do an essay need a title

Best Tips on How to Title an Essay

How to Make a Good Title for an Essay

The success of an essay heavily depends on its title. This may not come as a surprise given that the essay title is the first aspect to provide the reader with a sneak peek into the text. It piques our interest to read the paper in the first place and gives us a preview of what to expect from the author.

Our research paper writing help prepared a thorough guide on how to title an essay. Here you may find tips and tricks for developing an effective APA or MLA essay title. So, let's dive straight into the article for more exciting details!

Essay Title Format

During your essay writing process, ensure you know the stylistic requirements before beginning an essay. Knowing the format you need to employ is crucial because different style manuals may have varying requirements. Mostly, you could have used an APA or MLA essay title format. Our service, where you can buy essay online , explains these two in more detail below.

Essay Title MLA

If you're required to create an essay title MLA format, check whether your instructor wants you to make a separate cover page. If not, put a heading at the beginning of your work that includes your name, the name of your professor, the course ID, and, lastly, the date.

On the other hand, if you must present a cover page for your essay title MLA, then you need to include the following:

The name of the college
The title of your paper
The subtitle of your paper, if applicable
Your first and last name
Your teacher or professor's name
The class name or course number
The date the paper is due

The formatting instructions are as follows:

Double-spaced
Times New Roman font
Size 12 font
Apart from very short terms, each word's initial letter should be capitalized. The initial word, however, must always be uppercase.
The title page shouldn't include a header with the page numbers.

Essay Title APA

Having discussed the MLA format essay title, let's explore what the APA student title page includes:

The paper title
Author names
Institutional affiliation where the author carried out the study
Name and number of the course
Professor name
Page number

The title of an essay format instructions:

double-spaced
1" margins
12-point Times New Roman
According to APA, your title should be targeted and brief, without unnecessary words or abbreviations

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay: Important Qualities

Nobody will read a dull headline. Your title should grab your audience's attention and encourage them to read the rest of the work. As it is one of the initial things readers see, having a strong attention grabber is essential when writing an essay from scratch. To fully understand how to come up with a title for essay that is strong and exciting, let's consider a few following factors:

Employ a Catchy Hook - Usually, the title of essay format follows a similar basic structure, especially if they are used for an academic article. The hook serves as a unique component that attracts the reader. It's a captivating statement informing others about the topic of the essay. You can also explore several types of sentences with examples that can help you develop the ideal hook structure.

Consider Topic Keywords - These are essential terms or expressions pertinent to your subject and help your reader understand the focus and body of your article. These focus keywords should serve as a brief, one- to two-word article summary. You can choose some terms from the research topic your instructor gave you, but after your thesis statement is formed, this is where you should hunt for ideas.

Use a Colon - A colon is frequently used in academic titles to separate concepts and sentences. The standard procedure is to place a clever remark or brief quotation before the colon. Although these beginning words offer flavor, they can be overdone. Because of this, some individuals find using the colon to be repugnant. Therefore be careful not to misuse this method.

Ask a Question - To write essay title that is strong, consider asking a question. But, use it with caution because posing a question will make your tone less formal. As long as the question is suitably phrased to meet the subject of your essay, feel free to employ it. Always check to see if the title question still applies to your points in the essay's body. The thesis statement should be appropriately reflected as well.

Find Inspirational Quotes - There is no formula for selecting essay titles from the textual content. You may get playful and choose any quotation, proverb, or catchphrase that applies to your particular publication and works as a title. You may also create a great essay title using well-known expressions or idioms. Doing so will help your readers relate to and feel more comfortable discussing your subject.

Here are other rules for how to create a good title:

Title every section of writing: In the process of writing, create interesting subheadings to give your paragraphs an identity. Also, they make your text look ordered and clear.
The title must bear the theme of the text: choose a title that summarizes the essay.
Capitalize all words with certain exceptions: Capitalize the first letter of every word in the title, but do not capitalize pronouns, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
Avoid underlining the title: Since topics come in boldface, underlining it will amount to overemphasis. Some authorities say that if you must underline it, do not bolden it.
Review the final version of the title: Do not forget to do a quick review of the final version of the title—check for grammar, structure, spelling and so on. Re-read it to determine if the title has given justice to the essay. Confirm if the topic is catchy enough to attract your reader’s attention.
When using a colon in your title, follow the rules: Since we are dealing with punctuation rules here, let us talk about the colon – when you have two eye-catching topics, separate them with a colon.

Student’s Guide on How to Come Up with a Title for an Essay

Titling an essay can be easy, but there are a few core principles to be taken into account. The following tips will help you stay on track and avoid any common pitfalls.

Essay Goes First

Never start with a title! If you write it before the rest of the text, it will be based on it, and it should be vice versa. Writing an essay before choosing a heading will give you a clear understanding of what should make sense to the reader. Re-read the finished paper several times to decide on the title. The last thing to create is a title - such strategy will give more time to spend on crafting an essay outline, conducting research, or writing the paper itself.

What are you writing about? What is the style of your paper, and is it an academic essay or a free-form essay like a narrative essay? If the topic of your essay is “Do people who commit heinous crimes deserve the death penalty?” your title should not be humorous; it should be strict and to the point.

If your topic is “Why do people like watching funny cat videos?”, feel free to craft a funny title. Determine the tone of your essay and base your title on it—in consideration with the essay’s topic.

The tone can be:

Serious - “The implications of global warming”
Funny - “How cats and dogs love their masters”
Amiable - “Ways to fight depression”
Persuasive - “Why positive thinking is a must have skill for every person”
Informative - “Ten rules for creating a chemical at home”

The main goal of a title is to name its paper. There is no need to tell an entire story in the title, or provide any useless details. Sum up your paper in a few words! Another way to do this is to sum up your thesis statement, as it represents the main idea of your essay. Take your thesis and squeeze it into 3-4 words. Imagine that you are creating a title for your favourite newspaper or a slogan for Coca-Cola.

Don’t use fancy words! Take 2-3 main words (keywords), put them together, and stop wasting your time. Avoid jargon and abbreviations.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is something that can help any student and young writer reap benefits. While working on a title, detect the words related to the central idea of the paper. Type the words into the search field of Google and add the word “quote.” A search engine will show numerous web pages with in-text quotations that could be useful. Select the fragment you like. It is possible to learn how to make a creative title for an essay in this way.

Discover several more tips from experts:

Never forget the “What,” “Who,” “When,” “How,” “Why,” and “Where” questions (if you start with one of these questions, your title has a chance of getting noticed);
Come up with an unexpected image not related to the selected topic;
Sometimes, starting with a lie increases the chances of a title being able to catch an eye;
Review our catchy essay title examples.

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Feel free to contact EssayPro and we will provide you with a writing help at a moment’s notice. With the years of essay writing experience, titling becomes second nature, so you no longer need to worry about having a catchy headline on your paper.

Essay Title Examples: Bad vs Good

The strongest essay titles condense lengthy essays into concise statements. When wondering how to make an essay title, think carefully about your stylistic choices and essay format to produce an excellent one. Our dissertation help has provided essay title examples to let you understand the difference between good and bad ones more vividly.

Bad Essay Title Examples

As we discussed how to create an essay title and the specific elements that go into it, you should have a clear idea of how important it is to craft a strong title. In contrast, first, look at weak essay title ideas that can break your paper. This should serve as an example of why your heading should not be like this:

Ex 1: ' How Television Has Changed Our World ' - too vast and not informative

Ex 2: 'The Ara Pacis Augustae' - unclear for those who don't know Latin

Ex 3: 'The Most Poisonous Frog' - does not provide any insight

Ex 4: 'A Brief History of Subcultures and How They Manifest Themselves in a Constantly Changing Socio-Economic Environment' - too long and complicated

Ex 5: 'The Little Mermaid 29 Years Later: Selling a Harmful Sexist Message Through a Naughty Image' - inappropriate language

Good Essay Title Examples

Now that you know what a bad essay title looks like, let's explore good essay title examples as their substitutes. Examine the following essay title format styles that will give you a clear understanding.

Ex 1: ' The Electronic Babysitter: A Social History of Uses of the Television' - gives an exact description of what the essay will be about

Ex 2: ' The Modern Historical Significance of the Ara Pacis Augustae to the City of Rome' - here, the reader can understand what they will be reading about

Ex 3: ' A Deadly Beauty: The Evolution of Skin Coloration and Toxicity of the Poisonous Dart Frog' - clear, informative, and on-point.

Ex 4: 'Reconsidering Counterculture in Contemporary Society' - informative enough and brief

Ex 5: 'The Projection of Gender Stereotypes in The Little Mermaid' - employs appropriate language

Catchy Essay Title Ideas

You now understand that long, complicated headlines do not accurately convey the paper's main idea. Take ample time to consider the word choice before tilting your work. How do you create good essay titles? Think creatively and with common sense. But meanwhile, for your convenience, we compiled title ideas for essays you may use as inspiration.

Persuasive Essay Titles

Why Receiving College Education is Important: Examining Long-term Benefits
Face-to-Face Courses Cannot Be Replaced by Online Learning
An MBA Does Not Ensure Corporate Success.
Every Company Should Adopt a Green Strategy.
Energy Drinks Represent a Lucrative Market Segment.
Aircraft, Excess Weight Charges, Need to be Prohibited.
Patients' Life Shouldn't be Put to Death by Nurses.
Google Glasses May Increase the Number of Auto Accidents.
All of the Conventional Malls Will Soon be Replaced By Online Shopping
How Do Team-building Exercises Contribute to the Development of Inventions?
Illegal immigrants are entitled to remain in the US.

Academic Essay Titles

Several English Dialects: The Link Between Various Cultures
Instagram: A social media innovation
Is it possible to reverse drug-induced brain damage, and if so, how?
What the Future Holds for Humans in the Light of Artificial Intelligence
The Story of Two Nations after Decades of Conflict: North and South Korea
Video Games and Their Learning Context in Schools
Free Wi-Fi: Strategies for Enhancing the City's Economy

Strong Research Paper Titles

Digital World Cybersecurity
E-business to Provide New Paths for Booksellers
Outsourcing for Large Businesses
Preparing for College Costs for High School Students
What News Reporters Should Do in the Digital Age and How to Do It: Examples
The Transformative Power of Music: How Heavy Metal Impacted My Life

Best Essay Titles for College Students

The Possible Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Humans
The Potential for Time Travel in Virtual Reality
What Role Has Mathematics Played in Human History?
How to Succeed in the Real Estate Industry
E-Commerce: An Empire of Virtual Businesses Worth Millions of Dollars
How to Achieve Financial Independence in the Digital Age Without Opening a Real Business

More Creative Titles for Essays

When getting rewarded for their grades, would kids do better left alone?
How Does Fake News Impact the Mainstream press?
Homelessness in Contemporary Society: A Dilemma
What News Reporters' Best Job Is in the Digital Age and How to Uphold It
Elon Musk: Brilliant Mind or Insane Person?
Positives and Negatives of Employing a Smoker
Do We Employ the Appropriate Student Success Metrics?

Professional Academic Help

Now that you know how to make a good title for an essay, you should also understand that you should approach the task as a process. While composing your essay title, you must condense your whole thesis and point of discussion into a single, concise, yet powerful sentence. If you have time before your deadline, give it some thought and don't hurry.

Don't forget that you can always rely on our professional academic assistance, whether you need a reflection paper , ideas for a strong essay title, or any other academic papers. Consider the following words - write my essay for me - magic keywords for delegating your most complex tasks to our skilled writers!

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Essay Writing Guide

How To Title An Essay

How to Title an Essay - A Detailed Guide

10 min read

Why is it Important to Have a Good Essay Title?

A great essay title is very important, and it can make or break the overall quality of your essay.

The reason is pretty simple: the title you choose for your essay is the first thing that will decide if your readers will continue reading your paper or not.

That’s why the choice of words and how you create a title is very important. If you are thinking the content of your essay is what matters, then you are wrong. To get a good grade and impress your teacher, every part of the paper plays an important role.

Creating a title that convinces people to read your essay also allows you to showcase your knowledge and writing skills.

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What are the Basic Components of an Essay Title?

There are different types of essays , and each essay has a specific structure that can be followed for writing a well-written paper. Creating an essay title has it is own method, too.

Below, you can find the main components of an essay title.

The Catchy Hook: It introduces the topic in the most interesting and creative way.
Topic Keywords: It is the ‘what’ question of your essay. This component of an essay title identifies the concept that you will discuss in your essay.
Focus Keywords: It is the ‘when’ and ‘where’ question of your essay. It provides more information about the headline and makes it more professional.

How To Make A Good Title For An Essay?

There are a few principles that you should keep in mind when titling an essay.

Write Essay First, Title in the Last

One effective approach is to complete your entire essay first and then tackle the title last. This method allows you to gain a comprehensive understanding of what would resonate with your readers.

Utilize Your Thesis

Your thesis statement , typically found in your essay's introductory paragraph, can be a goldmine for title inspiration. Reworking it can lead to a compelling and relevant essay title.

Take into Account the Tone of Your Paper

Consider the tone of your essay, as it significantly influences the title's choice. For serious topics, maintain a serious and appropriate tone in your title.

Use Relevant Keywords

Incorporate two to three relevant keywords within your title. These keywords should reflect the core themes of your essay and help potential readers find your work.

Get Help from Online Tools

Exploring online title generator tools can provide valuable insights into crafting an effective essay title. These tools can spark creativity and suggest suitable phrases that resonate with your essay's content.

Essay Titles in Different Formats

When titling an essay in different formats, it's important to follow the specific guidelines and formatting requirements of the style guide you are using. Below, you can find the basic guidelines for titling an essay for different formats:

Essay Title APA Format

Let's see what an APA title should include:

The title should be centered but not in bold or italics.
Use title case for the title.
Capitalize the first word of the title and any subtitles, as well as any major words within the title (e.g., The Psychology of Motivation: Understanding Human Behavior).
Use a 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font.

The Impact of Climate Change on Global Biodiversity

Essay Title MLA Format

Here is what an MLA paper title should include:

Title should be centered.
Use title case, which means capitalizing the first and last words of the title and all major words in between (e.g., The Art of Writing: Crafting Engaging Essays).
Do not underline, italicize, or use quotation marks for the title.
It's common to use a 12-point Times New Roman font.

Exploring the Themes in Shakespeare's Sonnets: Love, Time, and Beauty

Essay Title Chicago Format

Chicago style offers two options for formatting titles: headline-style and sentence-style.

Headline style: The title is in the title case and is centered. Major words are capitalized.

Example: The Decline of the Roman Empire: A Historical Analysis

Sentence style: The title is in sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized). It is also centered. Use a 12-point Times New Roman or similar font.

Example: The decline of the Roman Empire: a historical analysis

MLA Format for a Book or Film Title Within the Essay

So, how to write a book title in an essay? If your essay discusses a book or film title, you would follow MLA formatting for titles within the essay. Enclose the title in double quotation marks.

Example: "The Catcher in the Rye": A Study of Adolescent Alienation

AMA Format (American Medical Association)

The title should be centered.
Use title case, with the first letter of major words capitalized (e.g., The Role of Genetics in Disease Prevention).
Do not use bold, italics, or quotation marks.
Use a 12-point Times New Roman font.

Example: The Impact of Nutrition on Cardiovascular Health

What are the Characteristics of a Good Essay Title?

A good essay title serves as a preview of the essay's content and should be engaging and informative. Here are the characteristics of a good essay title:

Clarity: The title should clearly convey the topic or subject matter of the essay. It should give the reader a sense of what to expect when they read the essay.
Relevance: The title should be directly relevant to the content of the essay. It should not mislead the reader by promising something that the essay does not deliver.
Conciseness: A good title is concise and to the point. It should be relatively short and avoid unnecessary words or phrases. Brevity is key.
Engagement: An effective title should be attention-grabbing and stimulate readers' interest. It should make them want to read the essay. This can be achieved through the use of intriguing language, a question, or a thought-provoking statement.
Originality: Aim for a title that is unique and original. Avoid clichés or overly generic titles that don't distinguish your essay from others on the same topic.
Balance: A good title strikes a balance between being descriptive and not giving away the entire essay. It should provide a sense of the topic without revealing all the details.
Appropriateness: Consider the context in which the essay will be read. The title should be appropriate for the intended audience and purpose of the essay.
Grammar and Style: The title should adhere to the rules of grammar and style for the chosen writing format (e.g., title case, sentence case) and should not contain errors.
Keywords: If relevant, include keywords or terms that are important to the subject matter. This can help with searchability and SEO if the essay is published online.
Readability: Ensure that the title is easy to read and understand. Avoid overly complex or jargon-filled titles unless the audience is well-versed in the subject matter.
Tone: The tone of the title should match the tone of the essay. For example, if the essay is serious and academic, the title should reflect that tone.
Memorability: A memorable title is more likely to stick in the reader's mind. If it's clever, thought-provoking, or evocative, it can make a lasting impression.

Additional Rules To Create a Good Essay Title

Here are additional rules and tips for creating a good title, summarized and rewritten in simpler language:

Title Each Section: Give every part of your writing a clear title. This helps organize your text and make it more understandable.
Reflect the Theme: Make sure your title reflects the main idea of your essay. It should give readers a good idea of what your essay is about.
Use Title Case: Capitalize the first letter of every word in your title, except for small words like pronouns (e.g., "it," "they"), articles (e.g., "a," "an," "the"), prepositions (e.g., "in," "on," "at"), and conjunctions (e.g., "and," "but"). These small words are not capitalized unless they are the first word in the title.
Avoid Underlining: Don't underline your title. Bold text is usually sufficient to emphasize the title. Some experts suggest that if you really want to underline it, don't bold it at the same time to avoid overemphasis.
Review and Edit: Always review the final version of your title. Check for grammar, structure, spelling, and overall quality. Re-read it to make sure it effectively represents your essay's topic and captures your reader's attention.
Using a Colon: If you decide to use a colon in your title, remember to follow the rules. A colon is used to separate two interesting parts of the title.
Simplify and Keep It Short: Rewrite your title in simple words and try to keep it short. Concise titles are often more effective.

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Some Interesting Example Essay Titles

If you are struggling to come up with a good essay title, refer to the following section. Here, you will find some interesting title examples for different kinds of essays.

How to Title an Essay About Yourself - Examples

Things that make you happy
The significance of personal growth
Your definition of feminism
Why is volunteering important?
The importance of a healthy lifestyle
Your favorite memory
Your proudest moment
Your secret talent
A place you’d want to go
Your most unfortunate day

How to Title an Essay for College - Examples

Poop, animals, and the environment
From homeschooling to the football field
The civil rights movement and its effects
Internet Influence on Kids
The popularity of Sports in the United States
A book that sparks your love for literature
The steps you took to fix an error in coding a program
A serious illness you battled
A talent you have had since you were young
A documentary that made you aware of a particular issue

Example Argumentative Essay Titles

Should animal testing be banned?
Is healthcare a basic human right?
Why does homework not improve learning?
Should video games be considered a sport?
Should teachers be paid more?
Is standardized testing effective?
Is space travel a waste of money?
Effects of video games on children
Is cloning ethical?
Is globalization good or bad?

How to title an essay examples - MyPerfectWords.com

Example Research Paper Titles

How does a search engine work?
Attention deficit disorder
Limitations of the media
What are the gender issues in education?
What are the pros and cons of school uniforms?
Discrimination in education
Education and funding
Disadvantages of homeschooling
How can eating disorders be treated?
Interracial marriage

Example Descriptive Essay Titles

The most beautiful place on earth
The beauty of the starry sky
A perfect companion for me
The best concert I attended Why I like my smartphone
An unusual room
Your favorite food
A favorite photograph
An accident scene
Your favorite car

Hopefully, now you understand how to title an essay in the best way possible. Refer to the above guidelines before you begin the writing process.

However, you can also get help from our essay writing service if you don’t know how to title an essay. Professional essay writers at MyPerfectWords.com can help you write a creative title or even the whole essay from scratch for you.

Feel free to contact our paper writer online anytime and get the best essay writing help.

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Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.

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Knowledge Base

The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
Do your research: Read primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
Come up with a thesis: The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

Returns to your thesis
Ties together your main points
Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

Including new arguments or evidence
Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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The Admissions Strategist

College essay titles: are they important.

If you’re reading this, you are probably writing your college essays. Writing, drafting, revising, and proofreading your essays all play really important roles in the process.

One of the finishing touches on most pieces of writing is a title – but do you need one in a college essay? This guide gives you all the information you’ll need!

College Essay Titles: Everything to Know!

Click above to watch a video on College Essay Titles.

Are college essay titles important?

To be blunt: not really. The most important part of a college essay is the essay itself. Your essay should be personal, insightful, creative, and meticulously proofread. They do not need to be titled.

However, this doesn’t mean that a title is a bad idea. A title for your college essay falls under the “nice to have” category. A title isn’t something that an application reader will be looking for, but a well-done title can really help tie your essay together, especially if you have room in your word count for one.

How to think of a great college essay title

A title for any piece of writing should be brief, clever, and creative. Most importantly for college essays, they should add something to your piece. College essays often have a limited word count, so if you are going to be using some of the words for a title, it’s important to make sure it’s worth it!

To begin brainstorming a great college essay title, close your eyes. Think about your essay holistically. Likely you have been working on a micro-level of editing and revising: word choice, sentence structure, and other small-level changes. Try and zoom out.

What is the big picture of your essay? What is the major lesson you learned? Or, perhaps, what is the funniest part – what could be an exciting hook for your reader? Try and brainstorm a list of these ideas. Don’t worry about being brief yet.

Once you have an idea you like, workshop it down. Try and make your title as short as you can without sacrificing substance.

It might also be a good idea to ask some friends, family members, or teachers for advice. Sometimes it’s easier to see the big picture of an essay if you weren’t the person who actually wrote it.

Examples of poor college essay titles

A bad essay title is wordy, confusing, or just plain boring. Restating the essay prompt in a title, or an essay for that matter, is a waste of words and time. Avoid titles that sound like the following:

“My Most Memorable Moment” – boring
“The Importance of Finding Community in Unlikely Places” – boring and wordy
“Why I Want to Attend [University Name]” – boring
“Cars and Lessons” – confusing and vague, doesn’t add anything to the piece

Examples of great college essay titles

So, what does a good college essay title sound like? Great college essay titles are quippy, creative, interesting, and/or add something new to your essay. Here are some examples:

“Found Family, French Fries, and Football” – the alliteration shows some extra thought put into titling the essay. This title already tells a reader this will likely be about the author finding a community in a football team, but leaves the reader wondering how french fries factor into it all.
“Y-whay I-way Ove-lay Ig-pay Atin-lay” – this falls under the “creative” category. That title uses “Pig Latin,” a made-up “language” many people are likely familiar with. Once translated, this also piques the reader’s interest; how will Pig Latin be relevant in a college essay?
“It’s The Lemurs” – this title is for an essay answering “Why Do You Want To Attend Our School,” and the author chose to write about the university’s lemur research center. This is a short and surprising title, and definitely leaves the reader wanting to know more!

Conclusion: College Essay Titles

When push comes to shove, your essay is your essay, and you know it best. If you feel certain that the best title for your essay breaks one of the above rules, that’s okay. Our guidelines are just that: guidelines.

Hopefully, this guide helps you understand the purpose of college essay titles and how to come up with good ones. Remember, essay titles for college applications are certainly not necessary, but can add a lot if done correctly.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, does a college essay need a title.

Hello, I've just finished writing my college essay and I'm not sure if I should add a title to it. Do you guys think it's necessary or should I just leave it without one? I've heard mixed opinions and would appreciate some guidance. Thanks in advance!

Hi there! It's great to hear that you've finished writing your college essay—congratulations! As for your question, it really comes down to personal preference. Some students choose to add a title to their essay, while others leave it without one.

A well-crafted title can help grab the reader's attention and set the tone for your essay. However, if you feel that your essay speaks for itself or that adding a title might make the introduction feel clunky, you can leave it without one. Either way, it's important to ensure that the content of your essay is strong and engaging, as that's what the admissions officers will focus on, not the title.

Consider what you think would best complement your essay, and go with your gut feeling. Good luck with your college applications!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

How to Write a Great College Application Essay Title

Learn why you should craft an effective title and how to make it work

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Your application essay' s title is the first thing admissions officials will read. Although there are many ways to approach the title, it's important that the words at the top of the page make the proper impression.

Key Takeaways: Application Essay Titles

Don't skip the title. It's the first thing the admissions folks will read, and it is your chance to grab their interest.
Avoid vague titles and cliché phrases. Make sure the title gives a sense of your essay's content.
A little humor can be fine in a title, but it isn't necessary and cleverness should never be forced.

Importance of the Title

Ask yourself which work you'd be more excited to read: " Give Goth a Chance " or "Carrie's Essay." If you don't provide a title, you don't give your reader—in this case, busy admissions officials sorting through thousands of applications—any reason to be interested in reading your essay other than a sense of duty. Ensure that college admissions officers are motivated to read your essay due to curiosity rather than necessity.

Alternatively, imagine a newspaper in which every article lacks a title: You would be unlikely to pick up the paper and read anything. Clearly, a newspaper without titles would be confusing for readers. Application essays are similar in that way: Your readers want to know what it is that they are going to read.

The Purpose of an Application Essay Title

A well-crafted title should:

Grab your reader's attention
Make your reader want to read your essay
Provide a sense of what your essay is about

When it comes to the third item, realize that you don't need to be too detailed. Academic essays often have titles that look like: "Julia Cameron's Photography: A Study of the Use of Long Shutter Speeds to Create Spiritual Effects." For an application essay, such a title would come across as cumbersome and even pompous.

Consider how a reader would react to an essay with the title, "The Author's Trip to Costa Rica and How It Changed His Attitude Toward Biodiversity and Sustainability." After reading such a long and belabored title, admissions officials would have little motivation to read the essay.

Essay Title Examples

A good title can be clever or play with words, such as "Porkopolis" by Felicity or "Buck Up" by Jill. "Porkopolis" is a nonsense word, but it works well for an essay on becoming a vegetarian in a meat-centric world, and "Buck Up" employs both a literal and figurative meaning of the phrase. However, don't try to be too clever. Such efforts can backfire.

A title can be provocative. As an example, a student who wrote about encountering new foods while abroad titled her essay "Eating Eyeballs." If your essay focuses on a humorous, shocking or embarrassing moment in your life, it's often easy to write an attention-grabbing title. Titles such as "Puking on the President," "Romeo's Ripped Tights," and "The Wrong Goal" are sure to pique your reader's interest.

Simple and direct language can also be quite effective. Consider, for example, "The Job I Should Have Quit" by Drew, "Wallflower" by Eileen, and "Striking Out" by Richard. These titles don't play with words or reveal great wit, but they accomplish their purpose perfectly well.

In all of these examples, the title provides at least a sense of the essay's subject matter, and each motivates the reader to continue reading. After viewing such titles, even harried admissions officials are sure to ask: What the heck does "Porkopolis" mean? Why did you eat eyeballs? Why should you have quit your job?

Avoid These Title Mistakes

There are some common missteps that applicants make when it comes to titles. Be aware of these pitfalls.

Vague language . You'll be off to a remarkably bland start if your essay is titled "Three Things That Matter to Me" or "A Bad Experience." "Bad" (or "good" or "evil or "nice") is a painfully subjective and meaningless word, and the word "things" might have worked well in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," but it rarely adds anything of value to your essay. Be precise, not vague .

Broad, overly general language . This is a continuation of the vague language problem. Some titles try to cover far too much. Don't call your essay "My Life Story" or "My Personal Growth" or "An Eventful Upbringing." Such titles suggest that you are going to attempt to narrate years of your life in a few hundred words. Any such effort is doomed to failure, and your reader will doubt your essay before beginning the first paragraph.

Overblown vocabulary . The best essays use clear and accessible language. When a writer attempts to sound intelligent by adding unnecessary syllables to every word, the reading experience is often torturous. For example, if an essay's title is "My Utilization of Erroneous Rationalizations During My Pupilage," the reader's immediate response is going to be pure dread. No one wants to read 600 words on such a subject.

Strained cleverness . Be careful if you're relying on wordplay in your title. Not all readers are fans of puns, and a title may sound ridiculous if the reader doesn't understand a supposedly clever allusion. Cleverness is a good thing, but test out your title on your acquaintances to ensure that it works.

Clichés . If your title relies on a cliché, you're suggesting that the experience that you are narrating is unremarkable and commonplace. You don't want the first impression of your essay to be that you have nothing original to say. If you find yourself writing "When the Cat Got My Tongue" or "Burning the Midnight Oil," stop and reevaluate your title.

Misspellings . Nothing is more embarrassing than a misspelled title. There, at the top of the page in bold letters, you've used the word "it's" instead of "its ," or you wrote about "patients" instead of "patience." Take extra care to check the spelling of your essay title—and, indeed, your essay in general. An error in the title is sure to eliminate any confidence your reader has in your writing ability.

A Few Title Tips

Many writers—both novices and experts—have a difficult time coming up with a title that works well. Write your essay first and then, once your ideas have truly taken shape, go back and craft the title. Also, seek help with your title. A brainstorming session with friends can often generate far better titles than a solitary session of pounding your head on your keyboard. You want to get the title right so that the admissions officials read your essay in a curious and eager state of mind.

If you're writing your essay for the Common Application , keep in mind that your title will go in the text box with the rest of the essay, and the title will count toward your essay's overall word count.

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How to Title an Essay: Basic Guidelines With Examples

9 December 2023

last updated

When writing an essay, a student should take the time to consider the best title. Basically, such a title should reflect the content of a paper with the idea expressed in a thesis statement, being a critical component. For example, there are several rules and strategies that students should consider when titling their works. Moreover, these rules include using an academic tone by avoiding jargon and abbreviations, keeping a title simple and straight-to-the-point, writing a title in bold, and avoiding capitalizing or italicizing a title. In turn, other strategies include brainstorming and discussing ideas about an essay title with a friend, colleague, or mentor. Hence, students need to learn how to title an essay to make it interesting for readers.

General Guidelines of Titling an Essay

Titling is a critical step in essay writing that students must master if they are to produce an excellent document. By definition, a title is a word or phrase that a writer provides at the beginning of their texts, such as an essay, article, report, chapter, or other work. In this case, the purpose of titling an essay is to provide the audience with an idea about the content of a document. Moreover, an essay title is important because it identifies the subject matter, captures the readers’ attention, and determines the tone and substance of the entire writing activity. Sometimes, a title has a subtitle, whose function is to amplify a message expressed in a specific title. Based on this definition, a writer must use a title when writing any document targeted at a specific or even general audience, such as essays, theses, dissertations, books, and journal articles that must have a topic.

Constructing an Essay’s Title: Step-by-Step Guide

When writing any academic text, students observe specific writing conventions to make their work impressive and credible. Basically, some of these rules include formatting and following a detailed essay outline . Although there is no particular rule that guides on the titling of academic texts, students must learn how to construct a topic for their essays. When titling an essay, authors must consider the audience and the content of their papers. In other words, writers need to create a title or rethink it after completing an essay. During the process of perfecting an essay, writers should confirm that a topic is relevant to the content and specific or general audience.

Step 1: Skeleton of an Essay Title

As mentioned in the previous section, a title can be a word or a phrase, which can stand alone or have a subtitle. Like the content that follows an outline, a title should have a structure that is not necessarily visible like the introduction-body-conclusion outline. Moreover, the structure of an essay title denotes the impact that it has on the audience and involves a catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords. Then, the goal of the catchy hook is to get the readers’ attention. For example, a title is an element that introduces an essay to the audience, and a good paper should have a hook that grabs the readers’ attention immediately. In turn, topic keywords help an essay to answer the “What?” question that the audience may have when reading written works. On the other hand, focus keywords answer “When?” or “Where?” questions too.

Step 2: Altering an Essay Title for Different Purposes

When titling an essay, students must consider the structure described above to make the topic impactful on the audience. In essence, three components described above — a catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords — indicate a general outline of an essay title. Basically, students should learn how to tailor the title of their work to the content and needs of the target audience. Moreover, such needs include having a paper that lacks jargon and is straight-to-the-point. Then, writers can alter the title to meet these requirements. Ideally, it is the discipline area that determines the approach that a person should take when titling an essay. For example, when writing about “climate change,” a student uses a different catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords. However, in all contexts, the goal is the same: to grab the readers’ attention immediately to make them interested in reading the entire paper.

Template of an Essay Outline

Standard papers have a template or essay structure that writers should follow every time they have an essay writing assignment. Basically, template components enable writers to emphasize three main features of an essay topic described above. In essence, the body part is longer compared to introduction and conclusion sections because students have to elaborate on the topic or idea expressed in the title. Hence, a simple template structure of an essay looks like:

I. Introduction II. Body Paragraphs III. Conclusion

Content in Each Section

As indicated, three sections of an essay enable writers to emphasize three features of a title — a catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords. In this case, the introduction part is where authors introduce their topics and provide background information. Also, the highlight of this section is a thesis, a statement that defines the purpose of the text. Then, the body is the section where students elaborate on the idea expressed in the topic and exemplified by the thesis statement. Here, scholars should use several paragraphs to emphasize the themes expressed in the introduction. In turn, the conclusion section allows writers to summarize their texts. Here, students restate the thesis, summarize the main points, and make a concluding remark.

1. Tips for Writing an Introduction Part

Provide background information.
Create a thesis.

2. Tips for Writing a Body Text

Use several paragraphs.
Use the topic and concluding sentences in each paragraph.
Use supporting facts.
Observe the Sandwich Rule.

3. Tips for Writing a Conclusion Section

Restate the thesis.
Summarize the main points as captured in the main text.
Do not introduce new information.
Provide a concluding remark.

Rules for Titling an Essay

Title the entire document. Before writing or after writing an essay, a student should title their work by using a word or phrase.
Title every section of the text. When writing an essay, a student should create interesting headings and subheadings to give the main text (body) an identity.
A title must express the text’s central theme. Authors must choose a title that summarizes an essay.
Use capitalization as necessary . Scholars must use a title case when titling an essay. In this case, it means capitalizing the first letter of every word in the title. Also, students must not capitalize pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions.
Write the title in bold. Writers should write the title in bold for purposes of emphasis.
Do not underline or italicize the title . Authors should avoid underlining or italicizing the title because this aspect might lead to overemphasis.
Review the title after completing the first draft . After completing the first draft, students should read and reread their work to ensure any mistakes are noted and corrected. These mistakes include formatting errors, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors, such as missing or wrong punctuation. It is during this stage that they should review the title to ensure it aligns with the message (the main text) of the text. They should confirm the title is catchy enough to grab the readers’ attention immediately and arouse their interest to read the entire paper.
Include a subtitle for a long title. Authors should shorten the title of their essays by including a subtitle. Here, they should use a colon after the title and then indicate the subtitle.
Avoid jargon or slang when titling an essay. A writer should maintain formal language when titling their work. In turn, the use of jargon or slang is a turn-off for many readers, especially those conversant with academic writing conventions.
Put the title in a title page. When writing an essay, a student should indicate the title in the title page – the page that precedes the paper’s introduction. Also, headings and subheadings should appear from the introduction to the conclusion.

Strategies for Creating an Essay Title

Title an essay after finishing writing the text. Writers should consider the title of their work after completing the first draft. At this time, students know the structure of their papers and the content in each section. Moreover, they understand how the entire paper emphasizes the central theme captured in the thesis statement. With this understanding, it becomes easy to create a topic that reflects the message of the text.
Emphasize on an academic tone. When titling an essay, writers should maintain the academic tone that permeates the entire document. In this case, language or words they use must be strict, informative, and persuasive. However, it must also be catchy and warm to arouse the readers’ interest.
Highlight several keywords. Using keywords or phrases in an essay title optimizes the writer’s work. Basically, this strategy that bloggers use to make their works attract higher online traffic. Moreover, writers should use the same technique to attract the attention of their audience, whether it is an instructor or a college admissions board. In turn, students must ensure that keywords are strict to the point.
Follow the expert’s opinion. When writing an essay, students should consider the formula expressed by academic experts. For example, when titling their essays, writers should start with creative introductory words followed by a line that directly states the purpose of a paper.
Identify a quote that corresponds to the essay’s central idea or one of its themes. When titling an essay, a writer can identify a quote that emphasizes the thesis or one of the central themes of a paper and use it to create a title.
Rewrite the title of a famous book, movie, or album. When titling an essay, students can take the title of a well-known work, such as a book or movie, and rewrite it to make it reflect their works. Moreover, the message of the text must align with themes expressed in such a work, whether it is a book, movie, or album. As a result, this approach makes the title catchy, which is right in the eyes and minds of the audience.
Answer What, Who, When, or Where questions. One way of making the title of an essay is to take the inquiry approach. In this case, writers must create a title that answers “What?,” “Who?,” “When?,” or “Where?” questions. Also, it is another strategy for making the title catchy and straight to the point.
Talk it out . When creating a title for an essay, a student can discuss ideas with a friend or mentor. Basically, this approach is effective when it comes to titling an essay that is informative or argumentative.
Brainstorm . When reviewing the first draft, authors can write down some of the ideas they get about the topic of their works. From the list, students can judge the best title for their works based on the content and the central message.
Free write . Scholars can write down topics and start writing their essays. Basically, this approach means that authors begin with the topic and let ideas come into their heads about what to write. Moreover, this approach is suitable for personal narratives but not essays that require research, such as informative essays.

Examples of Essay Titles

1. child or spouse abuse.

When writing an essay about domestic violence, a writer can use “Child Abuse” or “Spousal Abuse” as a topic. In this case, authors would spend their time narrating how children or spouses are the primary victims of domestic violence in society. To make a title catchy, they can include a subtitle that describes the kind of abuse, such as sexual violence or emotional abuse.

Suffering is a broad topic. When writing a sociology essay, a writer can use the title “Poverty” to show how a lack of the means to afford basic life amenities creates suffering for a majority of people in developing countries. Here, students can choose a community, country, or region as their target and capture it in the title. Moreover, writers arouse the readers’ interest, seeking to understand more about that environment and how poverty leads to suffering.

3. Plastic Surgery

When writing on themes of beauty, a writer can use the title “Plastic Surgery” to denote the extent to which individuals are willing to go to look “beautiful.” Here, students can select a demographic population, such as celebrities, and show how many people have undergone surgical procedures to alter their physical appearances. Also, writers can elaborate on how this tradition is the basis of the celebrity culture where fans see their idols as role models in the body of their essays.

When writing on themes of emotional health, students can use the title “Stress” to emphasize the adversity of emotional strain. Here, authors can link stressful circumstances to adverse health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression.

5. Procrastination

When writing on subjects of personal discipline, authors can use the title “Procrastination” to denote counterproductive habits. In this case, students can provide a personal anecdote of an instance when procrastination affected an area of their life and use that story as the basis for discouraging the habit.

6. Illegal Immigration

When writing about politics, a writer can use the title “Illegal Immigration” to exemplify issues that have become politically sensitive in recent years. Moreover, students can highlight the complications of applying for refugee or asylum status as the reason for the growing numbers of illegal immigrants in America and European countries.

When writing an essay on mental health, students can use the word “Racism” when titling their essays. For example, the term “Racism” becomes a significant theme of a paper expressed in a title, and the writer’s mission is to link it with mental health. In this case, authors can show how experiences of racism have affected the mental health of African Americans and other minority groups residing in the United States.

When writing an essay about culture, a writer can use the topic “Tattoos” to indicate the recent trend of people getting tattoos on their bodies. In this case, students can try to link the pop culture to this trend.

9. Teen Pregnancy

When writing an essay about the abortion debate, a writer can use the title “Teen Pregnancy” to support or oppose calls for the legalization of abortion. Moreover, if authors support the legalization of abortion, they can show how teen pregnancy jeopardizes the lives of millions of young girls who become pregnant unintentionally. As such, abortion would grant them an opportunity to complete their education. On the other hand, if writers oppose the legalization of abortion, they can argue that young girls can give birth and still go back to school. Also, students can mention the foster care program and its benefits to those who are not ready to become responsible parents.

10. Homelessness

When writing about public policy, students can use the title “Homelessness” to write about how governments have failed in their solemn duty of providing housing to citizens. In this case, authors can pick a city with high numbers of homeless people and use it as an example of a failure by legislators to pass essential laws and policies.

Summing Up on How to Title an Essay

Essay writing is an essential academic exercise for students, as it provides opportunities for perfecting critical thinking skills. More importantly, it helps students to put into use what they have learned in a semester or calendar year. Then, one of the most vital aspects of essay writing is titling an essay. Ideally, it is a title that provides readers with an idea of what a paper is all about. As such, writers of essays need to learn basic rules and strategies of titling an essay. Hence, the following tips are vital:

pick a theme from the draft and use it to create the title;
let the title answer What, Who, When, or Where questions;
use an academic tone by avoiding jargon and abbreviations;
keep the title simple and straight to the point;
write the title in bold;
avoid capitalizing or italicizing the title;
use a title in every section of a paper.

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How to Title an Essay

Well, neither does your teacher, professor, or boss. The difference is that they don’t have a choice and have to. A good title helps you stand out, and that’s part of the reason why a title is so important. Just knowing the right way to title an essay can boost your grades!

A good title has to grab the reader’s attention. It’s the first thing someone sees, so think of it as your first opportunity to impress. The title needs to be catchy but focused on the content of your essay. A good title is simple yet informative. Sounds tough? Don’t worry, this article will cover all you need to know about how to title an essay perfectly.

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay

A good title makes a reader think “Yes! I want to read the rest of this!” but a title also has to accurately reflect the content of the paper. It’s not just students, one of the differences between an average writer and an expert is how well they can write a title. If you want to work in social media, advertising, or any kind of content writing, learning how to write a title for an essay is an essential skill to have.

There are two main components of a good essay title.

Catchy Hook

Anyone that’s ever written anything knows that having a catchy hook in your introduction is a requirement, but most people forget that you can include a hook in the title itself. Remember, you want to stand out and differentiate yourself from the competition.

There are a few places to hunt for keywords to fit into your title. The essay prompt or research question is a good place to start but using words in your thesis statement ensures that your topic accurately reflects the main point of your essay. The use of keywords like this ensures that your title reflects what the essay is about. You’ll know you’ve found the right keywords if they seem like two or three word summaries of the main point of your essay.

How to Come up With a Title for an Essay

How to create a title for an essay in a way that makes it stand out from the crowd requires creativity, hard work, and time. That may seem like a lot just for a title, but it’s worth it. Follow these bits of advice and craft the perfect title!

Write your title at the end

Just because the title is the first thing someone reads doesn’t make it the first thing you should write! Coming up with a good title is tough and requires a deep understanding of the content of the paper. That means it’s usually better to write the title at the end after you’re done with a couple of drafts of your paper.

Though it’s good to write according to a plan, often, new thoughts can take your essay in an unexpected direction, this is another reason why its good to start with a working title as a placeholder and go back to write the final title at the end.

Use your thesis

A good title hints at what the thesis statement will be. A thesis statement is a summary of the main argument and purpose of the paper, so use your thesis statement as a source of inspiration for your title. This makes sure that your title has predictive power since it’s drawn from the thesis statement itself.

Simple but not too simple

There is no rule about how long a good title should be - there are benefits to short titles and benefits to long titles. Short titles are direct and clear and better suited for simpler, straightforward essays. Longer titles may be more appropriate for complex or very specific essays. No matter what though, make sure that your titles are easy to understand.

Make sure your title is specific

A title that’s too general may seem like it’s describing your essay, but it isn’t. Is your essay just about “Mobile Gaming in 2020” or is it about “The Impact of Coronavirus Lockdowns on the FTP Mobile Game Industry”? The first title may be short and to the point, but it doesn’t give enough specific information about the content of the essay. Remember, a good title hints at what the essay is going to be about, but also intrigues the reader. Generic and broad titles don’t do that.

Your title needs to be believable

Just because a lot of titles you see on the internet are clickbait, doesn’t mean that you need to write an over the top title as well. Especially if you’re writing a paper for academia, make sure your title doesn’t over-promise what you’re going to cover in the essay.

Write your title in the active voice

Write your title in the active voice, that is, the subject acts upon the verb rather than the subject receives a verb's action. Writing in the active voice uses fewer words and is more concise and engaging - perfect for writing a catchy title.

Rewrite famous movies, books, quotes, phrases, quotations, etc.

Creativity is an important element of coming up with a catchy title. If you can find a famous phrase that you can rework into the perfect title for your essay, go for it! For example, a paper about mitosis and meiosis (cell division) can be titled “Live Long and Prosper”.

Match the style and tone of your essay

It wouldn’t make sense to have an amusing title for an essay about a refugee crisis. Make sure that your title reflects the tone of your essay. Some titles work better depending on the essay style. For example, the title of a persuasive essay would be different than the title of a reflective essay.

Who’s the audience?

Of course, how you title an essay depends on who you’re writing it for. A blog post targeted towards your friends or prospective followers is going to have a different title than an essay for your stuffy old history teacher. Your young science teacher who loves memes and blows up things in class might appreciate a different type of title. A university application essay usually needs to be more formal. Try and find out as much as you can about who is going to read your essay and cater both your essay and title to them.

To use or not to use: Colons in essay titles

Using a colon to separate an essay title into two sections used to be the norm. It became so common in fact, that now they are considered cliche. There may be a few occasions when using a colon is just perfect, but avoid overusing it. The best way to use a colon is by inserting a creative phrase or clever quote behind the colon. For example, the title of this section.

Use evocative imagery

An easy way to make your title catchy is by using imagery. If you can make the reader imagine something in their mind based on your title, you’re starting off with a win. “Stepping into the void: The first spacewalk” is a much better title than simply “The first spacewalk.

These tips should help you answer how to come up with an essay title!

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Common Titling Mistakes

The deadline is racing towards you and you still don’t have a title! After panicking and writing whatever pops into your head, check to make sure you don’t do any of the following.

Either bold your title or underline it - Doing both is overkill and rather than stressing the title, makes it look cluttered and messy.
Don’t make your title too short - A good title should let the reader predict what the essay is going to be about.
Don’t make your title too long.- A long title might give more information about the essay, but it can be cluttered and overloaded with dense information.
Don’t use slang, jargon, or abbreviations - You want to make sure that the title is clear. If the teacher has to look up a word in your title, you’re starting off badly.
Don’t get too personal - Your title should entice the reader. Whatever strong arguments you want to make should be made in the body of the essay. ‍

Make sure your title reflects the content of the essay - This often happens when the title is written first and then the essay. Start with a placeholder title and after the essay is done, work on creating a title that accurately reflects the main purpose of the essay.

Improved Essay Titles

You might have an idea about what the title should be as you’re working on your essay, but there are still things to watch out for. Sometimes the perfect title pops into your head fully formed, but more often than not, a good title takes thought, effort, time, and several rewrites. Make sure to set aside some time just to work on the title.

An Exploration of the Best Way to Spend Time During Lockdown Based on Personal Experience

This title might do a good job of explaining what the essay is about but it’s too long and wordy.

Better title: My Lockdown Chronicles: What to do With Unexpected Free Time

An Analysis of Avengers: Endgame

This title is too broad. The topic is interesting but there’s no hook to engage the reader.

Better title: Why Avengers: Endgame is Modern Storytelling at its Best

Badly Breaking the myths about drug overdose

This title seems forced. The topic is very serious, so trying to use a pun in the title can come across as incongruent. It also depends on the reader knowing the show Breaking Bad and making the connection. Depending on the audience, this might be the perfect title though, so make sure to consider your audience when writing and titling an essay.

Better Title: An Analysis of Drug Overdose Deaths in the 2010s

The Best Colorful Birds

This title doesn’t give any specific information or talk about what the reader can expect to learn from the essay.

Better Title: Why Birds of Paradise Evolved to Become the Brightest Birds

Did you like our inspiring Essay Title Guide?

For more help, tap into our pool of professional writers and get expert essay editing services!

Essay Title Ideas

Catchy essay title examples

A catchy title can start your reader off intrigued, entertained, and overall, just in a positive state of mind. That’s a good way to get noticed and boost your grade on the essay! Here are some examples of attention-grabbing essay titles.

Underage Romance: An Analysis of the Ages of William Shakespeare’s Characters

An Alien Among Us: What if Superman Was Real?

The Day the Planet Caught a Virus

The Rise and Fall of the Alpha Male

Memes Before the Internet

College Essay Title examples

When answering a college essay, make sure you read and follow the instruction carefully. Not following the often very strict requirements is. Generally speaking the tone of the essay, and therefore the title should be more serious but don’t be afraid to let your personality come through. Have a look at these examples.

Why Building Houses in a Third World Country was Unsatisfying

The Daily Struggles of an International Student

Energy Equals MC Hammer: My First Day of Dance Class

A Showdown Between William Shakespeare and Hamilton

Mahatma Gandhi’s Disobedience Without Violence

Argumentative Essay Title Examples

An argumentative essay is an opportunity to convince the reader about your view on a topic. Since the goal of an argumentative essay is to make an argument using facts, research, and logic, your title should state your position on the issue. These examples should steer you in the right direction.

Artificial Intelligence Will Not Matrix Humanity

The Best Soup Is Your Grandmother’s

Oh, the Humanity: Why the Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

Scientific Backing for the Benefits of Video Games

Trial and Error: Better Than the Scientific Method?

Persuasive Essay Title Examples

A persuasive essay appeals to emotions to influence the reader. The main difference between an argumentative essay and a persuasive essay is that an argumentative essay uses facts and research while a persuasive essay relies on emotional appeals. How do these title examples make you feel?

A Glamorous Path to Self Hatred: Modern Beauty Standards

Surreptitious Racism and Why It’s More Difficult to Erase

Saving the Planet, One Tree at a Time

The Natural Way to Heal: Ayurvedic Medicine

Testing the Uneducated: Medical Testing in Third World Countries

Narrative Essay Title Examples

Narrative essays can be thought of as short stories. They ask a writer to share an experience clearly and concisely while making a clear point. The titles of these essays can be more playful and ambiguous. Take a look at some examples.

The Pleasure of Discovering an Amazing New Anime

A Missed Opportunity: Why I Didn’t Attend My Uncle’s Funeral

When my Teacher Became a Father Figure

How Being Bullied Made Me a Kinder Adult

Bloody Victory: My First Mixed Martial Arts Win

Research Paper Title Examples

Research papers test your ability to find credible sources and synthesize complex information into a well-structured format. These are almost exclusively academic, and as such, have formal titles. The first versions of these titles often end up being very long, so spend some time whittling away any extra information. Take a look at the examples below.

The Effects of Caffeine on Attention and Sleep

Experimental Evidence for the Use of Music in Boosting Agricultural Yields

Not Stinky: Bathing Culture in Ancient China

The Impact of Western Media on 13 to 30-Year-Olds in Asia

The Marvel Cinematic Universe: A Guide on How to Plan Ahead

English Essay Titles Examples

Writing a title for an English essay doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, if you’re studying literature, you should take the opportunity to flex your creative writing skills. Don’t overdo it though! Titles still need to be predictive, comprehensible, and engaging. Examples down below.

Akala: A Modern Day Shakespeare

Why We’re Already Living in the Brave New World

The Impact of Foreign Writers on Modern English Literature

The Terrifying Origins of Folk Tales

The Times They Are a-Changing: Analyzing Mark Twain’s Writings in 2019

Quick Recap

A great title piques the interest of the reader and starts their journey at a high point. Whether it’s online or for school, you have to find a way to stand out from the very beginning. A good title takes time and effort, but coming up with the perfect title can also be fun, and it absolutely makes a difference to your grade.

Ask these questions to make sure that your title is good.

Does the title predict what the paper is about?
Does the title use keywords effectively?
Does the title accurately reflect the tone of the essay?
Is the title appropriate for the audience?
Is the title interesting?

Remember these tips when brainstorming an essay title.

Think of an interesting hook
Use keywords (Your thesis is a good place to look)
Write your title after you’ve written the essay, not before
Simple but not too simple, it should be predictive
Use as few words as possible while being informative and interesting
Keep it believable
Match the tone and style of your essay
Think about the audience
Use imagery
Rework a popular phrase
Use active voice
Avoid unnecessary words and jargon
Avoid abbreviations ‍

The title of your essay can make or break your grade, so it's important to choose one that is attention-grabbing and relevant to your topic. If you're struggling to come up with a good title, don't worry! Studyfy has compiled a list of over 300 essay topics to inspire you. And if you still need help with your essay, including proofreading and editing, or if you need to " pay someone to do my essay ", Studyfy's team of experts is always available to help. They offer dissertation writing services , research paper service , and even have an admission essay writer to help you get into your dream school. Just reach out to them for all your academic needs!

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How to Write a Strong Title for an Argumentative Essay

Last Updated: June 4, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Diane Stubbs . Diane Stubbs is a Secondary English Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching all high school grade levels and AP courses. She specializes in secondary education, classroom management, and educational technology. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education from Wesley College. 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 165,221 times.

In most cases, a title for an essay is only required for college papers. A title for an argumentative essay isn't much different than a title for any other essay. You need to present what your essay is about in phrase form, as well as provide a hook to encourage the reader to read your essay. One main difference is you also need to make sure you establish your stance on the subject, so the reader knows where your argument is headed from the beginning. In order to create a strong title, you should write your essay before coming up with a title for it.

Summarizing Your Ideas

Also, read through your paper. Start making notes on the main ideas. If you organized your paper well, you should have the paper divided into several main ideas.
Write down any ideas you have about what you think should go in your title.

In most cases, your thesis, or a version of it, is the best summary for the essay. The thesis should be stated at the end of your introduction, and perhaps restated at the beginning of your conclusion as well.
Try to get it down to one sentence if possible, such as, "Soup is significantly more flavorful when made with stock than when made with water."

Step 3 Make a list of keywords and phrases.

For instance, if you wrote a paper on why soup is better when made with stock than water, think about what words are essential to that paper.
Your list of keywords might include "soup," "stock," and "flavor," as an example.

Creating a Title

Step 1 Think about your audience and tone.

Also, think about the tone of your essay. If it's lighthearted, a lighthearted title will fit. For instance, an essay on stock and chicken soup lends itself to lightheartedness.
However, if your essay is very serious, stick to a serious title. For instance, if you're trying to convince people that poverty needs to end, that's a pretty serious topic and needs a serious title.

Read over your paper. You can use this opportunity to proofread while you look for a good sentence.
Write out any sentence that may work. For instance, one sentence that might work is "Soup is delicious, but it is even more delicious when made with stock."
Shorten it up to work as a title: "Soup Is More Flavorful With Stock."

For instance, you could write, "Why Does Stock Make Soup So Flavorful?" That establishes your topic, as well as invites your reader into your paper.
Just be sure you are answering the question you propose.
Choose a different question than the one you used for your hook, if applicable.

Come up with something that is contrasting or surprising. A concrete image works well, meaning something that invokes the senses. For instance, you could write something like "The Flavor of Boiled Chicken Bones Is the Best for Soup."
People don't necessarily think bones are tasty, but they are used to create your flavorful broth. Therefore, it's a bit surprising, but it plays into your essay.
Try to create a title that is both short and sweet.

Step 5 Make a pun or use a famous saying.

As an example, a pun you could use would be "Use Your Backbone to Make Soup." "Backbone" is a play both on the fact that you're using stock (made from bones) and that you need to use your backbone to stand up for stock.
As for a saying, you could use something like "Chicken Soup: Only the Opiate of the Masses If Made With Stock." "Opiate of the masses" is a reference to Karl Marx and will attract attention.

Finessing Your Title

That is, move words around to see if you can make a better statement.
Try mixing and matching among titles that you like. Pick the parts you like best.

For instance, if you are discussing a specific type of soup, add that in: "Chicken Stock Makes the Best Chicken Soup."
If you are specifically talking about homemade stock, add that in "Homemade Chicken Stock Makes the Best Chicken Soup."
If possible, try to give the reader just an idea of which side you plan to argue in favor of in the essay.

The most common method is putting the creative part first as the main title, followed by the informative part in the subtitle. However, you can do it either way.
For example, you could write: "Use Your Backbone: Why You Should Advocate for Stock in Soup."
If the titles are on the same line, separate them by a colon. If not, you don't need the colon.

Compare your title to the list you made earlier.

Step 5 Ensure you've covered your topic.

In the case of an argumentative essay, that not only means that you've presented what your topic is but also what your stance on that topic is.
Try it out on a parent. Ask her what she thinks the paper is about from your title.

The exception to this rule is very common abbreviations or abbreviations that are appropriate for your audience.
For instance, using "HIV" probably wouldn't confuse your readers.

Community Q&A

It can be helpful to look up titles of articles and essays for reference. Check major websites or networks for examples of effective titles. Remember to avoid “clickbait,” though! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf
↑ https://umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning/media/Writing_a_Great_Title_NEW.pdf
↑ https://www.esu.edu/writing-studio/guides/hook.cfm
↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-a-great-title-.html
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Do College Essays need Title? Tips how to Write Good Titles

College Essays need Title

You are probably creating a college essay if you are reading this post. The question that lingers in many students’ minds is; do college essays need a title? The straight answer is it is not necessary, although a title is not a bad idea.

Practically, a college essay needs a title to make it complete, give a hint on the topic you are writing, and arouses the interest of the reader.

The title of an essay is the fertile ground to capture the reader’s attention to showcase your writing and creative skills. Moreover, the title offers direction to your topic. Therefore, include it.

Importance of a Title for College Essays

The title of your college essay is vital in that it can break or make the quality of your paper. The title gives the professor a hint of your topic and arouses the interest of the reader to know what the entire essay carries.

Also, the first thing that the reader will behold is the title. In response, you must make it catchy to provoke the audience to read your content. You should use the right words for your work to be accurate.

How to Craft a Good Title for Your College Essay

By crafting a good college essay title, you will be creating the identity for it. You should put some weight on it since readers will remember the essay by the given title. You should develop an engaging title by using the following tips.

1. A Catchy Hook

The right college essay title will reveal the topic and expose your approach and your area of discussion. The title should be independent, transparent, and self-explanatory. In addition, the title should be simple and purposeful.

You have a suitable hook as a creative element to draw your audience.

The hook should be a readable phrase, catchy, and advertise your paper’s subject.

The hook can still be a direct quotation from the text. Remember, you can even use a quote for an essay title if it is necessary.

Also, a hook can be an exciting element of your topic. A good college essay title should also contain key terms.

Such makes the essay to be more searchable in the database. Load the title with key terminology that to introduce the reader to the concepts of the topic. Never allow your title to look general since it will sound meaningless to the reader.

2. Use your Thesis

You can leave a lasting title by using your thesis. The right title should propel one to read the entire paper. You should use the thesis statement to find a reason to make your audience curious about what you are talking about. You can either use the whole of your thesis statement or use a section of it in your title.

The author should only use relevant words. For example, you can use two to three main words and put them together. Do not use jargon or other abbreviations when making a title.

3. Keep it Simple and Short

The primary purpose of a title is to name the essay paper. One does not have to tell the whole story within the title or offer any useless details. The best deal is, to sum up, your paper using a few words.

Make it original and unique by avoiding copying from others. You can only get inspiration from other authors and customize your own according to the needs of your essay.

Mistakes to avoid when Creating a Title

Vague Language

You should be precise by sticking to what you want to say.

The title should not carry any unnecessary words that harbor no meaning.

Ensure that you use words that add value to your essay title only.

General Language

Using broad and overly general language is a continuation of vague language problems. The title should not cover far too much. A title that is too long will make the reader begin to doubt the content even without going through it.

Overblown Vocabulary

The best approach is to use clear and simple language. When you use heavy vocabulary to sound too intelligent, you will make the reading experience torturous. A simple title makes your college essay to be readable.

Misspellings

It will be so embarrassing if you misspell your title. Before you submit your paper, ensure you take your time to check for typos in the title and the whole essay. When the reader sees an error in the title, it makes one doubt your writing ability.

Strained Cleverness

Cleverness can be okay as long as the title does not sound ridiculous. It is not automatic that some readers will understand the supposedly clever illusion. The writer must be keen when depending on the wordplay in the title.

Suppose your title has some clichés; it is a sure way of informing the reader that what you want to narrate is unreliable. Avoid making the initial impression to seem like you lacked nothing original to discuss. Once in that trap, stop and begin to re-evaluate your title.

Characteristics of a Good Essay Title

A title is a suitable place where you give direction to allow the reader to know what is ahead. When you write a good title, you will be creating a solid essay outline. Here are some key qualities of a good college essay title:

True and Believable

Let your essay title be factual. One of the mistakes that student makes is to make it catchy and cause it to dilute the truth.

As such, you will be making the headline to be inaccurate.

You will be creating a poor impression on your professor as long as your title does not deliver.

The title should be short to enhance readability. Let the college essay title be brief since the long ones can procure confusion. You can achieve brevity by avoiding using a description in your title.

Ensure that the title does not sound too fluffy. If you are unable to write your college essay , feel free to ask for our essay writers to help you out.

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For your title to be compelling, then allow it to be neutral. It can be counter-productive if you begin to confront the reader with your radical opinion within the title.

The title does not have to be full sentences. Do you know a sentence will express a position or judgment? You can also use queries. In fact, you can use questions in college essays and they will make perfect sense if well positioned.

The title should be a starting point for the reader to reconstruct the thought process based on the information given in it.

It does not matter the niche. No one should write a title based on false accounts. From the onset, the title should be immediately understandable. As such, it will guide the reader to decide to proceed to read it or not.

Suppose the title fails to orient the audience by not providing details explicitly, the chance of one to read through the essay is minimal.

Attractive

No one wants to read through a boring piece. For that reason, ensure your title is attractive. Use the phrases that will trigger the reader’s curiosity to discover what the main essay discusses.

While writing a good title, do not exaggerate facts to cause unnecessary attention, making your work appear deceptive. You can use an exciting hook that is factual and accurate. It should be eye-catching and compelling.

The right title should predict the content of your research. The title should explain what the essay is all about without misleading or creating wrong expectations. It should not have anything that the audience will not get in the essay.

The title acts as a summary of what you will be stating in the entire essay. As such, this title should only give a clue of what the reader should expect in the full context.

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA General Format

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA Style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and citing research in writing. MLA Style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.

Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material produced by other writers.

If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook (9th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition). The MLA Handbook is available in most writing centers and reference libraries. It is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this page for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA Style.

Paper Format

The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA Style is covered in part four of the MLA Style Manual . Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA Style :

General Guidelines

Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
Double-space the text of your paper and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are each distinct from one another. The font size should be 12 pt.
Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise prompted by your instructor).
Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the “Tab” key as opposed to pushing the space bar five times.
Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)
Use italics throughout your essay to indicate the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, provide emphasis.
If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested or the paper is assigned as a group project. In the case of a group project, list all names of the contributors, giving each name its own line in the header, followed by the remaining MLA header requirements as described below. Format the remainder of the page as requested by the instructor.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text. For example: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"
Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number. Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit the last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

The First Page of an MLA Paper

Section Headings

Writers sometimes use section headings to improve a document’s readability. These sections may include individual chapters or other named parts of a book or essay.

MLA recommends that when dividing an essay into sections you number those sections with an Arabic number and a period followed by a space and the section name.

MLA does not have a prescribed system of headings for books (for more information on headings, please see page 146 in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing , 3rd edition). If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these sections resemble one another grammatically. For instance, if your headings are typically short phrases, make all of the headings short phrases (and not, for example, full sentences). Otherwise, the formatting is up to you. It should, however, be consistent throughout the document.

If you employ multiple levels of headings (some of your sections have sections within sections), you may want to provide a key of your chosen level headings and their formatting to your instructor or editor.

Sample Section Headings

The following sample headings are meant to be used only as a reference. You may employ whatever system of formatting that works best for you so long as it remains consistent throughout the document.

Formatted, unnumbered:

Level 1 Heading: bold, flush left

Level 2 Heading: italics, flush left

Level 3 Heading: centered, bold

Level 4 Heading: centered, italics

Level 5 Heading: underlined, flush left

What’s the right scholarship essay format and structure?

Many scholarships require you to submit at least one essay–and maybe you’ve already got that covered . But now you’re wondering: how should your essay be formatted? Should it be double-spaced or single-spaced? Should you include a title? Should you include the prompt? What does a typical scholarship essay format look like?

Although you don’t have to worry about essay formatting at Going Merry ( we’ll structure and submit your application for you , with our pre-filled forms!), maybe you’re also applying to some other scholarships too. So we’re here to help you understand how to format your scholarship essay.

Where do I start?

Does a scholarship essay need a title , how should a scholarship essay be formatted what font should i use , how should a scholarship essay be structured can i get a template or outline, scholarship essay format at a glance, should scholarship essays be double-spaced , start writing.

You’ll need to dive into a personal experience or tell your story of an accomplishment, a hobby, an interest to the scholarship provider, showing them your experience with a structured and descriptive essay. Create an outline of your essay (this can be old school, with pen and paper!), write it out, and then ensure you’re formatting it professionally and properly. (Need more scholarship essay tips? Try these.)

This depends on the essay submission format.

If there is a text box entry, you can just copy and paste the body of your essay, without a title. This is the case, for example, when applying for scholarships through Going Merry .

If you’re attaching an essay as a Word or PDF document, you can optionally include a title, but this is usually unnecessary unless there are special scholarship essay format instructions to do so. (One popular reason you might need to do this is if the prompt is to write about any topic of your choice, or to choose your own prompt. In this case, to give the reader more context before you begin your essay, a title may be helpful.)

If you are required to create a title, we recommend doing one of two things:

Think of a title early on. Write down that title, write your essay, and then circle back to the title to tweak it as needed. -OR-
Write your essay and then come up with a title . Your creativity might be fresher once you’ve answered the prompt and included the meat and potatoes of the scholarship essay, which might help you come up with a suitable title at the end.

Also, don’t stress! While a clever title can improve your essay, it’s hardly a make-or-break. A very descriptive title that summarizes the prompt would work fine, as long as your essay is strong.

Relatedly, you don’t need to include the essay question or prompt at the top of your essay. The scholarship committee will know what the topic or prompt is!

(Want inspiration from winners? Check out these winning scholarship essays .)

If you’re writing your essay in a document to upload to your Going Merry profile , or to submit to a scholarship application on a provider’s website , and the scholarship provider doesn’t have explicit guidelines, it’s best to just follow a standard professional style and format. That means using 1-inch page margins, 12-point font size double-spaced (or 1.5 spaced), and a “standard” font like Times New Roman in classic (default) black. Don’t get creative with fonts or colors here. You want the content of your essay to be what stands out, rather than your unorthodox formatting.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how to best structure a good scholarship essay. In fact, you can see how wide-ranging these winning essays are. In fact, how to best answer and structure your essay depends partially on the essay and partially on your personal writing style.

However, one pretty common way of structuring your scholarship essay is how Going Merry winner John Flowers Jr did it . Here’s the template/outline:

Introduction (1-2 paragraphs) : Draw the audience in with an attention-grabbing opening sentence related to the prompt. Introduce your main points that you’ll be sharing later in your essay.
Example of an opening sentence from a Going Merry scholarship winner: “My parents were never given a shot at having an education beyond high school.” This tells us about the student’s parents and how it might have influenced the student’s decision to apply to college, setting the tone for the essay.
Introductory paragraph: “My parents were never given a shot at having an education beyond high school. They were never given a shot to show their full potential and make a difference in the world. They had to start life at an early age. I want to succeed in college for them and for me. I want them to be proud of me for doing a task that they weren’t able to do.” – This expresses John’s understanding of what his parents had to do, and that they did not get a chance to attend college. John also expresses his determination, and his drive to attend college to do something for his parents.
Body (1-3 paragraphs) – Expand on your main points. Back up your information with evidence, examples, and facts. This is where you’re encouraged to share details of how you got to where you are today, what inspired your hobbies, interests, or drive to attend college, and how the scholarship will help you achieve your academic and/or personal goals. Remember to use specifics rather than make general statements!
Conclusion (1 paragraph): Explain how winning this scholarship would help support your goals (and maybe also have wider community impact)
An excerpt from John’s conclusion: “Winning this scholarship will make a difference to me because it will allow me to cover college financial issues that may hold me back from reaching my career. Being less stressed about worrying about college fees will allow me to focus more of my attention in class to earn the credits, and not worry about how I’m going to pay for the class.” – John explains how valuable this scholarship is for him, not just monetarily, but also how it will help him achieve his goals.

Student formatting his scholarship essay

Read the scholarship essay format guidelines carefully, to check if the scholarship includes instructions
If you’re submitting your scholarship essay outside of the Going Merry platform, set up your document with a 1-inch margin
Aim for a 12-point font
The best font to use is Times New Roman. Other good options include Arial, Calibri, Tahoma, and Verdana
Always get a second opinion on the scholarship essay format for grammar, punctuation, spelling, structure, etc.
Online form
Going Merry scholarship platform (apply to thousands of scholarships and upload your scholarship essay)

You’re probably used to double-spacing your high school papers and essays. Since adding line spacing can make essays more readable, using 1.5-spacing or double-spacing is a good idea if you’re attaching an essay as a Word doc or PDF. But again, unless the scholarship provider has specified this information, it’s not mandatory.

More important is to not leave your essay as one block of text. Instead, we recommend separating paragraphs when you’re starting a new thought or idea.

For scholarship essays on Going Merry, you won’t have to worry about formatting because we will do this for you whenever you submit applications through our platform.

We know you’re going to rock your essay with these scholarship essay format guidelines, so get to it! It’s best to start writing your essay as early as possible to give yourself time to review the essay, ask someone (like a parent, guidance counselor, or friend) to proofread your essay, and then make sure to submit it on time. (On Going Merry , we’ll send you deadline reminders on your favorited scholarships and draft applications, so you won’t miss them!)

When you’re ready to apply for scholarships, sign up for Going Merry ! You’ll create a free student profile, enter your information once, and then we’ll match you with thousands of scholarships that you can apply to with just the click of a button. Don’t worry about entering your information twice – we’ll pre-fill this for you!

If you need additional resources to accompany this scholarship essay format guide, check out these related blog posts for more writing tips:

How to answer “Why do you deserve this scholarship?”
How to Write the Best Personal Statement
10 Tips for Writing An Essay About Yourself
How to Write a Career Goals Essay
6 Tips for Writing Scholarship Essays About Academic Goals
College Essay Guy: How to write a scholarship essay
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Ready to find scholarships that are a match for you?

Caitlin Clark didn’t need to be perfect to reach the title game. She just needed to be calm

The Athletic has live coverage of Iowa vs. South Carolina in the women’s national championship game .

CLEVELAND — The ovations for Caitlin Clark began as soon as she jogged onto the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse court for warm-ups. They continued into pregame introductions, when the sound of Clark’s name, not surprisingly, received the loudest roar of any player.

Facing UConn in the national semifinal, Clark scored on Iowa ’s first possession. Perhaps a masterclass, similar to the one Clark logged against LSU with nine 3-pointers, would follow? Instead, Clark went the next 14 minutes without making another basket.

Prolific Clark performances have become commonplace throughout her final collegiate season and her last NCAA Tournament run. After defeating the Tigers in the Elite Eight, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said she had run out of words to describe Clark’s greatness.

On Friday night, though, Clark wasn’t at her best. In the opening 20 minutes, she missed each of her six 3-point attempts. By halftime, Iowa looked like it was in trouble, trailing 32-26. She had made exactly as many field goals (three) as turnovers and went to the locker room with merely 6 points.

Instead of letting her off-night shooting derail her and effectively end her career with the Hawkeyes, she remained steady. So often, Clark’s shooting prowess stands out with scoring bursts into the 40s. Against UConn with a national title game berth on the line, her 15 second-half points were as important as any she’s ever scored.

It was Clark’s emotional growth that paid dividends, lifting Iowa to a 71-69 victory to advance back to Sunday’s championship against undefeated South Carolina .

“I think that’s the biggest way I’ve grown over the last four years,” Clark said. “That’s what I tell people I’m most proud of, the way my mind has changed.”

This was just the second time all season that Caitlin Clark was not Iowa’s leading scorer. — Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 6, 2024

It wasn’t an accident that Clark reached this point. Clark’s trainer, Kevin O’Hare, began working with her before her junior year of high school, back when Iowa still aspired to make even one Final Four let alone consecutive appearances. Back then, O’Hare recalled, “every play was a national championship to (Clark).” Mistakes, both in practices and at games, “would eat her alive and destroy her,” he said.

As she transitioned to the Hawkeyes, on-court shortcomings still lingered. Frustration would build, and eventually overflow. Teammates were targeted as were referees. Admittedly, sometimes they still are — evident throughout this tournament when she struggled. Take her slamming the ball against her own head in exasperation against Holy Cross in the first round.

Clark knows she isn’t perfect. “But she’s picking and choosing when to do certain things,” O’Hare said. “She’s really grown from that standpoint.”

He said the largest point of Clark’s evolution occurred leading into Clark’s sophomore year of college. Through hours of conversation and on-court practice, Clark internalized the importance of not dwelling on the past, but instead focusing on the next play. She started to more fully understand the burden that came with being a star, and accepted responsibility in adverse moments, even if her teammates were more to blame.

Clark struggled, at times, in the first half against the Huskies. Her annoyance was visible. With 6:48 to play in the second quarter, she threw a pass that Huskies forward Aaliyah Edwards stole and turned into a layup. Iowa called timeout, and Clark, with Iowa trailing by nine, flipped her hands open in disgust, then rolled her eyes before entering the Hawkeyes huddle.

Failing to find any scoring rhythm, Clark missed a 3-pointer in the first half. After the halftime buzzer sounded she attempted two halfcourt shots and missed them, too. It was that kind of 20 minutes for Clark and Iowa, who shot only 37.8 percent in the first half.

Yet Clark’s development was apparent against UConn, when she flushed away her first-half performance. It’s something her teammates and coaches say wouldn’t have happened as a freshman for Clark. “To stay grounded like that and to lead them to and to hit big shots. Tremendous growth,” associate head coach Jan Jensen said. “Tremendous growth from that freshman year to now.”

Clark sank her first 3-pointer with 8:09 to play in the third quarter, and she eventually scored seven points in the frame as the crowd came to life. A moment with 35 seconds remaining in the frame was as instructive as any other.

Clark found junior Sydney Affolter streaking up the floor in transition, but Affolter blew her layup attempt, failing to hit rim. Clark didn’t sulk or stare Affolter down. Instead, Clark remained steady, poised and jogged back on defense. Seconds later, the third quarter ended tied. “I think she did a great job of not letting anything get to her,” Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall said.

There was plenty that could have rattled Clark. Nika Mühl played physical defense, often picking up Clark beyond halfcourt. Clark’s body slammed to the court on multiple drives to the basket, though she remained undeterred and aggressive when attacking.

Whew lord the Huskies are playing defense Nika Muhl is putting on a masterclass in denial and mirroring pic.twitter.com/G80Mxkcdrl — Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) April 6, 2024

Friday’s win lacked an emphatic Clark 3-point bomb. Still, with 3.9 seconds to play in regulation, and Iowa leading by a point, Clark let out a yell and pumped her fist in delight when Edwards was whistled for an offensive foul.

As Clark strode off the court, with the victory sealed, both her arms shot toward the ceiling and she clapped her hands in delight. A rematch was set against South Carolina, which Iowa beat in the Final Four last season. Afterward, Bluder approached her star guard as their victory started to sink in. “I’m just so proud of the way you stayed level-headed and led this team,” Bluder told Clark.

Clark will have one more chance to put on her No. 22 jersey, stay poised and try to lead the Hawkeyes to a national championship.

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Ben Pickman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the WNBA and women’s college basketball. Previously, he was a writer at Sports Illustrated where he primarily covered women’s basketball and the NBA. He has also worked at CNN Sports and the Wisconsin Center for Journalism Ethics. Follow Ben on Twitter @ benpickman

What The Canucks Need To Do To Clinch The 2023-24 Pacific Division Title

W ith five games remaining in the 2023-24 season, the Vancouver Canucks are closing in on winning the Pacific Division. If the Canucks can hold on, it will be the first time they are crowned Pacific Division champions and the first they will have won their division since 2012-13. With this in mind, here is a look at the Pacific Division race and what Vancouver needs to do to clinch the title.

As of the end of games on Apr. 6, the Canucks hold a three-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for first in the division. While Vancouver has five games left, the Oilers have six, which includes a matchup against the Canucks on Saturday Apr. 13 in Edmonton. While the Oilers do have an easier schedule competition-wise, they still have two back-to-backs, which could cause fatigue issues and losses down the stretch.

Canucks and Oilers Remaining Schedule For The 2023-24 Regular Season

Another critical factor in deciding the division is that Vancouver currently holds the tiebreaker as a result of a points tie. The NHL uses regulation wins as the first tiebreaker, which the Canucks lead 41-37. Based on the math, it is highly improbable that both teams would tie in points and regulation wins, meaning Vancouver needs to either tie or beat Edmonton in order to secure the crown.

The big question now is, what do the Canucks need to do over their final five games to secure the Pacific Divison? The answer is simple: win games. If Vancouver can win three of their final five, which includes beating the Oilers in regulation, it should be enough to capture the Pacific Division title.

While the math gets a bit complicated, here is a simplified breakdown of why the Canucks game against the Oilers is so crucial. If Vancouver beats Edmonton in regulation next Saturday, the most points the Oilers could get would be 109 points. A regulation win would also give Canucks at 104 points, meaning they would need five points from the other four games in order to guarantee Edmonton could not pass them. Add in the fact that the Oilers are most likely not going 5-0 in their other five games, and, in theory, Vancouver could clinch the Pacific Division in front of their home fans on Apr. 16 with the Calgary Flames in town.

Winning the Pacific Division is essential for multiple reasons. First, it is a testament to how well the Canucks have played all season, and second, it guarantees home-ice advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Lastly, if Vancouver is able to clinch the title despite a late push by Edmonton, it will mean they will have broken out of their current slump and have found their game heading into the postseason. Overall, it should be an exciting final two weeks of the season as the Canucks look to make history and capture their first Pacific Division title in franchise history.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

It almost time! Millions of Americans across the country Monday are preparing to witness the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse as it passes over portions of Mexico, the United States and Canada.

It's a sight to behold and people have now long been eagerly awaiting what will be their only chance until 2044 to witness totality, whereby the moon will completely block the sun's disc, ushering in uncharacteristic darkness.

That being said, many are curious on what makes the solar eclipse special and how is it different from a lunar eclipse.

The total solar eclipse is today: Get the latest forecast and everything you need to know

What is an eclipse?

An eclipse occurs when any celestial object like a moon or a planet passes between two other bodies, obscuring the view of objects like the sun, according to NASA .

What is a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching our planet, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. The resulting "totality," whereby observers can see the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona, presents a spectacular sight for viewers and confuses animals – causing nocturnal creatures to stir and bird and insects to fall silent.

Partial eclipses, when some part of the sun remains visible, are the most common, making total eclipses a rare sight.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. Instead of that sunlight hitting the moon’s surface, Earth's shadow falls on it.

Lunar eclipses are often also referred to the "blood moon" because when the Earth's shadow covers the moon, it often produces a red color. The coloration happens because a bit of reddish sunlight still reaches the moon's surface, even though it's in Earth's shadow.

Difference between lunar eclipse and solar eclipse

The major difference between the two eclipses is in the positioning of the sun, the moon and the Earth and the longevity of the phenomenon, according to NASA.

A lunar eclipse can last for a few hours, while a solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Solar eclipses also rarely occur, while lunar eclipses are comparatively more frequent. While at least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, total lunar eclipses are still rare, says NASA.

Another major difference between the two is that for lunar eclipses, no special glasses or gizmos are needed to view the spectacle and one can directly stare at the moon. However, for solar eclipses, it is pertinent to wear proper viewing glasses and take the necessary safety precautions because the powerful rays of the sun can burn and damage your retinas.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

‘It adds a sense of pride:’ Purdue basketball’s run to title game has foundation in Indiana

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Bailey Good is leaning back against a Final Four backdrop in the last locker before exiting Purdue's locker room, staring down at a laptop with headphones in his ears.

Who is Bailey Good?

He's a senior manager for the Purdue basketball team.

To many, he's anonymous on this NCAA Tournament run to the national title game, but he was once a star point guard at Clinton Prairie High School, a rural Indiana school about 25 miles from Purdue's campus and inside the walls of Mackey Arena, his game is well respected.

"That’s the great part about Indiana basketball. It is kind of a brotherhood in a sense," Good said Sunday afternoon. "Even though you may not play against guys, you still see some of the headlines. You check in on how they’re doing."

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament brackets, scores, schedules, teams and more.

More: Purdue's P.J. Thompson star on rise. 'Going to be one of best college coaches in country'

And therein lies the blueprint of Purdue's success.

Do you need some top level national recruits? Of course.

But if you're in basketball crazy Indiana, you better win the recruiting wars in your own state.

Baby Boilers changed it all

When Matt Painter was hired by Purdue, Indiana had two of the top high school basketball players in the country.

And Painter didn't even chase Greg Oden or Mike Conley.

Wisely, Purdue targeted the crop a year behind that group, knowing full well where Purdue's program was at the time and what it would take to shock the Boilermakers back to life in the post David Teague and Carl Landy era.

More: In Indiana, 'banners' ends the banter. If Purdue wins one, it's time for a new conversation.

Painter hit the Region, an area in northern Indiana that borders Illinois just outside of Chicago. Purdue landed E'Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel and Scott Martin, plus JaJuan Johnson out of Indianapolis. They'd become dubbed the "Baby Boilers."

Martin transferred after one season, but Moore, Hummel and Johnson became household names in college basketball and all three played in the NBA.

The footprint

When Bob Knight used to walk into a gym in Indiana, he at the very least could get a conversation with any player he wanted.

That's where Painter is.

And his staff hits the state hard.

Purdue's current roster has 17 players. Eleven of them are from Indiana, including starters Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith, as well as sixth man Mason Gillis. Factor in freshman Myles Colvin and five of Purdue's top eight are from its home state.

"Just playing against some of these dudes in high school and seeing them on the court and respecting them as players, then you come and get to play with them, it’s a cool experience," said freshman walk-on Jace Rayl, from Kokomo.

Friends and foes

Loyer's final loss as a high school player still stings. And to top if off, he was runner-up for IndyStar Mr. Basketball. Smith was both the winner in that regional semifinal matchup in 2022 and for the state's top individual accolade.

Water under the bridge.

Those two, who on Monday night will start their 74th straight game, will be forever linked.

But it's that way with a lot of people within a locker room loaded with former Indiana high school standouts.

"They’ve faced each other a lot. Especially with the AAU," said assistant coach Terry Johnson, himself from Anderson. "They see each other every summer and know of each other before they ever become teammates."

Success leads to success

Of Purdue's 11 players from Indiana, four won state championships in high school. Two others played for state runner-up teams.

"I expect to win every game that I play in with every team I am a part of," said forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, whose Silver Creek Dragons won 16 straight postseason games between his sophomore to senior seasons. "Last year it was such a surprise. Not because we lost to a 16 seed or whatever, but because the season ended without a win. I am so used to each team I am on being successful."

Same with Purdue reserve center Caleb Furst.

His Fort Wayne Blackhawk teams won 17 straight postseason games from 2019-21. During that stretch, Furst's team knocked out current Purdue senior Carson Barrett's Lafayette Central Catholic team in a semistate.

"When you see people in high school or whatever, you make that connection there," Smith said. "Then you go play in college together, so it definitely gives you a little bit of an advantage."

State pride

The 1987 Indiana Hoosiers are the last school from the state to win a men's basketball championship.

Purdue will become the state's first Division I program playing in the title game since Butler in 2011.

Indiana was once the basketball capital of the world. In some ways, it still is, but some of the state's top talent keeps escaping to colleges outside the Indiana border.

Purdue, though, has managed to keep its fair share close to home.

For many on the Purdue roster, a national championship wouldn't just be a win for the Boilermakers, it would be a win for Indiana high school basketball.

"It adds a sense of pride for many of us," Furst said.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

For complete coverage and analysis of Monday's NCAA men's basketball championship game, visit https://www.jconline.com/sports/

Leistikow: Title-game loss highlights the need for future depth in Iowa women's basketball

CLEVELAND − The start of Iowa’s NCAA Tournament title game couldn’t have been scripted any better. After South Carolina missed a challenged shot, Kate Martin boxed out 6-foot-2 Chloe Kitts for a textbook rebound.

Martin offered an outlet pass to Caitlin Clark, who on her first touch of the game dribbled twice and flung a long chest pass to Hannah Stuelke in the opposite free-throw lane. Stuelke spun and whipped a left-handed pass to Sydney Affolter, who from the left sideline quickly slipped a short pass to the arriving Martin at the 3-point line. Martin squared up and uncorked a high-arching 3-pointer over 6-7 Kamilla Cardoso.

Swish, for a 3-0 Iowa lead.

Rewatch that play, and you’ll also see Affolter attacking the rim and curling her body inside a South Carolina defender to be in position for a potential offensive rebound.

Those things highlighted exactly what Iowa needed to do to spring the upset against the unbeaten Gamecocks. The Hawkeyes had to score in transition with their elite ball movement, had to hit a high number of 3s and had to be as competitive as possible on the glass.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament brackets, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Impressively, Iowa's hot start continued. Martin’s first mid-range jumper was true. Affolter raced up court after another defensive rebound and scored in transition with her left hand. Clark buried her first 3-point try of the game, from the right wing, for a 10-0 Hawkeyes uppercut.

All those things also highlighted that Iowa, at its best, was capable for a second straight year of taking down Dawn Staley and South Carolina.

“We were excited. We were ready,” fifth-year senior guard Gabbie Marshall said after her Iowa-record 166th career game. “We kept telling each other to play free, play loose. We don’t have anything to lose. Just go do what you do out there to the best of your ability. That’s why we started off so hot.”

At its core, this was a great Iowa team. But, in part due to injuries, this was not a deep Iowa team by the end of a grueling NCAA Tournament and 39-game schedule. And the team on the other bench was arguably one of the deepest teams in women’s basketball history.

How deep? The Gamecocks’ leading scorer Sunday was Tessa Johnson with 19 points. She was the team’s ninth-leading scorer for the season. Raven Johnson led South Carolina with 36 minutes and Cardoso (15 points, 17 rebounds) played 30. Seven other Gamecocks played between 14 and 25 minutes. Fresher, longer bodies eventually overwhelmed the Hawkeyes.

Meantime, Iowa used Marshall, Clark and Martin for every second (39:40) until taking the seniors out with 20 seconds to go. Affolter played 35. This was after all five Iowa starters played 37-plus minutes in Friday night’s 71-69 win over UConn that ended just before midnight in Cleveland.

While Iowa was able to outrun LSU in the Elite Eight despite a short bench, South Carolina was a far taller, deeper challenge.

“We were hitting a lot of our shots and had our transition game going a little bit,” Affolter said of the fast start, which continued to a 20-9 lead while Iowa’s legs were still springy. “But we were playing so hard in the post to get rebounds. Those girls are great basketball players. Obviously very strong, very tall. It takes a lot. We can’t guard 6-7 when we’re 6-foot. It’s just hard. But I think we battled the whole entire game.”

Iowa associate head coach Jan Jensen knew the Hawkeyes wouldn’t be able to outrebound Cardoso, the 6-7 center, when their only starter taller than 6 feet is the 6-2 Stuelke.

“You have to hit 3s at a high rate. You have to limit everybody else on the boards. You can’t limit (Cardoso),” Jensen said. “We didn’t limit the others.”

Repeated putbacks not only were a constant stream of two points for South Carolina but demoralizing for Iowa. The Gamecocks wound up with a whopping 51-29 advantage in rebounds.

Iowa's mid-range shots that went in early began to miss. Clark started 3-for-4 from 3-point land in the first quarter but went 2-for-9 the rest of the way. Even so, the Hawkeyes were within five points in the game’s final 4½ minutes.

“We were playing with that mentality all game,” Affolter said. “Just fight, fight, fight. Every possession matters so much.”

The biggest difference: South Carolina scored 37 bench points to Iowa’s zero. The 13 minutes Iowa got from Addison O’Grady and five from Kylie Feuerbach were unproductive.

And when fresher legs are guarding tired legs, it’s no wonder that Iowa hit only 17-of-48 shots (35.4%) after an 8-of-15 (53.3%) first quarter that saw it take a 27-20 lead.

“To be able to have all those fresh legs on Caitlin was really tough,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “And not only their depth, their height. I'm not just talking about their centers. They're really pretty big at every position, which makes it hard. They could recover really well when we (attempted) 3s.”

This game was a reminder of just how good Clark is , to elevate this team into this elite spot two years in a row – and that it was quite the feat that the Hawkeyes, in last year's Final Four, still are the only team to beat South Carolina in the past 81 games.

Iowa needed to play close to a flawless game Sunday, but the task (and the opponent) was just too tall and too deep.

“At that point, you’ve got to basically shoot perfect to win,” Clark said. “So much to be proud of. So much to hold our head high about. It stings, but life goes on.”

This game should serve as a beacon of hope combined with a warning.

The hope: The Hawkeyes have the coaching staff, the system and ability in place to achieve big things moving forward. Seeing blue-collar players like Martin and Affolter turn into critical components for a Final Four team is something any young or future Hawkeye can embrace.

The warning: More depth in the program is needed, especially considering the unlikelihood of finding and landing another generational talent like Clark.

The Hawkeyes have certainly raised the bar as a program. Bluder's postgame locker-room speech was tear-jerking and a testament to the family love that exists in Iowa City. Now is a great time to sell Hawkeye women's basketball to young guns around the country.

"Celebrate that we got to do this together," Bluder told the team. "... Yes, you love a shiny trophy. But the impact you had on young women in this sport doesn't get tarnished."

High school recruiting is going well. Bluder has a strong freshman class signed, led by four top-100 players in Ava Heiden, Aaliyah Guyton, Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow. And Addie Deal, the No. 12 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, is already committed. The transfer portal can be tricky turf, but that could be a possibility to restock the shelves next season with Clark, Martin and Marshall departing.

Lack of depth was the ultimate key Sunday. If Iowa could have had a healthy Molly Davis and more explosive size in the middle against South Carolina, maybe things would’ve been a bit different.

Building quality depth going forward could be the Iowa key to future, sustained success.

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 29 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad's text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts . Follow @ChadLeistikow on Twitter .

A Solar Eclipse Means Big Science

By Katrina Miller April 1, 2024

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On April 8, cameras all over North America will make a “megamovie” of the sun’s corona, like this one from the 2017 eclipse. The time lapse will help scientists track the behavior of jets and plumes on the sun’s surface.

There’s more science happening along the path of totality →

An app named SunSketcher will help the public take pictures of the eclipse with their phones.

Scientists will use these images to study deviations in the shape of the solar surface , which will help them understand the sun’s churning behavior below.

The sun right now is approaching peak activity. More than 40 telescope stations along the eclipse’s path will record totality.

By comparing these videos to what was captured in 2017 — when the sun was at a lull — researchers can learn how the sun’s magnetism drives the solar wind, or particles that stream through the solar system.

Students will launch giant balloons equipped with cameras and sensors along the eclipse’s path.

Their measurements may improve weather forecasting , and also produce a bird’s eye view of the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth.

Ham radio operators will send signals to each other across the path of totality to study how the density of electrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere changes .

This can help quantify how space weather produced by the sun disrupts radar communication systems.

(Animation by Dr. Joseph Huba, Syntek Technologies; HamSCI Project, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, the University of Scranton, NSF and NASA.)

NASA is also studying Earth’s atmosphere, but far from the path of totality.

In Virginia, the agency will launch rockets during the eclipse to measure how local drops in sunlight cause ripple effects hundreds of miles away . The data will clarify how eclipses and other solar events affect satellite communications, including GPS.

Biologists in San Antonio plan to stash recording devices in beehives to study how bees orient themselves using sunlight , and how the insects respond to the sudden atmospheric changes during a total eclipse.

Two researchers in southern Illinois will analyze social media posts to understand tourism patterns in remote towns , including when visitors arrive, where they come from and what they do during their visits.

Results can help bolster infrastructure to support large events in rural areas.

Our Coverage of the Total Solar Eclipse

Anticipation and Anxiety Build: Across parts of the United States, Mexico and Canada, would-be eclipse-gazers are on the move for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime event .

Awaiting a Moment of Awe: Millions of people making plans to be in the path of the solar eclipse know it will be awe-inspiring. What is that feeling ?

The Eclipse Chaser: A retired astrophysicist known as “Mr. Eclipse” joined “The Daily” to explain why these celestial phenomena are such a wonder to experience .

Historic Photos: From astronomers with custom-built photographic equipment to groups huddled together with special glasses, here’s what solar eclipse-gazing has looked like for the past two centuries .

Hearing the Eclipse: A device called LightSound is being distributed to help the blind and visually impaired experience what they can’t see .

Animal Reactions: Researchers will watch if animals at zoos, homes and farms act strangely when day quickly turns to night.

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COMMENTS

How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples
The main goal of a title is to name its paper. There is no need to tell an entire story in the title, or provide any useless details. Sum up your paper in a few words! Another way to do this is to sum up your thesis statement, as it represents the main idea of your essay. Take your thesis and squeeze it into 3-4 words.
Should I title my college essay?
Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay) Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars) Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)
How to Format a College Essay: Step-by-Step Guide
Should I title my college essay? You don't need one. In the vast majority of cases, students we work with don't use titles. The handful of times they have, they've done so because the title allows for a subtle play on words or reframing of the essay as a whole. So don't feel any pressure to include one—they're purely optional.
MLA Titles
Use quotation marks around the title if it is part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter of a book, an article in a journal, or a page on a website). All major words in a title are capitalized. The same format is used in the Works Cited list and in the text itself. Place in quotation marks. Italicize.
How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples
To create an effective title, consider the following tips: Brainstorm Ideas: Begin by brainstorming keywords, phrases, and concepts related to your essay topic. Explore different angles and perspectives that encapsulate the essence of your argument or analysis. Consider the Audience: Reflect on your target audience and their interests ...
How To Write Titles in Essays (With Tips)
Essay titles can compel your readers to continue reading your work. You want to craft a title that represents the purpose of your essay and engages the reader immediately. ... First, you need the write the source title using its exact punctuation rather than adding or removing punctuation marks. If the title has a question mark or exclamation ...
How to Title an Essay: Examples and Tips
The Catchy Hook: It introduces the topic in the most interesting and creative way. Topic Keywords: It is the 'what' question of your essay. This component of an essay title identifies the concept that you will discuss in your essay. Focus Keywords: It is the 'when' and 'where' question of your essay.
Full Guide on How to Title an Essay Successfully
The steps described below will afford you the ability to craft creative titles for essays like a professional. Do read on to discover more: 1. Write your essay as the first step but the title as the last: The first step is to write it in the first place and for this, you may consider using an essay writing service.
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling ...
College Essay Titles: Are They Important?
The most important part of a college essay is the essay itself. Your essay should be personal, insightful, creative, and meticulously proofread. They do not need to be titled. However, this doesn't mean that a title is a bad idea. A title for your college essay falls under the "nice to have" category. A title isn't something that an ...
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Generally, essay titles are not italicized, and the rule of thumb is for the title to be similar to the rest of the body. However, it is also a matter of personal preference. Some people use italics to set off the essay title from the rest of their paper, while others don't. Still, others use quotation marks instead.
Does a college essay need a title?
Some students choose to add a title to their essay, while others leave it without one. A well-crafted title can help grab the reader's attention and set the tone for your essay. However, if you feel that your essay speaks for itself or that adding a title might make the introduction feel clunky, you can leave it without one.
How to Write a Great College Application Essay Title
A well-crafted title should: Grab your reader's attention. Make your reader want to read your essay. Provide a sense of what your essay is about. Read More. Tips for Writing a Winning College Application Essay. By Allen Grove. When it comes to the third item, realize that you don't need to be too detailed.
How to Title an Essay: Basic Guidelines With Examples
Step 1: Skeleton of an Essay Title. As mentioned in the previous section, a title can be a word or a phrase, which can stand alone or have a subtitle. Like the content that follows an outline, a title should have a structure that is not necessarily visible like the introduction-body-conclusion outline.
How to Title an Essay
Don't get too personal - Your title should entice the reader. Whatever strong arguments you want to make should be made in the body of the essay. ‍. Make sure your title reflects the content of the essay - This often happens when the title is written first and then the essay.
Formatting Titles
Simply type out the title using title case and bold it-that's it. On the first page of the essay, center and repeat the title, bold it, and use title case. Again, do not use any special formatting. Do not use a bigger font size or style. Do not underline or italicize and so forth. Just use title case, bold, and center the title on the first ...
How to Write a Strong Title for an Argumentative Essay: 14 Steps
Try to create a title that is both short and sweet. 5. Make a pun or use a famous saying. One way you can lead into your essay is to play with your words. For instance, make a pun. Another way is to use a famous quote, poem, or song to lead into your title.
Do College Essays need Title? Tips how to Write Good Titles
The straight answer is it is not necessary, although a title is not a bad idea. Practically, a college essay needs a title to make it complete, give a hint on the topic you are writing, and arouses the interest of the reader. The title of an essay is the fertile ground to capture the reader's attention to showcase your writing and creative ...
General Format
Use italics throughout your essay to indicate the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, provide emphasis. If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. ... Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title ...
Scholarship Essay Format: Guidelines, Structure and Examples
(One popular reason you might need to do this is if the prompt is to write about any topic of your choice, or to choose your own prompt. In this case, to give the reader more context before you begin your essay, a title may be helpful.) If you are required to create a title, we recommend doing one of two things: Think of a title early on. Write ...
Formatting Titles
Just write out the title using title case on the title page of the paper. That's it. On the first page of the essay, the title is repeated and centered—use title case for this title as well. Again, do not use any special formatting. Do not use a bigger font size or style. Do not use bold—and so on. Just type the title in title case on the ...
Title page setup
Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page. Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize major words of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired.
Caitlin Clark didn't need to be perfect to reach the title game. She
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What The Canucks Need To Do To Clinch The 2023-24 Pacific Division Title
With this in mind, here is a look at the Pacific Division race and what Vancouver needs to do to clinch the title. As of the end of games on Apr. 6, the Canucks hold a three-point lead over the ...
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The Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine today. It needs to stop killing civilians and aid workers today. It needs to start the long journey to peace today.
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Purdue's run to the title game has a foundation in Indiana
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April 8 Total Solar Eclipse Means Big Science
A Solar Eclipse Means Big Science. On April 8, cameras all over North America will make a "megamovie" of the sun's corona, like this one from the 2017 eclipse. The time lapse will help ...