SAT Essay Help: Reviewing Assignments by Theme

Individuality versus Groups

• Do people need to compare themselves with others to appreciate what they have?
• Are widely held views likely to be correct or are they often wrong?
• Is there any value in belonging only to groups with which we have something in common?
• Is it necessary for people to combine their efforts with those of others in order to be most effective?
• Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals?
• Is it always best to determine one's own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd?
• Do society and other people benefit when individuals pursue their own goals?
• Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different?
• Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others?
• Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people?

Authority/Heroes

• Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are?
• Can a group of people function effectively without someone being in charge?
• Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?
• Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression?
• Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect?
• Are people's actions motivated primarily by a desire for power over others?
• Should we limit our use of the term courage to describe people who risk their own well-being for the sake of others or to uphold a value?
• Should we admire heroes but not celebrities?
• Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes?
• Does fame bring happiness, or are people who are not famous more likely to be happy?

Creativity/Originality

• Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others?
• Is it better for a society when people act as individuals rather than copying the ideas and opinions of others?
• Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today?
• Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else?
• Can people ever be truly original?
• Does planning interfere with creativity?

Success

• Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?
• Do people place too much emphasis on winning?
• Does being ethical make it hard to be successful?
• Is persistence more important than ability in determining a person's success?
• Is the effort involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached?
• Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well?
• Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition?
• Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves?
• Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control?
• Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress?
• Do highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves?
• Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect?
• Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving?

Modern Society

• Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment?
• Are there benefits to be gained from avoiding the use of modern technology, even when using it would make life easier?
• Has today's abundance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the world around us?
• Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past?
• Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people's lives?
• Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people?
• Should modern society be criticized for being materialistic?
• Should people give up their privacy in exchange for convenience or free services?
• Are the values of a society most clearly revealed in its popular culture?
• Is it easier now to form friendships than ever before?

Choices/Problem Solving

• Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found in the middle?
• Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions made slowly and carefully?
• Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it best for them to stick with their original decisions?
• Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions?
• Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy?
• Is using humor the best way to approach difficult situations and problems?
• Is compromise always the best way to resolve a conflict?
• Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems?
• Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general?

Past versus Present

• Do all established traditions deserve to remain in existence?
• Do people need to unlearn, or reject, many of their assumptions and ideas?
• Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past?
• Do incidents from the past continue to influence the present?
• Do memories hinder or help people in their efforts to learn from the past and succeed in the present?

Behaviors and Emotions

• Should people always be loyal?
• Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth?
• Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not— sometimes have good results?
• Is it sometimes necessary to be impolite?
• Is acting an essential part of everyday life?
• Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves?
• Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness?
• Can people have too much enthusiasm?
• Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's circumstances?
• Does everyone, even people who choose to live alone, need a network or family?

Learning

• Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills?
• Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us?
• Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful?
• Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?
• Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned?
• Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties?
• Is education primarily the result of influences other than school?
• Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues?
• Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression?
• Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way?
• Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on one subject?
• Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?
• Do people learn more from losing than from winning?