Essays are an essential part of your college application process. Many schools encourage or require an essay for admissions. Not only will knowing how to write a great essay help you get into college, but it will also help you perform well throughout college. Writing is an essential part of higher education and you will be expected to know how to do it well. Here are three things you should do to write a great essay.
- Create a Thesis Statement
You need to know what your essay is about and it should be clear to your reader. A thesis statement is a single phrase that plainly states the main idea of the essay. Creating a thesis statement will help you organize your entire essay. FastWeb points out that it is a good idea to decide if your essay is intended to “inform or persuade.” Knowing your specific topic and your overall goal will help you write a clear and concise essay.
- Outline
Before you start writing, organize your thoughts. Creating an outline will help you know where to use your facts and examples to support your main points. You can gather catchy statistics or thought provoking questions for your introduction, write out your thesis and develop your supporting points. An outline will make sure that everything relates back to the thesis and that your main points are well reinforced. Once you have an outline complete, you can write quickly and efficiently, without rambling or injecting topics that don’t relate to the overall theme.
- Proofread
When you are finished writing, proofread. Glaring typos and grammar mistakes will detract from even the most well written essay. You don’t want these simple mistakes to take away from your writing. It can be easy to miss typos and misspellings, especially if you have been working on the same essay for a long time. Make sure you complete your essay in time to step away from it overnight, or at least for a few hours. Then, go back and proofread it with fresh eyes. You can also have a friend or family member read your essay to look for any mistakes and make sure it communicates your thesis clearly.
Time
Essays require time. If you want to write a great essay, allow yourself time to develop a thesis, organize your thoughts in an outline and edit your work. When you do these three things, you will be able to write an excellent essay.
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