SAT Essay Topics, Prompts

S A T R e a l T o p i c s

R1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:

Assignment: Is the opinion of the majority—in government or in any other circumstances—a poor guide? 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. (March 12, 2005, East Coast) [*1]

R2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today? 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. (March 12, 2005, West Coast) [*33]

R3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Are people better at making observations, discoveries, and decisions if they remain

neutral and impartial? 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. (March 13, 2005, East Coast) [*34]

R4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Is a person responsible, through the example he or she sets, for the behavior of other people? 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. (March 13, 2005, West Coast) [*35]

R5. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:

Assignment:Does worrying too much about other people’s opinions prevent us from seeing things clearly? 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. (May 2005) [*2]

R6. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Do people depend on work — whether it is a job, schoolwork, or volunteer work — to determine what their daily activities and interactions with others 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. (May, 2005) [*23]

R7. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Does progress depend on people with new ideas rather than on people whose ideas are based on the current way of doing things? 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. (May, 2005) [*80]

R8. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Are people afraid to speak out against authority, whether the authority is an individual, a group, or a government? 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. (May, 2005) [*81]

R9. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:

Assignment:Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? 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. (June 2005) [*3]

R10. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:

Assignment: Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills? 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. (June 2005) [*36]

R11. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:

Assignment: Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues? 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. (June 2005) [*37]

R12. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:

Assignment: Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people? 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. (June 2005) [*38]

R13. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is success in life earned or do people succeed because they are lucky? 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. (Oct. 2005) [*39]

R14. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is soci ety’s admiration for famous people benefic ial or harmful? 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. (Oct. 2005) [*40]

R15. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Should people make more of an effort to keep some things private? 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. (Oct. 2005) [*41]

R16. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Do we live in a time when people do not engage in serious thinking? 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. (Oct, 2005) [*82]

R17. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Has the acquisition of money and possessions replaced more meaningful ways of measuring our achievements? 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. (Nov. 2005) [*4]

R18. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is praising others, even if the praise is excessive or undeserved, a necessary part of life? 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. (Nov. 2005) [*42]

R19. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Should our perceptions of beauty be influenced by the perceptions of beauty of other people? 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. (Nov. 2005) [*43]

R20. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Is conflict helpful? 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. (Nov. 2005) [*44]

R21. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Are leaders necessarily people who are most capable of leadership? 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. (Dec, 2005) [*83]

R22. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is knowledge of the past no longer useful for us today? 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. (Dec, 2005) [*84]

R23. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is it necessary to limit or put restrictions on freedom of thought and expression? 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. (Dec, 2005) [*85]

R24. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Do the benefits of scientific and technological developments come at the cost of undesirable changes to people's lives? 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. (Dec, 2005) [*86]

R25. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject? 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. (Jan. 2006) [*5]

R26. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Do people accomplish more when they are allowed to do things in their own way? 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. (Jan. 2006) [*6]

R27. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is it necessary to make mistakes, even when doing so has negative consequences

for other people? 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. (Jan. 2006) [*7]

R28. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Can any obstacle or disadvantage be turned into something good? 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. (Jan. 2006) [*8]

R29. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is it best not to change our ideas, opinions, or behaviors? 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. (Apr, 2006) [*87]

R30. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Is our ability to change ourselves unlimited, or are there limits on our ability to

make important changes in our lives? 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. (Apr, 2006) [*88]

R31. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: What do you think motivates people to do their best? 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. (Apr, 2006) [*89]

R32. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Should each individual decide what and how to learn? 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. (Apr, 2006) [*90]

R33. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Are we free to make our own decisions or are we limited in the choices we can

make? 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. (May, 2006) [*15]

R34. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Would the world be a better place if everyone always told the complete truth? 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. (May, 2006) [*16]

R35. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Does success of a community—whether it is a class, a team, a family, a nation, or any other group—depend upon people’s willingness to limit their personal interests? 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. (May, 2006) [*17]

R36. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Does the truth change depending on how people look at things? 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. (May, 2006) [*18]

R37. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Do we tend to accept the opinions of others instead of developing our own independent ideas? 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. (Jun. 2006) [*9]

R38. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment? 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. (Jun. 2006) [*45]

R39. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below: Assignment: Are established rules too limited to guide people in real-life situations? 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. (Jun. 2006) [*46]

R40. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Is it sometimes better to take risks than to follow a more reasonable course of action? 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. (Jun. 2006) [*47]

R41. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition? 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. (Oct, 2006) [*11]

R42. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of

authority? 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. (Oct, 2006) [*12]

R43. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties? 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. (Oct, 2006) [*13]

R44. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not—sometimes have good results? 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. (Oct, 2006) [*14]

R45. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control? 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. (Nov. 2006) [*10]

R46. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people? 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. (Nov. 2006) [*48]

R47. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? 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. (Nov. 2006) [*49]

R48. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect? 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. (Nov. 2006) [*50]

R49. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of 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. (Dec, 2006) [*51]

R50. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment: Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? 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. (Dec, 2006) [*52]

R51. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:

Assignment:Is it important to try to understand people's motivations before judging their actions? 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. (Dec, 2006) [*53]

R52. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below: Assignment: Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose