The Writing Sample
Twenty-five minutes, unscored by E3n and read by every school you apply to: the Middle Level story starter, the personal essay, and how to plan either one.
9 topics · 36 questions
Each topic is a path, not a menu: work down it in order and every question builds on the one above. Click any of them to watch the answer draw itself.
What the Writing Sample Is and Where It Goes
- How it worksHow does one 25-minute writing sample travel unchanged to every school you send scores to?
- Common mistakeWhy isn't an unscored section a section you can safely coast through?
- Going furtherWhat happens to something private you write in a story when the same page lands in six admissions offices?
- Worked exampleShow me what actually fits on two handwritten pages in 25 minutes, counted in paragraphs and sentences.
Your turneasy1 of 3
You are sending your SSAT results to 7 schools. What happens to the writing sample you produce on test day?Choosing Between the Story Starter and the Essay
- How it worksHow do you spend 60 seconds testing both prompts before you commit to one of them?
- Worked exampleWalk me through choosing between a story starter that opens the door was never locked before and an essay about changing your mind.
- Common mistakeWhy isn't the creative option the easy option just because it has no argument to make?
- Going furtherWhat changes for a student who practised on Upper Level prompts and has never seen a story starter?
- Ties togetherHow does the prompt you choose change what an admissions reader learns about you?
Your turnmedium1 of 3
Middle Level gives you two prompts and 25 minutes to write one of them: a story starter reading the door was never locked before, and a personal prompt about a time you changed your mind. How should you choose?The Creative Story Starter
- How it worksHow do you turn one given sentence into a character, a problem and a change in under a minute?
- Worked exampleWalk me through planning a story from the starter I opened the box and everything changed.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't a story packed with explosions and twists beat a small story told clearly?
- Going furtherWhat happens when your story hits the bottom of page two before it reaches its ending?
Your turnmedium1 of 3
Your starter is I opened the box and everything changed, and you have 24 minutes. Which plan is the strongest one to write from?The Personal Essay Prompt
- How it worksHow do you shrink a huge personal question down to a single scene you can actually describe?
- Worked exampleWalk me through planning an answer to describe a time when you had to be brave.
- Common mistakeWhy isn't writing whatever you think a school wants to hear ever a good plan?
- Going furtherWhat do you do when a personal prompt asks about something that has never happened to you?
Your turneasy1 of 3
The prompt asks you to describe a time when you had to be brave, and you have 24 minutes. Which plan will produce the better page?Planning Inside 25 Minutes
- How it worksHow do you split 25 minutes into planning, writing and one final read with no clock in front of you?
- Worked exampleFind a workable split of 25 minutes for a three-part story that has to fit on two pages.
- Going furtherWhat happens to your plan when you are ten minutes in and the idea has simply run out?
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't diving straight into writing get more words onto the page in the end?
Your turneasy1 of 3
The writing sample allows 25 minutes. You spend 5 minutes planning and keep 3 minutes at the end for one read-through. How many minutes are left for writing?A Story With a Beginning, a Middle and an End
- How it worksHow does a story's shape draw as a rising line, a turn at the top, and a landing?
- Worked exampleWalk me through fixing a story that spends two pages on setup and one sentence on what happened.
- Common mistakeWhy isn't a surprise finish like it was all a dream ever a real ending?
- Going furtherWhat changes when you decide your last sentence before you write your first one?
Your turnhard1 of 3
A story fills 4 of its 7 paragraphs with setup and gives one sentence to what happened. How should it be fixed?An Essay With a Point and Evidence For It
- How it worksHow does a claim sit as a spine with each paragraph attached to it as a rib?
- Worked exampleWalk me through turning the vague point school is important into a claim you could support in two pages.
- Going furtherWhat happens to an essay when one of its paragraphs holds up nothing in the claim?
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't saying your point again in fancier words count as supporting it?
Your turnmedium1 of 3
You have 24 minutes and the vague point school is important. Which rewrite gives you something you can actually support?One Specific Memory Beats a General Claim
- How it worksHow does zooming from a broad statement down to one named moment make writing believable?
- Worked exampleWalk me through rewriting I have always loved animals as one afternoon with one animal.
- Common mistakeWhy isn't listing three quick examples stronger than describing a single one properly?
Your turnhard1 of 3
You have 23 minutes and the sentence I have always loved animals. Which rewrite does the most work for a reader?What Admissions Readers Are Actually Looking At
- How it worksHow does a reader check whether your writing matches what a sixth or seventh grader should manage?
- Worked exampleShow me the difference a reader sees between one long block of text and the same words in four paragraphs.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't a big word used slightly wrong impress a reader more than a plain word used exactly?
- Ties togetherHow does the writing sample give a school something that verbal and reading scores never can?
Your turnmedium1 of 3
A reader spends about 3 minutes on your sample before moving to the next file. What do they notice first?AP®, SAT® and PSAT/NMSQT® are trademarks registered by the College Board (PSAT/NMSQT® jointly with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation). ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. GRE® is a registered trademark of ETS. LSAT® is a registered trademark of the Law School Admission Council. MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges. ISEE® and SSAT® are registered trademarks of their owners. None of these organizations is affiliated with, or endorses, Jentoo.