One of the challenging parts of the Long Essay Question is keeping track of all the parts. But one thing people rarely talk about is all the things you don't need to spend any time on during your essay. I've helped dozens of students improve their scores on the LEQ by focusing their attention on some critical areas. In that spirit, we're going to talk about all the things you don't have to do on the AP US History Long Essay Question.
Using This Information Effectively
There are a few things I think you need to know to use this information effectively. There are a few situation where these tips won't work. Additionally, we have to think about these tips strategically. Otherwise, you risk not being able to implement this information effectively.
Eyes on the Prize
One of the things skillful writers do is consider their goals for writing. Good writing doesn't look the same in every context. A novel has different standards than an essay. A play uses entirely different rules than a poem. So, it make sense to take a minute to answer this fundamental question: What is the goal of this piece of writing?
A common answer for an AP student is, "I want to earn a high score." or "I want to do well on my exam." From there, it follows that you should focus on the things that earn points on the exams. So when I say that you can "skip this thing" on the LEQ, that means that nothing on the rubric requires you to do that item. Skipping allows you to focus your limited time and resources on the part of your exam that is most likely to move you forward.
Teacher Expectations
All of the following advice works for the AP US History exam in May. But it may not work in every AP US History class. That is because AP US History teachers are not required to teach in the same way. This includes grading. An AP US History teacher does not have to use the APUSH LEQ rubric when the grade your papers in class.
This is a good thing. It means a skilled teacher can select activities and curve assignments in a way that makes sense for their class. This is a fundamental part of the art of teaching, and students have a better experience when that is done well. That also means that your teacher can hold you to a higher standard than the College Board will in May.
If your teacher tells you that you need to do one of the following things, then you need to do it. They get to determine your grade. And as I always say, "A happy grader is a happy grade."
I get that this can be frustrating, and it can feel like extra work for no reason. But I would challenge you to think of it as a gift. The College Board's standard for writing is not that high. That's no slight to them, they're just being realistic about what you can accomplish in 40 minutes on a comprehensive exam after two hours of testing. Your future bosses and professors will have higher standards.
My APUSH teacher taught me how to write an essay. He was beloved, and very kind, but he had standards. If you didn't meet them, you knew about it. It was stressful learning how to write an essay. But it was a skill I cashed in on for the next decade. I breezed through a ton of assignments that freaked out my classmates in college. I'm not a wiz kid. Someone just held me accountable for learning before I got there. Learn it now, so you don't have to learn it later.
That being said, you don't have to follow their rules on an exam they aren't grading. You are free to skip these things on the exam day in May.
Writing A Conclusion
An academic essay usually follows and standard formula.
- Introduction
- Several body paragraphs
- Conclusion
Worrying About Length
Number of Paragraphs
There is no magical number of paragraphs. In fact, you could earn full credit if you had zero paragraphs, or rather, one very long paragraph. The point here is not "don't write in paragraphs." Paragraphs help make your essay more readable, and a happy grader is a happy grade. But, you should not spend any amount of your life force worried about the number of paragraphs in your essay. If you have an essay with an introduction and two body paragraphs, rock on. I'm also here for a nine paragraph opus.
Number of Sentences
There is also no set number of sentences for the essay as a whole or for any particular part of the essay. Consider the contextualization point. I've seen great contextualization that was a sentence long. I've seen others that were eight or nine sentences. And that's setting aside some of the really long paragraph sentences. (It was the best of times...)
You should move on if you have nothing new to say or if you find yourself repeating yourself. You should also mind the clock so that you have time to write all parts of the essay. But these are questions of time management and not length.
Following A Formula
This is not math class. You do not need to use any specific formula to achieve success.
A formula is a tool that helps you solve a problem. Like all tools, formulas are rarely the only way to solve a problem. If having a formula works for you, great! If it doesn't, great! Either way, it's good to know the limits of formulaic writing.
For example, I often run into students who are using this formula to write a thesis statement.
Although x, b because y and z.
You can absolutely use this formula to create a great thesis statement. That could look something like this:
Although many New Deal policies failed, President Roosevelt radically shifted American politics by expanding welfare programs and government regulation of businesses.
That thesis statement would set you up for a three paragraph essay. One paragraph would tackle the limits of New Deal reforms. Another one would cover welfare programs. The last one would deal with government regulation of business. Excellent.
But, there's a downside. First, you can wind up eating into a lot of time if you think that you can't go on without figuring out x, y, z, and b. That's a shame because it's stressful and that time could be better used. Furthermore, if you have most of those items figure out, then you're wasting time that earns you no additional points. You don't need all four to earn the complexity point, and you certainly don't need it to earn the thesis point.
Finally, over-fixation on a formula can distract us from our true goal: to assert a connection between two things. If I used my sample thesis statement, but never talk about how the New Deal failed to end the Great Depression, then that phrase is just holding space. It's not working for me.
Similarly, you have to take care that your essay doesn't devolve into a game of Mad Libs. I've worked with students who put a phrase in for x. When I asked them about it, they didn't really know what they meant. Or, they didn't have any evidence to support their point. Over-fixation on a formula can distract us from our true goal: to assert a connection between two things. If I used my sample thesis statement, but never talk about how the New Deal failed to end the Great Depression, then that phrase is just holding space. It's not working for me.
Focus on making a clear argument, not filling in the blanks. The same is true for other parts of the essay. Express your ideas, and don't let other people's ways of expression mute your own voice.
Editing
Writing and editing are two different steps in the process of writing an essay. It's a good habit to divide these tasks into different steps. Writing is for developing ideas and expressing your thoughts. Editing an essay is for ensuring that your essay follows English grammar rules. It's also when you may tackle issues of style, for example altering word choice or changing the order of sentences.
On the AP exam, you have a limited amount of time. You should spend the vast majority of it writing, and almost none of it on editing. That means most of the time you have should be spent developing new ideas, citing evidence, and otherwise showing off your history skills. Many people struggle to do both at the same time. You're asking your brain to split it's attention between two very different tasks. If it follows the ideas, then it misses that extra comma in the sixth sentence. If it starts fixing commas, you risk losing your train of thought.
This also applies to issues of style. "What's a better way to say..." is not a helpful question on this exam, especially if better means fancier or longer. Clear is best. Simple is good. Get the idea down and move on to the next idea. Have faith in your own ability to express your views.
You will not lose points on the AP exam for errors with spelling, punctuation, word choice, and grammar as long as they don't make the meaning unclear. If a reasonable person could figure out what you meant, then you don't need to worry about it from a score perspective. If you have extra time at the end, you can go back and reread your essay. But think of it like the MCQ section - you don't check if you answered the questions correctly until they are all done.
I help ambitious students improve their skills and master the AP US History exam. Learn more here!
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This material is based on my interpretation of the AP US History Course and Exam Description and my experience working in education for the past decade. The views expressed on this page are my own. AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this site.