SAT Essay Prompts - October 2015

Materials on this page relate to the SAT before March 2016.

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The following are the SAT essay prompts given for October 2015.

We have a collection of the new SAT Essay Prompts, ordered according to years, from March 2005 till the most recent test released by College Board.

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October 2015

If you took the October 2015 SAT, you would have been given one of the essay prompts below:

Prompt 1

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Some people say that leaders are most effective when they are unwilling to compromise. Leaders who refuse to yield are likely to gain the respect of others because they stay true to their beliefs despite fierce opposition. Other people say that leaders are most effective when they are willing to compromise. Leaders who are willing to compromise, they argue, find better solutions to problems because they can understand different perspectives.

Assignment:

Are leaders more effective when they are willing to compromise? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 2

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Today many young people spend their time developing one special talent. But such devotion to a single special ability or skill, whether in the arts, in sports, or in any other area, may not be a good idea. While the challenge of becoming an expert is exciting and can lead to extraordinary rewards, narrowly focusing one’s efforts limits new experiences and meaningful interactions with people who have other interests.

Assignment:

Should young people focus their efforts on developing just one talent? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 3

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

There are books that try to show the world as it is and books that try to show the world as it should or could be. Which sort of books should we be offering children and reading ourselves? One answer is the argument for the value of truth, for "telling it like it is." Writers could promote certain positive ideals by being less realistic, but all of us—especially children—have a right to be told the truth.
Adapted from Claudia Mills, "The Ethics of Representation: Realism and Idealism in Children's Fiction"

Assignment:

Should books portray the world as it is or as it should be? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt 4

Our culture admires people who undergo great physical hardship to perform feats such as climbing tall mountains or swimming enormous distances. But while such achievements require extreme endurance and, often, great personal bravery, they are fundamentally acts of self-promotion that do nothing to advance humankind. It’s fine if people want to take on such risky challenges, but we should reserve our praise for those whose activities truly help human beings to lead better lives.

Assignment:

Should people’s achievements be judged according to how much they help others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

SAT & ACT Writing: Writing a Strong Essay

Learn how to write a strong essay on the Writing section of the SAT and English section of the ACT by:
- writing a strong thesis statement that answers the question posed in the writing prompt
- writing a good topic sentence
- writing a strong paragraph that supports your thesis statement
- writing a strong conclusion that restates your thesis statement and provides examples.