Hi, I’m able to consistently get a 5 on my practice essays, but the highest I have ever gotten was a 5.5 and I don’t know what I did differently. Looking at the essay rubric, the main difference between a 5 and a 6 is that a 5 essay is well-developed, while a 6 essay is insightful. Now, I’m having some trouble deciphering what exactly that means, and if someone would be able to help me parse that I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
In some cases, there is no difference. Perhaps you get a prompt you like versus one you don’t. That can be the difference between a 5.0 and a 6.0.
But in general, 6.0 essays demonstrate a higher level of persuasion and cohesion. This means that the ideas are just better – better reasons, better examples, better commentary, etc. It also means that all of the ideas flow together nicely. Sometimes a 5.0 essay will present a strong reason but then have a so-so example that doesn’t really match the reason.