should stay as objective aspossible when writing your essay –do not let your opinion on the

topic creep into your essay.

25 Minutes vs. 50 Minutes Youhave double the time to write theNew SAT Essay compared to the oldSAT Essay. While this may seem likegood news, it all depends on howlong it takes you to read the SATEssay passage. If you spend 25minutes analyzing the passage,then you don’t really have any extratime at all. However, I will show youhow to take much less time to readthe passage as well as specificitems to look for in your analysis.This should reduce the

reading/analysis portion of yourSAT Essay section so that you havemore time to diligently write a well-developed SAT Essay.

First Section vs. Last Section Onthe previous version of the SAT, Iused to say that the SAT Essay isthe most important section of theSAT because it is the first section.How well you did on the SAT Essayused to affect how well you woulddo on the rest of the exam. If youwere frantic and unorganized whilewriting your SAT Essay, then youwould be frantic and unorganized

during the rest of the SAT. But ifyou were confident and organizedwhile writing your SAT Essay, thenyou would be confident andorganized during the rest of theSAT. Because the New SAT Essay isnow the last section of the SAT, itno longer has to an impact on therest of the SAT. However, you stillwant to finish strong so that youaren’t anxious after the exam.


How Is It Scored?

The New SAT Essay is scored out of24. You will be given threesubscores of out of 8: Writing,Reading, and Analysis. Twoseparate graders will read youressay. Each grader will give youressay a score between 1 – 4 forWriting, Reading, and Analysis. Hereis an example:

Grader 1 Grader 2

Writing 4 3

Reading 3 4

Analysis 2 3

Score Report

Writing – Final Score 7

Reading – Final Score 7

Analysis – Final Score 5

*Although your score report will notexplicitly give you a score out of 24, it’sclear here that the total score is 19/24

Subscores

Writing – Your writing subscoreindicates how well you are able touse proper grammar, transitions,sentence structure, and organizationin your essay. Many of the grammarrules from the SAT Writing multiple-choice section of this course will beapplicable here.

Reading – Your reading subscoreindicates how well youcomprehended the passage. Youmust fully understand a passage inorder to score well here. Many of thestrategies from the SAT Readingsection of this course will beapplicable here.

Analysis – Your analysis subscoreindicates how well you evaluated theauthor’s ability to develop anargument. Many of the strategies forthe SAT Essay will cover how tosynthesize the best analysis possible.

What You Really Need to Know

While the above scoring details areimportant, what you really need toknow is how the SAT Essay isscored. The College Board trainshigh school English teachers tograde SAT Essays. The teachers aregiven strict instructions as to how

to grade SAT Essays usingstandardized criteria. This meansthat if your essay is very similar toan essay that has gotten a perfectscore in the past, then you tooshould get a perfect score on theessay. This is essential in order tokeep the scores standardized andavoid subjectivity.

Even more important than thestandardized way by which youressay is scored is how much timeyour essay graders are given toscore your essays. In high school,English teachers might have hours

to grade a handful of essays. Buton the SAT, English teachers onlyhave a few minutes to grade eachessay…because they havethousands to grade! With so littletime to actually read your essay,English teachers cannot scrutinizeessays to look for brilliant insightsand subtle connections.

Therefore, we need to use this timeconstraint that English teachershave to our advantage. If an Englishteacher is only going to look at ouressay for a couple minutes and ouressay is on the same topic as

hundreds of other essays that heor she has read that day, then weneed to figure out a way to standout. Not only do we need to standout, but we need to stand outquickly. You must give that Englishteacher clear, quick, tangible cluesthat you are a smart high schoolstudent who deserves a high scoreon the SAT Essay. The Essay ExpertStrategies you learn in this coursewill teach you exactly that!


Is It Harder?

Students, especially those whoprepared for the 2400-version ofthe SAT Essay previously, might bewondering whether the New SATEssay is easier or harder to writethan before. The old SAT Essay wasvery easy to write. The topics werebroad and allowed students toessentially prepare their examplesahead of time before seeing the

topic. In addition, we gave studentsessay templates that made theprevious version of the SAT Essayvery formulaic. Because SAT Essaytopics were so general, we couldwrite an almost identical essay forany topic.

While the above may sound good, Ihave even better news! The NewSAT Essay is actually the easiestversion of the SAT Essay ever. TheCollege Board eventually caught onto SAT prep companies like PrepExpert that were giving studentspreformed templates to write SAT

Essays. Therefore, it changed theformat of the SAT Essay. Instead ofhaving general topics that studentscould create their own examplesfor (which were typically preparedbeforehand…at least for PrepExpert students), the College Boarddecided to change the SAT Essay toan analysis format so that studentswould not be able to have presetexamples ready to write about.While you may think that this wassmart move by the College Boardto prevent gaming the SAT Essay,we’ve actually gamed the New SAT

Essay again! Here’s how.

Largely Same – The College Boardhas stated that the prompts for theNew SAT Essay are “largely thesame.” This is great news for PrepExpert students. Wheneverprompts are “largely the same,”that means that responses can bethe “largely the same.” In fact, I havecreated a New SAT Essay Templatethat will help you write a verysimilar essay for just about anypassage you analyze.

Formulaic – The New SAT Essay is

more formulaic than ever. Becausethere are only so many ways thatan author can develop anargument, there are also only somany ways you can analyze thatargument. Therefore, I havedeveloped a very formulaic way toanalyze author arguments for theNew SAT Essay. Although formulaicmay be a bad thing in your highschool English class, it’s actually avery good thing on the SAT.

Time – Students who took the2400-version of the SAT alwaysused to complain 25 minutes

wasn’t enough time to write a fullSAT Essay. But now you havedouble the time to write your SATEssay: 50 minutes. I recommenddedicating 15 minutes of your 50minutes to reading and analyzingthe passage. This leaves you with 35minutes to compose your essay.Compared to the meager 25minutes that students used tohave, 35 minutes will seem like aneternity!


Should I Take The

Sat Essay?

Yes. All Prep Expert studentsshould take the New SAT Essay.Although many students may havebeen excited to learn that the SATEssay is now optional, the truth is, itreally isn’t. For students who areapplying to competitiveuniversities, these institutions willalmost always require the “New SAT

with Essay” when submittingstandardized test scores. Becausemost Prep Expert students will beapplying to the top 100 universitiesin the United States, I expect everystudent taking this course to takethe New SAT Essay.

In addition, the New SAT Essay iseasy to prep for. Although theessay may seem intimidating rightnow, after you learn the EssayExpert Strategies you will find thatthe New SAT Essay is perhaps yourfavorite portion of the SAT. We willgive you tangible strategies that will

make it easy to write an essay thatis articulate, organized, andcompelling. Our strategies are notonly easy to implement, but alsovery standardized so there isn’t alot of creativity needed. Becausethis portion of the SAT is so easy toprepare for, students should notfear it.

The only exception to this rule ofhaving to take the New SAT Essay isif you know for certain that you arenot applying to any university thatrequires the essay portion of theSAT. Some students taking this

course may be applying to just 2 or3 universities. After you confirmwith those few universities thatthey do not require the essayportion of the SAT, then and onlythen can you skip out on taking theSAT Essay.

However, if you are at all uncertainabout exactly which universitiesyou are going to be applying to,then I recommend taking the NewSAT with Essay. You don’t want tobe in a situation in which you takethe New SAT without Essay andthen decide later that you want to

apply to a university that requiresthe New SAT with Essay. Now, let’sget started on learning EssayExpert Strategies to Ace the SATEssay!

SAT ESSAYEXPERTSTRATEGIES

1. SKIP THE DIRECTIONS2. EXPLOIT VOCAB3. FILL 3–4 PAGES4. CREATE A PLAN5. WRITE 5 PARAGRAPHS6. THESIS FIRST7. POP LAST8. REPEAT THESIS

9. STAY ACTIVE10 .LINK & CONNECT11. STAY OBJECTIVE12. FIND PKP13. FIRST PASS – PS14. SECOND PASS – CREW SAID15. QIS ANALYSIS16. INTRODUCTION TEMPLATE17. BODY PARAGRAPH 1 TEMPLATE18. BODY PARAGRAPH 2 TEMPLATE19. BODY PARAGRAPH 3 TEMPLATE20. CONCLUSION TEMPLATE

SAT ESSAY EXPERT STRATEGIES

Skip The

Directions

In order to save time on test day,do not read the SAT Essaydirections. For most students, theSaturday morning that they takethe SAT is often the first time theyhave ever taken the SAT. Therefore,they waste a lot of time reading thedirections.

This is true for SAT Math directions,SAT Reading directions, SAT Writingdirections, but especially true forSAT Essay directions. SAT Essaydirections are lengthy and take along time to read. Because they arealways the same, you shouldfamiliarize yourself with thedirections before test day. Not onlywill this save you a few minutes oftime that other students wouldwaste reading the directions, butyou will also already have a clearidea of what is required. On thenext page is a reproduction of the

SAT Essay directions you willencounter on test day.

As you read the passagebelow, consider how [theauthor] uses

Evidence, such as facts orexamples, to support claims

Reasoning to develop ideasand to connect claims andevidence.

Stylistic or persuasiveelements, such as word

choice or appeals toemotion, to add power tothe ideas expressed.

[Source Text Will Appear Here]

Write an essay in which youexplain how [the author]builds an a rgument topersuade [his/ her]audience that [author’sclaim]. In your essay,analyze how [the author]uses one or more of the

features listed above (orfeatures of your ownchoice) to strengthen thelogic and persuasiveness of[his/her] argument. Be surethat your analysis focuseson the most relevantaspects of the passage.

Your essay should notexplain whether you agreewith [the author’s] claims,but rather explain how theauthor builds an argumentto persuade [his/her]audience.

The first box is especially usefulbecause it gives you examples ofcertain items that you can analyzein the passage. The SAT suggeststhat you examine how the authoruses evidence/examples,reasoning, and stylistic elements todevelop his or her argument.

After the first box, the source textthat you are expected to read andanalyze will appear. But before wediscuss how to breakdown thispassage, let’s examine the second

box. The first sentence of thesecond box is the most importantpart of all of the directions:

Write an essay inwhich you explain how[the author] builds anargument to persuade[his/her] audience that[author’s claim].

This is the key point: your essaymust explain how the author buildshis or her argument.

In the second sentence, the SAT isgiving you permission to analyzeelements other than evidence,reasoning, and stylistic techniques.

Finally, I believe the College Boardput the last sentence of thedirections in for students who areaccustomed to writing the 2400-version of the SAT Essay. On the oldversion of the SAT, students wrotepersuasive essays on their ownopinions. The SAT explicitly statesin these new directions thatstudents should stay objective andnot let their own opinions interfere

with the content of the essay.


Exploit Vocab

Use scholarly, intellectual vocabularywords throughout your SAT Essay.

Your SAT Essay grader does notknow you. He or she does not knowwhether you are typically a goodwriter or not. Unlike your highschool English teacher who mayknow how well you normally write,the SAT Essay grader will have no

bias. Therefore, you need to signalto the SAT Essay grader that youare a smart high school studentwho deserves a high score on theSAT Essay. One way to alert yourgrader is through your vocabulary.By using big vocabulary words inyour essay, readers willimmediately get the impressionthat your essay is different from thehundreds of other essays they haveread that day. Although many highschool English teachers wouldcringe if they heard me say that youshould inflate your vocabulary in

order to score higher on an essay,it’s the truth for the SAT Essay.Bigger vocabulary words lead tohigher SAT Essay scores.

Using scholarly vocabulary wordsearly on in your essay is especiallyimportant. I once heard thatpeople make a first impressionabout you 7 seconds after they firstmeet you. I believe this is also truefor the SAT Essay. After about 7seconds of reading your SAT Essay,graders will form an initialimpression of what score they willgive your SAT Essay. They will then

spend the next couple of minutesreading through the rest of youressay confirming their initialopinion. Typically, their gradesdon’t change by more than 1 pointon each subscore from their initialimpression. Therefore, using largevocabulary words early on in youressay when graders are formingthat first opinion is especiallyimportant.

You must use vocabulary correctlyin order to positively impact yourSAT Essay score. I purposely say“correctly” because using large

vocabulary words incorrectly canactually work against you. You willappear as though you are tryingtoo hard if you use large, scholarlyvocabulary words without reallyunderstanding what they mean.Therefore, I don’t encouragestudents to use large vocabularywords simply for the sake of usinglarge vocabulary words. Instead,use big vocabulary wordsthroughout your essay but onlywhen absolutely appropriate.

Vocabulary is a tangible measure.Remember that the SAT is a

standardized test. This means thatessay graders cannot be subjectivein the way that they grade yourtest. They cannot score your essayhigher just because they agree withyour analysis. Instead, they have tolook at objective measures thatconvey your writing, reading, andanalysis abilities. One tangible,unbiased measure that essaygraders cannot argue is yourvocabulary. Including intellectualvocabulary words in your essay willhave the following benefits:

Showcase a command of language –

this will positively impact yourWriting Subscore

Better expression of ideas – this willpositively impact your ReadingSubscore because you will be able toconvey your exact understanding ofthe passage

Create more advanced insights – thiswill positively impact your AnalysisSubscore

Interestingly, the College Board hasstated that memorization ofobscure vocabulary words is nolonger needed to score well on theNew SAT. This is true for the SAT

Reading section because SentenceCompletions, which used to directlytest vocabulary, have beeneliminated from the exam. But it isnot true for the New SAT Essay.Therefore, rather than stating thatobscure vocabulary is no longerneeded for the New SAT, it wouldbe more accurate to state thatobscure vocabulary is not neededas much for the New SAT. For theNew SAT Essay portion, you stillneed to know scholarly vocabularywords that you probably wouldn’tuse in everyday language. The good

news is that you don’t need toknow nearly as many bigvocabulary words for the SAT asprevious students did.

To help you use large, intellectualvocabulary words, I have come upwith a list of some common wordsthat you will likely use in your SATEssay. I have then put scholarlysynonyms for these common wordsin the tables that follow. While youare writing your SAT Essay, you canswitch out these common wordsfor larger synonyms. For example,instead of using the common word

“argument,” you can replace it withthe scholarly synonym “polemic.”These tables should only be astarting point. You should createyour own tables of common wordsthat you typically use in your SATEssay. Then, look up some moreacademic synonyms for yourcommon words.

Common Nouns

On the New SAT Essay, you willcommonly use the following nouns:argument, society, article, andresult. Instead of always using

these words throughout your essay,you can replace them for some ofthe more scholarly synonyms listedin the tables below.

Argument

Polemic

Contention

Criticism

Stance

Society

Civilization

Citizenry

Democratic Public

Humankind

Article

Essay

Passage

Editorial

Critique

Result

Consequences

Repercussions

Ramifications

Fallout

Common Verbs

On the New SAT Essay, you willcommonly use the following verbs:persuade, create,support, and takeadvantage. Instead of always usingthese words throughout your essay,you can replace them for some ofthe more scholarly synonyms listedin the tables below.

Persuade

Convince

Sway

Prompt

Influence

Create

Synthesize

Engender

Construct

Manufacture

Support

Advocate

Bolster

Reinforce

Fortify

Take Advantage

Capitalize

Exploit

Manipulate

Employ

Common Adjectives

On the New SAT Essay, you willcommonly use the followingadjectives: good, bad, necessary,and clear. Instead of always usingthese words throughout your essay,you can replace them for some ofthe more scholarly synonyms listed

in the tables below.

Good

Exceptional

Commendable

Virtuous

Idealistic

Bad

Dreadful

Deficient

Deleterious

Detrimental

Necessary

Indispensable

Fundamental

Imperative

Compulsory

Clear

Lucid

Coherent

Cogent

Explicit

Common Adverbs

On the New SAT Essay, you willcommonly use the followingadverbs: intentionally, skillfully,masterfully, and carefully. Insteadof always using these wordsthroughout your essay, you canreplace them for some of the morescholarly synonyms listed in thetables below

Intentionally

Purposely

Willfully

Consciously

Calculatedly

Skillfully

Adroitly

Dexterously

Adeptly

Deftly

Masterfully

Expertly

Convincingly

Ingeniously

Succinctly

Carefully

Prudently

Judiciously

Scrupulously

Meticulously


Fill 3–4 Pages

You must fill up 3-4 pages of the testbooklet for the SAT Essay.

Longer SAT Essays get higherscores. It’s simply not up fordebate. Imagine that you are anSAT Essay grader. You probablywould not give an essay that is onlyhalf a page in length a higher scorethan one that is three pages in

length. Natural human inclinationsimply favors essays that are longerin length. Of course, this once againgoes against traditional wisdom.High school English teachers oftenstress that writing is about qualityover quantity. While I do agree thatthe 3-4 pages of information thatyou write should not besubstandard insights, the physicallength of your SAT essay isimmensely important.

Most students who take the SAT onSaturday morning have neverpracticed an SAT Essay before.

Having never been confronted witha passage that they need to read,analyze, and compose an essayabout in under an hour, manybecome flustered. They end upwriting half-page essays that aredisjointed, disorganized, andincoherent. The average studentdoes not know what he or sheneeds to look for in the passage,how to organize his or her essay,and to have prepared SAT Essaytemplates. Don’t let this be you.Learn and practice the ExpertEssay Strategies so that you can

write a logical, organized, andcoherent essay.

Essay length is a tangible measurejust like vocabulary. I mentionedearlier how vocabulary is onetangible way an essay grader canget a sense of how “smart” you are.Another objective measure theessay grader can use is essaylength. Typically, smarter studentshave more to say. A long essayshows that you have thoughtfullyanalyzed the essay and that youare not just trying to skate by withminimal effort. If you remember

nothing else about the SAT Essaysection, remember that you needto use scholarly vocabulary wordsand fill 3-4 pages of your essayanswer booklet. These two simplestrategies will significantly raise anystudent’s SAT Essay score.

The notion that longer SAT Essaysreceive higher scores is not justsomething I made up. There isactually scientific evidence thatproves this hypothesis. In 2005, MITconducted a study that found thatlonger SAT essays receive higherscores. Lead investigator, Dr.

Perelman stated, “It appeared tome that regardless of what astudent wrote, the longer the essay,the higher the score.” Now I knowyou might be thinking, “well this isfor the old 2400 SAT, not the new1600 SAT.” However, this concept oflonger essays getting higher scoresalso applies to the New SAT Essay.The proof actually comes directlyfrom the College Board. Thesample essays that the CollegeBoard has released for the NewSAT show a direct correlationbetween length and scores. The

essays that receive the lowestWriting, Reading, and AnalysisSubscores are the shortest inlength. The essays that receive thehighest Writing, Reading, andAnalysis Subscores are the longestin length. In addition to theevidence from MIT and the CollegeBoard, thousands of students whohave used Prep Expert have foundthat the longer their essays, thehigher their scores. The evidence isclear: longer SAT Essays get higherscores.

To read a full passage you’ve never

seen before, analyze the author’spersuasive techniques, and write a3-4 page essay on it is not an easytask. Although you have more timethan on the previous version of theSAT, you will still need to workexpediently. There is no time towaste. You should be very efficientabout reading and analyzing thepassage in 15 minutes. Then, giveyourself approximately 35 minutesto fill 3-4 pages of the SAT Essayanswer booklet. This is most similarto a surprise in-class essay you mayget in your high school English class

(which I used to despise by theway). However, unlike your in-classhigh school English essay, you willbe fully prepared for anything theSAT throws at you after you learnall of the Expert Essay Strategies.


Create a Plan

Create a plan for your SAT Essay beforeyou start writing.

The essay portion of the SAT can beintimidating. On test day, you maysee many students open theiressay test booklet and immediatelystart writing. You might be worriedand think, “How come I’m not ableto immediately start writing?” Well,

it’s actually a good thing that youare not just bursting out the gateinto your essay composition.Students who start writing withoutthinking first will get stuck. Withouta concrete plan that helps organizehow the student will navigate his orher thoughts, the essay will end upbeing a series of disjointedthoughts without a central thread.Therefore, you must spend a fewminutes at the beginning toorganize your thoughts.

After you have read the passage,you should create a plan about

what your essay will cover. This willgive you a concrete structure toorganize your thoughts around.Your SAT Essay plan should nottake longer than 2 or 3 minutes towrite and it will have tremendousbenefits. If you ever get writer’sblock while writing your SAT Essay,you can refer back to your plan torecalibrate and get inspiration foryour next sentence. In addition,your plan helps you organize yourideas around a central thesis.

So what needs to go in your plan?The primary items that you need to

include in your plan are the threetools. “Tools” are the argumentativetechniques that the author uses todevelop his or her argument. Wewill discuss the tools in anotherExpert Essay Strategy. But for now,let’s say that the three tools youthink the author uses well in orderto develop his or her argument areauthoritative sources, diction, andemotional appeal. Simply writingout these three tools givesimmediate structure to your essay.These tools are what you willdiscuss in your body paragraphs. In

addition to writing which 3 toolsyou are going to discuss in youressay, you want to reference 2-4paragraphs in the passage that theauthor uses those 3 particulartools very well. Here is an exampleof a quick plan you could createbefore writing your SAT Essay:

Plan

(1) Authoritative Sources –Paragraph 2, Paragraph 4,Paragraph 6

(2) Diction / Word Choice –

Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3,Paragraph 5

(3) Emotional Appeal – Paragraph 2,Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5


Write 5

Paragraphs

Write your SAT Essay in a 5-paragraphformat.

For the purposes of the SAT Essay,a standard 5-paragraph format isperfect:

Introduction

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Conclusion

Each paragraph should beapproximately 3/4 of a page inlength so that you can Fill 3-4pages. The conclusion may beshorter since you are likely runningout of time at this point in your SATEssay.

This structure works well for theSAT Essay primarily because of thebody paragraphs. Each body

paragraph will be filled with ananalysis of an argumentative toolthat the author uses. In addition,the introduction and conclusionare necessary because the CollegeBoard actually subtracts pointsfrom students who do not have anopener and closer to their essay.By adhering to the same formatevery time, the less time you wastethinking of essay structure, and themore time you spend writing greatcontent.


Thesis First

Begin every SAT Essay with your thesis.

Similar to the structure of the2400-version of the SAT Essay thatwe previously taught at PrepExpert, you should begin every NewSAT Essay with your thesis.However, unlike the previousversion of the SAT Essay in whichyour thesis was essentially your

own opinion, the thesis for this NewSAT Essay is fundamentallydifferent. Instead, this new thesiswill always be a positive one: theauthor develops a great argument.

Before we can start our SAT essaywith a thesis though, we need tounderstand exactly what a thesis is.My high school English teacher hada really good explanation of what athesis is that has stuck with me allthese years. He said that a thesis isa statement that you can placeafter, “In this essay, I will prove that__[insert thesis here]__.” If this

statement makes sense, then youhave a thesis. If this statement doesnot make sense, then you do nothave a thesis. Essentially, a thesis isthe argument you are trying toprove in an essay.

For the purposes of the SAT, we willuse a standard template for thefirst-sentence thesis that you willopen every SAT Essay with:

In “[Title of Article],” [Author Name]synthesizes a compelling dissertationthat [Passage’s Key Point].

Here is an example of how you

would use it on an actual SATEssay:

In “The Enduring Value of aHumanities Education,” Jane Smithsynthesizes a compelling dissertationthat knowledge relating to thehumanities is indispensable to theprogress of society.

Not a bad way to start an SAT Essayright? Knowing exactly what you aregoing to write for the first sentenceof your SAT Essay is especiallypowerful. One of the hardest partsabout writing is simply gettingstarted. For some reason, the act of

initially putting words to paper isparticularly difficult. But once youget started, writing the rest of thesentences becomes easier. Byhaving a standard opener for everySAT Essay, we have solved theproblem of getting initial writer’sblock!


POP Last

Okay so now that I have given youthe first sentence of every SATEssay introduction, let me give thelast sentence. If you start with yourthesis, you should end with yourPOP – or Plan Of Procedure. A Planof Procedure outlines exactly whatyou will be discussing in theforthcoming body paragraphs. Forthe SAT Essay, a POP is essential

because it helps organize the essayboth for the reader and you. TheSAT Essay grader is likely readingyour essay at lightning speed.Therefore, it’s helpful if you givehim or her some guide posts as towhat you will be discussing youressay. In addition, the POP will helpyou remember what you need todiscuss in your body paragraphs.

For the purposes of the SAT, we willuse a standard template for thelast-sentence POP to end every SATEssay introduction with:

[Author Last Name] deftly delivers acogent argument to sway [his/her]readers by [Insert 3 ArgumentativeTools].

Here is an example of how youwould use it on an actual SATEssay:.

Smith deftly delivers a cogentargument to sway her readers byciting prominent authorities,implying broad repercussions, andusing stark contrast.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what Imean by “3 Argumentative Tools.”We will discuss exactly what

argumentative tools are soon. Fornow, you should only understandthat the first body paragraph of ouressay will discuss how Smith usesprominent authorities tostrengthen her argument, thesecond body paragraph will discusshow Smith uses broadrepercussions to better herargument, and the third bodyparagraph will discuss how Smithuses stark contrast to improve herargument. Using a clear POP suchas this will help your essay achievea level of organization that most

students’ essays lack.


Repeat Thesis

Repeat your thesis throughout the SATEssay.

It’s not enough to only state yourthesis at the beginning of your SATEssay. You must repeat your thesisin the body paragraphs andconclusion as well. Remember,your thesis is that the author hasdeveloped a strong argument using

certain tools and techniques. Thisshould be clear to the reader nomatter what paragraph of youressay he or she is reading. Makesure to repeat your thesis at leastonce in every paragraph of youressay. Of course, you don’t want torepeat your thesis in the exactlythe same manner each time.Instead, try to say it in differentwords. Here are some examples ofhow you can restate your thesis inbody paragraphs:

Throughout the article, Smithhighlights several influential sources

in order to persuade readers to givecredence to her claim that ahumanities education is essential forboth personal and societal success.

Similar to many adept editorialwriters, Smith attempts tocontinually expound the magnitudeof her argument by asserting the far-reaching negative consequences of alack of a humanities education.

Smith further thoughtfullysupplements her argument byhighlighting significant differencesbetween a technology-focusededucation and a humanities-focusededucation.

Repeating your thesis throughoutyour essay will bring coherency toyour composition. Many highschool students struggle to stay ontopic and tend to venture off ontangents, especially when they arewriting fast under the timedconditions of a standardized test.However, by connecting yourparagraphs with the central thesis,your reader will be able to followyour arguments easily.Organization is key on the SATEssay and repeating your thesisoften is yet another way to achieve

a high level of organization.


Stay Active

This Essay Expert Strategy relatesto your SAT Essay Writing Subscorefrom 2 – 8. Although most of thegrammar that you need to know forthe SAT Essay will be taught in theSAT Writing section, one item thatmany students struggle with is theactive vs. passive voice. Therefore,we make it a point to teachstudents the difference here.

Active Voice – The subject isactively doing the verb.

Passive Voice – The subject ispassively receiving the verb.

Here are some examples thatillustrate the difference betweensubjects doing the action of a verbversus subjects receiving the actionof a verb.

Active Voice Passive Voice

I aced the SAT. The SAT wasaced by me.

She playstennis.

Tennis is playedby her.

They love to eat. Eating is lovedby them.

The dog fetchedthe bone.

The bone wasfetched by the

dog.

I use two tricks to recognize thedifference between active voice vs.passive voice. The first is that thepassive voice often uses the word“by.” The second is that that thepassive voice often uses verb formsof “to be” (i.e. is, was, been, etc.).

Knowing these two “tricks” will helpyou recognize if you start writing inthe passive voice rather than theactive voice. This strategy is notonly useful for the SAT Essay, butalso for the multiple-choice SATWriting section.


Link & Connect

You must link and connect your SAT Essayin order to organize a coherentcomposition.

Organization of the SAT Essay isessential to getting a high score.One of the ways to make sure thatyour essay is coherently organizedis to link and connect. Link meansto make sure that your essay flowswell. Connect means to tie different

concepts in your essay together.Although the SAT Essay templateswill do much of this for you, youshould still actively think about howto link and connect your essay asyou are writing.

Transitions

Perhaps the best way to link youressay together is to use transitions.Transitions will help your readerknow where you are going in youressay. Although you do not need touse a transition in every sentence,transitions used every few

sentences will help show that youhave mastered the art of linkingideas. Here are some examples oftransitions that you will commonlyuse on the SAT Essay.

Common TransitionsFurthermore

However

Although

In Addition

For Example

Nevertheless

Consequently

Transitions also have anothermajor benefit other than improvingthe flow of your SAT Essay:transitions can cure writer’s block.Undoubtedly, under the pressureof test-day, you will run out ofthings to say during your SAT Essay.But there is a simple strategy youcan use to get out of this situation.Write down a transition – anytransition – and you will suddenlybe able to write your nextsentence.

You don’t need to know what youare going to write about before you

write down a transition. Simply putdown “for example,” and you willthink of an example to discuss.Write down “however,” and you willthink of a contrasting concept todiscuss. Transitions are a terrificway to get your mind thinking whenyou are stuck and don’t know whatto write about next.

Key Ideas

A skilled writer is able to recognizecommon themes in the author’spassage and connect those keyideas. Being able to find

commonalities among seeminglydisparate concepts is not an easytask. But with practice, you willbecome better accustomed tocoming up with ways to connectkey ideas.

For example, take the followingsentence that I wrote for an essayabout a humanities education:“Switching from successfulbusinessmen to veneratedphilosophers, Smith continues torefer to authorities when…” Whatwere the key ideas I connectedhere? Well I recognized the

difference between “successfulbusinessmen” and “veneratedphilosophers,” but was also able toconnect them to the theme ofreferring to authorities. This is whatI mean by connecting key ideas inyour SAT Essay. This will takepractice, but the better you get atthis, the higher your SAT EssayAnalysis Subscore will go.

Thesis

Although we discussed repeatingyour own thesis at length, you alsoneed to repeat the author’s thesis

from time to time. Remember thedifference between the two:

Your Thesis – The author built agreat argument usingtools/techniques.

Author’s Thesis – Whatever theauthor’s argument is.

For example, in our example essayabout Jane Smith’s “The EnduringValue of a Humanities Education,”here is the difference between thetwo theses:

Your Thesis – In “The Enduring Valueof a Humanities Education,” Jane

Smith synthesizes a compellingdissertation that knowledge relatingto the humanities is indispensable tothe progress of society.

Author’s Thesis – Knowledge relatingto the humanities is indispensable tothe progress of society.

In Essay Expert Strategy 8, westressed the importance ofrepeating your thesis oftenthroughout the essay. But now I amstressing the importance ofrepeating the author’s thesisthroughout the essay. However,you may want to state the author’s

thesis in different words. Instead ofstating “knowledge relating to thehumanities is indispensable to theprogress of society” multiple timesthroughout your essay, you maywant to state “a humanitieseducation is essential for bothpersonal and societal success.”Essentially, this is just the author’sthesis restated in different words.

Introduction & Conclusion

Finally, the last piece of advice Ihave about linking and connectingyour SAT Essay relates to your

introduction and conclusion. Makesure that your introduction andconclusion echo each other. Inyour conclusion, you may want torestate your thesis and summarizethe importance of theargumentative tools you outlined inyour Plan of Procedure (POP). I willshow you exact templates for boththe introduction and conclusionsoon that will have a lot of thislinking and connecting baked rightinto the templates.


Stay Objective

On your SAT Essay, you need to stayneutral.

You should not have an opinionabout the topic the author isdiscussing. Instead, your onlyopinion should be that the authorhas built a strong argument. This isthe exact opposite of what wasrequired of students on the 2400-

version of the SAT Essay. On the oldSAT Essay, you needed to have anopinion about a particular topicand then defend your opinion.Students used to write persuasiveessays. Now, students are requiredto write analytical essays.

Why did the SAT make this change?Students learned how to game thesystem. When the College Board letstudents write about their ownopinions, many students tookadvantage of this by writing aboutwhatever they wanted. Somestudents would write about stories

from their lives, use examples frompopular culture, and some wouldeven go so far as to make up fakebooks and poems. Therefore, toprevent students from usingfictitious and unprofessionalexamples, the College Boarddecided to revamp the New SATEssay so that students would haveto analyze a piece of text. Thismeans that you can no longermake up stories or examples foryour SAT Essay. The College Boardsolved this problem well.

However, there was another

problem that the College Boardintended to solve by assigningstudents an analytical essay. SATtest writers thought that if theyassign students a text to analyze,students could no longer usetemplates to write their SAT Essay.Templates were infamous on the2400-verison of the SAT Essay.Essentially, test prep companieslike Prep Expert would givestudents SAT Essay Templates thatwould work for almost any SATEssay they would encounter sincethe topics were often so general. By

no longer having general topics,but instead specific passages thatstudents are required to read,College Board test writers thoughtthey have solved the problem oftest prep essay templates.However, I have good news: I havedeveloped an even better templatefor the New SAT Essay!

Although the passage you see ontest day will not to be one you haveseen before, you can still have aprepared skeleton for most of yourSAT Essay.

Finally, you should avoid using anypersonal pronouns on the SATEssay such as "I", "me", and "you."Instead, try to keep your SAT Essayas academic as possible. Talk aboutsociety or civilization. Once in awhile, you may use pronouns suchas “we” or “us,” but I would try tokeep this to a minimum. Try not toinsert your own personal opinionsinto the SAT Essay. Instead, stayobjective while analyzing theauthor’s argumentative techniquesto build a powerful essay.


Find PKP

Anytime you encounter a passage on theSAT, the first step should be to find thePKP.

PKP stands for Passage’s Key Point.This is the core message of thepassage. The PKP is typically foundin the first paragraph ofstandardized test passages.Therefore, you should read the firstparagraph of a passage and try to

identify its PKP. If the PKP is notapparent to you after reading thefirst paragraph, you have twooptions. First, you could continuereading into the second paragraph.You should do this when the firstparagraph is very short or gives youinformation unrelated to the restof the passage. Second, you couldreread the first paragraph. Youshould do this when the passage isdifficult to understand. We will alsouse this strategy of finding the PKPon the SAT Reading and SAT Writingsections when we are dealing with

passages.

It is not enough to simply think of aPKP – you must write it down.Synthesizing your own PKP is apowerful exercise. It assures thatyou really understand what thepassage is about. If you only thinkabout the PKP without taking thetime and expending the mentalenergy to write one down, you mayin fact have no idea what thepassage is about. However, the PKPyou write down does not need tobe complex. Your PKP is for youreyes only – so it can be simple. But

you should have a PKP writtendown. To illustrate how simple aPKP can be, let’s use the followingpassage.

Adapted from “The Enduring Value of aHumanities Education” by Jane Smith. ©2015by Prep Expert Times. Originally publishedJanuary 1, 2015.

Malcolm Forbes, the owner and founderof Forbes magazine, once proclaimed that“education’s primary purpose is to replacean empty mind with an open one” – andno other curriculum better exemplifiesthis than the humanities. Similar to otherbroad disciplines such as mathematics orscience, the humanities is an all-inclusive

discipline that incorporates five essentialfields of thought: art, history, literature,music, and philosophy. As a result ofexposure to the diversity of these fields, astudent of the humanities is able to savorand attain knowledge from a cornucopiaof subjects, and in so doing joins the ranksof the most versatile and educatedindividuals in his or her walk of life. Thevery definition of the humanities degree –that it is one that comprises a study of thedeepest human emotional qualities –proclaims its authority over otherdisciplines like an army general presidingover his troops.

After reading the first paragraph ofthis passage, I would write down my

PKP. In my mind, I think that thePKP is “A humanities education isvital to society.” However, I wouldnot physically write this down in mytest booklet. In order to save time, Iwould be more likely to write downsomething such as:

PKP: Hum. Edu = Important

Notice how simple my PKP is. Iwould write this down in themargin next to the first paragraph.While this may sound simple,knowing the author’s argument isactually a very powerful technique.

By writing down the PKP, you willbetter understand the rest of thepassage. You will also have a betteridea of how to focus your essaybecause you understand theauthor’s main idea.


First Pass – PS

You will read the SAT Essay passage twice.On the first pass, create ParagraphSummaries.

One of the biggest strugglesstudents have when readingstandardized passages isdetermining how to begin. Shouldyou read the passage thoroughlyfirst? Should you skim the passage?Should you take notes? Although

this isn’t as big of a problem for theSAT Essay section as it is for the SATReading section, we should stillhave a strategy for reading an SATEssay passage.

I have developed a two-passapproach for the SAT Essay. In thefirst pass, you will create paragraphsummaries of each of theparagraphs in the SAT Essaypassage. In the second pass, youwill identify argumentative toolsthat the author uses in order tostrengthen his or her argument.However, each pass is done

paragraph by paragraph. Thismeans, you read the firstparagraph, then come up with theparagraph summary. Then youreread the first paragraph andidentify specific argumentativetools that the author uses in thatparagraph. But for now, we will onlyfocus on the first pass.

On your first pass of eachparagraph in a passage, you wantto write down a paragraphsummary. The good news is thatyou have already done oneparagraph summary – your PKP.

The Passage’s Key Point that youidentified after reading the firstparagraph of the SAT Essay passageis also your paragraph summary.Similar to a PKP, paragraphsummaries should be simple.Remember, paragraph summariesare for your eyes only. However,you must create paragraphsummaries because they increasecomprehension. The better youunderstand a passage, the higheryour SAT Essay Reading Subscorewill be. While the SAT Essaytemplates that we will cover very

soon will help you with your SATEssay Writing Subscore and SATEssay Analysis Subscore, they willnot help you much with your SATEssay Reading Subscore. Therefore,your paragraph summaries will beabsolutely essential to increaseyour SAT Essay Reading Subscore.

Let’s try out an example. Read thefollowing SAT Essay passage. As youread each paragraph, come up witha paragraph summary. Try tocreate a simple summary thatcaptures the essence of theparagraph, but is still succinct

enough that it doesn’t take up toomuch of your time to write down.After you have created paragraphsummaries, compare your answersto the paragraph summaries that Icame up with that follow thepassage. You will notice that yourparagraph summaries do notmatch mine exactly. That’s okay.There is no one correct answer forhow a paragraph summary shouldlook. As long as your paragraphsummaries are short and accurate,you’re good to go. If you are havinga hard time coming up with

paragraph summaries, don’t worry!We’ll work with lots of passages inthis course so that you willeventually get the hang of it.

Adapted from “The Enduring Value of aHumanities Education” by Jane Smith. ©2015by Prep Expert Times. Originally publishedJanuary 1, 2015.

1. Malcolm Forbes, the owner andfounder of Forbes magazine, onceproclaimed that “education’s primarypurpose is to replace an empty mindwith an open one” – and no othercurriculum better exemplifies thisthan the humanities. Similar to otherbroad disciplines such as

mathematics or science, thehumanities is an all-inclusivediscipline that incorporates fiveessential fields of thought: art,history, literature, music, andphilosophy. As a result of exposureto the diversity of these fields, astudent of the humanities is able tosavor and attain knowledge from acornucopia of subjects, and in sodoing joins the ranks of the mostversatile and educated individuals inhis or her walk of life. The verydefinition of the humanities degree –that it is one that comprises a studyof the deepest human emotionalqualities – proclaims its authorityover other disciplines like an Army

general presiding over his troops.

2. In one sense, the 21st century – withits zealous focus on technology inour quest to enhance our controlover the world – has undermined thehumanities. No longer is it asfascinating to study human beingsand their mortal accomplishments;more emphasis and interest isbestowed on machines and theirindustrious capabilities. A 2013 WallStreet Journal article cited a studyfrom the Harvard Humanities Projectthat found the percentage ofhumanities degrees among collegegraduates has dropped by 50% sincethe 1960s. The advent oftechnological innovations, and

society’s emphasis to furtherimprove those systems, has ledmany students to major in thesefields at the grave expense of thehumanities.

3. This is a shame, because in manyways the subjects that comprise thehumanities represent the verycrucible of civilization. They honorsuch men as Socrates, Herodotus,and Bach, who were considered bymany to be the pioneers of theirfields and fathers of their trades. Bydenying themselves education in thehumanities, many students aredenying the very elements that makeus human. If nothing else, thehumanities can help us recognize

and avoid the mistakes of the past.Philosopher George Santayana oncepointed out that, “Those who cannotremember the past are condemnedto repeat it”? When students removehumanities from their education,they are severing the only remainingties that connect us with the past.

4. By ignoring the humanities, studentsare deprived of a body of knowledgeso plentiful, so rich, and so powerfulthat the lack impedes and impairstheir versatility in speech andthought. Furthermore, a lack ofappreciation of the humanities wouldbe woefully detrimental to society asthe American Academy of Arts andSciences points out in a report

entitled The Heart of the Matter: TheHumanities and Social Sciences for aVibrant, Competitive, and SecureNation. Overspecialization in onefield (or, worse, a subfield) isinsufficient to saturate the humanmind with the essential intellectualcriteria needed for an adequateanalysis of the world – and would byno means engender the sort of“Renaissance man” who hasadvanced science and societythroughout most of Western history.The Humanities are, for good reason,considered by many scholars to bethe backbone of academia – andwithout them, a scholar is severelyparalyzed, academically and socially.

Therefore, we must further educatepeople in this magnificentconstellation of related fields, so thatthey can bestow the traditions of awell-rounded education uponthemselves, and upon their posterity.

5. In the words of Andre Gide, “as longas we live among men, let us cherishtheir ingenuity and humanity, for itwould lead to greatness.” With ahumanities education, one isprepared for a diversity of roles,whereas specialization limits one’soptions. With the humanities, onehas the opportunity to understandthe human role in society, and to beable to learn from previous humanachievements and inanities. Only

through such an education can weappreciate and savor the continuityof human progress. Therefore, unlikeother specialized degrees that focusmainly on a part of the human mind(e.g., psychology), the human system(physiology), or human technology(engineering), the humanitiesprovide an enlightening andmultilateral view of human existence.

ParagraphSummaries

Paragraph 1 Hum. Edu. =Important

Paragraph 2 Technology

Takeover

Paragraph 3 Hum. Have aRich History

Paragraph 4 Hum. Make YouMore Well-Rounded

Paragraph 5 Hum. OpensMany Doors


Second Pass –

CREW SAID

You will read the SAT Essay passage twice.On the second pass, identify CREW SAIDargumentative tools.

After you have gone through thefirst pass of a paragraph, your nextjob is to do a second pass of theparagraph. However, this timeinstead of focusing on what the

paragraph is about like in the firstpass, focus on the argumentativetools that the author uses todevelop his or her argument. Byseparating what we need to zero inon in each pass, we can focus ourmental energy. Multitasking simplydoes not work! Reading a passageboth for comprehension andidentification of argumentativetools at the same time is verydifficult. Instead, focus on one taskat a time. Although we do spendsome extra time reading eachpassage twice (compared to most

students who are only reading thepassage once), we will make up forthis lost time when we haveexcellent material to write aboutbecause of our two passes. Inaddition, the SAT Essay templateswill help us save an enormousamount of time.

I have identified 8 argumentativetools that authors of SAT Essaypassages commonly use tostrengthen their argument. Youcan remember these 8 tools usingthe acronym CREW SAID:

Contrast Similarity

Repercussions Authority

Emotion Imagery

Word Choice Data

Recall from Essay Expert Strategy#7 POP Last that the Plan ofProcedure requires that we identifyonly 3 argumentative tools that anauthor uses to build his or herargument. So why do I have 8 listedabove? Because every passage isnot going to use all 8 of the CREWSAID argumentative tools. Instead,

an author will likely only use a 4-5of the 8 tools frequently. It is up toyou to decide which 3 that youwould like to discuss in your SATEssay body paragraphs. Forexample, you may decide that theauthor uses Word Choice,Authority, and Data the best inorder to develop his or herargument. Therefore, you wouldtalk about these threeargumentative tools in your SATEssay.

Deciding which threeargumentative tools you want to

discuss in your SAT Essay is reallyup to you. But I would suggestselecting the CREW SAID tools theauthor uses frequently so that youhave more to talk about.

Let’s now discuss what each ofthese CREW SAID argumentativetools means.

Contrast

Contrast refers to when an authorhighlights differences between twoitems. These items could bepeople, things, ideas, etc. Using

stark contrast to compare thepositive aspects of one item againstthe negative aspects of anotheritem is a powerful argumentativetechnique. Here is an example ofcontrast from our examplehumanities passage:

With a humanitieseducation, one isprepared for a diversityof roles, whereasspecialization limitsone’s options.

The author contrasts the benefitsof a broad humanities educationagainst the drawbacks of aspecialized education.

Repercussions

Repercussions refer to when anauthor points out the far-reachingconsequences of his or herargument. Typically, we think ofrepercussions as being negative;however, repercussions can also bepositive. Highlighting the broaderimplications of an idea can reallyhelp strengthen an author’s

argument. You can identify whenan author is using repercussions asan argumentative techniquebecause he or she is making theargument a really big deal. Here isan example of repercussions fromour example humanities passage:

Only through such aneducation can weappreciate and savorthe continuity of humanprogress.

The author implies the far-reaching

repercussions of a humanitieseducation by citing that it isessential to “human progress.”

Note: This is a commonargumentative tool that authors ofSAT Essay passages will use!

Emotion

Emotion refers to when an authorattempts to make an emotionalappeal to the reader. For example,if a heartfelt topic such aschildhood is brought up, theauthor is likely attempting to tug at

the heartstrings of the reader. Hereis an example of emotional appealfrom our example humanitiespassage:

When studentsremove humanitiesfrom their education,they are severing theonly remaining ties thatconnect us with thepast.

The author uses emotional appealby referring to how the past might

be lost if the youth do not value thehumanities.

Word Choice

Word choice refers to when anauthor purposefully uses certainlanguage in order to build his orher argument. Using specificdiction can help an authorenhance his or her point. Whencertain words, expressions, orterms really stick out to you, theauthor is likely using Word Choiceas an argumentative tool. Here isan example of word choice from

our example humanities passage:

By ignoring thehumanities, studentsare deprived of a bodyof knowledge soplentiful, so rich, and sopowerful that the lackimpedes and impairstheir versatility ofspeech and thought.

The author uses royal diction suchas “plentiful,” “rich,” and “powerful,”to describe the humanities as

influential.

Similarity

Similarity refers to when an authorhighlights similarities between twoitems. These items could bepeople, things, ideas, etc. Usingsimilarities to compare the positiveor negative aspects of another itemis a powerful argumentativetechnique. Here is an example ofsimilarity from our examplehumanities passage:

The very definition of

the humanities degree –that it is one thatcomprises a study of thedeepest humanemotional qualities –proclaims its authorityover other disciplineslike an army generalpresiding over histroops.

The author uses a metaphor – acommon type of similarity – toclarify her argument to the reader.

Note: You can also argue that thissentence uses imagery as anargumentative technique becausethe author paints a picture of thegeneral presiding over troops.Every sentence does not have to fitneatly into one bucket. Often times,one sentence will use twoargumentative techniques.

Authority

Authority refers to when an authorcites an expert or influencer inorder to add clout to his or herargument. Citing authorities is a

powerful argumentative techniquethat can really strengthen anargument. When you see a well-known publication, organization, orpublic figure cited by an author,you can be fairly certain he or sheis using authority to add weight tothe argument. Here is an exampleof authority from our examplehumanities passage:

Philosopher GeorgeSantayana once pointedout that, “those whocannot remember the

past are condemned torepeat it. ”

The author cites philosopherGeorge Santayana to addcredibility to her argument.

Note: Citing authorities is one ofthe most commonly usedargumentative techniques thatauthors of SAT Essay passages useto enhance their arguments.Therefore, this can be one of yourgo-to CREW SAID argumentativetools that you discuss in your SATEssay.

Imagery

Imagery refers to when an authorpaints a picture with words. Thistool is related to word choicebecause the specific words anauthor chooses can dictate thevividness of the image. Here is anexample of imagery from ourexample humanities passage:

The Humanities are,for good reason,considered by manyscholars to be the

backbone of academia –and without them, ascholar is severelyparalyzed, academicallyand socially.

The author uses the imagery of a“backbone” being “paralyzed” topaint a clear picture in the mind ofthe reader.

Data

Data refers to when an author usesstatistics or numerical evidence to

support his or her argument. Datais typically the easiestargumentative technique to spot ina passage because numbers stickout like a sore thumb. Data is alsorelated to authority becausestatistics that a passage cites oftencome from an authoritative source.Using data can bring a lot of validityto an author’s argument. Here is anexample of data from our examplehumanities passage:

A 2013 Wall StreetJournal article cited a

study from the HarvardHumanities Project thatfound the percentage ofhumanities degreesamong collegegraduates has droppedby 50% since the 1960s.

The author not only uses data froma study to support her argument,but also the authority of the WallStreet Journal and the HarvardHumanities Project.

That’s it! Those are the 8argumentative tools that you needto know for the SAT Essay. Ofcourse, these 8 tools are notcomprehensive. There are othertechniques that authors can use toenhance their arguments. You cancertainly identify other tools if youare so inclined. But unlike otherstudents, you won’t have to try tocome up with new argumentativetools off the top of your head if youdon’t want to. If you decide thatthere is another argumentativetechnique that the author uses

that is not a part of CREW SAID, feelfree to discuss it if you areconfident. But I would suggest thatbefore you start your SAT Essay,write down the following in yourtest booklet:

Contrast Similarity

Repercussions Authority

Emotion Imagery

Word Choice Data

This will remind you of the 8argumentative techniques you

should be looking for as you readthe SAT Essay passage. Remember,you should look for CREW SAIDargumentative tools during yoursecond pass. On your first pass, youread a paragraph and write down aparagraph summary. This willassure understanding. On yoursecond pass, you read the sameparagraph and identify CREW SAIDargumentative techniques that areused in each sentence. Let’spractice the second pass now.

Adapted from “The Enduring Value of aHumanities Education” by Jane Smith. ©2015by Prep

Malcolm Forbes, the owner and founderof Forbes magazine, once proclaimed that“education’s primary purpose is to replacean empty mind with an open one” – andno other curriculum better exemplifiesthis than the humanities . Similar to

other broad disciplines such asmathematics or science, the humanities isan all-inclusive discipline that incorporatesfive essential fields of thought: art, history,literature, music, and philosophy . As a

result of exposure to the diversity of thesefields, a student of the humanities is ableto savor and attain knowledge from a

cornucopia of subjects, and in so doingjoins the ranks of the most versatile andeducated individuals in his or her walk oflife . The very definition of the

humanities degree – that it is one thatcomprises a study of the deepest humanemotional qualities – proclaims itsauthority over other disciplines like anarmy general presiding over his troops

.

Sentence 1 – The author usesauthority by citing the founder ofForbes magazine.Sentence 2 – The author usessimilarity by finding a parallel betweenmath/science and the humanities.

Sentence 3 – The author usesrepercussions by stating that astudent can become one of the mostimportant individuals in societythrough a humanities education.Sentence 4 – The author usessimilarity by using the metaphor of anarmy.

In one sense, the 21st century – with itszealous focus on technology in our questto enhance our control over the world –has undermined the humanities . No

longer is it as fascinating to study humanbeings and their mortal accomplishments;more emphasis and interest is bestowedon machines and their industriouscapabilities . A 2013 Wall Street

Journal article cited a study from theHarvard Humanities Project that foundthe percentage of humanities degreesamong college graduates has dropped by50% since the 1960s . The advent

of technological innovations, and society’semphasis to further improve thosesystems, has led many students to majorin these fields at the grave expense of thehumanities .

Sentence 1 – The author usescontrast by highlighting howtechnology despite its benefits hasactually had a negative effect on thehumanities.Sentence 2 – The author uses wordchoice by selecting words such as

“mortal” to describe humans andwords such as “machines” and“industrious” to describe technology.Sentence 3 – The author usesauthority when she cites The WallStreet Journal and the HarvardHumanities Project. The author alsouses data by citing the 50% statistic.Sentence 4 – The author usesrepercussions by citing the broadernegative implications of technologicaladvancement.

This is a shame, because in many ways thesubjects that comprise the humanitiesrepresent the very crucible of civilization

. They honor such men as Socrates,

Herodotus, and Bach, who were

considered by many to be the pioneers oftheir fields and fathers of their trades .

By denying themselves education in thehumanities, many students are denyingthe very elements that make us human

. If nothing else, the humanities can

help us recognize and avoid the mistakesof the past. Philosopher GeorgeSantayana once pointed out that, “Thosewho cannot remember the past arecondemned to repeat it”? . When

students remove humanities from theireducation, they are severing the onlyremaining ties that connect us with thepast .

Sentence 1 – The author uses

repercussions by citing themajor significance of thehumanities.Sentence 2 – The author usesauthority by citing ancientphilosophers.Sentence 3 – The author usesrepercussions by stating thathumanities make us human.Sentence 4 – I could notidentify a particular CREW SAIDargumentative tool in thissentence.Sentence 5 – The author usesauthority by citing a prominent

philosopher.Sentence 6 – The author usesemotional appeal by statingthat the youth can lose the pastif they lose a humanitieseducation.

By ignoring the humanities,students are deprived of a body ofknowledge so plentiful, so rich, andso powerful that the lack impedesand impairs their versatility inspeech and thought .

Furthermore, a lack of appreciationof the humanities would be

woefully detrimental to society asthe American Academy of Arts andSciences points out in a reportentitled The Heart of the Matter:The Humanities and SocialSciences for a Vibrant, Competitive,and Secure Nation .

Overspecialization in one field (or,worse, a subfield) is insufficient tosaturate the human mind with theessential intellectual criterianeeded for an adequate analysis ofthe world – and would by no meansengender the sort of “Renaissanceman” who has advanced science

and society throughout most ofWestern history . The

Humanities are, for good reason,considered by many scholars to bethe backbone of academia – andwithout them, a scholar is severelyparalyzed, academically andsocially . Therefore, we must

further educate people in thismagnificent constellation of relatedfields, so that they can bestow thetraditions of a well-roundededucation upon themselves, andupon their posterity .

Sentence 1 – The author usesword choice by using regaldiction such as “plentiful,” “rich,”and “powerful” to emphasizethe importance of thehumanities.Sentence 2 – The author usesauthority by citing a reportconducted by a recognizedorganization.Sentence 3 – The author usesrepercussions by implying thatoverspecialization can bedetrimental to society.Sentence 4 – The author uses

imagery by using words such as“backbone” and “paralyzed” topaint a clear picture for thereader.Sentence 5 – The author usesrepercussions by instillingurgency in the reader.

In the words of Andre Gide, “as longas we live among men, let uscherish their ingenuity andhumanity, for it would lead togreatness” . With a humanities

education, one is prepared for adiversity of roles, whereasspecialization limits one’s options

. With the humanities, one has

the opportunity to understand thehuman role in society, and to beable to learn from previous humanachievements and inanities .

Only through such an educationcan we appreciate and savor thecontinuity of human progress .

Therefore, unlike other specializeddegrees that focus mainly on a partof the human mind (e.g.,psychology), the human system(physiology), or human technology(engineering), the humanitiesprovide an enlightening and

multilateral view of humanexistence .

Sentence 1 – The author usesauthority by quoting an author.Sentence 2 – The author usescontrast by differentiatingbetween the benefits of ahumanities education versusspecialization.Sentence 3 – The author usesrepercussions by stating thebroader benefits of ahumanities education.Sentence 4 – The author uses

repercussions by asserting howessential a humanitieseducation is to “humanprogress.”Sentence 5 – The author usescontrast by contrastingspecialized education withhumanities education.

I hope that you now understandhow to identify CREW SAIDargumentative tools as you gothrough your second pass of eachparagraph. Note that classifyingevery sentence as anargumentative tactic is not

necessary. Some sentences willsimply not fall neatly into one ofthe 8 CREW SAID categories. If thisis the case, continue reading andleave the sentence unlabeled. Afteryou have completed your secondpass of every paragraph in the SATEssay passage, you are ready tostart writing. To figure out which 3CREW SAID argumentativetechniques that you are going towrite about, simply count up howmany of each tool appeared in thepassage. For example, for ourpassage about the Humanities,

here is the count:

3

8

1

22

6

1

1

As you can see, the most usedCREW SAID argumentativetechniques in the humanities

passage were Repercussions (8times), Authority (6 times), andContrast (3 times). Therefore, thethree body paragraphs that we willwrite for our SAT Essay will likelydiscuss how the author impliedbroad repercussions, citedauthorities, and used stark contrastto fortify her argument. You do nothave to choose the most frequentlyused CREW SAID argumentativetools to be the ones that serve asyour body paragraphs. While usingthe most frequently used ones maygive you more content to write

about, you may opt to discuss theones that are most interesting toyou in your body paragraphs.

Going through the motions ofidentifying CREW SAIDargumentative tools is also usefulbecause it allows you to stay inanalysis mode. Many studentsmake the mistake of going intosummary mode i.e. recapping whatthe passage said. The essay gradersalready know what the passage isabout. They do not want asummary. Instead, they want toknow what your analysis of the

passage is. By identifying CREWSAID argumentative tools withinthe passage, you are analyzingevery line of the passage. This willmake it easier for you to write acompelling analysis essay.


QIS Analysis

To write your analysis essay, use theQuote, Interpret, Significance (QIS)format.

QIS, which I pronounce as “kiss,” isthe technique we will use todevelop a stellar analysis in thebody paragraphs of our SAT Essay.QIS stands for Quote, Interpret, andSignificance. When you areanalyzing the passage, you will

quote an excerpt, interpret thatquote, and state the significance ofhow this CREW SAID argumentativetool helps build the author’sargument. For example, you mayquote how the author cites anauthority in the passage, interpretwhat the authority said, and writeabout how citing this particularauthority adds credibility to theauthor’s argument. Essentially, QISis a formulaic way of conducting ananalysis with CREW SAIDargumentative tools.

Let’s go over an example of how we

would use QIS on the humanitiespassage we have been workingwith.

Quote

The essay opens with a quote fromMalcolm Forbes, the founder of Forbesmagazine, which illustrates theimportance of education (Smith 1).

Start by quoting the passage. Butnotice how I don’t actually quotethe passage here. Instead, Iparaphrase. This is perfectly okay,but you should still cite the part ofthe passage you are referring to. To

do this, put the author’s last namealong with the paragraph numberin parenthesis after your quote orparaphrase. The SAT will numberthe paragraphs of the passage foryou.

Interpret

Although Forbes does not specificallymention the humanities, Smith makes aconnection for the readers.

After you havequoted/paraphrased a particularCREW SAID argumentation, youshould interpret it. In this case, I do

not mention how the quote relatesto authority or how it enhances theauthor’s argument. Instead, Iinterpret the quote itself.

Significance

Smith capitalizes on the prominence andfame of the Forbes name to lay thegroundwork for her argument from thevery beginning.

Finally, clarify the significance ofthe author’s use of the CREW SAIDargumentative tool by stating howit contributes to the author’soverall argument. In this case, I

make particular mention of how ithelps initiate a strong argumentfrom the very beginning of thepassage.

That’s it! This is how you effectivelyconduct your analysis when writingyour SAT Essay. Simply do QIS twoto four times in your bodyparagraphs and you will have anessay full of powerful insights.However, there is one more part ofQIS that is not part of the acronym:Connect. Remember Essay ExpertStrategy #10 Link & Connect. Inorder to transition between your

QIS analyses, you should try to linkand connect them smoothly. Hereis an example of how I wouldconnect the previous QIS analysiswith the next quote:

Connect

Switching from successful businessmento venerated philosophers, Smithcontinues to refer to authorities when shementions “Socrates, Herodotus, andBach,” as well as “Philosopher GeorgeSantayana” (Smith 3).

Notice how I was able to identifythat Smith uses both businessmen

and philosophers as authorities tostrengthen her argument. Makingconnections such as this will reallyimpress your readers because itshows depth of thought about thepassage. The beauty of the CREWSAID argumentative tools is thatyou have already made many ofthese connections! You alreadyknow all the places in the passagethat the author has citedauthorities, implied broadrepercussions, relied on statisticaldata, etc.


Introduction

Template

To write a compelling SAT Essay, use thePrep Expert Introduction Template.

We are finally at every student’sfavorite part of the SAT Essaysection – templates! Essaytemplates are fill-in-the-blankskeletons that allow you to use thesame basic format to structure

every SAT Essay. This saves atremendous amount of timebecause you do not have to comeup with your own writing format. Inaddition, templates will help raiseyour score because many of theEssay Expert Strategies we havediscussed (i.e. Exploit Vocab) arebuilt into the essay templates. Ofcourse, you don’t have to use theessay templates if you don’t wantto. But most students choose tobecause they are not that difficultto memorize (especially after you’vepracticed the SAT Essay dozens of

times). You can also customizetemplates to your own writing style,and I encourage you to do so.

Before I teach you Prep ExpertEssay Templates, let me firstaddress two concerns thatstudents have: plagiarism and bias.If you use an essay template, whyisn’t it considered plagiarism? Theanswer is simple: I am giving youpermission to use my essaytemplate. Okay, but won’t SAT Essaygraders score your essay lower ifyou are using a template? No!Because the SAT is a standardized

test, essay graders must givestandardized scores. This meansthat if you write an essay that isvery similar to a perfect scoreessay, then you too must get aperfect score. Otherwise, thescores would no longer becomparable, which would ruin thewhole point of a standardizedexam. In addition, creativity is not agrading criteria. In fact, creativitycan never be a grading criteria on astandardized exam because it isnot an objective measure. Finally,thousands of students have used

our essay templates to scoreexceptionally high on the SATEssay, so you should too!

Now that your concerns aboutessay templates have been allayed,let’s take a look at the IntroductionTemplate.

In [Article Title], [Author Name]synthesizes a compelling dissertationthat [Passage’s Key Point]. Althoughsome detractors may believe [WhatDetractors Believe], the arguments setforth in the article dismiss such romanticcritics as excessively dogmatic in theirprovincial ideology. One of the broader

notions presented in the essay is that[Major Idea in Article]. [Author’s LastName] deftly delivers a cogent argumentto sway his/her readers by [3 CREWSAID Tools].

Here are a few key features of theIntroduction Template:

4 Sentences

Sentence 1 – Thesis

Sentence 2 – Shows depth ofthought by showing the readerthat you have thought about theother side of the argument

Sentence 3 – Identifies one of the

broader themes of the passage

Sentence 4 – POP

Large Vocabulary Words

Using scholarly vocabulary wordsearly in the essay helps create astrong first impression

Customization

You may want to customize yourintroduction template to be 5-6sentences or even change someof the sentence sequencing.

Now let’s see how to use thisIntroduction Template on our

example Humanities passage:

In “The Enduring Value of a HumanitiesEducation,” Jane Smith synthesizes acompelling dissertation that knowledgerelating to the humanities isindispensable to the progress of society.Although some detractors may believethe advancement of education strictlyfocused on technology is key to nationaldevelopment, the arguments set forth inthe article dismiss such romantic criticsas excessively dogmatic in theirprovincial ideology. One of the broadernotions presented in the essay is that aneducation in the humanities magnifies aperson’s versatility to be a productivemember of society. Smith deftly delivers

a cogent argument to sway her readersby citing prominent authorities, implyingbroad repercussions, and using starkcontrast.


Body Paragraph 1

Template

To write a compelling SAT Essay, use thePrep Expert Body Paragraph 1 Template.

Throughout the article, [Author’s LastName] highlights several influentialsources in order to persuade readers togive credence to [his/her] claim that[Repeat Author’s Thesis].

Quote Quote Quote

Interpret Interpret Interpret

Significance Significance Significance

Connect Connect

Here are a few key features of theBody Paragraph 1 Template:

Authority

We are going to assume that thepassage you see on test day isgoing to use multiple authoritiesin order to help backup theauthor’s argument. Therefore,citing authorities will be the initialbody paragraph every time.

QIS Structure

Every body paragraph will haveessentially the same structure:Quote, Interpret, Significance.You will do this 2 – 4 times withconnections in between.

Customization

You may want to customize theQIS structure. For example,sometimes you may skip theinterpretation of the quote, youmay combine the Interpretationand Significance parts of QIS intoa single sentence, or use 4-5 QISAnalyses in order to have anextra long body paragraph. In

addition, sometimes the authorwill not use Authority as anargument technique. In this case,you will have to choose adifferent CREW SAID tool todiscuss in body paragraph 1.

Now let’s see how to use this BodyParagraph 1 Template on ourexample Humanities passage:

Throughout the article, Smith highlightsseveral influential sources in order topersuade readers to give credence to herclaim that a humanities education isessential for both personal and societalsuccess. The essay opens with a quotefrom Malcolm Forbes, the founder of

Forbes magazine, which illustrates theimportance of education (Smith 1).Although Forbes does not specificallymention the humanities, Smith makes aconnection for the readers. Smithcapitalizes on the prominence and fameof the Forbes name to lay thegroundwork for her argument from thevery beginning. Switching fromsuccessful businessmen to veneratedphilosophers, Smith continues to refer toauthorities when she mentions “Socrates,Herodotus, and Bach,” as well as“Philosopher George Santayana” (Smith3). If her earlier use of a business figuredid not resonate well with some readers,Smith employs a new strategy to appealto those who may value the ancient arts

and philosophy. But Smith’s use ofauthorities to support her argument doesnot stop with names. She also uses datasuch as The Wall Street Journal that“cited a study from the HarvardHumanities Project that found thepercentage of humanities degrees amongcollege graduates has dropped by 50%since the 1960s” (Smith 2). MentioningThe Wall Street Journal and “Harvard”in the same sentence is sure to suggestauthority among her readers. Thisstrategic use of significant businessmen,philosophers, newspapers, anduniversities adds tremendous credibilityto Smith’s position.


Body Paragraph 2

Template


Similar to many adept editorial writers,[Author’s Last Name] attempts tocontinually expound the magnitude of[his/her] argument by asserting the far-reaching [positive/negative]consequences of [Repeat Main Idea].

Quote Quote Quote



Connect Connect


Repercussions

We are going to assume that thepassage you see on test day isgoing to use multiple far-reachingconsequences in order to helpbackup the author’s argument.

Therefore, emphasizingsignificant repercussions will bethe second body paragraph everytime.

QIS Structure

Every body paragraph will haveessentially the same structure:Quote, Interpret, Significance.You will do this 2 – 4 times withconnections in between.

Customization

You may want to customize theQIS structure. For example,sometimes you may skip theinterpretation of the quote, you

may combine the Interpretationand Significance parts of QIS intoa single sentence, or use 4-5 QISAnalyses in order to have anextra long body paragraph. Inaddition, sometimes the authorwill not use Repercussions as anargumentation technique. In thiscase, you will have to choose adifferent CREW SAID tool todiscuss in body paragraph 2.

Now let’s see how to use this BodyParagraph 2 Template on ourexample Humanities passage:

Similar to many adept editorial writers,Smith attempts to continually expound

the magnitude of her argument byasserting the far-reaching negativeconsequences of a lack of a humanitieseducation. She even boldly states thatsociety’s focus on technologicaleducation actually is “at the graveexpense of the humanities” (Smith 2). Touse diction such as “grave” whendescribing the decline in humanitieseducation certainly increases the weightof her argument. Smith may in fact beconvincing readers that therepercussions of a lack of humanities isfar reaching. For example, she laterclaims that “by denying themselveseducation in the humanities, manystudents are denying the very elementsthat make us human” (Smith 3). By

equating the “humanities” to being“human,” Smith increases the importanceof her argument, and captures theattention of the reader. Ultimately,strategically calling upon a higherpurpose of the humanities that appeals toreaders builds an even sounder case forSmith.


Body Paragraph 3

Template


[Author’s Last Name] furtherthoughtfully supplements [his/her]argument by [Last Tool].

Quote Quote Quote



Connect Connect


CREW SAID Tool

Unlike the first two bodyparagraphs where I directed youto two specific CREW SAID tools,you can choose any CREW SAIDtool you want in Body Paragraph3.

QIS Structure

Every body paragraph will have

essentially the same structure:Quote, Interpret, Significance.You will do this 2 – 4 times withconnections in between.

Customization

You may want to customize theQIS structure. For example,sometimes you may skip theinterpretation of the quote, youmay combine the Interpretationand Significance parts of QIS intoa single sentence, or use 4-5 QISAnalyses in order to have anextra long body paragraph.

Now let’s see how to use this BodyParagraph 3 Template on our

example Humanities passage:

Smith further thoughtfully supplementsher argument by highlighting significantdifferences between a technology-focused education and a humanities-focused education. She boldly proclaimsthat “in one sense, the 21st century –with its zealous focus on technology inour quest to enhance our control over theworld – has undermined the humanities”(Smith 2). By stating that technology hasdetracted from the humanities, she isclearly highlighting the contrast betweenthe two. This contrast has a powerfuleffect because it makes Smith’s argumenteasy to follow for the reader when sheplaces technology in one bucket and the

humanities in another bucket. Butperhaps the most striking use of contrastin her essay comes in the final statement,“Therefore, unlike other specializeddegrees that focus mainly on a part of thehuman mind (e.g., psychology), thehuman system (physiology), or humantechnology (engineering), the humanitiesprovide an enlightening and multilateralview of human existence” (Smith 5).Smith deliberately pits humanitiesagainst other specialized disciplines anddeclares that humanities are far superior.This kind of contrast mechanism furtherbolsters her argument that society wouldbe at a loss without knowledge of thehumanities.


Conclusion

Template

For our final template, let’s tacklethe conclusion. The conclusion isoften the shortest paragraph ofyour SAT Essay because you arerunning out of time. I have tried tomake the conclusion as simple aspossible. Not only will your hand behurting at this point, but you willalso be anxious to be done with the

SAT. Of course, if you have extratime, feel free to write a longerconclusion.

Conclusion Template

Undoubtedly, [Author Name] is noamateur author. Not only does [he/she]employ [3 CREW SAID Tools Restated]to build a coherent argument, but[he/she] also does so purposefully andproficiently. [Author’s Last Name]’sadroit use of persuasive literary devicesand tactics guarantees that readers willbe convinced of [his/her] conviction that[Repeat Author’s Thesis].

Here are a few key features of the

Conclusion Template:

3 Sentences

Sentence 1 – This statement isalways going to be true becausethe SAT will not give you apassage written by a novicewriter.

Sentence 2 – This helps bringeverything together by restatingthe 3 CREW SAID argumentativetools you have discussed in youressay.

Sentence 3 – Repeating theauthor’s thesis one last time atthe end of the essay will assure

the reader that you properlycomprehended the passage (i.e.this will increase your SAT EssayReading Subscore).

Customization

You may want to customize theconclusion. You can include otherbroad and powerful statementsthat relate to the particularpassage at hand. Extending yourconclusion will help lengthenyour essay, but should only bedone if you have extra timeremaining at the end.

Now let’s see how to use thisConclusion Template on our

example humanities passage:

Undoubtedly, Smith is no amateur author.Not only does she employ reference toinfluential authorities, imply broadramifications, and highlight contrast tobuild a coherent argument, but she alsodoes so purposefully and proficiently.Smith’s adroit use of persuasive literarydevices and tactics guarantees thatreaders will be convinced of herconviction that an education in thehumanities is the crux of a high-functioning society.

Practice SAT Essay

Up until this point we have coveredEssay Expert Strategies in silos. Youlikely still have questions abouthow to put everything together.This section is especially importantto clarify any confusion that is leftregarding the SAT Essay. We willnow practice an entire SAT Essaytogether. Not only will we write anSAT Essay together, but we will alsoread an SAT Essay passagetogether. This exercise will give youa good idea of how to createparagraph summaries, identify

CREW SAID tools, and use essaytemplates.

Practice SAT Essay Passage

Adapted from “Deceiving Education” byShaan Patel. ©2015 by Prep ExpertTimes. Originally published August 30,2006.

1. I believe the federal government isnot only uninformative in theirdepiction of the “progress” of the NoChild Left Behind (NCLB) Act, butdownright illusory. One of the mainobjectives of NCLB is to bridge theachievement gap on tests betweenstudents of diverse ethnic and

economic backgrounds (particularlyblacks and whites). But according toThe Civil Rights Project conducted atHarvard University, the NCLB hasmade little progress in accomplishingthis goal. Yet, President Bush hasclaimed that the percentage gapbetween passing whites and blackshas closed by 25 percentage pointsin the state of Texas on math tests inthe past three years. What couldaccount for this discrepancy inclaims? Undoubtedly, it is theDepartment of Education’s utterfailure to recognize the intrinsicproblems with the NCLB act and itsdeliberate distortion of statistics.

2. Before we can discuss how the

government skews statistics, wemust first understand it does so.There are so many problems with theNCLB Act that any governmentattempt to fix them is like a mechanicrepairing a car with no engine – itsimply won’t work. In CharlesMurray’s editorial “Acid Tests” in theWall Street Journal, he points outthat one of the fundamentalproblems with the NCLB Act is that itundermines the institutions offederalism this country was foundedon by nationalizing “elementary andsecondary education.” It alsoeradicates any vestige of a child’sinspiration to have a passion forlearning or a career in education by

constantly bombarding them withstressful tests. Furthermore, the actalso harms the subject matter that istaught in the classroom and limitsteachers to having to spend aninordinate amount of time preparingstudents on how to pass a test,rather than teaching students how towrite. Without any progress in theclassroom made, the governmenthas one of two choices: to eitheradmit the flaws of the act or to coverup the flaws by manipulating testscore data; and they choose thelatter.

3. There is something inherently wrongwith a government when it is willfullyskewing studies to fit expectations.

The government misrepresents theNCLB Act’s actual progress in closingthe racial/economic achievement gapby using what are called “passpercentages.” A pass percentage ishard to lucidly define without gettinginto complex statistical terminology;however, Murray puts it beautifullywhen he says that pass percentagestell one “whether someone got over abar, but not how high the bar was setor by how much the bar was cleared.”In other words, pass percentagesallow the government to inform thepublic that a certain test was passed,but allow it to surreptitiouslywithhold what the passing score on atest was and by how much students

exceeded that score.

4. However, how the governmentmanipulates statistics to fit its ownpredictions is trivial compared to theethical violations it commits whendoing so. The federal government’sresponsibility is not only to keeppeace and order over its citizenry,but also to be true to the society thatit governs. Perhaps I am making thefederal government sound like animmoral, dishonest tyrant. Even so,when a ruling entity like thegovernment intentionally warps data,it may not be lying, but there isdefinitely a major trust issueinvolved. In fact, this kind ofdistortion reminds me of George

Orwell’s 1984 in which the Partymakes sure that all predictions bythe Party are never wrong byrewriting all printed articles to matchprevious forecasts with currenttimes. In the same way, the federalgovernment is misrepresentingfigures to match its previous forecastof progress in closing theachievement gap.

5. The issue of the governmentmisleading society is far greater thaneducation; it is a major moralconcern. When the governing bodyover a group of people deliberatelyattempts to deceive those verypeople they are suppose to be mosttruthful to, it says a whole a lot about

the condition of the society we live inas well as the elected officials we voteinto office. Ultimately, I hope that theNo Child Left Behind Act will be leftbehind and more beneficialeducational reforms will one day beinstituted.

Two-Pass ReadingApproach

Introduction First Pass – Find PKP

The first step when tackling an SATEssay passage (or any passage forthat matter) is to find the PKP, orPassage’s Key Point. This entailsreading the first paragraph andsummarizing what you believe tobe the author’s thesis in a short,simple sentence. So let’s take alook at our example passage.

I believe the federal government is

not only uninformative in theirdepiction of the “progress” of the NoChild Left Behind (NCLB) Act, butdownright illusory. One of the mainobjectives of NCLB is to bridge theachievement gap on tests betweenstudents of diverse ethnic andeconomic backgrounds (particularlyblacks and whites). But according toThe Civil Rights Project conducted atHarvard University, the NCLB hasmade little progress in accomplishingthis goal. Yet, President Bush hasclaimed that the percentage gapbetween passing whites and blackshas closed by 25 percentage points inthe state of Texas on math tests in thepast three years. What could account

for this discrepancy in claims?Undoubtedly, it is the Department ofEducation’s utter failure to recognizethe intrinsic problems with the NCLBact and its deliberate distortion ofstatistics.

PKP: The NCLB is ineffective.

Introduction Second Pass – IdentifyCREW SAID Argumentative Tools

Because finding PKP isessentially the same thing ascoming up with a paragraphsummary for the firstparagraph, we do not need to

create a separate paragraphsummary for the introduction.Instead, we should now rereadthe first paragraph and identifyCREW SAID ArgumentativeTools in each sentence.

I believe the federal government isnot only uninformative in theirdepiction of the “progress” of the NoChild Left Behind (NCLB) Act, butdownright illusory . One of the

main objectives of NCLB is to bridgethe achievement gap on testsbetween students of diverse ethnic

and economic backgrounds(particularly blacks and whites). Butaccording to The Civil Rights Projectconducted at Harvard University, theNCLB has made little progress inaccomplishing this goal . Yet,

President Bush has claimed that thepercentage gap between passingwhites and blacks has closed by 25percentage points in the state ofTexas on math tests in the past threeyears . What could account

for this discrepancy in claims ?

Undoubtedly, it is the Department ofEducation’s utter failure to recognizethe intrinsic problems with the NCLBact and its deliberate distortion of

statistics .

Body Paragraph 1 First Pass –Create Paragraph Summary

Before we can discuss how thegovernment skews statistics, we mustfirst understand it does so. There areso many problems with the NCLB Actthat any government attempt to fixthem is like a mechanic repairing a carwith no engine – it simply won’t work.In Charles Murray’s editorial “AcidTests” in the Wall Street Journal, hepoints out that one of thefundamental problems with the NCLBAct is that it undermines theinstitutions of federalism this country

was founded on by nationalizing“elementary and secondaryeducation.” It also eradicates anyvestige of a child’s inspiration to havea passion for learning or a career ineducation by constantly bombardingthem with stressful tests.Furthermore, the act also harms thesubject matter that is taught in theclassroom and limits teachers tohaving to spend an inordinateamount of time preparing studentson how to pass a test, rather thanteaching students how to write.Without any progress in theclassroom made, the government hasone of two choices: to either admitthe flaws of the act or to cover up the

flaws by manipulating test score data;and they choose the latter.

Body Paragraph 1 Summary: TheNCLB undermines country’s foundingprinciples and limits teachers.

Body Paragraph 1 Second Pass –Identify CREW SAID ArgumentativeTools

Before we can discuss how thegovernment skews statistics, we mustfirst understand it does so. There areso many problems with the NCLB Actthat any government attempt to fix

them is like a mechanic repairing a carwith no engine – it simply won’t work

. In Charles Murray’s editorial

“Acid Tests” in the Wall Street Journal,he points out that one of thefundamental problems with the NCLBAct is that it undermines theinstitutions of federalism this countrywas founded on by nationalizing“elementary and secondaryeducation” . It also eradicates any

vestige of a child’s inspiration to havea passion for learning or a career ineducation by constantly bombardingthem with stressful tests .

Furthermore, the act also harms thesubject matter that is taught in the

classroom and limits teachers tohaving to spend an inordinateamount of time preparing studentson how to pass a test, rather thanteaching students how to write .

Without any progress in theclassroom made, the government hasone of two choices: to either admitthe flaws of the act or to cover up theflaws by manipulating test score data;and they choose the latter .


There is something inherently wrongwith a government when it is willfully

skewing studies to fit expectations.The government misrepresents theNCLB Act’s actual progress in closingthe racial/economic achievement gapby using what are called “passpercentages.” A pass percentage ishard to lucidly define without gettinginto complex statistical terminology;however, Murray puts it beautifullywhen he says that pass percentagestell one “whether someone got over abar, but not how high the bar was setor by how much the bar was cleared.”In other words, pass percentagesallow the government to inform thepublic that a certain test was passed,but allow it to surreptitiously withholdwhat the passing score on a test was

and by how much students exceededthat score.

Body Paragraph 2 Summary: Passpercentages can misrepresentachievement.


There is something inherently wrongwith a government when it is willfullyskewing studies to fit expectations

. The government misrepresents

the NCLB Act’s actual progress inclosing the racial/economicachievement gap by using what arecalled “pass percentages.” A passpercentage is hard to lucidly definewithout getting into complexstatistical terminology; however,Murray puts it beautifully when hesays that pass percentages tell one“whether someone got over a bar, butnot how high the bar was set or byhow much the bar was cleared” .

In other words, pass percentagesallow the government to inform thepublic that a certain test was passed,but allow it to surreptitiously withholdwhat the passing score on a test wasand by how much students exceeded

that score .


However, how the governmentmanipulates statistics to fit its ownpredictions is trivial compared to theethical violations it commits whendoing so. The federal government’sresponsibility is not only to keeppeace and order over its citizenry, butalso to be true to the society that itgoverns. Perhaps I am making thefederal government sound like animmoral, dishonest tyrant. Even so,when a ruling entity like thegovernment intentionally warps data,

it may not be lying, but there isdefinitely a major trust issue involved.In fact, this kind of distortion remindsme of George Orwell’s 1984 in whichthe Party makes sure that allpredictions by the Party are neverwrong by rewriting all printed articlesto match previous forecasts withcurrent times. In the same way, thefederal government ismisrepresenting figures to match itsprevious forecast of progress inclosing the achievement gap.

Body Paragraph 3 Summary:Fundamental Ethical Issue w/Government Misrepresentation.


However, how the governmentmanipulates statistics to fit its ownpredictions is trivial compared to theethical violations it commits whendoing so . The federal

government’s responsibility is notonly to keep peace and order over itscitizenry, but also to be true to thesociety that it governs . Perhaps I

am making the federal governmentsound like an immoral, dishonest

tyrant . Even so, when a ruling

entity like the governmentintentionally warps data, it may not belying, but there is definitely a majortrust issue involved. In fact, this kindof distortion reminds me of GeorgeOrwell’s 1984 in which the Partymakes sure that all predictions by theParty are never wrong by rewriting allprinted articles to match previousforecasts with current times .

In the same way, the federalgovernment is misrepresentingfigures to match its previous forecastof progress in closing theachievement gap .

Conclusion First Pass – CreateParagraph Summary

The issue of the governmentmisleading society is far greater thaneducation; it is a major moralconcern. When the governing bodyover a group of people deliberatelyattempts to deceive those very peoplethey are suppose to be most truthfulto, it says a whole a lot about thecondition of the society we live in aswell as the elected officials we voteinto office. Ultimately, I hope that theNo Child Left Behind Act will be leftbehind and more beneficialeducational reforms will one day beinstituted.

Conclusion Summary: NCLBmisrepresentation is bigger thaneducation.

Conclusion Second Pass – IdentifyCREW SAID Argumentative Tools

The issue of the governmentmisleading society is far greater thaneducation; it is a major moral concern

. When the governing body over a

group of people deliberately attemptsto deceive those very people they aresuppose to be most truthful to, it saysa whole a lot about the condition of

the society we live in as well as theelected officials we vote into office

. Ultimately, I hope that the No

Child Left Behind Act will be leftbehind and more beneficialeducational reforms will one day beinstituted .

Now that we’ve gone through eachparagraph of the passage twice, weare ready to start writing our essay.We should start by counting uphow many times each CREW SAIDargumentative tool was used by theauthor.

1

4

4

71

3

2

1

Judging by the above results, Iwould like to discuss how theauthor uses word choice,repercussions, and authoritativesources to support his argument.

We can now begin writing our SATEssay.

Practice SAT Essay

In “Deceiving Education,” Shaan Patelsynthesizes a compelling dissertationthat the government is willfullymanipulating achievement statistics of itsfailed No Child Left Behind Act(NCLB). Although some detractors maybelieve the NCLB Act has madeprogress to the standardization ofeducation, the arguments set forth in thearticle dismiss such romantic critics asexcessively dogmatic in their provincialideology. One of the broader notionspresented in the essay is thatmisrepresenting the NCLB’s ability tohave closed the achievement gap isactually a prodigious ethical concern.

Patel deftly delivers a cogent argumentto sway his readers by citing prominentauthorities, implying broadrepercussions, and using calculated, butpowerful diction.

Throughout the article, Patel highlightsseveral influential sources in order topersuade readers to give credence to hisclaim that the No Child Left Behind Actis doing more harm than good. From theoutset, Patel refers to a study conductedat Harvard University that “the NCLBhas made little progress inaccomplishing [bridging the achievementgap]” (Patel 1). Mentioning a universityas prestigious as Harvard is likely nocoincidence. Patel knowingly uses the

weight of the Harvard name to addcredibility to his argument. Continuingthis trend of using highly crediblesources to further his argument, Patelthen quotes a Wall Street Journaleditorial that claims the NCLB Act“undermines the institutions offederalism this country was founded onby nationalizing “elementary andsecondary education” (Patel 2). Usingone of the most well-known papers inthe world, The Wall Street Journal, addseven more authority to his stance. Inaddition, adding that the editorial statedthat the NCLB Act is fundamentally inopposition to American ideals likelystrikes an emotional cord with manyreaders. Latching onto the reputations of

authoritative sources is a brilliantstrategy that adds significant weight toPatel’s argument against the NCLB Act.

Similar to many adept editorial writers,Patel attempts to continually expound themagnitude of his argument by assertingthe far-reaching negative consequencesof the No Child Left Behind Act. Patelstates “the act also harms the subjectmatter that is taught in the classroom andlimits teachers to having to spend aninordinate amount of time preparingstudents on how to pass a test, ratherthan teaching students how to write”(Patel 2). By referencing how classroomdynamics will change, Patel extends hisargument to go beyond just the

achievement gap. He makes sure everyreader is aware that the classroom his orher child learns in will be fundamentallydifferent due to this legislation. But Pateldoesn’t let the negative repercussions ofthe No Child Left Behind Act stop in theclassroom. Near the end of the article,he states “When the governing body overa group of people deliberately attemptsto deceive those very people they aresuppose to be most truthful to, it says awhole a lot about the condition of thesociety we live in” (Patel 5). This bringsPatel’s argument to the very center ofsociety. He masterfully constructs hiscase to suddenly include all of theethical and moral issues a society shouldbe concerned with – all stemming from

one piece of government educationallegislation.

Lastly, Patel further thoughtfullysupplements his argument by usingpowerful diction to resonate withreaders. He uses phrases such as “utterfailure,” “intrinsic problems,” and“deliberate distortion” in the firstparagraph to answer his rhetoricalquestion of “What could account for thisdiscrepancy in claims?” (Patel 1).Certainly, such strong diction makes theDepartment of Education look far worsethan it likely is. But because of Patel’sdesignated word choice, readers mayview the government as malevolent andfull of machinations. Patel continues his

admonishment of the government whenhe says they “surreptitiously withhold”and are “misrepresenting figures” (Patel2, 3). Depicting the government as amalicious entity with willful intentionsto manipulate the public’s mindeffectively aids Patel in building hisargument that the No Child Left BehindAct has been terrible for our country.

Undoubtedly, Patel is no amateur author.Not only does he employ reference toinfluential authorities, far-reachingimplications, and masterful dictiondecisions to build a coherent argument,but he also does so purposefully andproficiently. Patel’s adroit use ofpersuasive literary devices and tactics

guarantees that readers will beconvinced of his conviction that the NoChild Left Behind Act is wholly anti-American.

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