Brainstorming

Step Two: Brainstorming the topic: you will only have 5 minutes for this on the exam! Be sure to manage your time! (Trick #2)

TRICK #2: You should PRACTICE writing essays in 25 minutes! Here is how to distribute your time on the test.

Brainstorming/note taking: 3 minutes

Outlining: (TRICK 5) 3 minutes

Drafting: 9 minutes

SKIP PAGES AND LINES! (TRICKS 3 & #4)

Editing: 5 minutes

Proofreading: 5 minutes

DO NOT EXPECT A HIGH SCORE IF YOU SKIP THIS LAST STEP!

Brainstorming the topic: What does this mean? Look it up! It means to create a storm in your brain: to think, devise, dream up, come up with or suggest ideas. This is a thinking stage. You should freely associate ideas in your mind concerning the topic you are writing about. It is helpful to jot down ideas and thoughts; sometimes the act of writing down an idea can lead to another one, and so on.

The Topic of the SAT essay is all important. You will want to answer the question or discuss the issue directly.

In a college class, common experiences, for example, (an article, a film, or a book) are shared and discussed by the students. This provides for brainstorming.

It is always helpful to discuss ideas for your essay with a friend, another student, a co-worker or a family member. On the test, however, you must think by yourself.

For example, suppose you were to brainstorm regarding an essay about writing your own ‘Declaration of Independence’ as a student.

You might think about what things you would want to see done differently on campus. Students often raise issues such as the cost of textbooks in the bookstore, the quality of food in the cafeteria or the accessibility of computer stations.

Then you might list some of the ways these things could be improved. These thoughts could become the basis for your essay. Try it!

The more essays you write, the easier it will become, so take a moment to write.

For the SAT, you will have only 5 minutes to think freely about the topic. So, while brainstorming, take notes.

Write down whatever comes to mind and keep writing for the entire 5 minutes (or until you have a sufficient number of ideas to continue.)

You might want to ask yourself questions about the topic, such as: (Please click on the underlined links for more information):

What is the topic? Do you need to define any terms?

Are there any causal relationships among the ideas you are brainstorming?

Is there a political, social or economic perspective from which to consider this topic?

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