Long-Windedness Leads to Higher SAT Scores

by Liz Colville

Fourteen-year-old Milo Beckman, an alleged prodigy who would probably ace the SAT anyway, has figured out how to score even higher, if that’s possible, by cracking the code to the controversial essay component of the test, which was introduced in 2005. Milo Beckman found by pooling data on Facebook that there’s a “direct correlation between a higher score and a longer essay.” This after earlier research by an MIT writing director, Les Perelman, showing that length seemed to leave a favorable impression on essay graders. According to College Board guidelines, the essays aren’t graded “for their individual qualities but for the general impression they give the reader,” which is insanely vague! Watch Beckman’s video explanation above. [Via]