how do i write a class 7 essay

Essay Writing For Class 7 Format, Examples, Topics, Exercises

Essay writing is an essential skill that every student should develop as it helps to express thoughts and ideas in a structured and logical manner. Writing an essay can be a challenging task, especially for Class 7 students who are still in the process of learning and developing their writing skills. However, with the right guidance and practice, students can master the art of essay writing. In this essay, we will discuss the format, examples, topics, and exercises for Class 7 essay writing.

Also Read: Essay Writing Topics For Class 6 

Format of an Essay:

Before we discuss the format of an essay, it is essential to understand what an essay is. An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument or point of view on a specific topic. It is typically composed of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The format of an essay varies depending on the type of essay and the teacher’s instructions. However, most essays follow a basic structure that includes the following:

1. Introduction: The introduction is the first paragraph of the essay that introduces the topic and provides some background information. It should also include a thesis statement that states the main argument or point of view of the essay.

2. Body Paragraphs: The body paragraphs are the middle section of the essay that presents the main arguments and evidence to support the thesis statement. Each paragraph should focus on a single point and include supporting details, examples, and evidence to back up the argument.

3. Conclusion: The conclusion is the final paragraph of the essay that summarizes the main points of the essay and restates the thesis statement in a new way. It should also provide a closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Examples of Essays:

Here are some examples of essays that Class 7 students can use as a reference:

1. My Favorite Animal:

Introduction: Introduce the topic of your favorite animal and why you chose it.

Body Paragraphs: Describe the physical characteristics of the animal, its behavior, and habits. Provide examples and evidence to support your arguments.

Conclusion: Summarize the main points of the essay and state why this animal is your favorite.

2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology:

Introduction: Introduce the topic of technology and provide some background information.

Body Paragraphs: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of technology. Include specific examples and evidence to support your arguments.

Conclusion: Summarize the main points of the essay and state your opinion on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa.

3. My Dream Vacation:

Introduction: Introduce the topic of your dream vacation and why you chose it.

Body Paragraphs: Describe the location, activities, and experiences you would like to have on your dream vacation. Include specific details and evidence to support your arguments.

Conclusion: Summarize the main points of the essay and state why this vacation is your dream.

Topics for Essays:

Here are some topics that Class 7 students can use to write essays:

1. My Favorite Season 2. My Best Friend 3. My Favorite Hobby 4. The Importance of Exercise 5. My Favorite Book 6. My Family 7. The Importance of Education 8. My Favorite Movie 9. The Importance of Recycling 10. My Favorite Sport

Essay Writing Exercises:

Here are some exercises that Class 7 students can use to practice their essay-writing skills:

1. Choose a topic and write a five-paragraph essay using the basic essay format. 2. Read a news article and write an essay summarizing the main points and providing your opinion on the topic. 3. Write an essay describing a historical event and its impact on society. 4. Write an essay discussing the benefits and drawbacks of social media. 5. Write an essay describing your favorite food and explaining why it is your favorite.

Essay writing is a vital skill that every Class 7 student should develop. By following the basic essay format and practicing with different topics and exercises, students can improve their writing skills and express their thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner.

It is also essential for students to read and analyze different types of essays to understand the structure, language, and tone used in different types of essays. With consistent practice and guidance from their teachers, students can become proficient writers and excel in their academic and personal lives.

• Class 7 English Grammar Chapter 28 Essay Writing

Class 7 English Grammar Chapter 28 Essay Writing. Writing essays is an art. When we write an essay on a certain topic, we express our ideas and opinions on it. Essays can be of many different types. According to the subject matter, they can all be roughly brought within the following types: Descriptive, Narrative, Reflective, Expository and Imaginative.

Standard 7 English Grammar Chapter 28 Essay Writing Practice

• Class 7 English Grammar Chapter 28 Revision Book
• Class 7 English Grammar Previous Chapter
• Class 7 English Grammar Main Page
• Class 7 English NCERT Solutions
• Class 7 all Subjects Solutions

In Chapter 28 of the Class 7 English Grammar curriculum, students are introduced to the captivating world of essay writing. Often considered an art form, essays allow writers to eloquently convey their perspectives and insights on a chosen topic. With myriad forms to explore, essays are versatile in nature, adapting to the theme and intent of the writer.

Essay on An Ideal Teacher

Good teachers are very rare. They have a permanent impression upon the mind of their young students. An ideal teacher is not heaven born. He is earthy, but he possesses heavenly qualities of head and heart. I read in M.R.V. Sr. Sec. School, Delhi. There are 50 teachers in our school. All the teachers are honest and hardworking.

I respect all the teachers. But I like Shri R. Tiwari the most. He is my favourite teacher. He is an ideal teacher. He is a young man of 34 years. He is an M.Sc., B.Ed. He belongs to a noble family. He is very sweet and learned. He teaches us Mathematics. He is our class-incharge.

His way of teaching is very simple. He explains everything very clearly. He is the master of his subject. He develops a taste for reading and writing. He does not beat the weak students. Every student does his homework happily. All the students respect him very much. He has many good habits. He is an early bird. He goes out for a walk daily. He takes exercise regularly. He prays to God daily. He puts on neat and clean clothes. ‘Simple living and high thinking’ is the motto of his life. He is never late for school. He is tall, strong, healthy and handsome. He is active and smart. He is a good speaker and sportsman. After the school time he plays with us. He is a social worker. He always helps the poor and the needy. He is very polite. He is a man of character. All the students and teachers praise him. He is a gem among men. May he live long!

Diving deeper, essays can be categorized based on their focus and approach. From the vivid details of Descriptive essays to the storytelling charm of Narrative pieces; from the introspective journey of Reflective essays to the informative style of Expository writings, and the limitless realms of Imaginative essays. This chapter equips students with the skills to navigate through these diverse forms, enriching their writing repertoire.

The festival I like Most

Diwali is the most important festival of the Hindus. It means a “row of lamps”. It is a festival of lights. It is one of our most popular festivals. It generally comes off in the last week of October or in the first week of November. The Hindus celebrate this festival in the memory of Shri Ram Chandra’s return to Ayodhya after killing Ravana, the king of Lanka. Great preparations are made before the festival. Houses are cleaned, white-washed and decorated beautifully. Beautiful pictures, photos and calendars are hung in the rooms. Old things are replaced with new ones. The bazaars are over-crowded. The shops are well decorated. There is great rush at the sweets’ and toys’ shops. People buy sweets and toys. They send sweets and presents to their friends and relatives. At night the scene is very beautiful. The bazaars, shops and houses are lit with tiny bulbs. Earthen lamps (Diyas) and candles are in rows on the roofs of houses. Children enjoy fire works and crocker. Children look very happy on this day. The Goddess Laxmi is worshiped at night. But some people gamble on the day to try their luck. It is very bad. It must be stopped. Diwali is a festival of great rejoicings. So it should be celebrated joyfully.

Computer A Wonderful Invention

Computer is one of the wonderful inventions of Sir Charles Babbage who is known as the father of computer. In England Charles Babbage developed a machine to perform complex calculations in1833. The first electronic computer came into existence in 1943. Computer has changed the life style of man. It plays a vital role in every field. In business, computers are used for preparing pay rolls, billing, invoicing, sorting, stock and inventory control etc. Special software packages have been developed which are particularly suitable for commercial and business applications.

In education, computers are used for maintaining records of attendance and fees, for preparing merit lists, date sheets and time tables etc. In banks computers are used for keeping record of each customer and various information such as current balances, deposits, overdrafts, interest charges etc. In hospitals computers are used for maintaining records of drugs, storing, condition of patients, details of tests, clinical reports and for preparing hospital budgets. Computers are used for regulating air, railway, water and surface transportation. Computer is used in the field of education and entertainment. We can see movies on it. We can also use it as a music player. In the coming years man will become totally dependents on the computer. Hence computer is very important for all of us.

If I Win a Lottery Prize

I want to earn money through hard work when I grow up. However, I know how I would use the money if I win a lottery prize, say, of 5 lakh rupees. First, I would give my friends and relatives a tea party. The menu would consist of the choicest sweets. Second, I would buy the best of clothes for my parents, brothers, sisters and myself. Third, I would buy a scooter, for it takes me a lot of time to travel on a cycle. Fourth, I would set up a library of my own. This would consist of the most interesting books for children. The boys and girls of my locality would be free to borrow these books and read them. All this would cost me about thirty thousand rupees.

I would deposit one lakh in a post office under some useful saving scheme. This would yield me the necessary funds for my higher education. Sixth, I would give the remaining amount to my parents so that they may build a house. At present, they do no have enough money to build one. We have been living in rented houses all our lives. Some landlords have been very good while others have been painfully bad. So we feel that there is nothing like having one’s own house. Well all these plans depend upon my winning a lottery prize!

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Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

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Planning an essay

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

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Cleanliness Essay for Class 7 Students

Essay on cleanliness for class 7 students.

Practicing essays is a wonderful way of learning to organize one’s thoughts and ideologies. It helps you to think, organize and reproduce your thoughts in the most composed manner. Writing an essay is the best way to enhance your language along with thinking capabilities. It will help you to explore your creative streaks. Also, writing essays will need you to have a strong knowledge of the subject. This will push you to explore new reading domains, improving your reading skills and general knowledge. As students go to higher classes, the need to write lengthy and well-structured answers increases. It is in places like these that essay writing helps students.  

Cleanliness

Cleanliness became a serious concern in metropolitan cities. The two important aspects of living a great life are health and hygiene. These both are directly and indirectly related to each other. Hygiene can be the other word for cleanliness which describes the state of being clean. ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ shows its remarkable impact on the countryman to take initiative in cleanliness.

The importance of cleanliness was first recognized by the father of India-Mahatma Gandhi, he said,‘ I will not allow anyone to walk in my mind with his dirty feet.’ His words inspired millions of countrymen to be clean in those times. But, in urbanization, his thoughts are washed off, and then Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes on his thoughts and takes an initiative in the clean Bharat movement. 

Frequently it is observed that the diseases are spread through the unlearned floors, dinner plates and teacups, handrails of the buildings and certain more unavoidable places and meals. Have you ever observed the hospitals neatly? They have a clean-up of every utensil and the facilities 4-5 times a day. They are aware of the fact that contaminated germs are ready to spread throughout the patients not only amongst the hospital staff but also with the visitors. Frequently, the outside food is avoided for the patients, as it's a risk-taking option for the weaker person. Moreover, special provisions are provided in the hotels. The tables are cleaned with chemicals after the meal but we must take safety tissues to clean up the dishes and tables one more time. The hand sanitisers must be near the washbasins. 

Being clean is an essential task but not a difficult one. Washing a hand with soap hardly took 2 minutes and we had 1440 minutes in a day. The major entry of the bacteria is through the mouth while eating and the nose while inhaling. So, eating with dirty hands must not be one’s cup of tea. The next critical part is the eyes, the clean eyes are the showcase of good physical strength. Washing the eyes after every single time any minor use of eyes is done. 

In special public places, the cleanliness is majorly missing, the color-coding of the dust bags helps in sorting the garbage in the proper and essential format. Throwing garbage on the road is equivalent to a social offense. Clean roads with clean parks are the aesthetically pleasing places in the city. The Make in India, doing the best role in their movement, where cleanliness is one of the prime visions of the organization.

No one loves to live in a dirty place. But the dirty place is not only containing dirt but also the place with viruses. The new thing is noticed in the corona-virus spread, the virus is spread through the legs. Coronavirus is heavy and always present on the floor due to gravity. This bacterium easily gets attracted towards the palms and the contamination spreader. Our safety is in our hands only. 

Apart from maintaining personal hygiene, it is also important to keep our surroundings clean, teach others the importance of cleanliness, ask our friends and family to stay clean, regular exercise, have enough sleep, stay hydrated, and eat nutritious food is very important for a healthy and happy life. If you are healthy, you can work or study better, you have time for your hobbies and can enjoy your free time. The government of India has also realized the importance of cleanliness and has launched the “Swachh Bharat” initiative to clean our surroundings, ourselves, our houses. This is taken forward to the grass-root level by municipal corporations and village panchayats. Even in the schools, we can see this initiative being implemented and teachers are bringing awareness among students regarding the importance of cleanliness. 

FAQs on Cleanliness Essay for Class 7 Students

1. Why Should We Be Clean and Maintain Cleanliness Around Us?

Cleanliness is very important from the health point of view. Especially in metropolitan cities, with the growing population, it is very important to maintain cleanliness. The more the number of people, the greater waste is produced leading to a higher degree of unclean places. Therefore every individual must maintain personal hygiene along with contributing to the public cleanliness. Not cleaning our surroundings will attract flies, mosquitoes and insects that spread deadly diseases. Not cleaning our surroundings will only pile up the waste materials. If you breathe in the air which has high dust particles for a longer period, you will have to face breathing issues and diseases related to the lungs in case of long term exposure to dust and waste material. If you eat food contaminated by mosquitoes, flies or food that is not properly stored, you end up getting diseases like diarrhea, vomiting and food poisoning in extreme cases. If you drink unclean water, you get cholera, typhoid, diarrhea, hepatitis etc. This will not only weaken your body in the short run but also damage your vital organs in the long run. So keeping your surroundings along with your body clean is important for a healthy life. 

2. What are the Diseases that can Spread Due to an Unclean Environment?

Diseases like - Malaria, Dengue, viral fever, diarrhea, food poisoning, skin infections, breathing problems etc, to name a few. Therefore everyone must maintain personal as well as public hygiene. Not cleaning your surroundings would only pile up the dust and waste material. This will attract more flies, mosquitoes, and insects that spread different diseases. If you inhale the air which has high dust particles, you will have to face breathing issues and diseases related to the lungs in case of long term exposure to dust and waste material. If you eat food contaminated by mosquitoes, flies or food that is not properly stored, you end up getting diseases like diarrhea, vomiting and food poisoning in extreme cases. If you drink unclean water, you get cholera, typhoid, diarrhea, hepatitis etc. This will not only weaken your body in the short run but also damage your vital organs in the long run. So keeping your surroundings along with your body clean is important for a healthy life. 

3. In the Recent Corona Pandemic Outbreak, What are the Precautions Needed to be Taken to Stay Safe and Healthy?

The recent corona outbreak has led to everyone being in a state of panic. One of the main reasons is the inability to find a proper cure for the same. However, here are a few precautions that can be followed by everyone to prevent it from spreading more: 

Cover your mouth and nose with a clean mask every time before stepping outside.

Always use a sanitiser to clean your hands after going out.

Avoid stepping out of the house unnecessarily 

Avoid crowded places

Do not touch your eyes, nose or ears unnecessarily.  

Keep your house and office well ventilated to avoid the accumulation of virus

When you get a chance, take your vaccine dose without missing it and keep the vaccination certificate with you for further use.

If you feel you have symptoms of coronavirus, try to isolate yourself from the rest and take a test as soon as possible. Home isolation is a better option if it is available and possible for you.

If you can not stay isolated at your home, try joining a nearby hospital and do not roam outside with the symptoms. 

4. Where can Students Find Reliable Essays for Exams?

To help students understand the art of writing essays better along with scoring excellent marks, Vedantu has provided here certain essays based on the need of the curriculum that the students can easily refer to. Apart from essays, Vedantu also has reliable sources of previous year questions, important topics, model questions, exam patterns, syllabus, reference material, free textbook PDFs and any other updates regarding general and competitive exams.

5. What does the quote “Early to bed, early to rise, keeps a man healthy, wealthy and wise” mean?

This quote was given by Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard’s Almanac. This quote means that a person who wakes up early in the morning can start his day fresh, do not need to rush things, has time to clean himself, do exercise, read the paper, pursue his hobbies, eat healthy breakfast, and attend school or office on time. He will not feel sleepy during the day as he gets enough sleep when he tries to sleep early. This will increase his concentration power, it will improve his understanding of things, when the concentration increases he will be successful in his studies or work. This will make him wealthy. Waking up early and sleeping on time will improve his health conditions and he will have time and interest for personal hygiene. This will make the man healthy and active. When he sleeps on time and wakes up on time, he has enough time in a day to pursue his hobbies or do things he likes, this will make him wise.

For more information related to previous year questions, important topics, model questions, exam pattern, syllabus, reference material, free textbook PDFs and any other updates regarding general and competitive exams, keep visiting Vedantu. Students can now access our resources from Vedantu mobile app.

Kids-learning • Class 7

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How to Write an Essay

Last Updated: April 2, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 7,930,069 times.

An essay is a common type of academic writing that you'll likely be asked to do in multiple classes. Before you start writing your essay, make sure you understand the details of the assignment so that you know how to approach the essay and what your focus should be. Once you've chosen a topic, do some research and narrow down the main argument(s) you'd like to make. From there, you'll need to write an outline and flesh out your essay, which should consist of an introduction, body, and conclusion. After your essay is drafted, spend some time revising it to ensure your writing is as strong as possible.

Understanding Your Assignment

• The compare/contrast essay , which focuses on analyzing the similarities and differences between 2 things, such as ideas, people, events, places, or works of art.
• The narrative essay , which tells a story.
• The argumentative essay , in which the writer uses evidence and examples to convince the reader of their point of view.
• The critical or analytical essay, which examines something (such as a text or work of art) in detail. This type of essay may attempt to answer specific questions about the subject or focus more generally on its meaning.
• The informative essay , that educates the reader about a topic.

• How long your essay should be
• Which citation style to use
• Formatting requirements, such as margin size , line spacing, and font size and type

Christopher Taylor, PhD

Christopher Taylor, Professor of English, tells us: "Most essays will contain an introduction, a body or discussion portion, and a conclusion. When assigned a college essay, make sure to check the specific structural conventions related to your essay genre , your field of study, and your professor's expectations."

• If you're doing a research-based essay , you might find some inspiration from reading through some of the major sources on the subject.
• For a critical essay, you might choose to focus on a particular theme in the work you're discussing, or analyze the meaning of a specific passage.

• If you're having trouble narrowing down your topic, your instructor might be able to provide guidance or inspiration.

Planning and Organizing Your Essay

• Academic books and journals tend to be good sources of information. In addition to print sources, you may be able to find reliable information in scholarly databases such as JSTOR and Google Scholar.
• You can also look for primary source documents, such as letters, eyewitness accounts, and photographs.
• Always evaluate your sources critically. Even research papers by reputable academics can contain hidden biases, outdated information, and simple errors or faulty logic.

Tip: In general, Wikipedia articles are not considered appropriate sources for academic writing. However, you may be able to find useful sources in the “References” section at the end of the article.

• You might find it helpful to write your notes down on individual note cards or enter them into a text document on your computer so you can easily copy, paste , and rearrange them however you like.
• Try organizing your notes into different categories so you can identify specific ideas you'd like to focus on. For example, if you're analyzing a short story , you might put all your notes on a particular theme or character together.

• For example, if your essay is about the factors that led to the end of the Bronze Age in the ancient Middle East, you might focus on the question, “What role did natural disasters play in the collapse of Late Bronze Age society?”

• One easy way to come up with a thesis statement is to briefly answer the main question you would like to address.
• For example, if the question is “What role did natural disasters play in the collapse of Late Bronze Age society?” then your thesis might be, “Natural disasters during the Late Bronze Age destabilized local economies across the region. This set in motion a series of mass migrations of different peoples, creating widespread conflict that contributed to the collapse of several major Bronze Age political centers.”

• When you write the outline, think about how you would like to organize your essay. For example, you might start with your strongest arguments and then move to the weakest ones. Or, you could begin with a general overview of the source you're analyzing and then move on to addressing the major themes, tone, and style of the work.
• Introduction
• Point 1, with supporting examples
• Point 2, with supporting examples
• Point 3, with supporting examples
• Major counter-argument(s) to your thesis
• Your rebuttals to the counter-argument(s)

Drafting the Essay

• For example, if you're writing a critical essay about a work of art, your introduction might start with some basic information about the work, such as who created it, when and where it was created, and a brief description of the work itself. From there, introduce the question(s) about the work you'd like to address and present your thesis.
• A strong introduction should also contain a brief transitional sentence that creates a link to the first point or argument you would like to make. For example, if you're discussing the use of color in a work of art, lead-in by saying you'd like to start with an overview of symbolic color use in contemporary works by other artists.

Tip: Some writers find it helpful to write the introduction after they've written the rest of the essay. Once you've written out your main points, it's easier to summarize the gist of your essay in a few introductory sentences.

• For example, your topic sentence might be something like, “Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories are among the many literary influences apparent in P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves novels.” You could then back this up by quoting a passage that contains a reference to Sherlock Holmes.
• Try to show how the arguments in each paragraph link back to the main thesis of your essay.

• When creating transitions, transitional phrases can be helpful. For example, use words and phrases such as “In addition,” “Therefore,” “Similarly,” “Subsequently,” or “As a result.”
• For example, if you've just discussed the use of color to create contrast in a work of art, you might start the next paragraph with, “In addition to color, the artist also uses different line weights to distinguish between the more static and dynamic figures in the scene.”

• For example, if you're arguing that a particular kind of shrimp decorates its shell with red algae to attract a mate, you'll need to address the counterargument that the shell decoration is a warning to predators. You might do this by presenting evidence that the red shrimp are, in fact, more likely to get eaten than shrimp with undecorated shells.

• The way you cite your sources will vary depending on the citation style you're using. Typically, you'll need to include the name of the author, the title and publication date of the source, and location information such as the page number on which the information appears.
• In general, you don't need to cite common knowledge. For example, if you say, “A zebra is a type of mammal,” you probably won't need to cite a source.
• If you've cited any sources in the essay, you'll need to include a list of works cited (or a bibliography ) at the end.

• Keep your conclusion brief. While the appropriate length will vary based on the length of the essay, it should typically be no longer than 1-2 paragraphs.
• For example, if you're writing a 1,000-word essay, your conclusion should be about 4-5 sentences long. [16] X Research source

Revising the Essay

• If you don't have time to spend a couple of days away from your essay, at least take a few hours to relax or work on something else.

• Excessive wordiness
• Points that aren't explained enough
• Tangents or unnecessary information
• Unclear transitions or illogical organization
• Spelling , grammar , style, and formatting problems
• Inappropriate language or tone (e.g., slang or informal language in an academic essay)

• You might have to cut material from your essay in some places and add new material to others.
• You might also end up reordering some of the content of the essay if you think that helps it flow better.

• Read over each line slowly and carefully. It may be helpful to read each sentence out loud to yourself.

Tip: If possible, have someone else check your work. When you've been looking at your writing for too long, your brain begins to fill in what it expects to see rather than what's there, making it harder for you to spot mistakes.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/essay-types
• ↑ https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/resources/essay-writing/six-top-tips-for-writing-a-great-essay
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/research_papers/choosing_a_topic.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/tips-reading-assignment-prompt
• ↑ https://library.unr.edu/help/quick-how-tos/writing/integrating-sources-into-your-paper
• ↑ https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/researching/notes-from-research/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/developing-thesis
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/outlining
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-incorporate-a-counter-argument.html
• ↑ https://www.plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/sites/utsc.utoronto.ca.twc/files/resource-files/Intros-Conclusions.pdf
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/steps_for_revising.html
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/8-4-revising-and-editing/
• ↑ https://writing.ku.edu/writing-process

About This Article

If you need to write an essay, start by gathering information from reputable sources, like books from the library or scholarly journals online. Take detailed notes and keep track of which facts come from which sources. As you're taking notes, look for a central theme that you're interested in writing about to create your thesis statement. Then, organize your notes into an outline that supports and explains your thesis statement. Working from your outline, write an introduction and subsequent paragraphs to address each major point. Start every paragraph with a topic sentence that briefly explains the main point of that paragraph. Finally, finish your paper with a strong conclusion that sums up the most important points. For tips from our English Professor co-author on helpful revision techniques, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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5 tips for writing an in-class essay

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Thinking about your next in-class essay? Here are 5 tips to set you up for success.

What can I do to get ready? How am I going to have enough time?

As a peer writing consultant at UBC’s Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication , I’ve had many students request help in preparing for their in-class essays. Here are some tips I’ve shared with them:

1. Practice, practice, practice

Try to anticipate the exam question by writing practice essays on what you think it will cover, going through all the motions of outlining and wordsmithing that you will do during the actual exam. Take advantage of any available resources such as past exam questions and suggestions from your instructor. If you know what readings the exam will apply, then double-dip by writing on those readings. Your practice habits will carry into your exam ones!

2. When the exam starts, take a deep breath and plan

Resist the temptation to start writing immediately. Instead, read and reread the question, noting keywords (such as “argue,” “discuss,” and “contrast”) that tell you what kind of essay you should write. Be careful not to do any less or more than the question asks. For example, if you are asked to address 3 out of a total of 5 listed issues and you only address 2 out of 5, then your essay is incomplete; if you address 4 out of 5, then you’re not making the best use of your time.

Planning out your writing will save time and stress. Spend 5-10 minutes on making an outline that will serve as your paper’s foundation. Work from the top down: iron out the broader points that you want to make and then decide how you will support these points with specific evidence. As you do this, keep thinking about your thesis statement, which is a concise 1-2 sentence answer to the essay question. Having a clear thesis statement in mind will help keep you focused on the big picture.

3. Know your pace

The best way to avoid having only half the essay done with 5 minutes left is to know your writing speed beforehand, and the best way to figure that out is, again, to practice.

Replicate your exam environment and use the time limit that your exam will have. The goal, besides getting more practice, is to know how long it should take you to write an introduction, the first body paragraph, and so on. If you usually write your introduction in 10 minutes during practice sessions, but find that it’s taking 15 during the exam, then you’ll know that you need to speed up; if you write it in 5 minutes during the exam, then you know that you will have some breathing room for the remaining time.

4. Work with what you’ve got

Here’s a moment we all dread: you had a confident start, but now you’re halfway through the exam, losing steam, and realizing that the ideas you were so sure of before aren’t looking so hot anymore.

There’s no benefit to second-guessing yourself in this situation. Instead of thinking “How can I get better ideas?”, think “What can I do to better support my thesis?”. Rather than starting from square one again, focus on further developing the argument that you’ve been painstakingly crafting and trust that this will bring out your best work.

5. Proofread and, if necessary, revise

Always give yourself enough time at the end to proofread your entire essay at least once. This will be your chance to fix minor grammatical and clarity issues, but can also be a time to further develop any ideas that could strengthen your essay.

Your instructors understand that writing an entire paper by hand within a time limit is a messy process. Don’t be afraid to add entire sentences into the margins if you have to, so long as you’re confident that doing so will make a stronger essay. Remember, however, that they can’t know how awesome your writing is if they can’t read it. Make sure to point them in the right direction—arrows or superscript (think footnotes) should do the trick. Writing double-spaced will also leave you plenty of room for additions.

When removing things, there’s no need to cramp your hand blacking all the letters out—a horizontal line through the middle is enough!

If you’d like more tips and strategies on how to ace your next exam or paper, book a one-on-one appointment with us at the Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication, which now has International Tutor Training Program Certification from the College Reading and Learning Association. As students ourselves, we understand your perspective and will help you hone your skills for success.

The CWSC also provides topic-specific  workshops and online writing resources . For common essay pitfalls to avoid, check out  these 10 writing tips .

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College admissions

Course: college admissions   >   unit 4.

• Writing a strong college admissions essay
• Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes
• Brainstorming tips for your college essay
• How formal should the tone of your college essay be?
• Taking your college essay to the next level
• Sample essay 1 with admissions feedback
• Sample essay 2 with admissions feedback
• Student story: Admissions essay about a formative experience
• Student story: Admissions essay about personal identity
• Student story: Admissions essay about community impact
• Student story: Admissions essay about a past mistake
• Student story: Admissions essay about a meaningful poem

Writing tips and techniques for your college essay

Pose a question the reader wants answered, don't focus exclusively on the past, experiment with the unexpected, don't summarize, want to join the conversation.

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How to Write Your College Essay: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Getting ready to start your college essay? Your essay is very important to your application — especially if you’re applying to selective colleges.

Become a stronger writer by reviewing your peers’ essays and get your essay reviewed as well for free.

We have regular livestreams during which we walk you through how to write your college essay and review essays live.

College Essay Basics

Just getting started on college essays? This section will guide you through how you should think about your college essays before you start.

• Why do essays matter in the college application process?
• What is a college application theme and how do you come up with one?
• How to format and structure your college essay

Before you move to the next section, make sure you understand:

How a college essay fits into your application

What a strong essay does for your chances

How to create an application theme

Learn the Types of College Essays

Next, let’s make sure you understand the different types of college essays. You’ll most likely be writing a Common App or Coalition App essay, and you can also be asked to write supplemental essays for each school. Each essay has a prompt asking a specific question. Each of these prompts falls into one of a few different types. Understanding the types will help you better answer the prompt and structure your essay.

• How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges
• Personal Statement Essay Examples
• How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity Essay
• Extracurricular Essay Examples
• Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay
• Diversity Essay Examples
• Tips for Writing a Standout Community Service Essay
• How to Write the “Why This Major” Essay
• How to Write a “Why This Major” Essay if You’re Undecided
• How to write the “Why This College” Essay
• How to Research a College to Write the “Why This College” Essay
• Why This College Essay Examples
• How to Write The Overcoming Challenges Essay
• Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

Identify how each prompt fits into an essay type

What each type of essay is really asking of you

How to write each essay effectively

The Common App essay

Almost every student will write a Common App essay, which is why it’s important you get this right.

• How to Write the Common App Essay
• Successful Common App Essay Examples
• 5 Awesome College Essay Topics + Sample Essays
• 11 Cliché College Essay Topics + How to Fix Them

How to choose which Common App prompts to answer

How to write a successful Common App essay

What to avoid to stand out to admissions officers

Supplemental Essay Guides

Many schools, especially competitive ones, will ask you to write one or more supplemental essays. This allows a school to learn more about you and how you might fit into their culture.

These essays are extremely important in standing out. We’ve written guides for all the top schools. Follow the link below to find your school and read last year’s essay guides to give you a sense of the essay prompts. We’ll update these in August when schools release their prompts.

See last year’s supplemental essay guides to get a sense of the prompts for your schools.

Essay brainstorming and composition

Now that you’re starting to write your essay, let’s dive into the writing process. Below you’ll find our top articles on the craft of writing an amazing college essay.

• Where to Begin? 3 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises
• Creating the First Draft of Your College Application Essay
• How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay
• What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting To Write About In My College Essay?
• 8 Do’s and Don’t for Crafting Your College Essay
• Stuck on Your College Essay? 8 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Understand how to write a great hook for your essay

Complete the first drafts of your essay

Editing and polishing your essay

Have a first draft ready? See our top editing tips below. Also, you may want to submit your essay to our free Essay Peer Review to get quick feedback and join a community of other students working on their essays.

• 11 Tips for Proofreading and Editing Your College Essay
• Getting Help with Your College Essay
• 5 DIY Tips for Editing Your College Essay
• How Long Should Your College Essay Be?
• Essential Grammar Rules for Your College Apps
• College Essay Checklist: Are You Ready to Submit?

Proofread and edited your essay.

Had someone else look through your essay — we recommend submitting it for a peer review.

Make sure your essay meets all requirements — consider signing up for a free account to view our per-prompt checklists to help you understand when you’re really ready to submit.

Advanced College Essay Techniques

Let’s take it one step further and see how we can make your college essay really stand out! We recommend reading through these posts when you have a draft to work with.

• 10 Guidelines for Highly Readable College Essays
• How to Use Literary Devices to Enhance Your Essay
• How to Develop a Personalized Metaphor for Your College Applications

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• College essay

How to Write a College Essay | A Complete Guide & Examples

The college essay can make or break your application. It’s your chance to provide personal context, communicate your values and qualities, and set yourself apart from other students.

A standout essay has a few key ingredients:

• A unique, personal topic
• A compelling, well-structured narrative
• A clear, creative writing style
• Evidence of self-reflection and insight

To achieve this, it’s crucial to give yourself enough time for brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through every step in the process of writing a college admissions essay.

Table of contents

Why do you need a standout essay, start organizing early, choose a unique topic, outline your essay, start with a memorable introduction, write like an artist, craft a strong conclusion, revise and receive feedback, frequently asked questions.

While most of your application lists your academic achievements, your college admissions essay is your opportunity to share who you are and why you’d be a good addition to the university.

Your college admissions essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s total weight一and may account for even more with some colleges making the SAT and ACT tests optional. The college admissions essay may be the deciding factor in your application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

What do colleges look for in an essay?

Admissions officers want to understand your background, personality, and values to get a fuller picture of you beyond your test scores and grades. Here’s what colleges look for in an essay :

• Demonstrated values and qualities
• Vulnerability and authenticity
• Self-reflection and insight
• Creative, clear, and concise writing skills

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

It’s a good idea to start organizing your college application timeline in the summer of your junior year to make your application process easier. This will give you ample time for essay brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

While timelines will vary for each student, aim to spend at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing your first draft and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Remember to leave enough time for breaks in between each writing and editing stage.

Create an essay tracker sheet

If you’re applying to multiple schools, you will have to juggle writing several essays for each one. We recommend using an essay tracker spreadsheet to help you visualize and organize the following:

• Deadlines and number of essays needed
• Prompt overlap, allowing you to write one essay for similar prompts

You can build your own essay tracker using our free Google Sheets template.

College essay tracker template

Ideally, you should start brainstorming college essay topics the summer before your senior year. Keep in mind that it’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic.

If you want to write about a common essay topic, such as a sports injury or volunteer work overseas, think carefully about how you can make it unique and personal. You’ll need to demonstrate deep insight and write your story in an original way to differentiate it from similar essays.

What makes a good topic?

• Meaningful and personal to you
• Uncommon or has an unusual angle
• Reveals something different from the rest of your application

Brainstorming questions

You should do a comprehensive brainstorm before choosing your topic. Here are a few questions to get started:

• What are your top five values? What lived experiences demonstrate these values?
• What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you?
• What challenges or failures have you faced and overcome? What lessons did you learn from them?
• What makes you different from your classmates?
• What are some objects that represent your identity, your community, your relationships, your passions, or your goals?
• Whom do you admire most? Why?
• What three people have significantly impacted your life? How did they influence you?

How to identify your topic

Here are two strategies for identifying a topic that demonstrates your values:

• Start with your qualities : First, identify positive qualities about yourself; then, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.
• Start with a story : Brainstorm a list of memorable life moments; then, identify a value shown in each story.

After choosing your topic, organize your ideas in an essay outline , which will help keep you focused while writing. Unlike a five-paragraph academic essay, there’s no set structure for a college admissions essay. You can take a more creative approach, using storytelling techniques to shape your essay.

Two common approaches are to structure your essay as a series of vignettes or as a single narrative.

Vignettes structure

The vignette, or montage, structure weaves together several stories united by a common theme. Each story should demonstrate one of your values or qualities and conclude with an insight or future outlook.

This structure gives the admissions officer glimpses into your personality, background, and identity, and shows how your qualities appear in different areas of your life.

Topic: Museum with a “five senses” exhibit of my experiences

• Introduction: Tour guide introduces my museum and my “Making Sense of My Heritage” exhibit
• Story: Racial discrimination with my eyes
• Lesson: Using my writing to document truth
• Story: Broadway musical interests
• Lesson: Finding my voice
• Story: Smells from family dinner table
• Lesson: Appreciating home and family
• Story: Washing dishes
• Lesson: Finding moments of peace in busy schedule
• Story: Biking with Ava
• Lesson: Finding pleasure in job well done
• Conclusion: Tour guide concludes tour, invites guest to come back for “fall College Collection,” featuring my search for identity and learning.

Single story structure

The single story, or narrative, structure uses a chronological narrative to show a student’s character development over time. Some narrative essays detail moments in a relatively brief event, while others narrate a longer journey spanning months or years.

Single story essays are effective if you have overcome a significant challenge or want to demonstrate personal development.

Topic: Sports injury helps me learn to be a better student and person

• Situation: Football injury
• Challenge: Friends distant, teachers don’t know how to help, football is gone for me
• Turning point: Starting to like learning in Ms. Brady’s history class; meeting Christina and her friends
• My reactions: Reading poetry; finding shared interest in poetry with Christina; spending more time studying and with people different from me
• Insight: They taught me compassion and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle; even though I still can’t play football, I’m starting a new game

Brainstorm creative insights or story arcs

Regardless of your essay’s structure, try to craft a surprising story arc or original insights, especially if you’re writing about a common topic.

Never exaggerate or fabricate facts about yourself to seem interesting. However, try finding connections in your life that deviate from cliché storylines and lessons.

Admissions officers read thousands of essays each year, and they typically spend only a few minutes reading each one. To get your message across, your introduction , or hook, needs to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read more..

Avoid starting your introduction with a famous quote, cliché, or reference to the essay itself (“While I sat down to write this essay…”).

While you can sometimes use dialogue or a meaningful quotation from a close family member or friend, make sure it encapsulates your essay’s overall theme.

Find an original, creative way of starting your essay using the following two methods.

Option 1: Start with an intriguing hook

Begin your essay with an unexpected statement to pique the reader’s curiosity and compel them to carefully read your essay. A mysterious introduction disarms the reader’s expectations and introduces questions that can only be answered by reading more.

Option 2: Start with vivid imagery

Illustrate a clear, detailed image to immediately transport your reader into your memory. You can start in the middle of an important scene or describe an object that conveys your essay’s theme.

A college application essay allows you to be creative in your style and tone. As you draft your essay, try to use interesting language to enliven your story and stand out .

Show, don’t tell

“Tell” in writing means to simply state a fact: “I am a basketball player.” “ Show ” in writing means to use details, examples, and vivid imagery to help the reader easily visualize your memory: “My heart races as I set up to shoot一two seconds, one second一and score a three-pointer!”

First, reflect on every detail of a specific image or scene to recall the most memorable aspects.

• What are the most prominent images?
• Are there any particular sounds, smells, or tastes associated with this memory?
• What emotion or physical feeling did you have at that time?

Be vulnerable to create an emotional response

You don’t have to share a huge secret or traumatic story, but you should dig deep to express your honest feelings, thoughts, and experiences to evoke an emotional response. Showing vulnerability demonstrates humility and maturity. However, don’t exaggerate to gain sympathy.

Use appropriate style and tone

Make sure your essay has the right style and tone by following these guidelines:

• Use a conversational yet respectful tone: less formal than academic writing, but more formal than texting your friends.
• Prioritize using “I” statements to highlight your perspective.
• Write within your vocabulary range to maintain an authentic voice.
• Write concisely, and use the active voice to keep a fast pace.
• Follow grammar rules (unless you have valid stylistic reasons for breaking them).

You should end your college essay with a deep insight or creative ending to leave the reader with a strong final impression. Your college admissions essay should avoid the following:

• Summarizing what you already wrote
• Stating your hope of being accepted to the school
• Mentioning character traits that should have been illustrated in the essay, such as “I’m a hard worker”

Here are two strategies to craft a strong conclusion.

Option 1: Full circle, sandwich structure

The full circle, or sandwich, structure concludes the essay with an image, idea, or story mentioned in the introduction. This strategy gives the reader a strong sense of closure.

In the example below, the essay concludes by returning to the “museum” metaphor that the writer opened with.

Option 2: Revealing your insight

You can use the conclusion to show the insight you gained as a result of the experiences you’ve described. Revealing your main message at the end creates suspense and keeps the takeaway at the forefront of your reader’s mind.

Revise your essay before submitting it to check its content, style, and grammar. Get feedback from no more than two or three people.

It’s normal to go through several rounds of revision, but take breaks between each editing stage.

Also check out our college essay examples to see what does and doesn’t work in an essay and the kinds of changes you can make to improve yours.

Respect the word count

Most schools specify a word count for each essay , and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit.

Remain under the specified word count limit to show you can write concisely and follow directions. However, don’t write too little, which may imply that you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Check your content, style, and grammar

• First, check big-picture issues of message, flow, and clarity.
• Then, check for style and tone issues.
• Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Get feedback

Get feedback from 2–3 people who know you well, have good writing skills, and are familiar with college essays.

• Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your content, language, and tone.
• Friends and family can check for authenticity.
• An essay coach or editor has specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and can give objective expert feedback.

The checklist below helps you make sure your essay ticks all the boxes.

College admissions essay checklist

I’ve organized my essay prompts and created an essay writing schedule.

I’ve done a comprehensive brainstorm for essay topics.

I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me and reveals something different from the rest of my application.

I’ve created an outline to guide my structure.

I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of telling.

I’ve shown positive traits and values in my essay.

I’ve demonstrated self-reflection and insight in my essay.

I’ve used appropriate style and tone .

I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

I’ve revised my essay , checking my overall message, flow, clarity, and grammar.

I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Congratulations!

It looks like your essay ticks all the boxes. A second pair of eyes can help you take it to the next level – Scribbr's essay coaches can help.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

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