A Prep Guide to the SAT Essay

JuniorMint
Sun, 05 May 2013 14:03:54 +0000

Here is a much larger guide that might help you out: **http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/645763-how-write-12-essay-just-10-days.html**. Credit to AcademicHacker.

And here is a list of SAT prompt archetypes originally compiled and posted by ObsessedOne on this thread: **http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/764514-sat-essay-prompt-archetypes.html**



Individuality

Following the Crowd

[ul]
[]Do people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have?
[]Are widely held views often wrong, or are such views more likely to be correct?
[]Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common?
[]Is it always best to determine one’s own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd?
[]Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different?
[]Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others?
[]Does tradition prevent people from doing things in new or more sensible ways?
[]Is it always harmful for an individual to think and live as other people do?
[]Is it often difficult for people to determine what is the right thing to do?
[]Do groups that encourage nonconformity and disagreement function better than those that discourage it?
[]Should originality always be more highly praised than conformity?
[]Do people tend to get along better with people who are very different from them or with those who are like them?
[]Is talking the most effective and satisfying way of communicating with others?
[]Do people succeed by emphasizing their differences from other people?
[li]Do society and other people benefit when individuals pursue their own goals?[/li][/ul]

Following Authority

[ul]
[]Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are?
[]Should society limit people’s exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression?
[]Can a group of people function effectively without someone being in charge?
[]Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?
[]Should society limit people’s exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression?
[]Is education primarily the result of influences other than school?
[]Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues?
[]Should people respect and tolerate everyone’s opinions, or should people take a stand against opinions they consider to be wrong?
[]Should people accept unfairness and find ways to make the best of it?
[]Do people put too much trust in the guidance of experts and authorities?
[]Can a small group of concerned individuals have a significant impact on the world?
[]Should individuals take responsibility for issues and problems that do not affect them directly?
[]Is a group of people more likely than an individual leader to bring about significant change?
[]Should the government be responsible for making sure that people lead healthy lives?
[li]Should leaders of a country or group be judged by different standards? [/li][/ul]

Following Creativity

[ul]
[]Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others?
[]Is it better for a society when people act as individuals rather than copying the ideas and opinions of others?
[]Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today?
[]Can people ever be truly original?
[]Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people?
[]Does planning interfere with creativity?
[]Do idealists contribute more to the world than realists do?
[]Is imagination less valuable than facts and objectivity?
[li]Is it absolutely necessary for people to study the creative arts? [/li][/ul]

Motivation and Success

Hardship and Success

[ul]
[]Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?
[]Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way?
[]Do people place too much emphasis on winning?
[]Do people learn more from losing than from winning?
[]Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties?
[]Does being ethical make it hard to be successful?
[]Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?
[]Is persistence more important than ability in determining a person’s success?
[]Is the effort involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached?
[]Is it best to forget about past mistakes as soon as possible?
[]Do people have to pay attention to mistakes in order to make progress?
[]Are people better off if they do not listen to criticism?
[]Does every achievement bring with it new challenges?
[]Do rules and limitations contribute to a person’s happiness?
[]Does every individual have an obligation to think seriously about important matters, even when doing so may be difficult?
[]Does society put too much emphasis on working hard?
[li]Is using humor the best way to approach difficult situations and problems? [/li][/ul]

Self-Determination and Success

[ul]
[]Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves?
[]Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves?
[]Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control?
[]Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness?
[]Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well?
[]Is solitude—spending time alone—necessary for people to achieve their most important goals?
[li]Is it better for people to stop trying when they feel certain they will not succeed?[/li][/ul]

Self-Expectation and Success

[ul]
[]Do highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves?
[]Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect?
[]Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving?
[]Are optimistic, confident people more likely than others to make changes in their lives?
[]Do people need discipline to achieve freedom?
[]Is real success achieved only by people who accomplish goals and solve problems on their own?
[li]Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves? [/li][/ul]

Collaboration and Success

[ul]
[]Is it necessary for people to combine their efforts with those of others in order to be most effective?
[]Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals?
[]Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition?
[]Are people more likely to achieve their goals by being flexible or by refusing to compromise?
[]Is it better for people to act on their feelings than to talk about them?
[]Is it wrong or harmful to motivate people to learn or achieve something by offering them rewards?
[]Is it better for people to act quickly and expect quick responses from others rather than to wait patiently for what they want?
[]Is it better for people to learn from others than to learn on their own?
[]Is it better for people to work out their own ideas on a problem or issue before learning how others have approached it?
[]Does everyone, even people who choose to live alone, need a network or family?
[/ul]

Ethics and Success

[ul]
[]Does fame bring happiness, or are people who are not famous more likely to be happy?
[]Are people’s actions motivated primarily by a desire for power over others?
[]Is it better for people to agree with others, even if doing so means being insincere?
[]Does money lead to selfishness?
[/ul]

Quality or Quantity and Success

[ul]
[]Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else?
[]Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject?
[]Is it better to aim for small accomplishments instead of great achievements?
[]Are people likely to succeed by repeating actions that worked for them in the past?
[]Are the consequences of people’s actions more important than the motives behind the actions?
[]Is an idealistic approach less valuable than a practical approach?
[]Do people put too much importance on getting every detail right on a project or task?
[]Do temporary or otherwise imperfect solutions to problems only create more serious problems?
[]Would it be better if people were more accepting of mistakes?
[]Do small decisions often have major consequences?
[/ul]

Technological Progress

[ul]
[]Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment?
[]Are there benefits to be gained from avoiding the use of modern technology, even when using it would make life easier?
[]Has today’s abundance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the world around us?
[]Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past?
[]Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people’s lives?
[]Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people?
[]Should modern society be criticized for being materialistic?
[]Does progress reduce the number of problems in the world, or does solving old problems just lead to new ones?
[]Do advertisements contribute to unhappiness and dissatisfaction?
[]Does improvement or progress usually involve a significant drawback or problem of some kind?
[]Are people overly influenced by unrealistic claims and misleading images?
[]Does the way that information is communicated today result in people learning less than ever before?
[]Is it better for people to have limited choices?
[]Is it easier now to form friendships than ever before?
[]Should people give up their privacy in exchange for convenience or free services?
[]Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned?
[li]Has today’s abundance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the world around us? [/li][/ul]

Heroes

[ul]
[]Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect?
[]Should we limit our use of the term “courage” to acts in which people risk their own well-being for the sake of others or to uphold a value?
[]Should we admire heroes but not celebrities?
[]Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes?
[]Is it possible to be a hero in the modern world?
[]Should ordinary people be considered heroes, or should the term “hero” be reserved for extraordinary people?
[li]Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect? [/li][/ul]

Tradition

[ul]
[]Do all established traditions deserve to remain in existence?
[]Do people need to “unlearn,” or reject, many of their assumptions and ideas?
[]Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past?
[]Do incidents from the past continue to influence the present?
[]Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present?
[]Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems?
[]Does tradition prevent people from doing things in new or more sensible ways?
[]Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are?
[/ul]

Loyalty

[ul]
[]Should people always be loyal?
[]Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth?
[]Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not—sometimes have good results?
[]Is it sometimes necessary to be impolite?
[]Is acting an essential part of everyday life?
[]Does familiarity prevent people from developing or maintaining respect for others?
[]Is it wise to be suspicious of the motives or honesty of other people, even those who appear to be trustworthy?
[]Does accepting the values of a group [family, sports teams, country] allow people to avoid taking responsibility for their own thoughts and actions?
[/ul]

Miscellaneous

[ul]
[]Is compromise always the best way to resolve a conflict?
[]Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found “in the middle”?
[]Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us?
[]Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful?
[]Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned?
[]Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills?
[]Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general?
[]Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions?
[]Can people have too much enthusiasm?
[]Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?
[]Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions made slowly and carefully?
[]Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it best for them to stick with their original decisions?
[]Is it better to change one’s attitude than to change one’s circumstances?
[]Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress?
[]Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?
[]Are photographs straightforward representations of real life, or are they artistic creations reflecting the photographer’s point of view?
[]Is it important for people to spend time outdoors and to learn to appreciate the natural environment?
[]Are the values of a society most clearly revealed in its popular culture?
[li]Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions?[/li][/ul]