sat prompts collection 2011-2013

8/13/2019 SAT Prompts Collection 2011-2013

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October 2013

If you took the October 2013 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Most people think that contentmentbeing happy with the way things areis the perfect state

of affairs. After all, what could be better than being so satisfied with how things are that you

don't want anything else? But contentment has disadvantages: if we are content with the way

things are, we are not motivated to change things, to improve ourselves, or to do better. We musttherefore always choose between being content and pushing ourselves to do better.

Assignment:

Does being content with the way things are prevent people from improving themselves and doingbetter? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support

your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or

observations.

Prompt 2


Privacy was once valued and protected. Diaries came with locks to keep the writers privatelyrecorded thoughts from being read by others. Public telephones were enclosed in booths so that

conversations would not be overheard. But now people feel free to post information about

themselves on social networking Web sites and carry on cell phone conversations in publicplaces. We would be much better off if we valued privacyour own and that of othersfar

more highly than we do.

Assignment:

Do we place too little value on privacy? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point

of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from yourreading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 3


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Assignment:

Is it possible for a society to be fair to everyone? Plan and write an essay in which you developyour point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from

your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 2


Many colleges now offer courses in which students study television programs, comic books,

magazines, advertising, and other aspects of popular culture. Critics complain that schoolsshould not replace serious literature and history courses with such fluff. They claim that courses

in popular culture present material that is trivial and inconsequential. But the study of popular

culture can be just as important, demanding, and instructive as the study of traditional subjects.

Assignment:

Can the study of popular culture be as valuable as the study of traditional literary and historical

subjects? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support

your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, orobservations.

Prompt 3


Many voters think that integrity and character are the most important qualifications for political

office. I disagree. Integritythe quality of standing up for the same values in every situationis

not a good qualification for getting people to work together. Strongly held morals may make acandidate too inflexible and incapable of negotiation. And if character were really so important,

candidates would be judged by their personal relationships rather than by their ability to deal

with a community's or a nation's problems.

Adapted from Stanley Fish, "Integrity or Craft: The Leadership Question"

Assignment:


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Is strong moral character the most important qualification for a leader? Plan and write an essay in

which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and

examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

May 2013

If you took the May 2013 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts below:

Prompt 1


People use the term "wisdom" to mean many things. They describe someone as wise if that

person is intelligent, well-informed, or capable of making good decisions. These descriptions,

however, are not really useful in distinguishing wise people from unwise ones. Happiness is abetter measure of wisdom: a wise person is a happy person. Even the most intelligent people

should not be called wise if they are not happy.

Assignment:

Is it best to determine how wise people are by how happy they are? Plan and write an essay inwhich you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and


Prompt 2


We live in an era of individualism. The individual is celebrated and praised in every wayforbeing special and creative, for making an original contribution, for competing with others to be

the best. Nowadays individualism is a guiding idea for many people and has many benefits. But

focusing on individuals has caused us to neglect our sense of community, our feeling that we arepart of a harmonious group. The importance of belonging to a community has been forgotten.

Adapted from Piero Ferrucci, The Power of Kindness

Assignment:

Has the emphasis on individualism in our society caused people to forget the importance ofbelonging to a community? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on

this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,experience, or observations.

Prompt 3


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Are people likely to be dissatisfied rather than content once they have achieved their goals? Plan

and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position

with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 3


Even on unimportant matters, many people so fear conflict with those in positions of leadershipor authority that they willingly suppress or deny their own thoughts and ideas. We cannot

criticize people who feel this way. After all, in most cases, those in leadership positions are

entitled to some respect in their decision-making role. More likely, however, people remain

silentthey do not oppose people in authoritysimply because they do not want to beconsidered "troublemakers."

Adapted from Derrick Bell,Ethical Ambition

Assignment:

Are people too willing to agree with those in charge? Plan and write an essay in which you

develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examplestaken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

November 2012

If you took the November 2012 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1

Think carefully about the issue presented in thed the assignment below.

Stories about the great achievements of others, from athletic championships to scientific or

artistic breakthroughs, often inspire people to make great achievements of their own. Such

stories, however, do not reflect the fact that real progress is more often a gradual processconsisting of many small improvements than the direct result of a single great act. People wouldprobably achieve more if they were encouraged to aim for small accomplishments rather than for

great achievements.

Assignment:


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Is it better to aim for small accomplishments instead of great achievements? Plan and write an

essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with

reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 3


Most of us value sincerityopen, honest communication and behavior. We try hard to be sincerewith others, and we expect others to be just as open and honest with us. Sincerity can be a

problem, however, when by expressing our true thoughts and feelings we might offend others. At

such times, it is often better for us to pretend to agree with others rather than take the risk of

provoking feelings of anger or resentment.

Assignment:

Is it better for people to agree with others, even if doing so means being insincere? Plan and

write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position withreasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

June 2012

If you took the June 2012 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts below:

Prompt 1


We would like to think that progress causes problems to be solved completely, and sometimesthat happens. For example, some diseases that once posed a serious threat are no longer a

problem, thanks to modern medicine. Some problems can be solved, and they go away. But as

often as not, problems exist in a chain of cause and effect: for each problem solved, a new onedevelops.

Adapted from Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While PeopleFeel Worse

Assignment:

Does progress reduce the number of problems in the world, or does solving old problems just

lead to new ones? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience,

or observations.


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Prompt 2


Too often, people fail to solve problems because they focus only on the problems, thinking that if

they study a problem, it will eventually suggest its own solution. Instead, they should remember

their past successes and retrace their steps by analyzing what they did or did not do in similar

situations in the past. It is often said that there is no formula for success, but if people would onlyfocus on repeating the specific actions that worked for them before, they would surely succeed

again.

Assignment:

Are people likely to succeed by repeating actions that worked for them in the past? Plan and

write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with


Prompt 3


The word "uncompromising" is often used as a compliment, especially when it describes

someone who is completely dedicated to certain principles and values. Uncompromising people

have indeed recorded great achievements. But being uncompromising is not always a virtue.People who are uncompromising tend not to consider other people's views, seeing themselves as

right and everyone else as wrong. All in all, it is better to be flexible and make compromises.

Assignment:

Are people more likely to achieve their goals by being flexible or by refusing to compromise?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your

position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or

observations.


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Prompt 4


Most people try to be fair to others and respect their opinions. It is sometimes difficult, however,

to be open to and accepting of all opinions, especially when the people expressing them are

obviously uninformed or mean-spirited. It is more important to point out to others what they aredoing and saying wrong than to try to tolerate every opinion.

Assignment:

Should people respect and tolerate everyone's opinions, or should people take a stand against

opinions they consider to be wrong? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point ofview on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,

studies, experience, or observations.

May 2012


Prompt 1


People talk too much about their feelings. They share their deepest secrets and innermost

thoughts on television talk shows. They write revealing autobiographies. They buy books that

advise them ubheading">Assignment:

Should people accept unfairness and find ways to make the best of it? Plan and write an essay inwhich you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and


Prompt 3


No amount of wealth can help humanity move forward and make progress, even under the

management of the most dedicated and socially conscious workers. Money leads only to


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selfishness and becomes an irresistible temptation to its owners to abuse it. The only thing that

can lead people to praiseworthy ideas and noble deeds is to follow the example of those great

individuals who put other factors before money.

Adapted from Albert Einstein in Alice Calaprice, The New Quotable Einstein

Assignment:

Does money lead to selfishness? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of

view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,


Prompt 4


Advertisements provide information about available products and services. Many people argue,

however, that something else is going on: advertisements try to convince people that when theybuy things, they are also buying satisfaction and happiness. Advertisements merely fool people

into believing that the next "new and improved" product will make their lives better, and the

result is that people are even more unhappy and dissatisfied than they would have been withoutthe advertisements.

Assignment:

Do advertisements contribute to unhappiness and dissatisfaction? Plan and write an essay in

which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning andexamples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

March 2012

If you took the March 2012 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1


Mistakes we have made in the past are supposed to make us wiser, stronger, and better able to

deal with the future. This approach suggests that we should continue to focus on our mistakes,

that we should remember them, no matter how painful or embarrassing to us they may be. But


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nothing is to be gained by concerning ourselves with old mistakes. We should forget them as

soon as possible.

Assignment:

Is it best to forget about past mistakes as soon as possible? Plan and write an essay in which youdevelop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples

taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 2


We all have "authorities"experts and specialists, from authors to doctors to politicianswho

seem to dictate our lives and determine our futures. In the best of circumstances, these authorities

can make us feel safe. They make our decisions for us. They look out for our interests. Or so wehope. But not everyone we consider an authority is deserving of our trust.

Adapted from Douglas Rushkoff, Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say

Assignment:

Do people put too much trust in the guidance of experts and authorities? Plan and write an essay

in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and


Prompt 3


The word "tradition" seems innocent enough; we associate it with holiday observations and

customs practiced by our ancestors. But tradition, or at least the belief in it, is a trap. At everylevel, from the individual to the national, tradition is simply an excuse for doing things the way

they have always been done, even if that way makes no sense or causes harm to others.


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Adapted from Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn By Living

Assignment:

Is it always harmful for an individual to think and live as other people do? Plan and write an

essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position withreasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 2


Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change theworld. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." However, it is hard to believe that just a few

people can make a significant difference. Given the many great challenges that the world faces, it

seems impossible to change anything for the better unless one can attract a lot of people andspend a lot of money.

Assignment:

Can a small group of concerned individuals have a significant impact on the world? Plan and

write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position withreasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 3


We all know idealistspeople who have goals that are noble but often impractical. We also

know realistspeople who limit their goals to achievements that they are likely to accomplishand who only make plans that are practical and manageable. While it is true that practical people

often accomplish their individual goals, humanity as a whole has more to gain from the idealistic

dreamers.


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Assignment:

Do idealists contribute more to the world than realists do? Plan and write an essay in which youdevelop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples


SAT Essay Prompt November 2011

If you took the November 2011 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1


It has been said that "All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."

This statement suggests that people should do more than merely think about themselves and afew others, that they should feel responsible for issues and concerns that affect the larger societyor community. But aren't most people already doing a lot more than "nothing" by taking

responsibility for their own well-being and that of their families and friends?

Assignment:

Should individuals take responsibility for issues and problems that do not affect them directly?

Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support yourposition with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or

observations.

Prompt 2


All communities and groups have reliable rules of right and wrong in the form of laws, values,and social standards. It is therefore generally assumed that most people know the differencebetween right and wrong and that they usually know the right thing to do. This view is simplistic,

however. People often find themselves in complex situations for which no rule provides adequate

guidance and the right course of action is unclear.

Assignment:


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Is it often difficult for people to determine what is the right thing to do? Plan and write an essay

in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and


Prompt 3


When judging ourselves, we tend to consider our motives as well as our actions. If we mean to

do something that will benefit others but our actions have hurtful consequences, we may feel that

our good intentions are just as important as the effects of our actions. But we give our intentionstoo much credit. Actions can and should be judged on their own merits, regardless of whatmotivated someone to take them in the first place.

Assignment:

Are the consequences of people's actions more important than the motives behind the actions?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your

position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, orobservations.

Prompt 4


It is often observed that some sense of unease or dissatisfaction with oneself or one's

circumstances, some self-criticism, is absolutely necessary for people to move forward and makeany kind of progress or change. But optimisma feeling of confidence that one's actions will besuccessful and will pay off in the futureis even more important. If people are not optimistic,

what motivation will they have to change?

Adapted from Richard B. McKenzie, The Paradox of Progress

Assignment:


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Are optimistic, confident people more likely than others to make changes in their lives? Plan and



SAT Essay Prompt October 2011

If you took the October 2011 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1


Discipline is a negative word for many people because it is associated with rigorous training,strict rules, and strong self-control. But we fail to realize that freedom comes only through

discipline. Discipline compels us to sacrifice immediate rewards and pleasures, but it also gives

our lives structure and prevents us from making costly mistakes. It keeps us from being subjectto our impulses and weaknesses and thus frees us to achieve our true goals.

Assignment:

Do people need discipline to achieve freedom? Plan and write an essay in which you develop

your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken fromyour reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 2


We are often encouraged to stop worrying about making mistakes and advised not to dwell onthose we have already made. But without analyzing mistakesdecisions and actions that made a

project fail, for instancehow can anyone be successful? Besides, there are some well-known

mistakes others have made that seem worth studying carefully. Perhaps these mistakes couldhave been prevented if those responsible had been more concerned about making mistakes in thefirst place.

Assignment:


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Are people better off if they do not listen to criticism? Plan and write an essay in which you

develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples


SAT Essay Prompt June 2011

If you took the June 2011 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts below:

Prompt 1


People assume that every accomplishmenteach step in what we call progresswill lead to the

solution to a problem and will help them reach the goal of understanding themselves and theworld around them. In reality, however, each new answer provokes additional questions and each

fresh discovery uncovers further complications. Every accomplishment leads to further

problems, added responsibilities, more complications, and new challenges.

Assignment:

Does every achievement bring with it new challenges? Plan and write an essay in which you

develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples


Prompt 2


Loyalty is a virtue that is encouraged and rewarded in every aspect of our lives. We are,

therefore, loyal to our families, our teams, our schools, and our countries. But too often loyalty isblind: by automatically identifying ourselves with a group and accepting its values as our own,

we avoid taking responsibility for our own thoughts and actions.

Assignment:

Does accepting the values of a group allow people to avoid taking responsibility for their ownthoughts and actions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this

issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,

experience, or observations.


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Prompt 3


A requirement for membership in any group is conformity. Members must agree on such vital

issues as how decisions will be made, who will serve as leaders, and how much freedom group

members will have. The quality of decision making, however, is better when groups encourage

nonconformity and disagreement among their members. Although it sometimes creates disorderand conflict, disagreement may prevent powerful majorities from making mistakes.

Assignment:

Do groups that encourage nonconformity and disagreement function better than those thatdiscourage it? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.

Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience,

or observations.

May 2011


Prompt 1


Most of us tend to find rules, limits, and restraints irritating. We want to be free of anything that

limits our choices. But limitations protect us. Without limitations on our behavior, too many ofus will act without regard to the consequences for ourselves, for others, and for the future.

Limitations contribute to, rather than take away from, our overall happiness.

Assignment:

Do rules and limitations contribute to a person's happiness? Plan and write an essay in which youdevelop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples



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Prompt 2


People today seem to spend most of their free time being passively entertained: they just sit on

the couch and watch movies or television or sporting events. This is mainly because they use upall their energy at work or at school. If they had more time and energy to devote to activities

outside of work or school, you can be sure they would enjoy more creative and active pursuits

during their free time.

Assignment:

If people worked less, would they be more creative and active during their free time? Plan and



Prompt 3


While serious thinking about important matters may disturb people in the short term, it benefits

them immeasurably in the long term. Only by confronting unpleasant truths and by weighing

both sides of complex issues can people understand the factswhether in history, politics,literature, or their own livesand make appropriate decisions. People may find it difficult, or

uncomfortable, to think seriously about important matters, but not doing so means that they are

leading lives without meaning or purpose.

Assignment:

Does every individual have an obligation to think seriously about important matters, even when

doing so may be difficult? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view onthis issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,experience, or observations.


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Prompt 4


Many people think that success is impossible without help and support from others. They believe

that even the strongest and most successful leaders need advisers to define their goals, andfollowers to carry out their plans. Real success, however, cannot be claimed by those who need

others to solve their problems and help them confront obstacles. Only those whose

accomplishments are truly their own can claim to be successful.

Assignment:

Is real success achieved only by people who accomplish goals and solve problems on their own?

Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your

position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, orobservations.

March 2011

If you took the March 2011 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1


Reality television programs, which feature real people engaged in real activities rather than

professional actors performing scripted scenes, are increasingly popular. These shows depict

ordinary people competing in everything from singing and dancing to losing weight, or justliving their everyday lives. Most people believe that the reality these shows portray is authentic,

but they are being misled. How authentic can these shows be when producers design challenges

for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?

Assignment:

Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of

entertainment harmful? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on thisissue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,experience, or observations.


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Prompt 2


Photographs are very much a part of our daily lives. They show us faraway places, things to buy,

important people and happenings, and sometimes just the ordinary. These pictures seem likefrozen moments of real life. Cameras do copy what is in front of the lens, and so, in that sense,

photographs show us what is real. They are at the same time, however, creations of the artist's

intentions and unconscious mind.

Adapted from Leslie Sills,In Real Life: Six Women Photographers

Assignment:

Are photographs straightforward representations of real life, or are they artistic creationsreflecting the photographer's point of view? Plan and write an essay in which you develop yourpoint of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your

reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 3


When we are young, we learn from parents and teachers that we should wait patiently for what

we want. Few people would dispute the wisdom or truth of this teaching. Our society, however,

with its mad rush and hurry and its insistence on instant gratification and quick responses,encourages and rewards impatience. Experience teaches us that we should not and do not have to

wait.

Assignment:

Is it better for people to act quickly and expect quick responses from others rather than to waitpatiently for what they want? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view

on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,


January 2011


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If you took the Jaunary 2011 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts

below:

Prompt 1


Idealistic people, people who pursue great ideas in hopes of changing the world, often have

ambitious plans that are difficult or even impossible to carry out. These people can claim fewsolid accomplishments. In contrast, practical people concentrate on workable ideas and goals,

even though these may not meet an idealist's high standards. Their approach is likely to be more

valuable than the approach of idealistic people.

Assignment:

Is an idealistic approach less valuable than a practical approach? Plan and write an essay in


Prompt 2


People generally put more trust in what they have learned for themselves than in what they learn

from others. Few people, however, are really motivated to learn anything on their own. They aremuch more apt to learn when others are willing to teach them. Even though learning from others

means occasionally learning things that are not useful or important, people are still better off

when they learn from others

Assignment:

Is it better for people to learn from others than to learn on their own? Plan and write an essay in



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Prompt 3


Too many people do not consider their task or project complete or acceptable until every detail

has been done right. Fortunately, such people have not always had their way, since nothingwould ever be completed if we had to check every detail before we could consider our work

done. In fact, none of the world's greatest accomplishments would have been made, because

none of them is perfect in every detail.

Assignment:

Do people put too much importance on getting every detail right on a project or task? Plan and



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