Sample Student Essays
Going for the Look

|On-Demand Writing Assignment |
|You will have 45 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic assigned below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan|
|what you will say. Explain Cohen’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your position, |
|providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. Your essay should be as well-organized and carefully |
|written as you can make it.
The conclusion makes a strong case for hiring on the basis of merit. • The writer demonstrates a strong command of language and syntactic variety, alternating fluent, longer sentences with short sentences to make a point. • The essay is virtually error-free and reflects the writer’s command of the conventions of incorporating the words and ideas of others into the writer’s response to an argument.

Sample student essay with a score of 5:

Discrimination Vs Wealth

One of the biggest problems causing separation in today’s society is discrimination based on looks. Our morality is constantly decreasing due to greed and selfishness. At one point in time we focused on the well being of every human being no matter their race, color or gender; looks meant nothing while love and friendships meant everything. On the contrary to Marshal Cohen’s statement that a “brand enhancer” or a “walking bill board” is critical, hiring people based on looks is not morally correct, and morality should be held above money and reputation. Hiring by looks can cause numerous amounts of issues, both at the governmental level and the emotional level. As Olophius Perry stated in the article, Going for the Look but Risking Discrimination, “If you’re hiring by looks, then you can run into problems of race discrimination, national origin discrimination, gender discrimination, age discrimination, and even