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Elena
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| Posted: May 04 2007 at 7:03am | IP Logged
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I thought this was sad!
By Ethan Campbell - an Excerpt
"Kaplan's guide to the 2007 SAT, on the other hand, says that the 25-minute essay "should range between 300 to 400 words . . . If your essay is too short, no matter how well written, it could mean the difference between a low 3 or 4 and a 5 or 6" (italics mine). Length, it turns out, is the single most important factor in determining a standardized essay's grade. In a New York Times article last year, an M.I.T. professor claimed the ability to determine SAT essay scores from across the room, without reading a single word. Backtracking to make judicious cuts, as I did, is roundly condemned by every guide as a cardinal sin.
I tell my students, "Don't write according to a formula. There are many different ways to structure an essay, and the one you choose should depend on its context, content, and voice." The Sparknotes guide to the SAT says, "No matter what topic you end up writing about, the organization of your essay should be the same." The SAT's preferred method of organization, as anyone who's endured an AP English class will tell you, is the white-bread five-paragraph essay: introductory paragraph, thesis statement, three paragraphs of evidence, and a conclusion restating the thesis. A quick survey of the op-ed pages of every major newspaper in America reveals that approximately zero percent of professional writers actually use this persuasive strategy. But Sparknotes proposes no alternative. My structural choice, a series of short, related anecdotes hinting at a broader abstract concept, is not worthy of mention.
When my students make grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes, I subtract points from their grades. Too many mistakes, and they fail. The first page of the writing test guidelines on the GRE Web site says, "Spelling or grammatical errors will not affect your score." The SAT's official guidelines, to their credit, claim that spelling and syntax will play a "minor role" in the graders' determinations, but it was hard to see them playing any role at all in the 20 top-scoring SAT essays released by the College Board this past August. Many contained glaring spelling errors that would have drawn red marks from any self-respecting copy editor: "percieve," "hinderance," "elluded," etc. My own attention to grammatical detail, while relatively automatic, may have drawn my attention away from more important matters . . . like writing as many words as possible regardless of quality."
See the entire article
here
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Elena
Wife to Peter, mom of many!
My Domestic Church
One Day at a Time
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: May 04 2007 at 8:44am | IP Logged
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Yuck!
My dd will be taking the SAT tomorrow. And writing as many words as she can, as fast as she can. 
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Theresa
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marihalojen
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| Posted: May 04 2007 at 9:05am | IP Logged
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That is absolutely crazy! 
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The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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rose gardens
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| Posted: May 08 2007 at 4:32pm | IP Logged
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Well now, that explains my oldest's son's score. He writes fairly succinctly. I consider that a strong point of his, but apparently that backfires on the SAT score. He scored very well overall in everything else, but his essay was rated merely average. Oh, thank goodness he's an "average" writer! Perhaps college selection boards know this little secret about SAT grading--or is that asking too much?
Now, the questions I ask myself: Should I keep writing a long verbose post with lots of typos that no one will notice because they won't read my post, with the hope you will all think me brilliant because I went on and on about something meaningless? Or should I stop writing, review my previous paragraph for errors and edit it for ease of reading, then some intellectual snobs may think I'm a simpleton who doesn't know how to write well since I didn't say things in complex ways that are difficult to comprehend without getting a headache. Oh, what to do? What to do? I so much want you all to think I'm smart so my son can get into a good college. But I don't want to bore people by endlessly droning on about nonsense....
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: May 08 2007 at 6:15pm | IP Logged
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rose gardens wrote:
Now, the questions I ask myself: Should I keep writing a long verbose post with lots of typos that no one will notice because they won't read my post, with the hope you will all think me brilliant because I went on and on about something meaningless? Or should I stop writing, review my previous paragraph for errors and edit it for ease of reading, then some intellectual snobs may think I'm a simpleton who doesn't know how to write well since I didn't say things in complex ways that are difficult to comprehend without getting a headache. Oh, what to do? What to do? I so much want you all to think I'm smart so my son can get into a good college. But I don't want to bore people by endlessly droning on about nonsense.... |
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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TracyQ
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| Posted: May 15 2007 at 8:25am | IP Logged
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My son just took his first SAT May 5th, so we haven't yet received his scores. I didn't know any of this BEFORE he took the test. I have no clue now what to think when he receives his score.
I did hear though that colleges aren't yet even really looking at the essay portion anyway at this point, so it may not be important yet. I heard that from many people, that because it's so new still, it's in the experimental stage, and they aren't really using it in their determination.
Colleges require an essay in the application process. I heard they look at that writing more in determining how well a student can or cannot write.
Sheesh! I wonder about this entire process upon which we're beginning to embark.        
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Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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marihalojen
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| Posted: May 15 2007 at 9:02am | IP Logged
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Just found this SAT Exam Study Center to use instead of purchasing books or materials.
Lots of areas to explore.
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: An article on the SAT essay
