The Choice of the New York Times recently had an article entitled “Tip Sheet:5 Study Strategies for the SAT“. There were several good points in the article but the one I want to highlight is the discussion of how to prepare for the writing section of the SAT. Here is the section:
Be Prepared to Write a Longer Essay
In 2005, an study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that longer SAT essays receive higher scores. But for most students, filling two notebook pages with compelling arguments, insightful conclusions and scholarly examples — in less than 25 minutes — is quite a challenge.
You can’t get more time, but you can have a selection of scholarly examples prepared before setting foot in the testing room. Because SAT essay prompts are general topics, you can have applicable source material at the ready by developing a deep understanding of several novels, historical events and current news stories in advance. This will enable you to spend less time racking your brain for examples and more time writing a thoughtful essay
This is great advice and similar to what I tell students who want tips about preparing for the SAT writing section. Should length be one of the factors in getting a high writing score? Of course not. But as long as that is how the SAT is structured, you have every right to prepare for the SAT ahead of time using a standard response to one of the generic prompts of the SAT.
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