Should universities spend heavily on competitive sports teams?

A band 6 model answer to a real TOEFL iBT writing question in the official format, with notes on why it scores. Write your own version below it and get an instant rater-style score.

The question

Your professor is teaching a class on higher education policy. Write a post responding to the professor's question. In your response, express and support your opinion and add to the discussion in your own words. A strong response has at least 100 words. Professor Whitfield: Some universities spend heavily on competitive sports teams and stadiums. Is that a defensible use of a university's money? Deepa: It is. Sport builds the loyalty that keeps graduates giving for decades, and those gifts fund scholarships that no departmental budget could match. Jonah: The spending follows a few dozen athletes while laboratories share ageing equipment. If a university wants community, it should fund clubs anyone can join, not a stadium most students only ever see on television.

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Band 6 model answer

I side with Jonah, although his case needs the evidence Deepa is relying on. Donations do rise with sporting success, but the money usually arrives tied to the athletics programme itself rather than flowing to scholarships, so the loyalty Deepa describes tends to fund the next stadium rather than the next student. The point I would add is about who is actually in the room. A university exists to teach the people it admits, and a stadium serves the few dozen who play and the alumni who watch on television. Twenty pitches for intramural clubs cost less than one stand and reach thousands of students. If sport really does build community, then fund the version of it that most students can walk onto.

Why this answer earns band 6

Concedes the opponent's factual claim and then shows why it does not support her conclusion.
The cost comparison of pitches against a stand is specific, which lifts the response above assertion.
Stays close to 120 words with varied sentence lengths and no filler intensifiers.

Do not memorise model answers; raters recognise recycled essays instantly. Study the moves, then make them with your own ideas, and check where you stand with a scored practice.

Questions about this answer

What band is this model answer?

It is written to band 6, and the notes under it quote the answer's own words to show why.

How long should my answer be?

This model answer is 123 words, and the task asks for at least 100.

What is the most common mistake with a model answer?

Memorising it. Raters recognise recycled answers instantly, so study the moves, then make them with your own ideas.