Can I use Canadian / British spellings on the SAT essay?

That's a good question posed by a perspicacious student. OK, all of my students are keen and come up with good questions, but I thought this was an especially good question that deserved a blog entry.
I called up College Board and posed the question today. The first representative told me that spellings must be in "English." I said that Canadian English is English. "Do spellings have to be American English?" I asked.
She said spellings do have to be in American English.
I always call customer-service lines twice. If I get two answers, I know the reps don't know what they're talking about.
Well, they don't know what they're talking about. Or, I should say, at least one of the representatives doesn't know what she's talking about; the second representative initially said that she thought only grammar mattered. Well, we know that's wrong information.
Then she looked on the website to find the answer. The answer to my question isn't there. Then she spoke to a supervisor and said British spellings are acceptable. Well, at least a supervisor -- supposedly -- gave that answer.
Here's the bottom line: When possible, stick to US spellings. Leave out the "u" in "colour," and leave out the "e" in judgment.
But remember that your essay is a first draft. You can still get a perfect score even if you have some misspellings. So don't go crazy or let your concern about spellings slow you down so much that you don't make it to your conclusion.
Nevertheless, if you'll attend a U.S. school, you should be familiar with U.S. spellings anyway.
Here's a site that covers the differences between British English and American English. Vancouver SAT Tutoring Your Score Booster http://www.yourscorebooster.com

How to Write an SAT Essay

If you want to write a great SAT essay, read the New York Times Opinion pages.
Especially check out the pieces called "Room for Debate."
Several people give their sides on an issue of debate.
By following the various sides, you can see how to develop an argument in a short essay.
The Times now requires a subscription. But you can read 20 articles a month for free.
Check out these "Room for Debate" essays.

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