The SAT essay is no longer required, but many colleges will want to see how you perform on it. If you learn how to master it, it will only help your admissions possibilities. The time crunch can feel stressful. Many students balk at having to write an essay, let alone write an essay in under 50 minutes. However, there is no need to stress. Here are a few tips that can help eliminate the stress around the SAT essay exam.

Read the Instructions

For every essay, on every SAT, the instructions are exactly the same. It is only the prompt that changes. The SAT simply wants an analysis of the prompt. The College Board provides the instructions for the analysis on their website. Learn these instructions ahead of time so that you don’t waste any time reading them. You can jump in as soon as you read the prompt when you are confident about what is expected.

 

 

 

Outline

You may think you don’t have time for an outline, but outlines are invaluable. Taking the time for an outline will help your actual essay writing move faster. Don’t spend too much time on this step, your outline will not be graded. Quickly organize your thoughts and make sure they connect so that your essay will flow and make sense. Harvard College Writing Center points out that a good outline will prevent major revisions and reorganizing your essay. You may have time to quickly edit your essay, but you will not have time to rework it if it gets off in the wrong direction. An outline can prevent that from happening. 

Let It Flow

Don’t second guess yourself at every sentence. Stick with your outline, but let your words flow. You don’t want your phrases to be choppy and your ideas incomplete. Write your essay and then go back and make minor edits. 

Practice 

Reading prompts, reading examples essays, and writing your own essays are the best possible ways to improve confidence. Your comfort with the whole process will increase when you practice reading and writing your essays with the given time frame. You will develop a feel for the proper pacing and learn to think under pressure. 

The essay doesn’t have to be intimidating. You can master it well before the exam, so that you know exactly how to go about handling any prompt you are given. The more you practice ahead of time, the less stress you will feel during the exam. 

 

 

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