isee essay prompts middle level

Mastering the ISEE Essay

Posted on September 4th, 2019 by btsadmin . Posted in ISEE , ISEE Admission Essay , ISEE Strategy , ISEE test prep , Standardized Tests , Test Taking Strategies - 0 Comments

The key to mastering the ISEE essay is preparing yourself for the difficulty of developing a full essay within 30 minutes. Before we discuss the details of the essay assignment, there’s something you need to know: your ISEE essay is not being scored. It will be sent along with the rest of your test to the schools to which you are applying. It is going to be looked at alongside your admission essay (if the school requires one) and sample essays from your classwork. One of the main reasons for the schools to include an ISEE essay component is to ensure that each student’s application essays match the level of the essays they complete on the exam. It is a red flag to a school if it does not sound like the same student has submitted all of these pieces of writing. 

In addition to this, the reviewers are looking for a consistent writing style and general writing competency in each student. Don’t worry about the fact that this will not be as good of an essay as you could write if you had more time and could put together a revised draft. They know you don’t have much time and are not expecting perfection. 

Essay Questions

ISEE essay questions fall into two categories: 

• The Standard Essay: When you are prompted to craft a standard essay, you are expected to create an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement as well as supporting body paragraphs and a conclusion, which is a summation of the points presented and a restatement of the thesis. 
•   A Fiction Story:  Requires creative writing and using your imagination.  

Either way, you won’t have much time, just 30 minutes. Here are the types of prompts that you can expect:

ISEE Lower Level: Topic 1: Describe in detail where and how you would spend your perfect vacation. Topic 2: What would you like to do to make the world a nicer place in which to live? Explain. Topic 3: Who is your favorite relative? Why have you chosen this person?

ISEE Middle Level: Topic 1: If you could improve your school in one way, what would that be? Describe the improvement you would make and explain how it would benefit students. Topic 2: What would be the perfect career for you some day? Topic 3: There are many problems in our world today. Name one you would like to solve and explain how you would do it.

ISEE Upper Level: Topic 1: Of the books you have read in the past year, which one made the biggest impression on you and why? Topic 2: Your school requires you to perform forty hours of community service in order to graduate. Describe which type of community service you would choose and explain your choice. Topic 3: Describe what you would consider a “really successful person.” Explain why you consider this person and this person’s qualities to be successful.

For the essay prompts that ask you to answer a question, such as Of the books you have read in the past year, which one made the biggest impression on you and why?, your goal is to structure an essay that answers the question and presents paragraphs with supporting evidence. Your essay should have four paragraphs: the introduction, two supporting paragraphs, and the conclusion. 

Your answer to the given question will form the thesis of your essay and will be the first sentence in your essay. It is simply rephrasing the question so that you are answering it. For example, This year I read The Giver, and it made a big impression on me because _________. What you put in that blank will be your thesis. For example, … it made a big impression on me because I could relate to how Jonas wanted more choices over how he lived his life, or …it made a big impression on me because like Jonas, I don’t always agree with all the rules that I have to follow. 

You then need to write two supporting paragraphs about your thesis. Each supporting paragraph should be a different reason why you have made your claim. For example, if you wanted Jonas to have more choices over how he lived his life, you could give two different of examples of times when he did not have choices in his life, each one its own paragraph. Or, if you don’t always agree with the rules you have to follow, like Jonas, you could have two separate paragraphs citing two separate rules that you don’t agree with in your own life. Notice how you can take this essay prompt in two different ways: you can directly use examples from the book, or you can make your thesis about your own life and how you relate to the book. Either way is fine, as long as you can come up with two supporting paragraphs, each its own reason to back up your thesis. Your conclusion will remind the reader of your thesis and will summarize the two supporting paragraphs, showing the reader why you chose them to back up your thesis. 

Schools want to make sure that you have developed each of your paragraphs in a clear and organized way, used interesting vocabulary choices, and varied your sentence structure. Schools are not looking for a perfectly polished essay, but they do want to see that you know how to structure your writing into the format described above, and that you can develop your ideas in a clear and cohesive way.

Our ISEE/SSAT test prep program is customized to address each child’s individual strengths and weaknesses, and we will develop a customized preparation plan to arm your child with powerful and up-to-date strategies for all sections of the test.

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ISEE Middle Level Practice Test

Prepare for your test with realistic questions.

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Middle Level is administered by the Educational Records Bureau for children in grades 7 and 8. Over 1,200 private middle schools and high schools use this exam to ensure new students are being admitted to a grade level that best fits their knowledge and abilities.

Click “Start Test” above to take a free ISEE Middle Level practice test, and check out our premium-quality ISEE test prep resources by clicking the links below!

Exam Outline

The ISEE Middle Level exam contains 160 multiple-choice questions and one unscored essay assignment, and you will be given a time limit of 160 minutes.

The exam is split into five sections.

1. Verbal Reasoning (40 questions)

You will be given 20 minutes to answer the Verbal Reasoning questions. The questions are split into two types: synonyms and sentence completion.

2. Quantitative Reasoning (37 questions)

You will be given 35 minutes to answer the Quantitative Reasoning questions. The questions are split into two types: word problems and quantitative comparisons.

3. Reading Comprehension (36 questions)

You will be given 35 minutes to answer the Reading Comprehension questions. This section contains six passages, each with an average length of 450 words, and each passage is followed by six related questions. The questions are designed to test your abilities to identify, infer, and assess elements of each passage in the following areas:

• Main idea (3-7 questions)
• Supporting ideas (5-12 questions)
• Inference (6-13 questions)
• Vocabulary (5-9 questions)
• Organization/Logic (3-5 questions)
• Tone/style/figurative language (1-4 questions)

4. Mathematics Achievement (47 questions)

You will be given 40 minutes to answer the Mathematics Achievement questions. These questions are designed to assess your mathematical knowledge and abilities in the following areas:

• Whole numbers (7-10 questions)
• Decimals, percents, and fractions (7-12 questions)
• Algebraic concepts (9-13 questions)
• Geometry (4-6 questions)
• Measurement (4-6 questions)
• Data analysis and probability (5-9 questions)

You will be given 30 minutes to write 300-400 words in response to a given prompt. This essay is not scored, but it will be sent to your school of choice along with the scores for the rest of the exam.

Check out Mometrix's ISEE Middle Level Study Guide

Get practice questions, video tutorials, and detailed study lessons

Registration and Fees

There are a variety of options for registration and for in-person and at-home testing, each of which have a different set of fees and requirements.

In-Person Testing

There are many testing locations available across the country at which you can take the ISEE.

At-Home Testing

There are currently two at-home testing options available.

Registration

You should register as early as possible to ensure you secure a testing day that works best for you. There are two ways you can register for the exam.

After you register for the exam, you will receive an email that contains a verification letter and more information about your registration.

You should arrive at the testing location or log into your online testing portal 15-30 minutes early. You will be asked to provide the verification letter or a form of identification.

You are not allowed to have any electronic devices, calculators, watches, scratch paper, or rulers during the exam. At least two #2 pencils and/or two black-ink pens should be brought if you are taking the paper-and-pencil version of the exam.

There will be two scheduled breaks during the exam, each being 5-10 minutes long. The first break occurs after the Quantitative Reasoning section, while the second break follows the Math Achievement section.

How the Exam is Scored

The ISEE Middle Level exam is score using a scaled scoring system. This system takes the number of questions answered correctly in each section, known as the “raw score,” and converts it to a numerical score on a scale from 760 to 940.

Your score report will show your scaled score for each section, as well as your percentile rank and stanine score for each section. For reference, a good stanine score for the ISEE Middle Level is 7-9, while the average ranges between 4 and 6.

Check out Mometrix's ISEE Middle Level Flashcards

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How many questions are on the ISEE Middle Level exam?

There are 160 multiple-choice questions and one essay on the exam.

How long is the ISEE Middle Level exam?

The time limit for the exam is 160 minutes.

What is the passing score for the ISEE Middle Level exam?

Because this is an admissions test, there is no set passing score. Each school decides their own minimum scoring requirements.

How much does the ISEE Middle Level exam cost?

The cost of this test depends on which testing and registration methods you choose. The fee ranges from $155 to $245.

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Prompts and tips for the isee essay.

Posted on January 11th, 2023 by Allison . Posted in ISEE ESSAY , ISEE TEST PREP , ISEE TUTORING - 0 Comments

The ISEE essay requires students to write a descriptive essay in thirty minutes. The essay is not scored, but a copy of the writing sample is sent to the admissions officers of the schools to which the ISEE score report is sent. Essay prompts are a great way to practice for the exam. Read on for our best essay prompts and tips.

Here’s a list of essay prompts with which to practice:

Lower Level (grades 5 and 6): Topic: Describe your favorite subject in school and explain why this subject is your favorite. Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

Topic: Think about some of the books you have read. What is one character you admire and why? Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

Middle Level (grades 7 and 8): Topic: Describe one important lesson you learned in the last year. Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

Topic: What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time? Why is this important to you? Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

Upper Level (grades 9 and up): Topic: Schools offer many extracurricular opportunities. Describe one extracurricular opportunity you would like to pursue. Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

Topic: What three words would you use to describe yourself and why? Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

For all students: Topic: What is the most important problem facing the world today and what is one thing you can do to help solve it? Assignment: You have thirty minutes to plan and write an essay on the assigned topic. Do not write on another topic. An essay on another topic is unacceptable. Please write this essay topic on the first few lines of your answer sheet.

ISEE Essay Tips:

• Follow directions! Make sure you rewrite prompts at the top of the first page of your answer sheet.
• Budget your time! Make sure to save time at the end to edit for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• ISEE Essays tend to be descriptive essays. A descriptive essay requires you to write about a person, place, thing, idea, or event in a way that makes it possible for your reader to properly visualize or understand it. You might be asked to offer your own definitions or explanations.
• Make sure your essay has a clear introductory paragraph, two or three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
• While you will be asked to write about a specific topic, the topics themselves tend to involve broad subjects: books, school, community service, role models.
• Choose a subject that appeals to you.
• Choose subjects about which you know a great deal.
• Identify two or three important qualities about the subject you choose. Example: Two qualities of a good teacher are expertise and organization.
• Write about two or three reasons why you chose the subject you chose. My favorite author is William Shakespeare because he vividly recreates history and he writes humorously.

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Overview of the ISEE

The ISEE (Independent Schools Entrance Exam) is an admission test administered by the ERB (Educational Records Bureau). Many private schools in North America, and a handful of international schools, use the ISEE as a crucial part of the admissions process for grades 2 through 12.

The ISEE serves as a standardized metric by which admissions departments can compare students from different schools. There are many parts to an application, and the manner in which ISEE scores impact admissions is very school-dependent.

Regardless of the school, an excellent score on the ISEE sets you apart in the admissions process, especially at highly competitive schools. Based on our years of test prep experience, we believe that standardized test taking is a skill that you can master, and—like all skills—you need to learn and practice in order to improve.

Note: Is the ISEE related to the ERBs that I took? If you already attend an independent school, you may have taken the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP), which is commonly referred to as the ERBs. The CTP, like the ISEE, is developed by the ERB. However, the CTP is an achievement test administered by schools to assess their students’ current skills, whereas the ISEE is an admission test.

Scores on the CTPs and other achievement tests are often higher than ISEE scores. Achievement tests are designed to measure a student’s grade-level proficiency in a subject, while admission tests like the ISEE are designed to compare many potentially qualified applicants.

Primary Level 2

Application to grade 2, primary level 3, application to grade 3, primary level 4, application to grade 4, lower level, application to grades 5 or 6, middle level, application to grades 7 or 8, upper level, application to grades 9–12, what are the isee questions like.

The structure and timing of the Primary Level ISEE varies by grade. Because elementary-school children are at such a different stage in their schooling, many aspects of the Primary Level are slightly different from the other levels. Overall test-taking strategies still apply and will help younger students acclimate to standardized test taking, something with which they may not have much experience.

Note: Three main differences between the Primary Level ISEE and other levels: No Verbal section, no writing sample, and only one Math section.

Primary Level 2 ISEE:

For application to grade 2

Primary Level 3 ISEE:

For application to grade 3

Primary Level 4 ISEE:

For application to grade 4

Lower Level ISEE:

For application to grades 5 or 6

Middle Level ISEE:

For application to grades 7 or 8

Upper Level ISEE:

For application to grades 9–12

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The ISEE Essay Section: What To Expect

About the isee essay section.

Did you make it through the ISEE’s four multiple-choice sections? You’re not quite done yet!

The fifth and final section on the ISEE is an essay section. Students are given 30 minutes to write an essay in response to a single prompt. Although the essay is not graded, as we’ll discuss below, it is still a critical part of the test.

How is my essay scored?

The ISEE’s essay section is not scored in the traditional sense, but your essay will be sent to the schools to which you send your score report. This means that your essay is a very important part of the test, and you should prepare for it just as you prepare for the multiple-choice sections. Practice putting your best foot forward!

Schools tend to use your essay in a few different ways. Admissions teams will consider how clearly you can express your ideas, how well you’ve mastered the grammatical and spelling conventions of standard English, and how you portray your thoughts and values.

Many admissions departments also compare your ISEE essay to other written works that you submitted as part of your application – this is a good way for schools to make sure that you (not a parent or a friend) were the person who wrote those other pieces.

What kind of prompts should I expect?

All three levels of the ISEE will present students with an open-ended prompt which encourages some combination of self-reflection, creativity, story-telling, and persuasion.

Here are a few examples of the types of prompts you should expect to see on the ISEE:

If you were able to move anywhere in the world, where would you decide to live and why?

Describe a time when you helped someone in need.

Your friend calls to share great news with you. What news would you want to hear and why?

What topic should I choose for the prompt I receive?

Your audience is the most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a topic for the ISEE essay. Who’s your audience? The admissions board at your school of choice.

So, consider how you’d like to portray yourself to the people who will be reviewing your application. You probably don’t want to choose a topic that makes you sound mean, insensitive, or out of touch with your prospective peers.

Try brainstorming a few topics for the prompt  “If you were able to move anywhere in the world, where would you decide to live and why?”  A good topic for this prompt would allow you to tell a story about yourself (maybe a story about when you went to a beautiful place and why that was inspiring to you) or describe some things that you are passionate about (maybe you’d want to live on a lake because you love vibrant ecosystems). A bad topic might be one about cutting yourself off from others or prioritizing material goods above all else (living in a penthouse suite and having everything delivered to you, for example).

Want to learn more about the ISEE’s essay and it’s importance in admissions decisions? Watch our  webinar at this link.

Want to learn more about the ISEE? Read our  breakdown of the ISEE here .

Find all of our ISEE preparation materials at  ISEEpracticetest.com !

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What is on the Lower Level ISEE?

The Lower Level ISEE is taken by students applying to grades 5 and 6. Students can take the test on the computer or on paper. It consists of five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and the Essay.

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While every student is different, the number one cause of test anxiety is not knowing what to expect. High-stakes exams like the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, and ACT are significantly different than in-school assessment tests that students regularly take, so the strategies for taking these tests are different too. This might...

How to Send Your ISEE Score Report to Schools

There are a few different opportunities for you to send your score report—while registering for the ISEE, before taking the test, and after receiving your score report. The easiest way to access, manage, and send scores is through your ERB parent account.

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ISEE Verbal Reasoning

The Verbal Reasoning (VR) section of the ISEE test is intended to assess a student’s vocabulary, ability to identify synonyms, and ability to solve the verbal puzzles known as sentence completions. The questions in VR are all multiple-choice. The first half consists of synonyms, and the second half consists of...

ISEE Middle Level Practice Test {2024}

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Discover the Middle Level Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) and improve your child’s chances of being accepted to any of the multiple independent or magnet schools that require taking this test.

Make sure your child is prepared for test day with our ISEE Middle Level Premium Pack, which features two full-length practice tests that each simulate the actual test, along with detailed explanations.

• One full-length ISEE middle level simulation
• 160 total questions
• One essay prompt with writing tips
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• Two full-length ISEE middle level tests 
• Over 300 total questions
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• Access this pack and over 100 additional customized practice packs, complete with thorough explanations and score reports
• Over 5,500 practice questions including: gifted & talented, admissions, assessment, and placement tests
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What is the Middle Level ISEE?

What to expect on the isee middle level, isee online test prep.

The ISEE Middle Level is administered to students in the sixth and seventh grade (entering seventh and eighth grade, respectively) by the Educational Records Bureau ( ERB ). The test serves as an entrance exam for several independent and magnet schools (magnet schools are public schools with specialized curricula and courses) throughout the US and abroad.

The goal of the ISEE is to provide an assessment of every applicant's skills and to rank their abilities and achievements, as compared to other applicants. For that reason, it is extremely important to prepare for this test so that your child can score higher than other applicants, and place ahead of them in priority, for various programs.

Learn more about the ISEE 

The Middle Level ISEE contains a total of 160 multiple choice questions, divided into four sections, each examining different sets of skills. Additionally, there is a fifth section in which the applicants are required to draft an essay.

The Verbal Reasoning section is designed to test the students’ vocabulary skills. This section contains 40 questions divided into two categories: synonym questions, which test the ability to recognize connections between words with similar meanings, and sentence completion questions, which test the ability to understand word functions in context.

The Quantitative Reasoning section is designed to test the students’ ability to think mathematically. This section is comprised of 37 questions, including word problems and quantitative comparison questions.

The Reading Comprehension section is designed to test the students’ ability to understand and properly analyze a given text. This section contains six passages, each followed by six questions, for a total of 36 questions. These questions are meant to examine different aspects of reading comprehension, including main and supporting ideas, inferences, vocabulary, organization and logic, and style and tone.

The Mathematics Achievement section is designed to test knowledge of math processes and terminology learned in past school years. Unlike the quantitative reasoning section, this section requires the students to make actual calculations and use mathematical skills. This section contains 47 questions of various mathematical topics, including number operations, geometry, algebra, measurement, data analysis & probability, and problem-solving.

The Essay section is designed to test the students' ability to describe ideas, make personal reflections, and organize thoughts. Moreover, the essay gives the admissions office insight into more personal aspects of the applicants. In this section, the student is required to write a short essay in response to an essay prompt that is selected randomly from various topics pertaining to the interests of students their age and gives students the chance to write about themselves.

The following table summarizes the content and structure of the ISEE Middle Level:

Preparing properly for the ISEE Middle Level is crucial to obtaining the highest results possible. As schools are comparing applicants' accomplishments on this test to determine their qualification, a high ISEE score can have a significant impact on your child's probability of being accepted.

TestPrep-Online offers level-specific, child-friendly ISEE practice test packs to help ensure your child is well prepared for test day. The Premium ISEE Middle Level Practice Test Pack includes two full-length, realistic practice tests that each simulating the actual ISEE test, thus enabling your child to become familiar with the test’s unique structure.

Upon finishing each practice exam, your child can review his or her test using a detailed score report that shows which questions were answered incorrectly, the number of correct answers, and the total score. Additionally, he or she can read full explanations for each question. If a question has been answered incorrectly, the explanation can be used to understand what was done wrong and how to correctly solve that question. If a question has been answered correctly, the explanation can help introduce your child to new methods and approaches for solving those types of questions.

With this report, you will be able to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and you can use this knowledge to determine where to concentrate your efforts in helping him or her become fully prepared in all of the various topics on the test. Help your child prepare for the ISEE Middle Level with TestPrep-Online so that he or she will be fully ready and confident in their abilities on the day of the test!

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The Essay is not scored but sent directly to schools for their review. Students will have 30 minutes to plan and write their essay in response to a single prompt. There are technically no right or wrong answers, but students do want to make a good impression on school admissions counselors.

Your essay is not scored, but a copy of your essay is sent to every school you designate to receive your ISEE results.  The schools may then use your essay as a separate weight in determining whether or not to offer you admission to their school.

Schools might compare your ISEE essay to your application responses to evaluate how you write under time constraints versus no time constraints.  They may also compare your ISEE essay to your application responses to see if you actually wrote your application responses (or if someone else wrote them!).

You will have 30 minutes to prepare and write your essay in response to a prompt that will be appropriate to your grade level and experiences.  So, do not worry that you will not be able to respond to the prompt.  Technically, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers, but be sure that you write on the assigned topic.  You will not be taken seriously if you write about your favorite singer or TV show when the prompt asks you about a community service project you performed.

Brainstorming 

Though 30 minutes may or may not seem like a good amount of time to write a two page essay, you should use every minute available to create an excellent essay.  To save time, you can actually prepare for your essay before you even sit down for the ISEE through brainstorming.

Brainstorming ideas will greatly lessen the time you spend thinking about how you’re going to answer the prompt and what evidence you’ll use to support your thesis, or main idea.  Ultimately, these ideas should pull from your experiences, interests, habits, hobbies, and aspirations as a student and as a person:

• Anything that you’ve learned in school (historical figures, social concepts, etc.)
• Favorite school subject (don’t pick lunch or recess)
• Books that you’ve read for school
• Books that you’ve read for fun
• Vacations or trips you’ve taken
• Community service that you’ve performed
• Relationships that you’ve made (family, friends, etc.)
• Interesting people that you’ve met (famous or not)
• Anything from movies, television shows, and the internet that you’ve seen
• Someone to whom you look up (famous or not)
• Hobbies or interests (cars, video games, books, sports, etc.)
• Life aspirations (career, education, family, etc.)

After you’ve brainstormed your ideas, spend some time answering the following questions for each idea:

• Why did you pick this idea?
• How does this idea influence you?
• Why is this influence important?

The answers to these questions will provide supporting evidence to back up whatever claim you make in response to the ISEE prompt.

Brainstorming Example and Practice 

Click here to download a blank essay brainstorming and outlining worksheet in PDF.

Brainstorming Example – “Something You’ve Learned in School”

Choose something you learned from any and all subjects (math, English, history, science, etc.). However, it would be prudent to focus on concepts that can be used to address social issues or concepts that have developed you as a student and/or person. For example, you can choose Abraham Lincoln or George Washington, popular choices for influential historical figures, or the lesson on marine biology that inspired you to focus your education in the sciences.

Brainstorming Example – “Favorite School Subject”

First and foremost, do not pick Lunch or Recess as your favorite school subjects. Remember, these ideas are supposed to help you create an essay that will be read by all the schools you select to receive your ISEE results. You won’t be taken seriously as a candidate for admission, so avoid “subjects” like Lunch, Recess, or possibly even Physical Education. Stick with the tried and true subjects: Math, Science, English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Fine Arts, etc.

Brainstorming Example – “Books You’ve read for School”

There are students who love to read and those who do not, but don’t worry too much about being the latter. Even if you have hated every book you’ve read for school, you can still have something to say (good or bad) that addresses an ISEE essay prompt about something you’ve read. However, do not fill your essay with negativity. Instead, make the essay a positive, yet critical, explanation of why you disliked portions, if not all, of the book. Whatever you choose, make sure you remember the storyline, the characters, and the general purpose of the book.

Brainstorming Example – “Books You’ve Read for Fun”

While this topic will be easier for those who like to read, those who do not will have read something at some point in their life. You can even use the same books you used for the previous worksheet, but focus more on the parts that you enjoyed. Think about how the book and its characters relate to your life or to real life scenarios. Many books are meant to be social commentaries on today’s world and its events.

Brainstorming Example – “Vacations or Trips That You’ve Taken”

There are some students who have traveled the world and some students who have barely traveled outside of their home city. However, like the book exercises, it doesn’t matter if you’re the former or the latter. Any vacation or trip (think school or church trips) is fair game! You can choose that whirlwind vacation to Europe you took last summer, or you can choose that church mission trip you took to build homes in a nearby town for those in need.

Brainstorming Example – “Community Service”

Official or not, you have probably done something in the past that benefitted the community in some way. You may have volunteered at the local homeless shelter to serve food for the homeless. You may have volunteered at a nursing home to help the residents with their daily activities. You may have helped your neighbors with their lawn or other housework. Anything you have done to help someone else can be considered community service, as long as you were not paid to do it.

Brainstorming Example – “Relationships that You’ve Made”

These are not the “romantic” relationships. These are friendships you have made with various people throughout your life that have made some sort of impact on you. Perhaps someone you met while performing your community service projects or on a vacation you took. These relationships are also those you have made with your family. Perhaps you have a strong bond with your parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins that have matured you in some way.

Brainstorming Example – “Interesting People That You’ve Met”

Famous or not, these are the people that you’ve met throughout your life that have made an impact on you. These people might be the same people you mentioned in the previous worksheet. What makes a person interesting is not necessarily how famous or popular they are. There is a reason they are famous or popular, such as their accomplishments or charity work. Be sure you pick someone about which you’ll have plenty to say.

Brainstorming Example – “Favorite Movie”

While you may not have a specific favorite movie (or three), you probably have some movies that you loved or liked. Focus on movies that show aspects of your personality (action, drama, comedy, etc.). Avoid movies that would be inappropriate to write about, such as comedies with vulgar humor or horror movies with extreme gore.

Brainstorming Example – “Favorite TV Shows”

Like the “Favorite Movies” worksheet, focus on television shows that are appropriate to write about and show aspects of your personality. Avoid reality television shows as they are often perceived as “poor quality” television, which can reflect poorly on your personality and character. You can even choose television shows that have not been on the air for a very long time.

Brainstorming Example – “Hobbies or Interests”

This is probably the most “fun” brainstorming worksheet you’ll complete in these exercises. Your hobbies and interests, no matter how silly they seem, demonstrate who you are as a person and as a student. You might spend some of your weekends playing video games or watching television. You might play sports or participate in clubs/organizations. You might be a walking encyclopedia on cars, trains, planes, animals, sports, games, or random fun facts. Pretty much anything goes!

Brainstorming Example – “Life Aspirations”

Though you may not have figured out where you want to attend college or what career you want to pursue, you have probably done some thinking about what you want out of life. Think about what matters to you, such as building a family, obtaining a lucrative job, or completing a college education. These ambitions will demonstrate to the schools what you plan on using your education to achieve.

Planning Your Essay: An Outline 

Before you begin writing your essay, spend between 2 to 3 minutes planning your essay. You may need to spend more time planning, but keep in mind that the more time you spend planning your essay the less time you have to actually write it. Perhaps the best way to plan an essay is by creating an outline. The outline keeps your thoughts organized and directed, as it is easy to fall into generalities that greatly weaken the strength of your essay. You may design your outline however you want, but a visually simple outline works well.

Write your main idea, or thesis, inside of a circle and branch two to three examples off from the circle that support your main idea. You might want to make notes under each supporting idea that detail what you would like to say. However, you do not have to write out complete sentences. Shorthand will make your outline easier to follow. It would also be prudent to number your supporting ideas in the order you want to talk about them.

Example Prompt: If you were given the power to change one thing about the way in which we choose a president of the United States, what would you change and why?

Thought Process: “Last year, my school’s Student Government tried out online voting, since the normal route wasn’t getting many votes. I remember it working really well! I think online voting should be the main way we vote for a president. I think I’ll first use the History lesson I learned on voter turnout for presidential elections. Then I’ll give an example of why voter turnout is low because of people’s busy schedules. Lastly, I’ll discuss what my Student Government did to fix voter turnout for issues involving our student body.”

Structure of the Essay 

You’ve determined what you want to write about and you’ve drafted your quick outline. Now, you can spend the remaining 27 or so minutes writing and proofreading your essay. Remember, although the essay is not scored, schools look at your essay to see how effective and creative you are at expressing your ideas. You should vary your sentences in structure and length and include intelligent vocabulary, all of which demonstrates your command and knowledge of English.

The format of the essay is not as important as how effectively you present your ideas. You can choose to write a formal essay with an introduction paragraph, 2‐3 body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph or you can choose to write a narrative essay, which plays out more like a story of an event you’ve experienced or learned about. Either way, choose the format that is easiest for you to write and that most effectively presents your argument or point.

Example Format of a Formal Essay 

• Introduction Paragraph – clearly states which position you are taking regarding the prompt o Intro Sentence – restatement of the prompt in a way that draws the reader in
• Supporting Sentence 1 (SS1) – discusses some aspect of your stance
• Supporting Sentence 2 (SS2) – discusses another aspect of your stance
• Thesis Statement – embodies the entirety of your stance and the essay

Body Paragraph(s) – details each specific example that supports your thesis

• Intro Sentence – describes what the paragraph will discuss (lead‐in to the example) o SS1 – presents the example (event, literature, history, experience, movie, etc.)
• SS2 – further details the example and how it supports the thesis
• SS3 – further details the example and how it supports the thesis
• Concluding Sentence – final statement regarding your thesis vs. the example

Concluding Paragraph – brings your arguments together

• Intro Sentence – restatement of your thesis in a different way
• SS1 – restatement of your first example
• SS2 – restatement of your second example
• SS3 – restatement of your third example
• Concluding Sentence – final statement regarding the entire essay and your thesis

Some Essays Dos and Don’ts 

Essay Un-Scoring 

Though Section 5’s essay is not scored, copies of your essay will be sent to the schools you designate to receive your ISEE results. The essay is a demonstration of your ability to communicate your ideas intelligently and effectively. Have one or more readers review your essay using the following chart’s guidelines to determine your level of mastery of the English language.

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