common sat essay themes and archetypes

8/9/2019 Common SAT Essay Themes and Archetypes

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Common SAT Essay Themes and Archetypes

The makers of the SAT use several themes from which they draw essay questions. By knowing

these themes ahead of time, you can prepare several preplanned examples to use for each theme.

For example, take Thomas dison. !e used over "### filaments $efore finding one that worked

in the electric light $ul$. %ou could use this example for essays on adversity, success, history,and progress. The following is a list of these themes and real examples of essay questions

produced $y the &ollege Board. The questions have $een paraphrased for simplicity, $ut they

provide you with an idea of how the themes are recycled each year.

Theme: Adversity

'o people $enefit from adversity(

'o people learn more from losing than from winning(

'o people learn more from difficulty or from ease('o people learn from their effort even if their goal is not reached(

'oes humor help in difficult situations(

Theme: Success

'o people put too much stress on winning(&an people $e successful and ethical at the same time(

)s persistence more important than a$ility in achieving success(

)s optimism more important than realism in achieving success()s idealism more important than practicality in achieving success(

)s success a result of choices or of luck(

'o people*s expectations of themselves affect their success(

&an people $e successful with low expectations()s it $etter to have low expectations and meet them or high expectations and miss them(

'o people have to aim for perfection in order to $e successful(

+hat motivates people the most in their quest for success('oes success result from improvement to one*s $est attri$ute or skill(

&an people succeed $y repeating their past $ehaviors(

Are people more likely to $e successful $y compromising or $y $eing inflexi$le('o memories help people $e successful(

Are people more successful when they are under pressure(

'o all successes create new challenges('o all significant inventions and findings result from concentrating on a single area(

&an success ever $e disastrous()s it important to sometimes take risks(

Theme: Creativity and Originality

'oes planning have a negative effect on creativity(

&an people $e original or are original ideas all taken(

)s creativity as important today as it was in the past(

)t is $etter for a person to imitate others or $e original()s it $etter for society when people imitate others or when they are original(


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Theme: Happiness and Self-Satisfaction

)s it $etter to accept one*s lot in life or to strive for more(

'oes the pursuit of a goal make a person happy(

+hat is $etter a -o$ one likes or a -o$ that pays well()s knowledge ever a $urden(

'oes fame create happiness(

'oes having many options create happiness(+hat change leads to happiness one*s attitude or one*s environment(

Are rules and restrictions necessary for happiness(

&an a person $e too enthusiastic()s happiness a choice(

)s it $etter to act quickly or $e patient(

Theme: Authority and Leadership

'o people need to listen more to people who are older and experienced(&an people function without a leader(

Should one ever question someone in authority(

Should national leaders $e -udged differently than others(Should society limit people*s exposure to certain forms of information(

)s censorship ever okay(

Are leaders always the $est people for the -o$(

Are esta$lished rules realistic for guiding people in reallife scenarios(

Theme: Individuality

'o people need to compare themselves to others in order to appreciate what they have(

)s it more important to $e different or to fit in with others(

'o people let the opinions of others affect their success('o people put too much value on the opinions of others(

)s a person*s identity innate or created(

'o people overemphasi/e individual accomplishments(

Theme: orality and Ethics

&an people learn from other people*s flaws and mistakes(

&an people $e successful and ethical at the same time()s a school responsi$le for teaching morals and ethics(Are society*s common $eliefs more likely to $e right or wrong(

)s it ever okay to $e disloyal(

)s it ever okay to lie()s it ever okay to deceive someone(

)s it ever okay to $e rude(

)s acting a normal part of life(

Are there only two sides of an issue(Should people tolerate all opinions or speak out against those that are wrong(


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Theme: otivation

'oes power motivate people(

+hat motivates people the most in their quest for success(

+hat motivates people to change(Should emotion $e involved when making important decisions(

Should people learn the motivation for someone*s actions $efore passing -udgment on theperson(

Theme: History and Tradition

Should all traditions continue(

Are new ideas $etter than the ideas of the past(

'oes the past influence the present and future('oes history help people $e successful and avoid failure(

Are new solutions always necessary(

!ave modern advancements made life easier than what it was in the past(

)s society too materialistic today compared to in the past()s creativity as important today as it was in the past(

)s it $etter for society when people imitate others or when they are original(

Theme: Society and Community

Should people $e more concerned a$out the common good(

)s criticism necessary for the progress of society(

)s discipline a necessary component of freedom(

Should people $e more private a$out some parts of their lives('o people pay too much attention to details(

Theme: !ecision-a"ing

Should emotion $e involved when making important decisions(

Are impulsive decisions as good as deli$erate decisions(Should people ever change their decisions(

'oes having many options create happiness(

&an small decisions have $ig consequences(Should people trust in common sense or question it(

Are negative consequences equally likely for good choices as for $ad choices(

Theme: Education and the Arts

)s a school responsi$le for teaching morals and ethics('o the arts teach people a$out the world(

&an people learn from fictional characters or stories(

Are practical skills deemed too important(+here do people learn more in school or out of school(

Are the arts essential to education(

'o people learn something from every experience(

'o people learn more from themselves or from others(


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Theme: #riendship and Colla$oration

)s it easier to make friends today than in the past(Are people more successful when they com$ine their efforts with others(

Are groups more successful when they pursue a common goal or individual goals(

+hich results in success more often competition or colla$oration()s compromise the $est solution(

&an people learn anything from a group that shares a commonality(

&an people ever $enefit from following the crowd instead of having their own ideas('o people get along $etter with people like them or with people different than them(

)s it wise to $e trusting or suspicious of others(

'o people help others for selfless or selfish reasons(

Theme: edia and Entertainment

)s reality entertainment $eneficial or harmful(

'oes media 0such as television and the internet1 influence what people find important(Should society limit people*s exposure to certain forms of entertainment or information(

Should society admire cele$rities('oes media have too much of an effect on some people(

'o photographs reflect reality or the photographer*s viewpoint(

Theme: %rogress and Technology

'oes progress eliminate pro$lems or create new ones('oes focus on technology cause society to neglect other important areas, such as education and

the environment(

Are there times that avoiding technology is $eneficial(!as the a$undance of information availa$le today made the world easier or harder to understand(

!as the purpose of technology changed(

!ave modern advancements made life easier than what it was in the past()s the world getting $etter or worse(

)s criticism necessary for the progress of society(

!as society $ecome too concerned with money(

Theme: Heroes

Are heroes people who risk their lives or people who stand up for what they $elieve in(


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Common Essay Topics

E&perience

2 'o we $enefit from learning a$out the flaws of people we admire and respect(

2 Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are(

2 'o incidents from the past continue to influence the present(2 'o we really $enefit from every event or experience in some way(

2 &an $ooks and stories a$out characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful(

2 'oes true learning only occur when we experience difficulties(

2 'o memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the

present(

2 'o people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills(

Hard 'or"

2 )s it $est for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive

to $etter themselves(2 'o highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly $ecause they expect more of

themselves(

2 )s persistence more important than a$ility in determining a person3s success(

2 )s identity something people are $orn with or given, or is it something people create for

themselves(

2 'o people achieve greatness only $y finding out what they are especially good at and

developing that attri$ute a$ove all else(

2 'o people truly $enefit from hardship and misfortune(

2 )s it $est to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving(

2 )s it $etter to change one3s attitude than to change one3s circumstances(2 )s it $etter for people to $e realistic or optimistic(

2 &an people achieve success only if they aim to $e perfect(

2 )s it sometimes $etter to take risks than to follow a more reasona$le course of action(

'inning

2 +hen some people win, must others lose, or are there situations in which everyone wins(

2 'o people place too much emphasis on winning(

2 'o people learn more from losing than from winning(

2 )s the effort involved in pursuing any goal valua$le, even if the goal is not reached(

Happiness

2 'o people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have(

2 'oes fame $ring happiness, or are people who are not famous more likely to $e happy(

2 'oes having a large num$er of options to choose from make people happy(

2 Are people more likely to $e happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness(

2 )s it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well(

2 )s happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to $e happy(

2 'o success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors $eyond

their control(


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%opular (ie)s

2 &an common sense $e trusted and accepted, or should it $e questioned(

2 )s it $etter for a society when people act as individuals rather than copying the ideas and

opinions of others(

2 Are widely held views often wrong, or are such views more likely to $e correct(2 Are organi/ations or groups most successful when their mem$ers pursue individual wishes and

goals(

2 )s it always $etter to $e original than to imitate or use the ideas of others(

2 )s it always necessary to find new solutions to pro$lems(

2 )s criticism -udging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of others essential for personal

well$eing and social progress(

2 &an people ever $e truly original(

2 )s it always $est to determine one3s own views of right and wrong, or can we $enefit from

following the crowd(

2 )s it more valua$le for people to fit in than to $e unique and different(2 Are people more likely to $e productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of

others(

2 'o we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people(

2 )s it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority(

2 'o we tend to accept the opinions of others instead of developing our own independent ideas(

Team)or"

2 )s it necessary for people to com$ine their efforts with those of others in order to $e most

effective(

2 )s compromise always the $est way to resolve a conflict(

2 &an a group of people function effectively without someone $eing in charge(

2 'o people achieve more success $y cooperation than $y competition(

a"ing !ecisions

2 Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions(

2 'oes planning interfere with creativity(

2 Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it $est for them to

stick with their original decisions(

2 Are decisions made quickly -ust as good as decisions made slowly and carefully(

Heroes

2 Should we limit our use of the term 4courage4 to acts in which people risk their own well

$eing for the sake of others or to uphold a value(

2 Should we admire heroes $ut not cele$rities(

2 )s there a value in cele$rating certain individuals as heroes(

Ethics

2 'oes $eing ethical make it hard to $e successful(

2 Are people3s actions motivated primarily $y a desire for power over others(


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2 Should people always $e loyal(

2 'o circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth(

2 )s it important to try to understand people3s motivations $efore -udging their actions(

2 &an deception pretending that something is true when it is not sometimes have good results(

2 Are esta$lished rules too limited to guide people in reallife situations(

2 Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues(

Social

2 )s it sometimes necessary to $e impolite(

2 'o all esta$lished traditions deserve to remain in existence(

2 )s the main value of the arts to teach us a$out the world around us(

2 Should modern society $e critici/ed for $eing materialistic(

2 Should people take more responsi$ility for solving pro$lems that affect their communities or

the nation in general(

Technology2 !as today3s a$undance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the

world around us(

2 Should society limit people3s exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression(

2 Are there $enefits to $e gained from avoiding the use of modern technology, even when using

it would make life easier(

2 'o images and impressions have too much of an effect on people(

2 )s the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past(

2 !ave modern advancements truly improved the quality of people3s lives(

2 &an knowledge $e a $urden rather than a $enefit(

2 )s education primarily the result of influences other than school(

2 'oes a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values,

such as education and the protection of the environment(

2 Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one su$-ect(

2 'o newspapers, maga/ines, television, radio, movies, the )nternet, and other media determine

what is important to most people(

common sat essay themes and archetypes

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