is a 6 on the sat essay good

SAT Essay Scores Explained

On january 19th, 2021, college board announced that they will no longer administer the sat subject tests in the u.s. and that the essay would be retired. read our blog post to understand what this means in the near term and what the college board has in store for students down the road., our articles on subject tests and the sat essay will remain on our site for reference purposes as colleges and students transition to a revised testing landscape..

Why are there no percentiles for the essay on an SAT score report?

No percentiles or norms are provided in student reports. Even colleges do not receive any summary statistics. Given Compass’ concerns about the inaccuracy of essay scoring and the notable failures of the ACT on that front, the de-emphasis of norms would seem to be a good thing. The problem is that 10% of colleges are sticking with the SAT Essay as an admission requirement . While those colleges will not receive score distribution reports from the College Board, it is not difficult for them to construct their own statistics—officially or unofficially—based on thousands of applicants. Colleges can determine a “good score,” but students cannot. This asymmetry of information is harmful to students, as they are left to speculate how well they have performed and how their scores will be interpreted. Through our analysis, Compass hopes to provide students and parents more context for evaluating SAT Essay scores.

How has scoring changed? Is it still part of a student’s Total Score?

On the old SAT, the essay was a required component of the Writing section and made up approximately one-third of a student’s 200–800 score. The essay score itself was simply the sum (2–12) of two readers’ 1–6 scores. Readers were expected to grade holistically and not to focus on individual components of the writing. The SAT essay came under a great deal of criticism for being too loosely structured. Factual accuracy was not required; it was not that difficult to make pre-fabricated material fit the prompt; many colleges found the 2–12 essay scores of little use; and the conflation of the essay and “Writing” was, in some cases, blocking the use of the SAT Writing score—which included grammar and usage—entirely.

With the 2016 overhaul of the SAT came an attempt to make the essay more academically defensible while also making it optional (as the ACT essay had long been). The essay score is not a part of the 400–1600 score. Instead, a student opting to take the SAT Essay receives 2–8 scores in three dimensions: reading, analysis, and writing. No equating or fancy lookup table is involved. The scores are simply the sum of two readers’ 1–4 ratings in each dimension. There is no official totaling or averaging of scores, although colleges may choose to do so.

Readers avoid extremes

What is almost universally true about grading of standardized test essays is that readers gravitate to the middle of the scale. The default instinct is to nudge a score above or below a perceived cutoff or midpoint rather than to evenly distribute scores. When the only options are 1, 2, 3, or 4, the consequence is predictable—readers give out a lot of 2s and 3s and very few 1s and 4s. In fact, our analysis shows that 80% of all reader scores are 2s or 3s. This, in turn, means that most of the dimension scores (the sum of the two readers) range from 4 to 6. Analysis scores are outliers. A third of readers give essays a 1 in Analysis. Below is the distribution of reader scores across all dimensions.

What is a good SAT Essay score?

By combining multiple data sources—including extensive College Board scoring information—Compass has estimated the mean and mode (most common) essay scores for students at various score levels. We also found that the reading and writing dimensions were similar, while analysis scores lagged by a point across all sub-groups. These figures should not be viewed as cutoffs for “good” scores. The loose correlation of essay score to Total Score and the high standard deviation of essay scores means that students at all levels see wide variation of scores. The average essay-taking student scores a 1,080 on the SAT and receives just under a 5/4/5.

College Board recently released essay results for the class of 2017, so score distributions are now available. From these, percentiles can also be calculated. We provide these figures with mixed feelings. On the one hand, percentile scores on such an imperfect measure can be highly misleading. On the other hand, we feel that students should understand the full workings of essay scores.

The role of luck

What is frustrating to many students on the SAT and ACT is that they can score 98th percentile in most areas and then get a “middling” score on the essay. This result is actually quite predictable. Whereas math and verbal scores are the result of dozens of objective questions, the essay is a single question graded subjectively. To replace statistical concepts with a colloquial one—far more “luck” is involved than on the multiple-choice sections. What text is used in the essay stimulus? How well will the student respond to the style and subject matter? Which of the hundreds of readers were assigned to grade the student’s essay? What other essays has the reader recently scored?

Even good writers run into the unpredictability involved and the fact that essay readers give so few high scores. A 5 means that the Readers A and B gave the essay a 2 and a 3, respectively. Which reader was “right?” If the essay had encountered two readers like Reader A, it would have received a 4. If the essay had been given two readers like Reader B, it would have received a 6. That swing makes a large difference if we judge scores exclusively by percentiles, but essay scores are simply too blurry to make such cut-and-dry distinctions. More than 80% of students receive one of three scores—4, 5, or 6 on the reading and writing dimensions and 3, 4, or 5 on analysis.

What do colleges expect?

It’s unlikely that many colleges will release a breakdown of essay scores for admitted students—especially since so few are requiring it. What we know from experience with the ACT , though, is that even at the most competitive schools in the country, the 25th–75th percentile scores of admitted students were 8–10 on the ACT’s old 2–12 score range. We expect that things will play out similarly for the SAT and that most students admitted to highly selective colleges will have domain scores in the 5–7 range (possibly closer to 4–6 for analysis). It’s even less likely for students to average a high score across all three areas than it is to obtain a single high mark. We estimate that only a fraction of a percent of students will average an 8—for example [8/8/8, 7/8/8, 8/7/8, or 8,8,7].

Update as of October 2017. The University of California system has published the 25th–75th percentile ranges for enrolled students. It has chosen to work with total scores. The highest ranges—including those at UCLA and Berkeley—are 17–20. Those scores are inline with our estimates above.

How will colleges use the domain scores?

Colleges have been given no guidance by College Board on how to use essay scores for admission. Will they sum the scores? Will they average them? Will they value certain areas over others? Chances are that if you are worrying too much about those questions, then you are likely losing sight of the bigger picture. We know of no cases where admission committees will make formulaic use of essay scores. The scores are a very small, very error-prone part of a student’s testing portfolio.

How low is too low?

Are 3s and 4s, then, low enough that an otherwise high-scoring student should retest? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. In general, it is a mistake to retest solely to improve an essay score unless a student is confident that the SAT Total Score can be maintained or improved. A student with a 1340 PSAT and 1280 SAT may feel that it is worthwhile to bring up low essay scores because she has previously shown that she can do better on the Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math, as well. A student with a 1400 PSAT and 1540 SAT should think long and hard before committing to a retest. Admission results from the class of 2017 may give us some added insight into the use of SAT Essay scores.

Will colleges continue to require the SAT Essay?

For the class of 2017, Compass has prepared a list of the SAT Essay and ACT Writing policies for 360 of the top colleges . Several of the largest and most prestigious public university systems—California, Michigan, and Texas, for example, still require the essay, and a number of highly competitive private colleges do the same—for example, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.

The number of excellent colleges not requiring the SAT Essay, though, is long and getting longer. Compass expects even more colleges to drop the essay requirement for the classes of 2018 and 2019. Policies are typically finalized in late spring or during the summer.

Should I skip the essay entirely?

A common question regarding SAT scores is whether the whole mess can be avoided by skipping the essay. After all, if only about 10% of colleges are requiring the section, is it really that important? Despite serious misgivings about the test and the ways scores are interpreted, Compass still recommends that most students take the essay unless they are certain that they will not be applying to any of the colleges requiring or recommending it. Nationally, about 70% of students choose to take the essay on at least one SAT administration. When looking at higher scoring segments, that quickly rises to 85–90%. Almost all Compass students take the SAT Essay at least once to insure that they do not miss out on educational opportunities.

Should I prepare for the SAT Essay?

Most Compass students decide to do some preparation for the essay, because taking any part of a test “cold” can be an unpleasant experience, and students want to avoid feeling like a retake is necessary. In addition to practicing exercises and tests, most students can perform well enough on the SAT Essay after 1–2 hours of tutoring. Students taking a Compass practice SAT will also receive a scored essay. Students interested in essay writing tips for the SAT can refer to Compass blog posts on the difference between the ACT and SAT tasks and the use of first person on the essays .

Will I be able to see my essay?

Yes. ACT makes it difficult to obtain a copy of your Writing essay, but College Board includes it as part of your online report.

Will colleges have access to my essay? Even if they don’t require it?

Yes, colleges are provided with student essays. We know of very few circumstances where SAT Essay reading is regularly conducted. Colleges that do not require the SAT Essay fall into the “consider” and “do not consider” camps. Schools do not always list this policy on their website or in their application materials, so it is hard to have a comprehensive list. We recommend contacting colleges for more information. In general, the essay will have little to no impact at colleges that do not require or recommend it.

Is the SAT Essay a reason to take the ACT instead?

Almost all colleges that require the SAT Essay require Writing for ACT-takers. The essays are very different on the two tests, but neither can be said to be universally “easier” or “harder.” Compass recommends that the primary sections of the tests determine your planning. Compass’ content experts have also written a piece on how to attack the ACT essay .

Key links in this post:

ACT and SAT essay requirements ACT Writing scores explained Comparing ACT and SAT essay tasks The use of first person in ACT and SAT essays Understanding the “audience and purpose” of the ACT essay Compass proctored practice testing for the ACT, SAT, and Subject Tests

About Art Sawyer

Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and co-founded Compass Education Group in 2004 in order to bring the best ideas and tutors into students' homes and computers. Although he has attained perfect scores on all flavors of the SAT and ACT, he is routinely beaten in backgammon.

Previous Post SAT Subject Tests FAQ

Next post test prep in 10th grade: when does it make sense, 222 comments.

Hi! I’m a high school junior who took the October and November SATs. I got a 1500 on October and then retook it to get a 1590 in November. I’m very happy with my score, but my essays are troubling me. I got a 6-4-6 in October and thought I would improve in November, but I got a 6-3-6. I really cannot improve my actual SAT score, but I don’t understand the essay. I’ve always been a good writer and have consistently been praised for it in English class and outside of class. Is this essay score indicative of my writing skill? And will this essay hurt my chances at Ivy League and other top tier schools? None of the schools I plan on applying to require it, but, since I have to submit it, will it hurt my chances? Thank you so much.

Maya, The essay is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Honestly, a 6-4-6 is a fine score and will not hurt your chances for admission. It’s something of an odd writing task, so I wouldn’t worry that it doesn’t match your writing skills elsewhere.

By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy .

© 2024 Compass Education Group. SAT, PSAT, NMSC, National Merit, Merit Scholar, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, HSPT and AP are registered trademarks not owned by Compass Education Group. The trademark holders were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this website.

OUR APPROACH
DIGITAL SAT / PSAT
SAT / ACT ESSENTIALS
ACADEMIC / STUDY SKILLS
HSPT | ISEE | SSAT | SHSAT
COLLEGE WRITING PREP
ALL CLASSES
DIGITAL SAT
DIGITAL PSAT
COMMON APP ESSAY
MATH SUMMER BRIDGE
ALL PRACTICE TESTS
AP SUBJECTS
RESOURCE CENTER
COMPASS GUIDE
PRIVACY POLICY

Get Your Free Compass Prep SAT Guide!

6 on the SAT Essay (Otherwise Good)

I checked the College Board website to see what my January SAT scores were:

CR: 720 Math: 800 Writing: 710 Essay: 6

I was feeling confident until I noticed the essay score. This is the third time I’ve taken the SAT, and I can’t seem to break a 7 on the essay. I run out of time every time. Should I be worried? In general how heavily do colleges consider your essay subscore?

I have a similar question.

I recieved my June 2011 scores and my essay subscore concerns me. My scores were,

620 Reading 710 Math 610 Writing -66 M.C. -06 Essay

I took the SAT in May as well and recieved a 570 on the writing (07 on the essay and 60 M.C.). Even though I did better overall, I’m curious to know roughly how much my low essay subscore in June lowered my writing score. I was hoping to get a 09 or a 10.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Since the thread has been revived, I got

CR 800 M 780 W 740 (MC 77 E 8)

I passed the point where I would want to retake the SAT, but my essay score isn’t very good. So I have the same question as op. How much weight do colleges put on the essay subscore?

I recall it being somewhere in the range of 1/3 of Writing section. Don’t quote me

JTHUNTER, on a previously administered test, with a MC score of 66, your Writing score would have been 720 with a perfect essay, 690 with a 10, and 650 with an 8.

LAMBDA3E, on that same test, with a MC score of 77, your Writing score would have been 800 with a 12, and 780 with a 10.

I got an 800 on writing but got a 79 MC and a 10 Essay. Will colleges view this differently from a 80 MC/12 Essay? Or will they just not care?

Do you know if colleges will care that much if I didn’t do well on the essay, or do they care more about the total writing score?

WRITING: 780 MULTIPLE-CHOICE: 77 ESSAY: 10

Here are my scores. If you really want to improve your essay score use this thread

<a href=“ http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/645763-how-write-12-essay-just-10-days.html[/url] ”> http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/645763-how-write-12-essay-just-10-days.html</a></p&gt ;

I as well had a 77 writing score in June but only a 6 essay. Guessing a satire wasn’t the way to go after all but still, they should’ve seen it.

Never broken an 8 even though all my practice essays were rated at 5.

I got a 36 on the ACT and a 7 essay. Should I just ride on my AP English Language score(probably a 5 maybe a 4) and some good entrance essays?

Colleges, especially the Ivies, do NOT really look at your writing score in general. As long as your math and critical reading are above 1400, which they are, you are in a great position.

^ Wolf2400 is talking a load of BS…any college who requires the writing score considers it just as much as the other two sections.

Its simple as this: If a college doesn’t look at writing, they don’t consider it If a college requires writing, it considers it.

POPULAR STATES

Search sat scores, search act scores, search gpa’s, subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay informed with the latest from the CC community, delivered to you, for free.

CONNECT WITH US

What Is a Good SAT Essay Score?

To Get a Good SAT Essay Score, Get the Purpose of the Essay

When the new SAT was released a few years ago, the essay became an optional element of the test. Many colleges don’t require it for admissions, as it’s unclear if the essay measures something meaningful to a student’s application.

Nevertheless, if a school requires the SAT essay, you need to know how it’s scored and what the scorers are looking for.

The SAT essay has departed from asking students to take a stance on a topic or weigh in on a perspective. In other words, the SAT essay is not at all about what you, the student, think: the purpose of the essay is to see if you can write without inserting personal opinion.

Now, the essay is a formal analysis of someone else’s argument. This is brilliant, if you ask me, because the College Board has finally created an assessment that more closely mimics the kind of writing students actually need to do in college. Notably, the new essay style is also a lot more like one of the writing tasks on the GRE; in other words, this is real academic writing.

Table of Contents

Academic Writing Is Objective

The SAT essay had to become more objective as students’ writing became more fanciful and, due to cultural trends, more opinion-based.

The A-number-one most important thing you can do to earn a good SAT essay score is to leave your opinions out of the essay.

A Good SAT Score Isn’t an Absolute Number

The SAT Essay is scored on a scale just like the SAT multiple choice tests are. Rather than scoring from 200 to 800, though, the three SAT essay subscores are rated on a scale of 2 to 8. They mimic the 200 to 800 scale in that an 8 is a top score and a 2 is a low score.

Because the SAT essay score is guided by a rubric used by two people, your score is the sum of the scores given to you by those two graders. Your graders individually give you a 1, 2, 3, or 4 on each of the three scoring dimensions identified by the College Board.

That means that a good SAT essay score is a 6, 7, or 8 on each of the scoring dimensions if we use the logic that a 6 is the sum of two scores of 3 from your graders, and those 3s reflect that both graders thought you adequately accomplished that objectives of that dimension.

Because your SAT essay score is a list of three numbers, (like a possible SAT essay score might be 7, 5, 7), a good SAT essay score is a little less definitive.

One way to consider whether your SAT essay score is good is to take the average of your subscores and then translate them to the 200 to 800 scale. For example, if your SAT essay score were 7, 5, 7, you could average them (add and divide by 3) to find 6.3, which loosely translates to a 630. It’s easier to sense then, then, that 7, 5, 7 is a pretty good SAT essay score, but probably not as high as you would need for an extremely competitive college that requires the SAT essay section to begin with.

In order to help you maximize your SAT essay score, let’s look at the SAT essay scoring dimensions one by one.

The College Board offers a detailed rubric so that you can dive deeply into SAT Essay scoring. I expand on some of those ideas in my post, How to Write the SAT Essay. Let’s look at some of the highlights here.

Dimension One: Earning a Good SAT Essay Reading Subscore

It might seem odd to see “Reading” as the first dimension on a writing test, but it makes sense: you show how well you read by accurately identifying and articulating precisely what the author of the passage is saying.

Can you identify the author’s argument? Can you cite specific supporting details that she/he uses to make that case?

You’re more likely to get a good score here if in your introduction you say that [the author] argues that [what the author wants her audience to believe]. The more specific you are, the better.
Take quotes from the passage that support your evidence. These should be short quotes, not two hundred words to stretch out your essay length.
Again, leave your opinion out of it. Don’t reinterpret what the author is saying, don’t add in more (like “the author might also think X, Y, and Z” when those things aren’t listed in the argument.

Dimension Two: Earning a Good SAT Essay Analysis Subscore

A good SAT Essay score in the Analysis department shows off that you’re able to trace how an author builds an argument. You’re probably familiar with building an argument, even if you don’t realize it yet:

Imagine you want to convince one of your parents to let you stay out three hours after curfew because you’re going to a concert two hours away. You wouldn’t just ask if you could stay out late; obviously, the answer would be an outright “No.”

Instead, you’d formulate a plan: you’d think of all the logical reasons it’s safe to stay out late, you’d appeal to your parent’s sense of adventure, or maybe his/her sense of pity. Maybe you’d bargain.

Every author on the SAT sample passage that you’ll analyze is creating an argument in similar ways, albeit more formal ones. The Analysis subscore shows that you see how the author is being convincing, not just what the author wants.

Dimension Three: Earning a Good SAT Essay Writing Subscore

Of course, the whole essay element is a “writing” test, but you’ll earn a good SAT essay score on the writing segment when you show off your structural and syntactic prowess.

This is the score that reflects the strength of your writing sample itself, even if you totally misunderstood the author’s argument. Incidentally, preparing for the Writing and Grammar multiple choice section and learning the rules it tests can be a great exercise for the essay section. Use the rules you know for that section to edit your own essay after the fact.

Focus on structure when you write the SAT essay–or any essay, for that matter. Think carefully about why each paragraph exists and always loop its last sentence back to your thesis.
Vary your sentence structure to keep things interesting. Whether you realize it or not, a subordinate clause at the start of a sentence can draw your reader further into your writing.
Show off proper punctuation and how to employ colons, semi-colons, and dashes correctly.
If you don’t know how to spell a word, try to avoid using it. This is extra difficult now that we have spell check on every device we use. Poor spelling is distracting to people who read high school English essays and standardized tests essay professionally.

Practice Makes Perfect

Do not take the SAT Essay section without writing several sample essays ahead of time. A time crunch puts pressure on even the best writers; practicing by hand and getting feedback from a trusted teacher or tutor is your best bet. Investing in some SAT prep books wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

SAT / ACT Prep Services
Rates & Prices
About Our Founder
Free Guides

What is a Good Score on the SAT Essay?

by Christian | Dec 24, 2017 | SAT Prep | 0 comments

Get a higher SAT Essay score - fast - with our instant-download complete course.

Are you getting ready to take the SAT test and wondering “what is a good SAT essay score?” Well, you’re in exactly the right place to study the SAT Essay with a perfect-scoring veteran SAT tutor! Let’s get into it…

What is a Good SAT Essay Score?

So, this article is chock-full of useful info, but let’s get the original question out of the way first. What is a good SAT Essay score?

Well. you have to understand the SAT Essay scoring system to fully understand the question (more details on that below). But for now, let’s just say a pretty “good” SAT Essay score is anything above about a 19 (out of a maximum of 24 points).

Now let me be clear - an 19 would be on the lowest-possible end for what I’d consider basically a “good” SAT Essay score. That’s definitely not a great SAT Essay score. But it does put you somewhere around the top 20% of students.

If you can get above 22 out of 24, now you’re looking at an excellent SAT essay score. Of course, shooting for a perfect 24 on your essay is the ideal goal!

But wait a second - let’s back up a bit. What exactly is the SAT Essay, anyway?

What is the SAT Essay?

Ok, so now you have some idea what a good SAT Essay score is. But what is the SAT Essay?

Good question. Well, the SAT Essay is an “optional” 50-minute writing assignment , given at the end of the SAT test. Each SAT Essay assignment includes a unique reading passage. But, although the reading passage will change for each test, the prompt and essay task itself is always the same.

In essence, you must provide a “ rhetorical analysis ” of the reading passage. Instead of responding to the author’s arguments, you are meant to analyze those arguments and judge their effectiveness at convincing the author’s audience.

You’ll be graded in three key areas:

Reading (Do you demonstrate an understanding of the passage?)
Analysis (Do you successfully complete the analytical task you’ve been given?)
Writing (Is your own essay well-written on every level?)

Now’s not the right time to get into deep strategies or rules for better SAT Essay scores. Luckily, we’ve produced an entire SAT Essay course that will teach you everything you need to know - fast. Click here to get access to download the course from anywhere in the world.

How is Your SAT Essay Scored?

So, how will your SAT Essay be scored? Well, it’s actually kind of interesting, and it’s important to know if you want a great score.

The SAT Essay is the only section of the test that is graded by humans (that’s also why there’s a small additional charge to register for the SAT Essay).

Each of the two essay graders will quickly read your essay. They’ll follow a specific grading rubric to give you a subscore in each of the three subcategories: Reading, Analysis, and Writing.

These subscores range from a “1” at the lowest to a “4” at the top. With three subscores, that means each grader can give you anywhere from a “3” to a “12” at the highest. Both graders will give you their own set of subscores, which puts your final score between a “6” at the very lowest, and a “24” for a perfect SAT Essay.

There’s a lot more you need to know about the SAT Essay to excel, but this should at least give you an idea how your writing will be graded.

What is an Average SAT Essay Score?

How about if you’re a student who’s not looking for a great SAT Essay score, but just an “average” score? What is an average SAT Essay score, anyway?

Well, there will always be a little bit of flex from test to test, but the typical “average” SAT Essay score is a 14 out of 24. Mathematically, the average “should” be a 15 out of 24, which is right in the middle. But, in real life, the overall average actually comes out at 14.

Where does that missing point disappear to? It turns out that many high schoolers struggle with the “Analysis” subscore of the SAT Essay. Probably that’s because they don’t prepare enough for this very specific writing assignment. Then, on test day, the “average” student doesn’t know exactly what they must do for the Analysis subscore and they lose points. Make sure that’s not you!

What is a Bad SAT Essay Score?

This brings us to a question that’s not exactly fun: “What is a bad SAT Essay score?”

Personally, I dislike negativity - even the worst SAT Essay score is simply a chance to study, practice, and improve!

Still, it’s definitely possible to get a “bad” SAT Essay score. Since you’re using this score as part of your competition to get accepted into college , a bad SAT Essay score is simply any score that keeps you out of your favorite college.

Therefore, we definitely don’t want to be down in the bottom half of SAT Essay scores (a 15 or below).

Even worse would be dropping to a 12 or below. That means you’re only getting “2’s” on your subscores from both graders - definitely not where you want your score to be if you’re looking seriously at most decent colleges (at least the ones that require SAT Essay scores).

Wait up a second - did I just say “the colleges that require SAT Essay scores”? Does that mean that not all students need to take the SAT Essay? Read on to find out…

Is the SAT Essay Section Required?

So, considering that the SAT Essay will add some extra stress, time, and work to your testing day, is the essay even considered a mandatory section of the SAT test?

Well, the truth is that the SAT Essay is an “optional” section. You can select to register for the test with or without the essay section. It’s an easy choice during the official SAT registration process. There’s a small additional fee to take the SAT test with the Essay, but as a pro tutor it’s something I consider important for most students.

While it’s true that not every student needs to take the SAT Essay, it’s usually better to be safe than sorry. After all, if you realize later that you did need an SAT Essay score for your college applications, you’ll have to take the entire SAT test again, just for a single chance at the essay at the end of the test!

This leads right into the next question about the SAT Essay….

Does Your SAT Essay Score Even Matter?

Now, here’s the million-dollar question: does your SAT Essay score even matter, in the big scheme of things?

Well, I wish I could give you a short answer to that. But the truth is, it depends on your priorities in life .

If you’re applying to Harvard for a Creative Writing degree, then a bad SAT Essay score is really going to hurt your chances.

But, if you’re applying to one of the many schools that does not look at your SAT Essay score, then of course your essay scores won’t matter a single bit - even if they’re perfect.

Most students will fall somewhere in-between. For example, some of the colleges you apply to will “require” you to submit some SAT Essay scores, but they won’t really look to hard at your essay scores.

In other words, many colleges do consider your SAT Essay, but few schools put a tremendous weight on the significance of your Essay score.

Your SAT Essay score tends to matter more and more for each of the points below:

Applying to “elite” colleges and universities.
Applying for writing or literary degrees.
Applying to many schools that require an SAT Essay score.

How Do You Get a Good Score on Your SAT Essay?

First things first - to cut to the chase for a much higher score on your SAT essay, click here and get our complete SAT Essay course . It’s our premier course on the SAT and ACT Essay from a perfect-scoring veteran tutor, and it’s available for instant download anywhere in the world.

Here are the keys to a higher SAT Essay score:

Knowing of the SAT essay scoring system.
Using a clear and dependable essay-writing strategy.
Writing multiple practice SAT essays on different prompts.
Focusing hard and using every available minute on test day.

Each of these bullet points (and much more) are covered in deep strategic detail in our SAT Essay course . So get it today - it will help, trust me. Best of all, the course is covered with a 100% money-back guarantee, so you really can’t go wrong.

If you’re looking for more free info on the SAT Essay, start with this article . Our free blog articles won’t be quite as well-organized or thorough as our complete essay course, but we’ve still published plenty of useful info to keep you busy!

Get Higher SAT Essay Scores Today!

Do you want higher SAT essay scores? We’ve got the perfect solution for you. Get our complete SAT & ACT Essay course - available as an instant download, only in our online store .

Join our SAT email list for FREE score-raising tips and reminders, exclusively for our subscribers.

Looking for private 1-on-1 SAT tutoring? We teach students all around the world. Contact us today for a free consultation and personalized advising!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

College Readiness
Entertainment, Family, and Fun
Group Classes
Learning Resources
Love the SAT News
Online Tutoring
Practice Tests
Reading Lists
Reviews: Books and Products
SAT Subject Tests
Student Success
Test-Taking Skills
Time Management

Online Courses and Books

Conquer SAT Vocabulary
Winning College Scholarships
Ultimate Time Management for Teens
SAT Grammar Crammer
Top 30 Examples for the SAT Essay

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

Is 6 a good SAT score?

If you got a 6 SAT score, you're probably wondering how you compare to other students, and whether a 6 is good enough to get into college.

The truth is, it depends on your personal college goals and where you want to apply. We have the complete guide for you here. On this page, you'll find statistics about your score and what colleges you're competitive for. You can also use our Chance Estimator tool to figure out your chances of getting into your target schools.

6 SAT Score Standings

Here's how you compare to other students and how many colleges you are competitive for:

You can apply to 0 colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.

You have a very low chance of getting into 1497 schools with this score.

Top Choice Colleges Chances

We've collected data from millions of students and thousands of colleges to figure out your chances at getting admitted with a 6 SAT score. You'll also see how your chances improve with a higher SAT score.

To add a school to your list, type in part of the school name, choose from the dropdown, and click the button.

[add a CTA asking if they want to improve by ___ points]

raise your chances of getting into target schools from 0.00% to 0.00%
raise your expected income by $

PrepScholar guarantees that with our online prep program, you'll improve your score by 160 points, or you get all your money back .

The secret to our program is customization: PrepScholar automatically figures out your strengths and weaknesses, then customizes what you learn so you improve more points in less time. PrepScholar was created by Harvard graduates and SAT full scorers , and thousands of students have trusted PrepScholar with improving their scores.

Other Schools For You

We've picked out a set of schools that are within range. Click on each school to learn more about it.

See a Different SAT Score

Curious about what your profile is with a different score? Choose any score from the entire SAT score range to see what you'd be able to do!

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

If You Liked Our Advice...

Our experts have written hundreds of useful articles on improving your SAT score and getting into college. You'll definitely find something useful here.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get FREE strategies and guides sent to your email. Learn how to ace the SAT with exclusive tips and insights that we share with our private newsletter subscribers.

You should definitely follow us on social media . You'll get updates on our latest articles right on your feed. Follow us on all of our social networks:

What Is a Good SAT Score?

A strong SAT score can raise your chances of getting into a particular college.
While there’s no standard for a “good” SAT score, it’s best to aim for a score of at least 1200.
More importantly, aim for an SAT score that’s within or higher than the middle 50% of scores achieved by admitted students to our school.
Figure out which method of studying best suits your needs: self-study, SAT courses, or private tutoring.

For many students, getting into college requires more than just good grades and a compelling personal statement — it also helps to have strong test scores.

Like the ACT, the SAT is a popular college entrance exam in the U.S. While there’s no score you need to achieve in order to pass the test, a higher SAT score can increase your chances of getting into college.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have adopted test-optional policies , meaning they do not require SAT/ACT scores for admission. Check with your target schools to see if they require or recommend applicants send in standardized test scores before sitting for an exam.

If you do need to take a standardized test, what SAT score should you aim for? And what counts as a “good” SAT score?

Featured Online Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

What Is a Good SAT Score Overall?

The median total SAT score is 1030 . In general, any SAT score above the 50th percentile, or median, can be considered a decent score, since this means you’ve performed better than the majority of test-takers.

Scoring in the 50th percentile, however, won’t cut it at most selective colleges . The standard for a good SAT score increases considerably depending on how competitive the applicant pool is. This is why it’s typically better to aim for at least the 75th percentile, or a 1200 or higher.

According to test prep expert Ben Paris , there are two important ways that an SAT/ACT score can be “good.”

First, it can be strong enough to help you gain admission into your target colleges . To see if that’s true for you, look up the scores of admitted students at your target schools and see how your score compares, said Paris.

Second, your score can be ‘good’ if it’s close to the best you can do, he continued. To know what you can reach, you need expert advice, feedback on how you’re doing, and lots of practice.

SAT Score Percentiles

Percentiles can be used to see how well you did compared with other test-takers. Refer to the following percentile charts to see what constitutes a good SAT score. Note that the percentile rankings for scores may change slightly from year to year.

Your SAT score, which ranges from 400-1600, is the sum of your two section scores: Math and Reading and Writing. Each section uses a scale of 200-800 in 10-point increments. A good score on Math or Reading and Writing, then, would be around 600.

What Is a Good SAT Score Based on Your Schools?

To raise your chances of getting accepted to a particular college, aim for an SAT score that’s around that of the typical enrolled applicant. In other words, if the average first-year student earned a 1300, then you, too, should try to get at least a 1300.

To figure out what to aim for, find the middle 50% of scores for each school you’re applying to. The middle 50% is a range between the 25th and 75th percentiles. Your goal should be to earn a score around your school’s 75th percentile. If that’s too difficult, aim for higher than the 25th percentile score (though know that your application may be less impressive).

Many colleges provide SAT stats on their websites. You can either search online for the school’s name and the phrase SAT score range or look for a first-year class profile page or a general facts and figures page.

Say you’re applying to Emory University. Emory’s class profile page lists the middle 50% of SAT Math and Reading and Writing scores for the class of 2027. Based on this data, you know to aim for around 770 on Reading and Writing and 790 on Math — both incredibly high scores.

The exact SAT score you should aim for will vary depending on the colleges you apply to . Less selective institutions admit applicants with SAT scores closer to the national median, whereas highly selective universities often prefer scores in the 1400-1600 range.

Good SAT Scores for 15 Popular Colleges

The table below presents the middle 50% of enrolled students’ SAT scores at 15 well-known colleges and universities. All data is for the class of 2026 or 2027.

Note that many of these schools are now test-optional, and a large portion of applicants may have chosen not to submit their scores. For Miami University, for example, just over half — 58% — of students chose to send in their ACT or SAT scores for admission.

What Is a Good SAT Essay Score?

The SAT used to offer an optional essay. In 2021, however, the College Board announced it would no longer offer the SAT essay. The only exception to this policy is if your state requires the SAT, in which case you may need to take the essay on an SAT School Day .

Even though colleges can’t require the SAT essay anymore, some students taking the SAT on a school day may be interested in getting a good essay score for their own satisfaction. The SAT essay is scored separately from Math and Reading and Writing. You’ll get 50 minutes to write an essay that analyzes the author’s claims and argument in a given passage.

Two graders will read your essay and assign you a score on a scale of 1-4 in three categories: Reading, Analysis, and Writing. The total score range is 2-8 for each category. A perfect SAT essay score would be three 8’s — that’s a 4 from both graders in all three categories.

Expert Advice: How to Improve SAT Scores Q&A

Test prep expert Ben Paris answers more questions regarding standardized testing, including what score you should aim for and strategies on how to get there.

Q: What’s your advice for getting into an Ivy League school?

A: Great grades are required, but they aren’t enough, because so many people have flawless GPAs. Think about what will make your application stand out . Test scores could be a part of that story.

Nowadays, lots of people aren’t submitting scores that would help them, and others aren’t putting in the work for top scores because they think that “test-optional” means that tests don’t matter. They do.

More of the Ivies are requiring scores , and people who don’t submit scores are sending the message that their scores are low. Instead of viewing the SAT/ACT as a barrier that will keep you out of college, think of it as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from your competition.

Q: How long should I study for the SAT to get my best score?

A: For most people, 1-3 months is enough if you’re really taking it seriously. Imagine that it’s another academic class that you’re taking in terms of time commitment. Try to focus your prep instead of doing a tiny bit at a time.

Most of the people who spend six months or more prepping could have done it in much less time if they got organized.

Q: What are my next steps?

A: First, figure out if the SAT or ACT is better for you. Either is fine. Colleges don’t prefer one or the other. Take a practice test in each (make sure that it’s an official one) and then analyze your results to make a decision. Then pick a test date that allows you to put in the work.

Finally, figure out how to get advice. Self-study is cheaper but not really personalized. Classes give you lots of time with a teacher, but you’ll be in a class with others, and the schedule might not always work for you.

Private tutoring is the most expensive per hour, but you can often spend less time because it’s all about you and your needs.

Explore More College Resources

What Is a Bad SAT Score — And Should I Worry About Mine?

What is a low SAT score? Find the bottom SAT scores for popular and competitive colleges. Plus, get expert tips to improve your score.

by Jane Nam

Updated March 20, 2024

All About SAT Scores: National Average and Full Statistics

Read about average SAT scores broken down by school, state, race/ethnicity, and gender.

Updated December 19, 2023

Average ACT Score

Find the average ACT score range and more statistics — broken down by year, state, race/ethnicity, and gender — in our report.

Updated January 17, 2024

What's a Good SAT Score?

The best SAT score for college applicants depends on their target schools and other factors, experts say.

What's a Good SAT Score?

Getty Images

Even as many schools move away from requiring standardized test scores, experts say a strong score can still help you stand out as an applicant. Expectations vary by institution.

When they are considered, SAT scores are just a piece of the college admissions process. Schools also review students' GPAs , course rigor, extracurricular activities, essays and letters of recommendation.

Although colleges have historically used standardized test scores to determine "college readiness," some observers say that a student's transcript gives a fuller picture.

"A three-hour test on a Saturday morning is a very brief snapshot into a student's abilities," says Connie Livingston, head of college counselors at college admissions consulting firm Empowerly. "Whereas a transcript really shows how students have grown, improved or maintained their academic excellence throughout the years and how they have maximized those opportunities at their schools."

More than 1,900 four-year colleges have announced plans to go test-optional or test-blind for fall 2024, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a nonprofit advocacy group.

But even as many schools move away from requiring standardized test scores, experts say a strong score can help an applicant stand out.

That's especially true given evidence that grade inflation has been on the rise. High school GPAs, on average, increased from 3.17 in 2010 to 3.36 in 2021, according to a 2022 report from ACT . At the same time, the highest grade inflation – a term used to describe an increase in students’ grades that doesn't necessarily correlate with an increase in their academic achievement – occurred between 2018 and 2021, an increase of 0.1 grade points, the most recent data show.

"The whole point of a standardized test was for there to be a standardized metric, because a 97 (grade percentage) at one school is not the same thing as a 97 at another high school," says Pranoy Mohapatra, director of New Jersey-based PM Tutoring.

Livingston advises students to take either the SAT or ACT at least once, as long as there are no logistical or financial barriers. From there, students applying to a test-optional school can decide whether it's beneficial to submit their scores.

"If they score well, not only is it another metric or data point for the school to use to evaluate their candidacy, but it could also open up merit aid opportunities," she says.

A Good SAT Score for College Admissions

A strong score is subjective, as expectations vary by institution and sometimes by major .

"If you were applying to an engineering program at a college that is going to admit you from a pool of students who are (also) applying for engineering, the question is not, 'Is your SAT score good?'" And the question is not, 'Is a 1470 a good score?' Because it is a good score," says Evelyn Jerome-Alexander, a certified educational planner and founder of Magellan College Counseling. "But if the 1470 were a 770 on English and a 700 on math, the chances are very high that at a school that has an engineering college, the math score for an engineering applicant or a business applicant will be higher than the critical reading score."

The average SAT score for the high school class of 2022 was 1050, down by 10 points from the class of 2021, according to a report from the College Board, which administers the SAT. That score falls within the range of many schools, like Liberty University in Virginia, where half of the admitted applicants had an SAT score between 1020 and 1220, according to the school's website .

Many other colleges, such as Indiana University—Bloomington , have an average SAT score over 1200 for incoming freshmen. Ivy Leagues and other top universities, like the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, prefer even higher scores – generally over 1500 – their school websites indicate.

Experts suggest students do their research and look up the "middle 50" – the range of scores between the 25th percentile and 75th percentile for the last admitted class – on each college's website to see if their score falls within or above that range. Students should set their target score to either meet or exceed those ranges. They can also aim to reach a school's minimum score requirement for merit aid .

Here's a look at the 25th and 75th SAT percentiles in math and reading combined for newly enrolled students in fall 2022 at the top 10 National Universities , as ranked by U.S. News. California Institute of Technology did not report SAT or ACT scores and through 2025 will not consider them during admissions.

Not only is a good score relative to each college, but also to each student. The strength of the score can depend on an individual's GPA, the rigor of the high school courses they take and where they attend high school, says Amy Seeley, founder and president of Seeley Test Pros, LLC, an Ohio-based tutoring company.

"Students are often judged in comparison to their peers," she says. "So what is the kind of level of work that's happening with other students? If a student is at a school where there are no honors or AP courses , then of course they're not going to be judged as much. But they are going to need a score that sets them apart from the other students at that school."

SAT Percentiles

A score in the 50th percentile means a student scored equal to or higher than 50% of other test-takers. The higher the percentile rank, the better.

The table below shows a breakdown of SAT composite scores by percentile based on exam results, per the most recent College Board data . It shows nationally representative sample percentiles, which are based on a study of juniors and seniors, and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades regardless of whether they take the test.

Recommendations to Improve Your SAT Score

Retaking the SAT can be time-consuming and costly, so figure out what your bandwidth is. Consider your home responsibilities, after-school activities and homework load.

"It plays a role in how much time students can spend on test prep and perhaps limit their ability to improve," Mohapatra says.

Some families hire test prep tutors or coaches, but studying for the SAT does not have to cost hundreds of dollars. Students can work independently and use free online test prep resources, like Khan Academy , a College Board partner.

"Our tool gives you insights on the areas where you are already really strong – i.e., don't bother spending more practice time in those areas – and the areas where you are relatively weaker," says Priscilla Rodriguez, senior vice president for college readiness assessments at the College Board.

If a college superscores, a student's highest scores from each section on all test attempts are combined to create a new composite score. In these cases, "you can minimize or reduce your preparation because you may only need to focus on one particular section," Seeley says.

Some schools, however, require applicants to submit all of their test scores from each sitting.

In that case, "I think there is some disagreement within the industry as to whether (retaking the test multiple times) hurts a student or not," Seeley says. "But I've always said that for the most part, a college is going to take your best scores and use that to create their acceptance profile."

Practice is key to improving your scores, but don't overdo it, experts warn. Livingston advises students not to take the SAT more than three times, as their score may start to plateau.

"Test prep should not come at the expense of creating a balanced college list and putting real significant effort into articulating why you are a good fit for each college on your list and why they are a good fit for you," Jerome-Alexander says. "Because colleges look at the transcript primarily and they look heavily at teacher and counselor recommendation letters. But they're looking a lot at essays these days. They really want to hear students' stories. Stories are more valuable than test scores, and if you present yourself in a way that makes yourself memorable and likable, colleges will want you in their class."

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

13 Test Prep Tips for SAT and ACT Takers

Ask an Alum: Making the Most Out of College

Weighing LSAT Test Prep Options

Gabriel Kuris Nov. 4, 2024

Data Privacy Tips for College Students

Cole Claybourn Nov. 4, 2024

Preparing for Your First Job Post-Grad

Sarah Wood Oct. 31, 2024

5 Ways to Decrease Medical School Costs

Anayat Durrani Oct. 31, 2024

Graduate School with Student Loan Debt

A.R. Cabral Oct. 31, 2024

Colleges With Dog Mascots

Helen Lewis Oct. 31, 2024

15 Scholarships to Help Pay for College

Cole Claybourn and Alison Murtagh Oct. 29, 2024

Questions for Med School Social Events

Rachel Rizal Oct. 29, 2024

Schools for International Students

Sarah Wood Oct. 29, 2024

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

The SAT Writing Section (Essay): Here’s What You Need to Know

Is your SAT score enough to get you into your dream school?

Our free chancing engine takes into consideration your SAT score, in addition to other profile factors, such as GPA and extracurriculars. Create a free account to discover your chances at hundreds of different schools.

The SAT recently revamped itself to more accurately test what students learn in school. The new version is less deliberately tricky and confusing, but it’s still a challenging, exhausting test. Let’s say you’ve taken both the ACT and the SAT and you perform better on the SAT. Now that you’ve chosen it as your go-to test, how do you get through the essay portion, especially if you hate writing?

Fun fact: the SAT has plenty of new practice tests , which include essays. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be working from this practice essay , so it might be useful to have it open as you read. We’ll go through what’s expected, what scoring looks like, and how to go about writing the best essay you can.

Understand What You’re Being Asked to Do

The new SAT no longer asks you to make up ideas and references from scratch (which, honestly, is probably for the best). Instead, it provides you with an essay and asks you to analyze it, much in the same vein as an in-class analytical or an AP English Language essay.

The Assignment

The assignment reads as follows. At the top you’ll see a generic introduction for what to look for as you read:

As you read the passage below, consider how (the author of the passage) uses:

evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.

Then, at the bottom, the instructions get specific. For this essay, they read like this:

Write an essay in which you explain how Bobby Braun builds an argument to persuade his audience that the US government must continue to invest in NASA. In your essay, analyze how Braun uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Braun’s claims, but rather explain how Braun builds an argument to persuade his audience.

What does this mean? Essentially, as you read, pick out the techniques the author uses to make his or her point, then write a detailed essay that covers a couple of the main ones. Brush up on your knowledge of literary terms and devices well in advance of writing the SAT essay. You don’t have to know them all, but know the most commonly used ones really well (tone, diction, imagery, simile/metaphor, allusion, rhetorical question, anecdote, and symbolism, to name a few) so you can rely on those. In an argumentative essay, like this one, an author will always use tone, diction (choice of words), and some kind of persuasion technique (Logos? Pathos? Ethos? Anecdote? etc.).

How is the essay scored? Two testers will read your essay and will provide a score of 1-4 on three different benchmarks: reading, analysis, and writing.

Did the writer understand the content? Did they quickly summarize the argument/point and then move quickly into their interpretation of it? Did they paraphrase and directly quote?

Did the writer not only identify the right literary terms/devices but assess their uses effectively? In other words, did the writer understand why the author used those devices and say so? Did the analysis integrate into the rest of the essay?

Is there a strong thesis, body paragraphs for each device, and a quick conclusion? (More on organization below.) Is the writing “strong,” i.e., sentence variety, no unnecessary words or repetition, strong words, and sophisticated reasoning?

The testers’ scores are then added together for an aggregate final score. So, a top score would be 8/8/8.

Discover how your SAT score affects your chances

As part of our free guidance platform, our Admissions Assessment tells you what schools you need to improve your SAT score for and by how much. Sign up to get started today.

Final Thoughts

Unless you’re being given extra time, you have exactly 50 minutes to complete the essay. This sounds like a lot (and it’s more than it used to be), but don’t be fooled. You’ll use the time.

Students with special accommodations might be able to take the test on a computer, but otherwise it’s a written test. Your test booklet will be scanned into a computer. If you make a mistake, don’t erase your work, because it causes smudges and can make it hard for the tester to read. Simply cross out and rewrite. The testers are trained not to read crossed-out material. If you’ve been told your handwriting is impossible to read, write a little more slowly than you might otherwise. Choose the style that’s more legible for you: print or cursive. When you write practice tests, give it to someone and ask if they can read it.

You’ll take the SAT essay last, after every other section has been completed. So you’ll be exhausted. There’s no way around that, unfortunately, beyond bringing snacks and water on test day and walking around during breaks to take the focus off your brain for a couple minutes. Practice is key; you’ll want to be able to read an essay quickly, pull out devices, and write a straightforward essay with a minimum of confusion and anxiety. Only practice and memorization of the right information will get you there.

As you prepare to take the SAT, take a look at some example essays that scored highly. It won’t be the same subject matter, but the structure and language will be aspects you can emulate.

Read with the Assignment in Mind

Imagine that your proctor has told you to turn to the essay section. You already know the basic assignment, so you can actually skip the top introduction and dive right in to the essay. Don’t get bogged down with unfamiliar words or the most complex sentences. You don’t need to absorb every single word of the essay. Read to find devices you can use. Circle them and ID them as you go. Don’t be picky right away—just observe and note what you see.

Go ahead and skim the bottom instructions, but even then the first sentence is the only really important one. In this case, the gist is: how does Braun persuade his audience to invest in NASA? Then, go back to the devices you found, and pick out the three strongest and/or most used devices to structure your essay. Can’t find three? Remember, an author always uses tone (point of view) and diction (word choice) so those are two easy ones if you’re stuck.

The process of reading and pulling out devices should take no more than eight minutes.

Make a Quick Outline

I know this one sound counterintuitive, given what I said about time limits, but bear with me. Just starting to write without a clear path is hugely problematic for timed essays. Even the best writers make a mental note of their general direction. Without planning, you might change directions mid-essay, forget your thesis and end up arguing something else, or wander off completely without realizing it.

The outline can be short and sweet. For example, with this practice essay, it could look like this:

Intro: Braun argues that continuing to invest in space tech and research keeps us competitive in the world economy. Devices: logos, imagery, allusion

Body 1: Logos (logic): paragraph 3, 5, 7

Body 2: Imagery: paragraph 4, 6

Body 3: Allusion: paragraph 8

Don’t even bother to include your conclusion in your outline. It’s pretty much the same content as your intro. Also, remember that you don’t need to tackle every aspect or device in the essay. Highlight where your devices are, then focus your analysis to those sections. In the outline above, I’ve structured the devices so that you’re going through the essay in almost chronological fashion. You don’t have to do this, but it makes the essay-writing a bit easier.

The process of outlining should take no more than two minutes.

Write Quickly but Methodically

Don’t waste a lot of breath with a big, drawn out introduction. State the argument of the author in one sentence, then your thesis, which should be a list of the three devices you plan to use. Keep it simple and easy, then move on.

For each body paragraph, make a quick topic sentence explaining which device you’re analyzing. Spend one sentence (ONLY one) summarizing how the author is using the device. Begin to use quotes or paraphrase; after each example, analyze why the author uses the device and the effect it has. About three quotes or examples are usually standard. Then, at the end of the paragraph, use one sentence to sum up the effect the device has on the whole essay. Use sample essays for examples of this structure.

See the numbers at the side of each paragraph? When you quote directly or summarize directly, put the number of the paragraph in parenthesis afterwards to cite where you’re getting the information from.

For your conclusion, simply restate what you’ve said before. If you’re feeling extra-confident, feel free to add a key takeaway from the analysis, but it’s not necessary. So, your conclusion can be two sentences just like your intro.

What if your writing style isn’t advanced or similar to the example essays? Work with a teacher or tutor who can help you develop your skills if you have the time. If not, just write simply and clearly. Don’t use overly technical words. Don’t make really long sentences just for the sake of doing so. Even simple, forceful language can be effective so long as your argument is good. So focus your attention on ensuring that you know what good analysis is and how to replicate it.

You’ll have 35 minutes to write. Keep an eye on the clock, but mostly just focus on writing quickly and clearly.

Leave a Few Minutes for Proofreading

Again, I know you’ll be flying through this essay at lightning speed to get everything done effectively. But this one’s important too. When you write quickly, grammar and spelling can fall by the wayside. That’s totally normal, so don’t freak out. But you will be graded on such aspects in your final score, so leave 5 minutes max at the end to skim through your essay, pinpoint where you made mistakes, cross out the word or phrase, and write the correct word or phrase above it. Try to make corrections clearly so that the tester knows which version to read.

And that’s it! Easy, right? (Totally kidding.) As with everything else, practice will help. If you’re not already doing this kind of essay in class, do a few practice essays at home. Make sure you do the EXACT process start to finish: time yourself, write an outline, and so on. Part of success is building the muscle memory to go into the essay with a solid base of experience and confidence that you’ll succeed.

Want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!

SAT Essay Samples | Low vs High-Scoring Examples

The SAT Essay is often used as an extra way to impress admissions officers with your overall academic preparedness. But what does a good essay look like vs a bad one? To make life easier, the College Board has provided some helpful SAT essay samples that you can study over.

Besides helping you get into college, here are a number of other SAT Essay benefits to consider .

SAT Essay Samples Prompt

Expect to see prompt directions like the ones below:

“As you read the passage below, consider how Paul Bogard uses:

evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.”

SAT Essay Samples Passage

At my family’s cabin on a Minnesota lake, I knew woods so dark that my hands disappeared before my eyes. I knew night skies in which meteors left smoky trails across sugary spreads of stars. But now, when 8 of 10 children born in the United States will never know a sky dark enough for the Milky Way, I worry we are rapidly losing night’s natural darkness before realizing its worth. This winter solstice, as we cheer the days’ gradual movement back toward light, let us also remember the irreplaceable value of darkness.

All life evolved to the steady rhythm of bright days and dark nights. Today, though, when we feel the closeness of nightfall, we reach quickly for a light switch. And too little darkness, meaning too much artificial light at night, spells trouble for all.

Already the World Health Organization classifies working the night shift as a probable human carcinogen, and the American Medical Association has voiced its unanimous support for “light pollution reduction efforts and glare reduction efforts at both the national and state levels.” Our bodies need darkness to produce the hormone melatonin, which keeps certain cancers from developing, and our bodies need darkness for sleep. Sleep disorders have been linked to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and depression, and recent research suggests one main cause of “short sleep” is “long light.” Whether we work at night or simply take our tablets, notebooks and smartphones to bed, there isn’t a place for this much artificial light in our lives.

The rest of the world depends on darkness as well, including nocturnal and crepuscular species of birds, insects, mammals, fish and reptiles. Some examples are well known—the 400 species of birds that migrate at night in North America, the sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs—and some are not, such as the bats that save American farmers billions in pest control and the moths that pollinate 80% of the world’s flora. Ecological light pollution is like the bulldozer of the night, wrecking habitat and disrupting ecosystems several billion years in the making. Simply put, without darkness, Earth’s ecology would collapse…

In today’s crowded, louder, more fast-paced world, night’s darkness can provide solitude, quiet and stillness, qualities increasingly in short supply. Every religious tradition has considered darkness invaluable for a soulful life, and the chance to witness the universe has inspired artists, philosophers and everyday stargazers since time began. In a world awash with electric light…how would Van Gogh have given the world his “Starry Night”? Who knows what this vision of the night sky might inspire in each of us, in our children or grandchildren?

Yet all over the world, our nights are growing brighter. In the United States and Western Europe, the amount of light in the sky increases an average of about 6% every year. Computer images of the United States at night, based on NASA photographs, show that what was a very dark country as recently as the 1950s is now nearly covered with a blanket of light. Much of this light is wasted energy, which means wasted dollars. Those of us over 35 are perhaps among the last generation to have known truly dark nights. Even the northern lake where I was lucky to spend my summers has seen its darkness diminish.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Light pollution is readily within our ability to solve, using new lighting technologies and shielding existing lights. Already, many cities and towns across North America and Europe are changing to LED streetlights, which offer dramatic possibilities for controlling wasted light. Other communities are finding success with simply turning off portions of their public lighting after midnight. Even Paris, the famed “city of light,” which already turns off its monument lighting after 1 a.m., will this summer start to require its shops, offices and public buildings to turn off lights after 2 a.m. Though primarily designed to save energy, such reductions in light will also go far in addressing light pollution. But we will never truly address the problem of light pollution until we become aware of the irreplaceable value and beauty of the darkness we are losing.”

SAT Essay Samples Directions

Here is how the essay directions will be worded format-wise on test day.

“Write an essay in which you explain how Paul Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved. In your essay, analyze how Bogard uses one or more of the features in the directions that precede the passage (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage.

Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Bogard’s claims, but rather explain how Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience.”

Essay Sample Response (Low Scoring)

“In “Let there be dark,” Paul Bogard talks about the importance of darkness.

Darkness is essential to humans. Bogard states, “Our bodies need darkness to produce the hormone melatonin, which keeps certain cancers from developing, and our bodies need darkness for sleep, sleep. Sleep disorders have been linked to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and depression and recent research suggests are main cause of “short sleep” is “long light.” Whether we work at night or simply take our tablets, notebooks and smartphones to bed, there isn’t a place for this much artificial light in our lives.” (Bogard 2). Here, Bogard talks about the importance of darkness to humans. Humans need darkness to sleep in order to be healthy.

Animals also need darkness. Bogard states, “The rest of the world depends on darkness as well, including nocturnal and crepuscular species of birds, insects, mammals, fish and reptiles. Some examples are well known—the 400 species of birds that migrate at night in North America, the sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs—and some are not, such as the bats that save American farmers billions in pest control and the moths that pollinate 80% of the world’s flora. Ecological light pollution is like the bulldozer of the night, wrecking habitat and disrupting ecosystems several billion years in the making. Simply put, without darkness, Earth’s ecology would collapse…” (Bogard 2). Here Bogard explains that animals, too, need darkness to survive.”

Essay Sample Response (High Scoring)

“In response to our world’s growing reliance on artificial light, writer Paul Bogard argues that natural darkness should be preserved in his article “Let There be dark”. He effectively builds his argument by using a personal anecdote, allusions to art and history, and rhetorical questions.

Bogard starts his article off by recounting a personal story – a summer spent on a Minnesota lake where there was “woods so dark that [his] hands disappeared before [his] eyes.” In telling this brief anecdote, Bogard challenges the audience to remember a time where they could fully amass themselves in natural darkness void of artificial light. By drawing in his readers with a personal encounter about night darkness, the author means to establish the potential for beauty, glamour, and awe-inspiring mystery that genuine darkness can possess. He builds his argument for the preservation of natural darkness by reminiscing for his readers a first-hand encounter that proves the “irreplaceable value of darkness.” This anecdote provides a baseline of sorts for readers to find credence with the author’s claims.

Bogard’s argument is also furthered by his use of allusion to art – Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” – and modern history – Paris’ reputation as “The City of Light”. By first referencing “Starry Night”, a painting generally considered to be undoubtedly beautiful, Bogard establishes that the natural magnificence of stars in a dark sky is definite. A world absent of excess artificial light could potentially hold the key to a grand, glorious night sky like Van Gogh’s according to the writer. This urges the readers to weigh the disadvantages of our world consumed by unnatural, vapid lighting. Furthermore, Bogard’s alludes to Paris as “the famed ‘city of light’”. He then goes on to state how Paris has taken steps to exercise more sustainable lighting practices. By doing this, Bogard creates a dichotomy between Paris’ traditionally alluded-to name and the reality of what Paris is becoming – no longer “the city of light”, but more so “the city of light…before 2 AM”. This furthers his line of argumentation because it shows how steps can be and are being taken to preserve natural darkness. It shows that even a city that is literally famous for being constantly lit can practically address light pollution in a manner that preserves the beauty of both the city itself and the universe as a whole.

Finally, Bogard makes subtle yet efficient use of rhetorical questioning to persuade his audience that natural darkness preservation is essential. He asks the readers to consider “what the vision of the night sky might inspire in each of us, in our children or grandchildren?” in a way that brutally plays to each of our emotions. By asking this question, Bogard draws out heartfelt ponderance from his readers about the affecting power of an untainted night sky. This rhetorical question tugs at the readers’ heartstrings; while the reader may have seen an unobscured night skyline before, the possibility that their child or grandchild will never get the chance sways them to see as Bogard sees. This strategy is definitively an appeal to pathos, forcing the audience to directly face an emotionally-charged inquiry that will surely spur some kind of response. By doing this, Bogard develops his argument, adding guttural power to the idea that the issue of maintaining natural darkness is relevant and multifaceted.

Writing as a reaction to his disappointment that artificial light has largely permeated the presence of natural darkness, Paul Bogard argues that we must preserve true, unaffected darkness. He builds this claim by making use of a personal anecdote, allusions, and rhetorical questioning.”

For more test strategies, college admissions, and scholarship application tips sign up for our FREE classes happening right now!

Understanding the History Passages on the SAT

Oct 8, 2024

SAT Timing: The Best Way to Manage Time During the SAT

Oct 1, 2024

5 Words That Are Always Incorrect on the Digital SAT

Sep 25, 2024

Written by Prep Expert

Cracking the Code of SAT Idioms

Idioms are one of the most puzzling parts of the SAT because they don’t necessarily follow any specific grammar rules.…

Everything You Need to Know About ACT Idioms

If you’ve ever been stumped by an idiom on the ACT, you’re not the only one. Preparing for questions about…

Harvard Brings Back Standardized Testing Requirements

Harvard College has just joined the ranks of Ivy League schools that have recently made the decision to reinstate standardized…

Choose Your Test

Search Blogs By Category
College Admissions
AP and IB Exams
GPA and Coursework

The Most Reliable SAT Essay Template and Format

SAT Writing

And then, if you've chosen to take it, there's the essay. Or, more accurately, "To finish up, there's the essay." Because the last thing you'll do on the SAT (with Essay) is read a passage and write an essay analyzing its argument, all in 50 minutes.

How can you even begin to read a passage, analyze it, and write an essay about it in 50 minutes? What SAT essay structure should you follow? Is there an SAT essay format that’ll score you a top score for sure? Read on to find out the answers to these questions!

feature image credit: Pencil by Laddir Laddir , used under CC BY-SA 2.0 /Cropped from original.

UPDATE: SAT Essay No Longer Offered

In January 2021, the College Board announced that after June 2021, it would no longer offer the Essay portion of the SAT (except at schools who opt in during School Day Testing). It is now no longer possible to take the SAT Essay, unless your school is one of the small number who choose to offer it during SAT School Day Testing.

While most colleges had already made SAT Essay scores optional, this move by the College Board means no colleges now require the SAT Essay. It will also likely lead to additional college application changes such not looking at essay scores at all for the SAT or ACT, as well as potentially requiring additional writing samples for placement.

What does the end of the SAT Essay mean for your college applications? Check out our article on the College Board's SAT Essay decision for everything you need to know.

What 5 Things Does Your SAT Essay Need?

To build a great SAT essay template, you need to know what it needs to include. Here are the five most important elements of any SAT essay:

#1: An Introduction

The first impression the grader will have of your writing is your essay introduction. Don't just jump right into discussing argumentative techniques — i ntroduce your analysis with a statement of what the author is arguing in the prompt. You should then briefly mention the specific persuasive techniques the author used that you'll be discussing in your essay.

#2: A Clear Thesis Statement

I've separated this out as its own point because it’s so important. You must express a precise claim about what the author's point is and what techniques she uses to argue her point; otherwise, you're not answering the essay question correctly.

This cannot be emphasized enough: SAT essay graders do not care what your stance is on the issue . They care that you understand and explain how the author argues her point.

The SAT essay task is designed for you to demonstrate that you can analyze the structure of an argument and its affect on the reader with clear and coherent reasoning. Take this example prompt, for instance:

Write an essay in which you explain how Eric Klinenberg builds an argument to persuade his audience that Americans need to greatly reduce their reliance on air-conditioning. In your essay, analyze how Klinenberg uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage.

A bad thesis leaves you unclear on what features of the author's arguments you'll be analyzing in the essay:

The author tries to enforce to his audience by telling that air conditioning has negative effects.

This thesis doesn’t specify what features of the argument you'll be discussing, or even what Klinenberg's specific views are. It's just a (grammatically flawed) sentence that hints at Klinenberg's argument. Compare to a good thesis for the same prompt:

Through consideration of quantitative data, exploring possible counterarguments to his position, and judicious use of striking phrasings and words, Klinenberg strengthens both the logic and persuasiveness of his argument that Americans need to greatly reduce their reliance on air conditioning.

The above thesis clearly specifies both what the author's argument is and what aspects of the argument will be analyzed in the essay . If you want more practice writing strong thesis statements, use our complete list of SAT essay prompts as inspiration.

#3: Specific Examples That Support Your Point

To support your thesis, you'll need to draw on specific examples from the passage of the techniques you claim the author uses. Make sure to provide enough information for each example to make it clear how it is relevant to your thesis - and stop there. No need to paraphrase the entire passage, or explain why you agree or disagree with the author's argument - write enough that the reader can understand what your example is and be done.

#4: Explanations of the Examples That Support Your Point

It isn't enough to just summarize or paraphrase specific excerpts taken from the passage and call it a day. In each example paragraph, you must not only include details about a example, but also include an explanation of how each example demonstrates an argument technique and why it is persuasive. For instance, let's say you were planning on discussing how the author uses vivid language to persuade the reader to agree with him. Yes, you'd need to start by quoting parts of the passage where the author uses vivid language, but you then also need to explain why that example demonstrates vivid language and why it would be persuasive to the reader.

#5: A Conclusion

Your conclusion should restate your thesis and briefly mention the examples you wrote about in your essay (and how they supported your thesis ). If you haven't done it already in your essay, this is NOT the place to write about a broader context, or to contradict yourself, or to add further examples you didn't discuss. End on a strong note.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

What’s the Best SAT Essay Format?

Now that you know what has to be in your essay, how do you fit it all in? It’s not enough to just throw in a thesis and some examples on paper and expect what you write to be an essay. You need to be organized, and when you have to organize an essay under pressure, the generic five paragraph essay format is your friend .

Just as with every five-paragraph essay you've written at school, your SAT essay should have an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs (one paragraph for each argumentative technique you discuss), and a conclusion . Your thesis statement (which techniques you'll be analyzing in the essay) should go in both your introduction and your conclusion, with slightly different wording. And even if you're just discussing multiple examples of the same technique being used in the passage, you’ll still probably need two body paragraphs for organizational purposes.

Sock Drawer by noricum , used under CC BY-SA 2.0 /Cropped from original

SAT Essay Template Outline

So how do you write an SAT essays in this five paragraph format? I've created an SAT essay template that you can use as a guide to structure your own SAT essays, based on the following prompt:

Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Klinenberg’s claims, but rather explain how Klinenberg builds an argument to persuade his audience.

You can read the full text of the passage associated with the prompt (part of Practice Test 5) via our complete collection of official SAT essay prompts .

In the following SAT essay format, I've broken down an SAT essay into introduction, example paragraphs, and conclusion . Since I'm writing in response to a specific prompt, some of the information and facts in the template will only be useful for answering this specific prompt (although you should feel free to look for and write about the argumentative techniques I discuss in any of your essays). When responding to any SAT question, however, you can and should use the same format and structure for your own essays. To help you out, I've bolded structural words an d phrases in the below template.

Introduction (2-5 sentences)

Begin with a statement that explains the central claim of the passage's argument; this statement should provide some context for what you’ll be discussing in the essay. It can be brief if you’re short on time (1-2 sentences):

Next comes the all-important thesis statement that includes a clear outlining of what aspects of the author's argument you'll be discussing . You can be very specific (e.g. "statistics about air-conditioning usage in the US") or more vague (e.g. "quantitative data") here - the important part is that you'll be supporting your opinion with proof (1-2 sentences).

To buttress his argument, Klinenberg deftly employs quantitative data, acknowledgment of counterarguments, and vivid language.

Sample SAT essay introduction

In his commentary, Eric Klinenberg conveys a strong stance against the rampant and short-sighted utilization of air conditioning (AC) nationwide. He believes AC is a massive unnecessary energy drain, and he implores the reader to reconsider the implications of constant cool comfort. To buttress his argument, Klinenberg deftly employs quantitative data, acknowledgment of counterarguments, and vivid language.

Example 1 (6-10 sentences)

Introduce your first example with some kind of transition (1 sentence).

In his introductory paragraph, the author points to AC usage statistics to illustrate the grave magnitude of our hedonistic climate control.

In this case, the writer linked this body paragraph to the introduction by explaining how his example (AC usage statistics) relates to one of the persuasive techniques he'll be discussing (statistics): it is an example of the harm created by overuse of air-conditioning.

Next, provide relevant information about when and how in the passage the author uses this persuasive technique (4-7 sentences). Be sure to paraphrase or directly quote the passage for the strongest evidence.

He shares that “Americans use twice as much energy…as we did 20 years ago, and more than the rest of the world’s nations combined.” These staggering statements immediately give the reader pause, forcing an internal dialogue about their significant. Clearly, in the past 20 years, the American population has come nowhere close to doubling - and yet, AC energy use has doubled. This can only mean utilization per person has skyrocketed. Furthermore , the American population can comprise no more than 10% of the world’s population (400 million to the world’s 6 billion) - and yet we use more AC energy than the rest of the world. This leads to another profound inference - each American may use almost 10 times more AC energy as the average non-American. These conclusions are grave and thought-provoking.

Finally, explain how this example works to strengthen the author's argument (3-4 sentences).

By introducing incontrovertible data, Klinenberg empowers the reader to reason though her own arguments and formulate her own conclusions. The rhetorical consequence is that the reader independently and actively agrees with Klinenberg’s thesis, rather than being a passive unengaged audience member. By the virtue of her own logic, the reader is compelled to agree with Klinenberg.

Sample SAT essay body paragraph (1)

In his introductory paragraph , the author points to AC usage statistics to illustrate the grave magnitude of our hedonistic climate control. He shares that “Americans use twice as much energy…as we did 20 years ago, and more than the rest of the world’s nations combined.” These staggering statements immediately give the reader pause, forcing an internal dialogue about their significant. Clearly, in the past 20 years, the American population has come nowhere close to doubling - and yet, AC energy use has doubled. This can only mean utilization per person has skyrocketed. Furthermore , the American population can comprise no more than 10% of the world’s population (400 million to the world’s 6 billion) - and yet we use more AC energy than the rest of the world. This leads to another profound inference - each American may use almost 10 times more AC energy as the average non-American. These conclusions are grave and thought-provoking. By introducing incontrovertible data, Klinenberg empowers the reader to reason though her own arguments and formulate her own conclusions. The rhetorical consequence is that the reader independently and actively agrees with Klinenberg’s thesis, rather than being a passive unengaged audience member. By the virtue of her own logic, the reader is compelled to agree with Klinenberg.

Example 2 (6-10 sentences)

Transition from the previous paragraph into this example (1 sentence).

Quickly after this data-driven introduction , Klinenberg effectively addresses potential counterarguments to his thesis.

Provide at least one specific example of how the author uses the persuasive technique you're discussing in this paragraph (2-5 sentences).

He acknowledges that there are clear valid situations for AC use - to protect the “lives of old, sick, and frail people,” “farm workers who work in sunbaked fields,” and “workers who might otherwise wilt in searing temperatures.” By justifying several legitimate uses of air conditioning, the author heads off his most reflexive critics.

Explain how and why this example persuades the reader of the author's opinion. (3-4 sentences).

An incoming reader who has just absorbed Klinenberg’s thesis would naturally have objections - if left unaddressed, these objections would have left a continuous mental roar, obscuring the absorption of further arguments. Instead , Klinenberg quells the most common objection with a swift riposte, stressing that he is not a maniacal anti-AC militant, intent on dismantling the AC-industrial complex. With this addressed, the reader can continue further, satisfied that Klinenberg is likely to be somewhat well-reasoned and objective. Ultimately, this facilitates acceptance of his central thesis .

Sample SAT essay body paragraph (2)

Quickly after this data-driven introduction , Klinenberg effectively addresses potential counterarguments to his thesis. He acknowledges that there are clear valid situations for AC use - to protect the “lives of old, sick, and frail people,” “farm workers who work in sunbaked fields,” and “workers who might otherwise wilt in searing temperatures.” By justifying several legitimate uses of air conditioning, the author heads off his most reflexive critics. An incoming reader who has just absorbed Klinenberg’s thesis would naturally have objections - if left unaddressed, these objections would have left a continuous mental roar, obscuring the absorption of further arguments. Instead , Klinenberg quells the most common objection with a swift riposte, stressing that he is not a maniacal anti-AC militant, intent on dismantling the AC-industrial complex. With this addressed, the reader can continue further, satisfied that Klinenberg is likely to be somewhat well-reasoned and objective. Ultimately, this facilitates acceptance of his central thesis.

Example 3 (Optional, 6-10 sentences)

This paragraph is in the same format as Example 2. You should only include a third example if you think it’s strong and will help (rather than detract from) your point.

In the case of the essay we've been using as the backbone of this template, the author had the time to write a third example. Here it is, broken down in the same way as the previous example, starting with a transition from the previous paragraph (1 sentence):

When he returns to his rebuke of wanton AC use, Klinenberg employs forceful vivid language to magnify his message .

He emphasizes the blind excess of air conditioner use, comparing cooled homes to “igloos” circulating “arctic air.” Then, to underscore the unforeseen consequences of such behavior, he slides to the other extreme of the temperature spectrum, conjuring the image of “burning through fossil fuels in suicidal fashion.” This visual imagery shakes the reader from complacency. Most likely, the reader has been the beneficiary of AC use. “So, what’s the big deal?” By comparing malls to igloos and excessive energy use to suicide, Klinenberg magnifies the severity of the problem.

We are forced to consider our comfortable abode as a frigid arctic dwelling, prompting the natural question of whether we really do need our hones cold enough to see our breath indoors. The natural conclusion, in turn, is that we do not. By employing effective visual imagery, Klinenberg takes the reader through another internal dialogue, resulting in stronger acceptance of his message .

Sample SAT essay body paragraph (3)

When he returns to his rebuke of wanton AC use, Klinenberg employs forceful vivid language to magnify his message . He emphasizes the blind excess of air conditioner use, comparing cooled homes to “igloos” circulating “arctic air.” Then, to underscore the unforeseen consequences of such behavior, he slides to the other extreme of the temperature spectrum, conjuring the image of “burning through fossil fuels in suicidal fashion.” This visual imagery shakes the reader from complacency. Most likely, the reader has been the beneficiary of AC use. “So, what’s the big deal?” By comparing malls to igloos and excessive energy use to suicide, Klinenberg magnifies the severity of the problem. We are forced to consider our comfortable abode as a frigid arctic dwelling, prompting the natural question of whether we really do need our hones cold enough to see our breath indoors. The natural conclusion, in turn, is that we do not. By employing effective visual imagery, Klinenberg takes the reader through another internal dialogue, resulting in stronger acceptance of his message .

Conclusion (2-4 sentences)

Reiterate your thesis, using different words (1-2 sentences).

Overall, the passage effectively weaves quantitative data, acknowledgment of counterarguments, and vivid language to rebuke the excesses of air conditioning. The reader leaves with the strong conclusion that perhaps a bit of moderation can do the world some good.

You may also choose to mention the examples you used if you have time and if it adds anything (1-2 sentences). In this case, the author of the essay chose not to.

Sample SAT essay conclusion

The final sat essay template.

Here's what the final SAT essay template looks like (key structural words and phrases bolded):

This essay contains some inferences about what the reader may experience (e.g. that the reader is shaken from complacency by the image of suicidally burning through fossil fuels). It also has some minor grammatical and spelling errors.

Since there is no way to survey the mind of every reader and see how the majority of them react to the author's arguments, however, graders will go along with any reasonable inferences about how a reader would react to the author's argument. As far as grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or sentence structure issues, the rule is even simpler: if the error doesn't make your essay too difficult to read and understand, the people who score your essay will ignore these errors.

The essay graders will not fault you for factual inaccuracies or minor grammar/punctuation/spelling errors.

SAT Essay Format: A Quick Recap

To summarize, your SAT essay should stick to the following format:

Start with a statement about what the author of the passage is arguing.
Thesis with a clear statement about what argumentative techniques you'll be examining in the essay.
Transition from introduction to a specific example that illustrates an argumentative technique.
Brief description of when the author uses that technique and how they employ it.
Explanation for why that example strengthens the passage author's argument
Transition from previous paragraph to a specific example that illustrates a second argumentative technique.
Transition from previous paragraph to a specific example that illustrates a third argumentative technique.
Restate your thesis (in different words) and mention the examples you used to support it in your essay.

What’s Next?

Worried about putting this template into practice? Watch us write an SAT essay, step by step, to learn how to do it yourself!

Can you write a killer SAT essay in less than a page? Find out how SAT essay length affects your score here .

Want to make sure you're not leaving any stone unturned in your SAT essay prep? Read our 15 SAT Essay tips to improve your score .

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

1. Get Familiar with the Types of Passages

For our first SAT Reading tip, know that the passages on the Digital SAT cover a wide range of topics, from historical documents and scientific articles to contemporary social science and literature. You don’t need to be an expert in all these subjects. However, it’s helpful to know what to expect, so you’re not caught off guard. By practicing with a variety of topics ahead of time, you’ll be able to handle a more unusual passage—such as a poetry excerpt—with ease.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common passage types you’ll encounter:

Literature Excerpts : Passages from novels, short stories, plays (or even poetry!) are common, often focusing on character interactions, themes, or descriptive language.
History : These passages often include speeches, essays, or even excerpts from historical documents. Think of works by authors like Abraham Lincoln or excerpts from founding documents like the Declaration of Independence.
Two Passages : This type of question (also known as Cross-Text Connections) features two shorter passages on a similar theme, often with slightly different perspectives. You’ll need to compare the main ideas, evidence, or argumentative approaches between them.

Familiarizing yourself with these types of passages can help you feel more comfortable with the varied topics and writing styles you’ll see on the test. Practicing reading articles or excerpts within these categories can also give you a head start on managing different tones and structures.

2. Learn the Different Types of Question Stems So That You Can Plan Accordingly

Each question on the Digital SAT falls into specific categories, each requiring a different strategy. And each question type often has a unique stem that helps to identify it. You don’t necessarily need to memorize these, but they’ll become much more familiar as you do practice questions. Here are some example question types and sample stems:

Transitions : Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Command of Evidence : Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
Form, Structure, and Sense : Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

The better you can identify the question type, the better you can plan your approach. For example, let’s say you have a question with the stem “Which choice best describes the primary purpose of the passage?” This is a Central Idea question, so you’ll want to pay close attention to the entire passage and not focus on a single part.

Contrast that with this stem: According to the text, why does John mention “his terrible memory”? This is a Detail question where you can skim for that exact phrase in the text. The context will still be important, but you now have a specific portion of the text to find and analyze.

3. Pacing: Read Actively and Efficiently

On the SAT Reading & Writing section, you’ll have 64 minutes to complete 54 questions. This gives you about 1 minute and 10 seconds per each passage with its single question. This may seem generous, but the combination of shorter passages and a variety of question types makes efficient pacing essential.

The good news is that some questions, like vocabulary-in-context or grammar questions, can often be answered faster than more complex questions that ask about a central idea or evidence. By recognizing these quicker question types, you can save valuable seconds for tougher questions.

Regardless, you’ll want to practice active reading. Active reading means staying engaged with the passage and focusing on what matters for the question. Here’s how you can implement that effectively:

Improve your SAT score; start your Magoosh SAT prep today

Identify the Main Idea Quickly

For most passages, start by scanning for the main point. In many cases, the first sentence or the last sentence will give a good sense of what the passage is about. Try to summarize the main idea in a few words mentally, which will help you remember the focus as you answer the question.

Look for Keywords and Key Phrases

Keywords, especially names, dates, and terms related to the passage’s subject, are useful anchors. By mentally noting or lightly underlining these, you can easily refer back to important details if the question requires it.

Stay Alert for Transition Words

Transition words like “however,” “therefore,” “for example,” and “in contrast” signal shifts in tone, argument, or perspective. They’re important for understanding the flow of ideas and can be key to answering questions about structure or relationships between ideas.

4. The Most Important SAT Reading Tip: Context, Context, Context

Though this is fourth on the list, this is the most important SAT Reading tip and also the most important SAT Writing tip! On the Reading & Writing section, context is everything. Whether you’re asked to interpret a specific detail or apply a grammar rule, the right answer usually depends on understanding the broader context.

Why is context so important?

Clarifies Meaning

Words, phrases, and ideas often shift in meaning depending on their context. For example, a word like “charge” could mean a fee, an accusation, or an electrical property, depending on the passage. By looking at the surrounding text, you can better understand which meaning applies.

Informs Author’s Purpose and Tone

Understanding the context helps you identify why the author included a particular detail or chose a specific tone. For instance, if the passage critiques a policy, the tone might be subtly skeptical or even outright critical. If the passage promotes an idea, the tone may be enthusiastic or supportive. Recognizing this through context helps answer questions about tone, purpose, and perspective accurately.

Supports Inferences

Many questions require you to infer information that isn’t explicitly stated, which is only possible if you understand the broader context. If a question asks, “What can be inferred about the author’s view on the topic?” you’ll need to look at how the author frames the entire discussion—not just a single sentence or phrase.

Aids in Grammar and Structure Questions

Grammar questions, especially those about transitions, punctuation, and sentence placement, rely heavily on context to make sense. A transition word choice like “however” or “therefore” is only correct if it aligns with the relationship between ideas before and after it. Likewise, punctuation rules often depend on context: knowing where to place a comma or semicolon requires an understanding of how clauses relate to one another.

Overall, context is like a lens through which you view each question. It allows you to see connections, interpret meanings accurately, and make logical inferences—all of which are key to selecting the right answer.

5. Know Your Grammar Rules

There’s no way around this. To do well on SAT Writing questions, you have to know your grammar rules. Familiarize yourself with the core areas: punctuation, verb agreement, subject-pronoun agreement, parallel structure, and modifier placement. These rules make up the foundation for most writing questions, so knowing them inside and out is essential.

6. Read the Passage First or the Question? Experiment!

There’s no right answer here as it really depends on your preferences. You should experiment with both approaches and see which one you like the most and do the best with. You may even find that for some passage types you prefer reading the passage first whereas on other passage types you jump straight to the question.

Read the Question First : Many students find that reading the question first can help direct their focus on specific details or aspects of the passage. This approach can be efficient since the question will often point you to key information, allowing you to skim for that relevant part of the text. However, if it’s a question that asks you about the passage as a whole, then… well, you’re going to have to read the whole passage anyways!

Read the Passage First : This approach gives you the entire context, no matter what the question is. This way, you get a clear sense of the passage’s overall message or purpose, making it easier to answer broad questions. And then if the question asks you about a specific detail, you may already know the answer or know where to find it.

In the end, it’s really up to you. Try testing out both strategies to see which approach feels most comfortable and efficient.

7. Predict Your Answer Before Looking at the Answer Choices

Whether you read the passage first or the question first, the one thing you do not want to do is to read the answer choices first! Before looking at the answer options, try to come up with your own response. This approach prevents you from getting drawn into tempting trap answers that might seem right at first glance but don’t fully address the question. A solid prediction gives you a benchmark to compare with the choices, making it easier to eliminate incorrect answers. Even vague predictions are better than nothing!

Your prediction won’t always be right, but more often than not it will enable you to be successful. If you’re still stuck after reading the answer choices, revisit your prediction. Ask yourself which choice is closest to your prediction and go with that one.

8. Get Familiar with Common Wrong Answer Traps

Wrong answers are traps made to appear correct. Here are the most common traps you’ll see on the SAT Reading questions:

Too broad : The answer choice is technically correct, but it fails to capture the meaning or content of the passage.
Too narrow : The answer choice contains a detail or idea that is mentioned in the passage but can’t be generalized to the whole passage.
Too extreme : The answer is overwhelmingly positive/negative or states/implies that something is “all”, “none”, “never”, “every”, etc.
Half right, half wrong : It is correct about one detail but incorrect about another.
One word off : The answer is almost perfect, but one word ruins it.
Wrong detail : It misattributes something mentioned in the passage.
Opposite : The answer has a sneaky “not” thrown in, or it’s correctly answering the wrong question (e.g., in “EXCEPT” questions).

Understanding these traps can help you eliminate incorrect answers more confidently and make smarter guesses if needed.

9. When in Doubt, Choose the “Boring” Answer

Correct answers are rarely extreme in their implications or their tone, so pick the answer that is the least assertive and/or most neutral. If there’s a passage that you’re just not getting, or if you’re running low on time, you can use the process of elimination to increase your chances. Eliminate anything that isn’t “boring” enough.

10. One Final SAT Reading Tip: Practice Reading in General

One of the most effective ways to prepare for the Reading & Writing section of the SAT is to build a strong reading habit well before test day. Regular reading helps improve comprehension, vocabulary, and familiarity with different types of writing, all of which contribute to stronger performance on the SAT. Here’s how general reading can support your SAT success:

Improves Vocabulary and Word Recognition

Reading regularly exposes you to a wide range of vocabulary in natural contexts, helping you understand word meanings, connotations, and nuances without memorizing long lists of definitions. By improving your vocabulary through reading, when you then come across challenging words on the SAT, you’ll be more likely to understand or deduce their meanings based on prior exposure. Besides, the SAT doesn’t heavily test vocabulary, so you don’t want to devote a lot of time studying it.

Strengthens Comprehension Skills

By reading different types of materials—like articles, essays, novels, and scientific journals—you’ll develop the ability to quickly grasp main ideas, interpret details, and understand the purpose and structure of texts. These are all skills that the SAT Reading & Writing section tests.

Familiarizes You with Varied Writing Styles and Structures

SAT passages cover a variety of genres and topics. Regularly reading different genres builds your familiarity with diverse writing styles and structures. This makes it easier to adapt to different passage types on the test.

Increases Reading Speed and Focus

Reading more frequently helps improve your reading speed and focus, which are essential for the timed SAT. When you’re used to processing complex texts efficiently, you’ll be able to read actively and keep a steady pace during the test.

Develops Critical Thinking Skills

Reading actively involves making predictions, asking questions, and drawing inferences—all skills that are key to tackling SAT questions effectively. When you read thoughtfully, you get into the habit of analyzing texts on a deeper level. That will make it easier to answer questions about the author’s tone, purpose, and argument.

Builds Endurance for Longer Reading Sessions

The SAT requires sustained concentration, and a habit of reading for longer periods can help you build the mental endurance needed for test day. Though the passages on the Digital SAT are short, there’s still a lot of them.

By reading broadly and often, you’ll strengthen the very skills that the SAT measures, making it one of the most effective ways to prepare.

Closing Thoughts

Those are my top recommended SAT Reading & Writing tips to help you prepare efficiently for the test. By practicing these strategies, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle each question on the test with confidence.

For more help and practice with the SAT Reading & Writing section—and the Math section as well—take a look at a Magoosh SAT Premium plan . Magoosh has lessons covering all the content and strategies you need to know for the exam, along with plenty of practice questions and practice tests. Happy studying!

Taryn is a UCSD graduate with a degree in Developmental Psychology, and she plans to study Biology in graduate school. She has over a decade of experience tutoring both high school and college students. Some of her favorite topics are math, science, writing, and music!

View all posts

is a 6 on the sat essay good

IMAGES

COMMENTS

SAT Essay Scores Explained

Why are there no percentiles for the essay on an SAT score report?

How has scoring changed? Is it still part of a student’s Total Score?

Readers avoid extremes

What is a good SAT Essay score?

The role of luck

What do colleges expect?

How will colleges use the domain scores?

How low is too low?

Will colleges continue to require the SAT Essay?

Should I skip the essay entirely?

Should I prepare for the SAT Essay?

Will I be able to see my essay?

Will colleges have access to my essay? Even if they don’t require it?

Is the SAT Essay a reason to take the ACT instead?

Key links in this post:

About Art Sawyer

Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Previous Post SAT Subject Tests FAQ

Get Your Free Compass Prep SAT Guide!

6 on the SAT Essay (Otherwise Good)

POPULAR STATES

CONNECT WITH US

What Is a Good SAT Essay Score?

Academic Writing Is Objective

A Good SAT Score Isn’t an Absolute Number

Dimension One: Earning a Good SAT Essay Reading Subscore

Dimension Two: Earning a Good SAT Essay Analysis Subscore

Dimension Three: Earning a Good SAT Essay Writing Subscore

Practice Makes Perfect

What is a Good Score on the SAT Essay?

Get a higher SAT Essay score - fast - with our instant-download complete course.

What is a Good SAT Essay Score?

What is the SAT Essay?

How is Your SAT Essay Scored?

What is an Average SAT Essay Score?

What is a Bad SAT Essay Score?

Is the SAT Essay Section Required?

Does Your SAT Essay Score Even Matter?

How Do You Get a Good Score on Your SAT Essay?

Get Higher SAT Essay Scores Today!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Online Courses and Books

Is 6 a good SAT score?

6 SAT Score Standings

Top Choice Colleges Chances

Other Schools For You

See a Different SAT Score

If You Liked Our Advice...

What Is a Good SAT Score?

Featured Online Programs

What Is a Good SAT Score Overall?

SAT Score Percentiles

What Is a Good SAT Score Based on Your Schools?

Good SAT Scores for 15 Popular Colleges

What Is a Good SAT Essay Score?

Expert Advice: How to Improve SAT Scores Q&A

Q: What’s your advice for getting into an Ivy League school?

Q: How long should I study for the SAT to get my best score?

Q: What are my next steps?

Explore More College Resources

What Is a Bad SAT Score — And Should I Worry About Mine?

All About SAT Scores: National Average and Full Statistics

Average ACT Score

What's a Good SAT Score?

A Good SAT Score for College Admissions

SAT Percentiles

Recommendations to Improve Your SAT Score

13 Test Prep Tips for SAT and ACT Takers

You May Also Like

Weighing LSAT Test Prep Options

Data Privacy Tips for College Students

Preparing for Your First Job Post-Grad

5 Ways to Decrease Medical School Costs

Graduate School with Student Loan Debt

Colleges With Dog Mascots

15 Scholarships to Help Pay for College

Questions for Med School Social Events

Schools for International Students