What is the difference between student essays and on-demand writing samples?

Student essays are the polished, well-fed, beautifully dressed versions of your child’s writing. They’re the kind you edit, revise, and sometimes agonize over for days. On-demand writing samples, on the other hand, are the pajama-wearing, caught-off-guard cousins. These are written during a timed session, often via Test Innovators, with a prompt your child sees for the first time and only 30 minutes to respond. No edits, no re-dos—just raw thinking on the page. Both give admissions officers insight, but one shows what your child can do with time and help, while the other reveals how they think on their feet.