SAT Essay Help: Reviewing Assignments by Theme (page 2)

Since the SAT essay was introduced, there have been nearly 100 prompts and assignments. They can be grouped into nine themes: Individuality versus Groups, Authority/Heroes, Creativity/Originality, Success, Modern Society, Choices/Problem Solving, Past versus Present, Behaviors and Emotions, and Learning. Following, you'll find the assignments paraphrased and grouped within these themes.

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?

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?