Sample Level 12 Essays

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<p>The best way to achieve a Level 12 essay is to study examples of Level 12 essays. Here is the essay I wrote for the January 28th SAT. It received a 12. I hope others will post and share their essays. We should then be able to draw some conclusions:</p>

<p>TOPIC: Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject?</p>

<p>“Martin, do you or do you not repudiate these books and the falsehoods they contain?” The question posed by the papal legate required an answer. The place was the Diet of Worms. The time was April 1521. The person standing before the papal legate and the assembled leaders of the Holy Roman Empire was a friar named Martin Luther. How would Luther answer the legate’s question? Luther’s answer was based upon his life-long focus upon one subject - the quest for personal salvation. As a devout Catholic, Luther focused upon good works and faith as the twin paths to salvation. For example, Luther made a pilgrimage to Rome. He visited the holy sites, venerated the sacred relics and piously attended mass in Old Saint Peter’s Cathedral.</p>

<p>Despite this effort, Luther returned to his home in Germany spiritually unsatisfied. Something was missing. But what had he missed and why was he spiritually unsatisfied? Deperate to find an answer, Luther turned to the epistles of Saint Paul. He carefully scrutinized each of Paul’s letters. Then late one night he read a phrase that answered all of his questions: “He who is righteous through faith shall live.” This was Luther’s great moment of discovery. He suddenly realized that faith and faith alone was necessary for salvation. Faith was a gift freely given by God. Good works were what good people did but they were not necessary for salvation.</p>

<p>Luther’s discovery soon reverberated throughout Christendom. Luther challenged the sale of indulgences, questioned the Pope’s authority and even criticized several of the holy sacraments. Realizing that “a wild boar was loose in the vinyard,” the Pope and Emperor Charles V summoned Luther to the Diet of Worms.</p>

<p>Luther had focused his entire adult life on his quest for salvation. But now the legate impatiently waited for an answer. Even though Luther feared being excommunicated, he feared disobeying his conscience even more. So Luther did not vacillate. In a firm voice he declared, “I cannot, I will not recant, for to do so is to violate my conscience. Here I stand!” Luther’s focus upon a single subject led to a vital spiritual discovery that sparked the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of European history.</p>

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<p>Every important discovery results from patience, perseverance, and concentration–sometimes continuing for months or years–on one specific subject. A person who wants to discover a new truth must remain absorbed by that one subject, must pay no attention to any thought that is unrelated to the problem.</p>

<p>Adapted from Santiago Ram</p>

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<p>Interesting how you developed your essay on one subject sunnyboy.</p>

<p>Assignment: Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>

<pre><code>Discoveries through the course of human history has marked mankind’s ability to perceive the world. Yet, discoveries are simply events where the unknown is made known; it does not require a fundamental process to ensure a discovery. Discoveries, for the most part, are not sought out, but during the journey of another action a discovery, by chance, happens.

Isaac Newton, the father of physics in modern science, did not begin developing his theories and natural laws without having first encountered a catalyst for his research. Newton was a mathematician, he was not seeking to apply numbers to actions of matter and how it relates to physics. During his studies of math, Newton witnessed a natural occurrence– he saw an apple fall from a tree. Newton was not waiting for an apple to fall, nor was he expecting the event. He was merely studying, but this coincidental action sparked questions in Newton; he wished to know why the apple had fallen. Eventually, Newton ended up with a theory that became a natural law– he had made a discovery in physics that began with chance.

Discoveries that are sought out by explorers of a certain field may not be the ones to experience those discoveries. A perfect example is the question of how the Cretaceous extinction of the dinosaurs happened. For years, paleontologists searched for evidences but only came up with inconclusive hypotheses. Paleontologists did not discover the most conclusive evidence or hypothesis to the extinction that is most widely accepted in modern science. A geologist named Luis Alvarez was studying the chemical composition of the earth’s crust around the world to compare his data. But he found an interesting layer of iridium covering the entire earth that dates approximately to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This layer could only be uniformly created at the same time by comets or asteroids striking the earth. He combined the hypothesis with the observation of the Yucatan crater which exhibits an impact that would catastrophically raise the iridium levels. Paleontologists could not believe the validity and rejected the hypothesis for some time. What they were searching for was accidentally discovered by a geologist not researching the dinosaur extinction. The hypothesis was recognized as “The Alvarez Hypothesis” that we accept today as the correct theory.

Therefore, important discoveries do not happen by search in every case. Some of the most important discoveries were discovered by those absorbed by an entirely separate subject. Great discoveries also happen by chance.
</code></pre>

<p>I feel terrible posting this because I have the increasing urge to change all these little, stupid errors I see everywhere in my essay… But I will let them be for others’ sake…</p>

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<p>Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:</p>

<p>I do not feel terrible about my mistakes, though I grieve the pain they have sometimes caused others. Our lives are “experiments with truth,” and in an experiment negative results are at least as important as successes. I have no idea how I would have learned the truth about myself and my calling without the mistakes I have made.</p>

<p>Adapted from Parker Palmer, Let your Life Speak </p>

<p>Assignment: Is it necessary to make mistakes, even when doing so has negative consequences for other people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>

<hr>

<p>The term “mistake” refers to an action which has negative repercussions, and can be avoided. The very nature of the word indicates that since a mistake is avoidable, it is not necessary to make. Mistakes that have negative consequences on others are not necessary and this has been reflected in literature, history, as well as personal observation.</p>

<p>An apt example of how unnecessary mistakes are, is a part of Barbara Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible. In this novel, an evangelical preacher of Christianity sets out on a mission with his family, to covert the villagers of a remote town in Africa. Reverend Price, the preacher, makes a “mistake” as one might call it, and neglects his family’s needs. Two of his children die as a consequence of his neglect (not providing good shelter and food, and spending all his time attempting to convert villagers – a mission which ultimately failed). Sure, Rev. Price was “experimenting with truth” but to such an extent that members of his family died. Even after losing his family’s unity, due to “mistakes”, the Reverend remained stubborn – immutable in his radical, non-caring attitude towards his wife and children so that he had time to pursue a futile mission. If Reverend Price had not made these mistakes, maybe his family could have been saved. However, due to unnecessary mistakes, he lost his family as well as his mission. Mistakes, as seen here, prove costly, and create lose-lose situations for people.</p>

<p>From history, one cannot help but notice the avoidable nature of mistakes. When the British East India Co. came to trade with India, the Mughals let them in – a mistake that the nation paid for over the next three hundred years. A nation and its people was under suppression – a consequence of a “mistake”. The decision to let the British into India gave way for colonization. This avoidable and unnecessary action led to problems and resulted in individual enlightenment and realization later on, but nonetheless, created problems.</p>

<p>From personal experience, I can tell that mistakes are not necessary. My decision to skip a year in high school has helped me realize my poor decision making skills, however, mostly caused me problems. Issues related to college admissions and lack of a good social life did not help me grow and build relationships. </p>

<p>Overall, one can say that all mistakes are avoidable, and therefore are unnecessary. Mistakes that negatively affect others don’t always provide personal enlightenment, and more often than not, create problems for one’s self and others.</p>

<hr>

<p>I now read my essay and it’s total crap…anyway, hope you guys and gals can use this to your benefit.</p>

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<p>Wow, thanks a lot guys for posting you essays. Please post some more!</p>

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<p>Nice posts… If I had gotten a 12 essay, I definitely would’ve posted it…</p>

7

<p>This is mine, and I should say the writing looked absolutely SHYTTY!!!</p>

<p>Absolute focus is necessary for discovery of new truths. Andrew Wiles, a mathematician, secluded himself from all contact to prove the elusive Fermat’s Last Theorem. Likewise, Da Vinci, a renaissance man of the 16th century mapped out the human anatomy because of raw determination and concentration. However, not all discoveries should be revealed; Oedipus Rex, a fictional character, was ruined by a disturbing discovery that his boundless tenacity led to.</p>

<p>For Andrew Wiles, mathematics was his lifeblood. He obsessed over Fermat’s Last Theorem since the age of nine. The theorem evaded mathematicians for centuries, but Andrew was not going to be intimidated. For ten years, Andrew shunned the outside world to focus on the theorem. He toiled; he obsessed over it; he solved the mystery that was Fermat’s Last Theorem–a revolutionary discovery that brought the mathematics world to its knees.</p>

<p>Da Vinci was just as spectular, if not moreso. His genius continues to baffle people to this day. He painted, invented and did so much more. As a revolution thinker, he was the first man to treat the human body as a machine. Much like Wiles, he separated himself from the outside world to ponder the mysteries of life. After getting and studying repulsive cadavers, he was able to map out the human body’s veins, muscles, and skeletal structure with amazing precision. In fact, his drawings are so well done that they are still used for reference by modern doctors.</p>

<p>Sadly, Oedipus Rex’s discovery was not one that should have been found. Oedipus, a character of a Greek play, relentlessly searched for the truth about his origins. Day and night he pondered trying to find the answer, and when he did the result was devastating. He, the king, married and bore children with his own mother. In the end, the once revered king was left in shambles and his wife was dead from suicide.</p>

<p>Perseverence, fueled by insatiable curiosity, is the source of many important discoveries that change the world. In the words of Da Vinci, “He who is fixed on a star does not change his mind” because great rewards await the patient and determined man.</p>

<p>Nothing made up either =)</p>

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<p>“This is mine, and I should say the writing looked absolutely SHYTTY!!!”</p>

<p>“I now read my essay and it’s total crap…”</p>

<p>"I feel terrible posting this because I have the increasing urge to change all these little, stupid errors I see everywhere in my essay… "</p>

<p>Aint we 12ers so modest about our achievements :p</p>

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<p>hmm, so it seems the key to a 12 point essay is the mentioning of something european or some obscure facts that the graders themsevles would probably never know while still including vocabulary we would never use previously…hmm, anyone else screwed, say I!</p>

<p>I!</p>

<p>more help please!!</p>

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<p>I mentioned nothing obscure in mine. My language, I feel, is quite simple and direct with well-known examples. Oedipus Rex is a VERY famous play, Da Vinci is a VERY famous man, and Andrew Wiles is quite famous as well.</p>

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<p>i was wondering, when you guys were writing your essays, how long did it take you to think of examples, and did u write non-stop?</p>

<p>in addition, are there any examples you have become very familiar with that you feel are definently good to know for the essay? thanks.</p>

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<p>I had to write non-stop because i have bad handwriting and i tried to make it neat, which takes time. I spent about 1 minute coming up with examples and a good opening sentence. The rest of the time i spent writing with about 1 minute on the conclusion with 30 seconds or so for the ending sentence (very important.)</p>

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<p>I also wrote non-stop, with about 30 seconds taken to think of an example. My go-to guys are usually Colombus, an author, 1984, The Great Gatsby, or a sports figure (i.e. Bonds for negative, Armstrong for positive)</p>

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<p>so do you suggest that I think of examples ahead of time? because I know that I can’t think on the spot and come up with all those good examples like you guys had.</p>

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<p>yes. Have a pool of ideas at your disposal before you come into the test. You can always link something up to the topic you get.</p>

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<p>i noticed that some of you concentrated solely on one topic like only Martin inciting the Protestant Revolution or Amadeus Mozart. Do you recommend diversifying or concentrating on only one subject?</p>

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<p>I recommend the one subject, but thats just because I have trouble developing more than one example fully. Just go with whatever gives you the most insight.</p>

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<p>when using an example from books and history, is a detailed explaination of what occured enough or is interpretation needed? if so, how would one go about interpreting it (like would it be "This book shows that blah blah blah…)</p>