Rosie51391

Does anyone have any good tips, or know of good websites for help with ACT essays? I got a 33 composite but an 8 on the essay(ouuuuch). I'm taking it again in June. Please help!

s2k

Brainstorm ideas for like a minute. I write slowly so I don't even bother with this... I just write and write and write. In fact, if you do a search here (use essay OR writ* as keywords [yes, include the 'or' part]), you'll notice that 95% of the time, those who scored a 10+ just wrote and wrote and wrote.

One student said the first time, he wrote a Byron-like essay but got only a 9. So, next time, he simply wrote whatever came to his mind while still talking about the prompt here and there and filled like 3 pages and what do you know, he scored a 11.

So again, write BIG (so you fill up more spaces) and write, write, write!

s2k

Btw, just to add, do you have some kind of "format" that you're following? Mine's like this:

I. Introduction
- paraphrase the prompt
- state position

II. Body (at least 3 paragraphs)
- topic sentence
- supporting sentences
- at least one specific example per paragraph

III. Conclusion
- re-state position

Sleepy_Sentry

I used a method similar to s2k's on the April ACT and got an 11.

grampscoffee

I have a 33 composite as well and also scored an 8. I spent some time researching what they want in the essay and typically it is three highly developed examples. I usually try to choose one that relates to myself, one to the world and one to something else that the topic affects. Each of my body paragraphs is just the example. I have a 10 on it now. I will agree with the others, don't waste too much time on style. If you have time left, try to fit in more examples or in your conclusion talk about other people's counterarguments and why yours beats them.