SAT Essay Questions Prompt: "That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value." Thomas Paine Assignment: Do we value only what we struggle for? Plan your response, response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, literature, science.)
Prompt: If we are afraid to reveal our lack of knowledge we will not be able to learn. In order to make progress we must admit where we are now. Such an admission of ignorance is not easy. As Thoreau says, “How can we remember our ignorance which our growth requires, when we are using our knowledge all the time?” Assignment: Does the present system of education encourage us to admit our lack of knowledge, or is there too much pressure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: “A little inaccuracy saves a world of explanation.” C.E.Ayers Assignment: Is it always essential to tell the truth, or are there circumstances circumstances in which it is better to lie? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt:
Many societies believe that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human right. But it is also true that attainment of happiness remains elusive. Perhaps Bertrand Russell had it right when he said, “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” Assignment: What gives us more pleasure and satisfaction: the pursuit of our desires or the attainment of them? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill Assignment: Do we expect too much from our public figures? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: “A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” Alexander Pope Assignment: Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: “What man calls civilization always results in deserts. Man is never on the square – he uses up the fat and greenery of the earth. Each generation wastes a little more of the future with greed and lust for riches.” Don Marquis Assignment: With our modern awareness of ecology are we likely to make
sufficient progress in conservation, or are we still in danger of damaging the earth beyond repair? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: A man who waits to believe in action before acting is anything you like, but he is not a man of action. It is as if a tennis player before returning the ball stopped to think about his views of the physical and mental advantages of tennis. You must act as you breathe. Georges Clemenceau Assignment: Is it true that acting quickly and instinctively is the best response to a crisis? Or are there times when an urgent situation requires a more careful consideration and a slower response? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: There is usually a kernel of truth in the words Oscar Wilde puts in the mouth of his most outrageous characters – they wouldn’t be funny otherwise. One such gem that is worth pondering is: The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself. Assignment: Is it true that when we most need advice we are least willing to listen to it? Or is good advice always welcome? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt: “Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” Bernard Shaw expected to provoke controversy with these words, but I would agree with him that these days there is too much emphasis on independence. While it is certainly true that excessive dependence on others is not a sign of maturity, total independence of others is neither attainable nor desirable: we need to be mature, and
unselfish enough to recognize our interdependence. Assignment: Do we put too much emphasis on self-reliance and independence, and are we afraid of admitting that we need other people in our lives? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Experience • Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect? • Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are? • Do incidents from the past continue to influence the present? • Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way? • Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? • Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties? • Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? • Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills? Hard Work • Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves? • Do highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves? • Is persistence more important than ability in determining a person's success? • Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves? • Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else? • Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune? • Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving? • Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's circumstances? • Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic?
• Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect? • Is it sometimes better to take risks than to follow a more reasonable course of action? Winning • When some people win, must others lose, or are there situations in which everyone wins? • Do people place too much emphasis on winning? • Do people learn more from losing than from winning? • Is the effort involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached? Happiness • Do people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have? • Does fame bring happiness, or are people who are not famous more likely to be happy? • Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy? • Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness? • Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well? • Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy? • Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control? Popular Views • Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned? • Is it better for a society when people act as individuals rather than copying the ideas and opinions of others? • Are widely held views often wrong, or are such views more likely to be correct? • Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals? • Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of
others? • Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems? • Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress? • Can people ever be truly original? • Is it always best to determine one's own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd? • Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different? • Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others? • Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people? • Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority? • Do we tend to accept the opinions of others instead of developing our own independent ideas? Teamwork • Is it necessary for people to combine their efforts with those of others in order to be most effective? • Is compromise always the best way to resolve a conflict? • Can a group of people function effectively without someone being in charge? • Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition? Making Decisions • Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions? • Does planning interfere with creativity? • Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it best for them to stick with their original decisions? • Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions made slowly and carefully? Heroes • Should we limit our use of the term "courage" to acts in which
people risk their own well-being for the sake of others or to uphold a value? • Should we admire heroes but not celebrities? • Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes? Ethics • Does being ethical make it hard to be successful? • Are people's actions motivated primarily by a desire for power over others? • Should people always be loyal? • Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth? • Is it important to try to understand people's motivations before judging their actions? • Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not— sometimes have good results? • Are established rules too limited to guide people in real-life situations? • Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues? Social • Is it sometimes necessary to be impolite? • Do all established traditions deserve to remain in existence? • Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us? • Should modern society be criticized for being materialistic? • Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general? Technology • Has today's abundance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the world around us? • Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression? • Are there benefits to be gained from avoiding the use of modern technology, even when using it would make life easier? • Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?
• Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past? • Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people's lives? • Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit? • Is education primarily the result of influences other than school? • Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment? • Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject? • Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people? June 2009 1. Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect? 2. Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves? 3. Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned? 4. When some people win, must others lose, or are there situations in which everyone wins? May 2009 1. Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are? 2. Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions? 3. Has today's abundance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the world around us? March 2009 1. Does being ethical make it hard to be successful? 2. Is it sometimes necessary to be impolite? 3. Should we limit our use of the term "courage" to acts in which people risk their own well-being for the sake of others or to uphold a value?
January 2009 1. Does planning interfere with creativity? 2. Do highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves? 3. Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it best for them to stick with their original decisions? December 2008 1. Is persistence more important than ability in determining a person's success? 2. Is acting an essential part of everyday life? 3. Can people have too much enthusiasm? November 2008 1. Do all established traditions deserve to remain in existence? 2. Do people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have? 3. Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression? 4. Is it necessary for people to combine their efforts with those of others in order to be most effective? October 2008 1. Is compromise always the best way to resolve a conflict? 2. Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions made slowly and carefully? 3. Can a group of people function effectively without someone being in charge? June 2008 1. Does fame bring happiness, or are people who are not famous more likely to be happy? 2. Is it better for a society when people act as individuals rather than copying the ideas and opinions of others? 3. Are widely held views often wrong, or are such views more likely to be correct?
May 2008 1. Are there benefits to be gained from avoiding the use of modern technology, even when using it would make life easier? 2. Do people place too much emphasis on winning? 3. Are people's actions motivated primarily by a desire for power over others? 4. Do incidents from the past continue to influence the present? March 2008 1. Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals? 2. Should people always be loyal? 3. Do people learn more from losing than from winning? January 2008 1. Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others? 2. Is the effort involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached? 3. Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past? 4. Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common? December 2007 1. Do people need to "unlearn," or reject, many of their assumptions and ideas? 2. Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found "in the middle"? 3. Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people? 4. Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past? November 2007 1. Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy?
2. Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems? 3. Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us? 4. Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress? October 2007 1. Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves? 2. Can people ever be truly original? 3. Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else? 4. Should we admire heroes but not celebrities? June 2007 1. Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness? 2. Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes? 3. Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people's lives? 4. Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune? May 2007 1. Should modern society be criticized for being materialistic? 2. Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit? 3. Is it always best to determine one's own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd? 4. Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth? March 2007 1. Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different? 2. Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving? 3. Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way?
January 2007 1. Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general? 2. Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well? 3. Is education primarily the result of influences other than school? 4. Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's circumstances? December 2006 1. Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others? 2. Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? 3. Is it important to try to understand people's motivations before judging their actions? 4. Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy? November 2006 1. Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people? 2. Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? 3. Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect? 4. Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control? October 2006 1. Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition? 2. Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority? 3. Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties? 4. Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not— sometimes have good results? June 2006
1. Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment? 2. Are established rules too limited to guide people in real-life situations? 3. Is it sometimes better to take risks than to follow a more reasonable course of action? 4. Do we tend to accept the opinions of others instead of developing our own independent ideas? January 2006 1. Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject? June 2005 1. Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? 2. Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills? 3. Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues? 4. Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people? March 2005 1. Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today?
