The SAT or ACT is about to begin. What should you expect? The first section of the entire exam begins with a 25 minute essay question. The format opens with a “prompt,” which is a short passage or quote from a famous person. Then a question is asked, which you must write a position on that topic. There is not a right or wrong answer, rather you are scored as to how well you answer the question and support your ideas.

The total writing section of the SAT is one hour, to earn you a total score from 200 – 800. The entire SAT lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes. The SAT essay is 25 minutes.  Since the SAT exam begins with the essay, it will set the tone and influence how you approach the remaining portions of the test.  Also, the SAT writing section includes 25 minutes of multiple choice questions on identifying sentence errors and correcting paragraph styles, and a 10 minute section of correcting poorly written sentences.  In addition, the ACT writing section is at the end of the test and is timed at 30 minutes. For both the SAT and ACT, how well you do on the writing sections can absolutely influence your total score.

In working with your college essay coach, you will have one-on-one feedback within a two meeting process. In the first meeting, you will learn the pre-writing process, which is the blueprint on how to write the essay. You will learn how to you take a position on the question, develop your main idea with an emotional hook, and build an outline as the backbone of the essay. In the second meeting, you will learn and practice the elements of proper writing: stick with the outline, include both a general and personal application, and write a conclusion that reinforces the position taken.

Both the SAT and ACT essay writing sections are scored by quality, not quantity. You are rated on how clearly you present you main idea, support and develop your point of view, and how well you use language throughout the essay. Your essay score represents the quality of your ideas and the organization of your thoughts. It is not the position you take, but how well you state your case and support it. Practice makes perfect!

Organizing your time is key. In working with your college essay coach, you will learn how to streamline the pre-writing process, compose your ideas, and proofread your work. The essay is your opportunity to engage the reader (two judges) and break-through the clutter of other essays. It is your chance to share something personal about yourself-- how academics, real-life experiences, sports or activities, and observations influence how you think and approach choices. It is your 25 minutes of fame to shine!