GRE Issue -NOT Picking a Side. Thoughts?

[clandry]

What are your guys' thoughts on not picking a side? That is, I provide support for both disagreeing and agreeing with the issue?

 

Many times, I struggle to come up with 3 STRONG examples for ONE side. Typically, I can come up with two just fine and either come up with a weak 3rd or not be able to come up with one at all. I can also come up with two strong examples for the opposing side. If I could do something like 2 Agree and 2 Disagree examples, then I'd have a much easier time writing the essays. Would this be frowned upon?

 

I am also aware that AWA graders are appreciative of nuance, but what I am proposing (agreeing&disagreeing) isn't really nuance (addressing examples that could challenge your position).

 

From the former half of the instructions (agree/disagree with claim), it doesn't seem to give you room to stay in the middle; however, I've seen a couple of essays from the ETS Prep that chose to agree&disagree. These essays are received high marks (5+). 

 

I remembering writing agree/disagree essays in the past (not on the GRE), where if you did not choose a side, it usually negatively impacted your score. 

[awells27]

I wrote 2 paragraphs on each side on my first essay question, explaining in intro that the position depended on certain contexts for it to be true or false.  I scored a 6.  If your essay is well written and organized, that should not hurt you.  If the argument presented is absurd, then you might not take this approach.  It probably depends on the grader also.  I would spend more time praying for divine intervention on that count, since the more I read and talk to people, the less it seems that scores are reflecting knowledge as much as sheer luck.  Given equal preparation, two people can have highly divergent scores.  

[finalrez]

I agree with awells.  It absolutely is possible to write a strong essay that doesn't fall strongly on either side of the issue.  That said, it is much easier to end up with a muddled essay if you don't pick a side (especially if you find yourself at the end of the essay without time to revise seemingly conflicting viewpoints), which is typically why the test prep places recommend just choosing a side arbitrarily and going with it.