18 ❯ STEP 2. Determine Your Test Readiness
- Check the total number of questions and know what you are facing.
- Check out the essay prompts.
A Word About Our Sample Student Essays
We field-tested each of the essay questions in a variety of high schools, both public and
private. We could have chosen to present essays that would have “knocked your socks off ”;
however, we chose to present samples we feel are truly representative of the essays usually
written within the time constraints of the exam.
These essays are indicative of a wide range of styles and levels of acceptability. We want
you to recognize that there is not one model to which all essays must conform.“To Thine Own Self Be True” (Polonius–Hamlet)
This well-known caveat is always the very best advice and especially ap propriate for the writer.
Listen to your teacher’s advice; listen to our ad vice; listen to your own voice. That’s the voice
we want to “hear” in your writing. Use natural vocabulary and present honest observations. It
is wonderful to read professional criticism, but you cannot adopt another’s ideas and remain
true to your own thoughts. Trust your brain—if you’ve prepared well, you’ll do well.