The essay section is the only unscored portion of the ISEE. A copy is sent to schools along with the score report.
Students will be asked to write an essay in response to the given prompt. Essay prompts will look like this:
If you could take a class to learn anything, what would you choose to learn about, and why?
How schools use the ISEE essay
The way in which each admissions department uses the ISEE essay varies from school to school, but the following are the main essay elements that will be evaluated:- Topic choice
- Organization and structure
- Use of examples and details
- Writing mechanics (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
Tip: Some schools will compare student application essays with the ISEE essay. If the application essays are written differently from the ISEE essay, school may disregard the application essays entirely based on an assumption that these may have been written by someone else (a parent, a tutor, etc.).
Make sure that you write your own application essays! Parents, guardians, and others can help with the editing process, but the writing should be your own!