How can I quickly prepare for the SAT essay? I just found out my school requires the essay.

Answer 1

If you've already prepared for or taken the AP Composition and Language exam, this is familiar turf in that it is a rhetorical analysis of a persuasive writing. Obviously, you want to execute a comprehensive introduction that is qualified and delivers an identifiable thesis. Then, you want to establish your analysis of the source text by identifying specific examples of the strategies and word choices in the text. These do not have to be exhaustive--they need to be relevant and articulately-rendered.

Answer 2

The good news is the essay will always be about the same - analyzing a persuasive essay. The question goes something like this: As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses

1. evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
2. reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
3. stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.

The analysis is the most important part. You can consider the use of persuasive appeals - ethos, pathos, logos, bandwagon and rhetorical language - rhetorical questions, aphorisms, repetition, etc.