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For middle and high school applicants many schools require a writing sample from your child’s current school that has been graded by a teacher and/or includes teacher comments. Along with standardized test scores (including the ISEE on-demand essay) and your child’s student application essays, grading writing samples give admissions directors a balanced view and realistic representation of your child’s language and writing abilities to help them determine whether their school is a good fit for your child.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE IDENTIFYING A STRONG PIECE
- The paper should be recently written and representative of your child’s work.
- The paper needs to be well-written, well-organized, and from a challenging class. Good essays begin with a premise or thesis, which is then supported in several ways, and ends with a wrap-up conclusion.
- Because the paper should be analytic, good choices include book reports, opinion pieces, research essays, or reading responses from English or History classes.
- If your student is especially strong in science, a lab report can work if it includes a significant written portion.
- Creative pieces are not optimal, in that the goal is to be able to gauge your child’s conventional academic writing abilities - including command of language, use of details, and knowledge of grammar.
- If you find a writing assignment that fits the bill but is not graded or lacks teacher feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher to see if they would be willing to re-grade the assignment with more extensive feedback. Most will be happy to oblige!
- Most graded samples don’t need to be submitted until December or early January. If you feel you are lacking in strong samples, encourage your child to work with their teachers to strategize a good sample.
