<p>I am wondering if it is safe to use personal experience rather than using quotes… It is a pain for my D. to try to come up with these quotes… I am afraid it might have the opposite effect. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.</p>
<p>First, personal experience is fine, provided it’s relevant to the topic. But she shouldn’t rely <em>only</em> on personal experience examples.</p>
<p>Also, she doesn’t need to quote anything…she just needs to understand the book or history she’s using as an example… My recommendation is to review a book or two that 1) she enjoyed, and 2) have lots of themes, and to review a major historical event or time period. Often, she’ll be able to use at least one example from a book or history…but she shouldn’t try to force a book or bit of history to fit into an essay in which it doesn’t belong.</p>
<p>Just remember…explain fully. Assume that the reader has not read the book being used as an example…</p>
<p>Hope that helps…</p>
<p>actually, i have a stronger position on using personal examples. I believe that in a great majority of cases, it is easier to write (with the given time limit) on a personal example b/c you know simply everything about that example and you can really elaborate on it, providing the necessary details (and even more!). Basically, its a personal preference- but whatever you are most comfortable writing about and can provide the most detail on should be what you use!</p>
<p>I agree with kurplunk, and I think the sample high-score essays provided by the CB show that you can score well with either academic or personal examples. I’ll even go further–I think, to a limited degree, you can make things up 
My 12 essay from the first test date included two examples (one personal and one from current events) that were both totally fabricated but plausible. The way I see it, if the test requires accurate academic examples, it puts too big a burden on the graders (who would then have to become fact-checkers) to be practical, and it would also be charged with discriminating against students who hadn’t studied much history or literature, which is something the CB is very sensitive to where the SAT I is concerned.</p>
<p>Having said that–I do realize that the vast majority of people think you need academic examples. But I think that an analysis of perfect-scoring essays released by the CB contradicts that opinion to some degree. And, of course, if you CAN use academic examples well, then go for it.</p>
<p>Also, I agree that there’s no need for quotes. I don’t think I’ve seen a single 12-scoring essay with a quotation in it. Though I might be wrong–I don’t have the CB’s published sample essays with me at the moment, but I don’t remember any quotes.</p>
<p>Mike</p>
<p>Thank you all!</p>
<p>Actually, I think Mike’s suggestion about making up personal experiences is not a bad one at all, as long as it’s reasonable. I often recommend that to my students. The essay is, after all, a test of your writing ability, not your knowledge of literature or history. But variety is nice, and if you have some lit or history references handy, you’ve got a variety of tools at your side…</p>
<p>Another thing to keep in mind…most of the essay graders are English teachers. A nice lit reference might sway them in your favor…but you’d better be right!</p>