The College Panda
SAT Essay
The BaH-te-~ Guide
Nielson Phu
, The College Panda
SAT Essay
The Battle-tested Guide
Copyright© 2016 The College Panda
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-9894964-6-9
No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the author.
*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which does not endorse this product.
For more information, visit thecollegepanda.com
Discounts available for teachers and companies. Please contact for details.
, THE COLLEGE PANDA
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 4
2 How the SAT Essay is Graded 6
3 The 7 Elements of a Perfect Essay 8
4 The Elements of Persuasion 13
5 The Essay Template for any Prompt 29
6 The Narrate-Explain-Reiterate Pattern 34
7 The Art of Quoting 38
8 7 Fatal Mistakes Students Make on the Essay 44
9 Official Prompts & Sample Essays 47
10 Appendix A: A Copy of my Actual Essay 52
3
, Introduction
In the past, the SAT required you to write a persuasive essay on a philosophical question such as Do rules and
limitations contribute to a person's happiness?
The best approach was well-established: write an example-based response, one based on current events,
literature, and history to support your stance. In fact, the top scorers often came into the essay with a slew
of examples they had prepared beforehand and could tweak to almost any prompt.
This trend towards "scripted" essays alarmed not only The College Board but also the SAT's critics. How can a
standardized test accurately assess the writing abilities of students who are regurgitating memorized sentences
in 25 minutes? What's even scarier is that these essays were the ones that did the best.
In light of this, The College Board decided to overhaul the essay in its 2016 redesign of the SAT.
They wanted an essay assignment that would prevent pre-planning and scripted responses. In the face of stiff
competition from the ACT, the SAT needed to shed its reputation as a test that could be "gamed."
What they came up with is an analytical essay assignment, one in which you're asked to read a passage and
discuss how the author persuades his or her readers. Here's what a typical assignment looks like:
As you read the passage below, consider how Anthony Simon uses
• evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
• reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
• stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the
ideas expressed.
Write an essay in which you explain how Anthony Simon builds an argument to persuade his audience
that student competitions should promoted within schools. In your essay, analyze how Simon uses one or
more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your choice) to strengthen the logic and
persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the
passage.
Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Simon's claims, but rather explain how Simon
builds an argument to persuade his audience.
4
SAT Essay
The BaH-te-~ Guide
Nielson Phu
, The College Panda
SAT Essay
The Battle-tested Guide
Copyright© 2016 The College Panda
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-9894964-6-9
No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the author.
*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which does not endorse this product.
For more information, visit thecollegepanda.com
Discounts available for teachers and companies. Please contact for details.
, THE COLLEGE PANDA
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 4
2 How the SAT Essay is Graded 6
3 The 7 Elements of a Perfect Essay 8
4 The Elements of Persuasion 13
5 The Essay Template for any Prompt 29
6 The Narrate-Explain-Reiterate Pattern 34
7 The Art of Quoting 38
8 7 Fatal Mistakes Students Make on the Essay 44
9 Official Prompts & Sample Essays 47
10 Appendix A: A Copy of my Actual Essay 52
3
, Introduction
In the past, the SAT required you to write a persuasive essay on a philosophical question such as Do rules and
limitations contribute to a person's happiness?
The best approach was well-established: write an example-based response, one based on current events,
literature, and history to support your stance. In fact, the top scorers often came into the essay with a slew
of examples they had prepared beforehand and could tweak to almost any prompt.
This trend towards "scripted" essays alarmed not only The College Board but also the SAT's critics. How can a
standardized test accurately assess the writing abilities of students who are regurgitating memorized sentences
in 25 minutes? What's even scarier is that these essays were the ones that did the best.
In light of this, The College Board decided to overhaul the essay in its 2016 redesign of the SAT.
They wanted an essay assignment that would prevent pre-planning and scripted responses. In the face of stiff
competition from the ACT, the SAT needed to shed its reputation as a test that could be "gamed."
What they came up with is an analytical essay assignment, one in which you're asked to read a passage and
discuss how the author persuades his or her readers. Here's what a typical assignment looks like:
As you read the passage below, consider how Anthony Simon uses
• evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
• reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
• stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the
ideas expressed.
Write an essay in which you explain how Anthony Simon builds an argument to persuade his audience
that student competitions should promoted within schools. In your essay, analyze how Simon uses one or
more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your choice) to strengthen the logic and
persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the
passage.
Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Simon's claims, but rather explain how Simon
builds an argument to persuade his audience.
4
