Clinton Presidential Center
Essay Competition 2015
“Ideas Matter”
Essay Contest Judging Sheet
Criteria
Composition
Style
Usage
Mechanics
Sentence Formation
Content
Points Range
0-25 pts.
0-20 pts.
0-10 pts.
0-10 pts.
0-10 pts.
0
Total
Points Awarded
____ /100
Composition
-
Clear thesis
Full elaboration supporting thesis
Clear organization
Closing summary or argument
-
Vivid, precise vocabulary
Information purposefully selected to affect reader
Sentence variety – alternative beginnings and lengths
Strong voice
-
Consistent verb use
Correct use of inflections
Noun-verb agreement
Style
Usage
Mechanics
-
Consistent display of capitalization, punctuation, formatting, and spelling
Sentence Formation
-
Correct formation of sentences including complex sentences
-
Relevance of Essay thesis to prompt
Creativity of response
Feasibility of suggested solution
Context