How can I prepare for the SAT essay?
The essay portion of the SAT reveals how well you think and write, especially under the pressure of time. Specifically, the essay can reveal the following information about you:
- How well you think.
- How well you organize ideas.
- How well you express yourself.
- How you have mastered the skills of standard written English.
Before you become totally bonkers over all of this, just remember that you have already written many, many essays in your school career. Most of them probably have been painstakingly processed, including brainstorming, outlining and prewriting, drafting, editing and revising, rewriting, and proofreading. You do not have to face that process with the SAT essay. You are given a prompt on some mildly arguable topic, and you are expected to read, respond to, and write everything in a mere 25 minutes.
The best thing you can do from now until the day you take the exam is to practice. Put your watch in front of you and be aware of the time. With patience and practice, you can learn how to cope with the short time frame and write a successful essay.