Essay: Building a Scored, Timed Persuasive Response
What the readers reward
The Essay portion is a timed, on-demand piece of persuasive or expository writing scored holistically. Readers weigh four qualities: a clear central claim (focus), a logical plan (organization), specific support (development), and control of standard written English (conventions). Length only helps when it carries content, so a tight four- or five-paragraph essay beats a padded one.
Budget roughly five minutes to plan, thirty minutes to draft, and five minutes to proofread. In your introduction, state the issue and end with a thesis that names your position and previews two or three reasons. Each body paragraph should open with a topic sentence tied to one reason, supply a concrete example (a specific scenario, experience, or hypothetical case), and close with a sentence explaining why that example proves the point. The conclusion restates the thesis in fresh wording and adds a brief implication.
Traps that cost points
Retelling the prompt instead of taking a position; leaning on "everyone knows" generalities; listing reasons without developing any of them; ignoring the obvious counterargument; drifting off topic in the final paragraph; and filling space with memorized phrases that fit no prompt.
Rule of thumb
Before drafting, write your thesis plus three reason phrases on scratch paper. If a paragraph you are writing cannot open with one of those reasons, cut the paragraph.
Worked example
A prompt asks whether high schools should require community service. Weak thesis: "Community service is a topic many people discuss." Strong thesis: "High schools should require community service because it builds workplace skills, exposes students to diverse communities, and strengthens local neighborhoods." One body paragraph then develops each reason with a single named example.