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How To Write A Thesis Statement | Essay Writing Part 1 [2022 UPDATE]

Guide Chapters

• 1. Thesis statement
• 2. Introduction structure
• 3. Topic sentence
• 4. Body paragraph structure
• 5. Conclusion

This post, How to Write a Thesis Statement, is the first post in our 5 part Essay Writing Series. In this series, we will break essay writing into a series of parts and solve some commonly asked questions to give you the tools to write consistent essays.

Some common questions about essay structure are:

What is a thesis statement?

• What does a thesis statement do?
• Is the thesis statement important?
• How do I write a good thesis statement?

In this post, we’ll give you an overview of essay structure and explain why a thesis statement is important for your essay. We’ll then give you a step-by-step guide for writing a Band 6 thesis.

Table of Contents

• Essay Structure
• What is a thesis statement
• 1. Underline key words in the question
• 2. Note down relevant topics/themes
• 3. Decide on the argument you want to present in your thesis statement
• 4. Turn that argument into a thesis statement

Common mistakes that students make in their thesis statements

What should you do instead, essential essay structure: how to write a thesis statement | essay writing part 1.

Learning how to write a good essay is something developed through practice and logic, not innate skill or talent. Anybody can write a good essay with practice and instruction.

In this series of posts, we will show you some of the skills that Matrix students use as they learn to write Band 6 responses. First, we will learn about the structure of an essay, and then we will look at why the thesis is the solid foundation on which we build our argument.

What is Essay Structure?

Essay structure is the logical sequencing of information we use when composing a written argument. When you break it down, essay writing is actually a fairly straightforward process.

• Introduce your main argument ( thesis )
• Explain the key 2 or 3 ideas ( themes ) that will support your main argument
• Explain how these ideas fit together logically
• Introduce a specific idea
• Present evidence that supports your idea
• Connect this idea to your main argument
• Repeat these ‘2. Body Paragraph’ steps for the other ideas that support your main argument
• Restate your argument
• Make a concluding statement

When you break essay writing down into a process, it becomes straightforward and systematic.

We can take the process of essay writing and look at it in a diagram:

In this post, we will look at the first step of this process. The thesis statement.

Let’s have a look at what it does.

Last chance to finesse your thesis statement writing!

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The thesis is the foundation of your essay. It structures your argument. Having a good thesis is essential to getting a Band 6 result, regardless of what module or level of English you are doing.

Your thesis needs to be concise, but also answer the question. It must introduce an idea that you can readily repeat throughout your essay so that your reader is constantly aware of what you are arguing.

Now we know what a thesis is and how it functions within an essay, let’s look at a step-by-step process for writing one!

How to write a thesis statement – A step-by-step guide

We’ll now look at the process for writing a thesis statement. To do so, we will use a HSC question as an example and develop it throughout this series.

Step 1: Underline key words in the question

You need to properly address the question to score a Band 6. Underlining key words in the question will take less than a minute and give your essay clear direction.

Let’s look at how we would annotate the 2021 HSC question for the Common Module:

Analyse how your prescribed text represents the ways individuals respond to the challenges they face.

Step 2: Note down relevant topics/themes

Now that you know the key points that the question wants you to discuss, you can jot down relevant topics/themes from your prescribed you’d want to discuss in your essay.

Step 3: Decide on the argument you want to present in your thesis statement

Your argument is essentially your super passionate response to the question. It’s subjective and opinionated, which is why you need a whole essay to try to convince your marker that you are right.

You don’t have to use fancy wording to get your point across. Write it how you would say it in a conversation; this step is for you to know what you are going to spend the next 40 minutes writing furiously about.

Be strategic about it. Pick a stance that:

• You can back up with evidence — if you can’t remember any quotes from the text that support your argument, you probably want to quietly come up with a different argument that you can confidently discuss.
• Aligns the module statement — a lot of really smart people spent a long time coming up with the module statements, so you’ll probably have a hard time arguing that individuals don’t have experiences or responses to challenges. If you want to flex your creative side, do that in your nuanced analysis of the textual evidence, instead of blatantly rejecting everything your teachers spent an entire year teaching you.

You don’t necessarily have to personally believe that your argument is true. You can play devil’s advocate or be overly pessimistic if you think that’s the easiest route to take.

Here’s an example of an argument that you can make in response to the 2021 HSC  Common Module question:

“Even though everyone responds to challenges in different ways, at the end of the day, we all selfishly prioritise our own needs and safety before anyone else.”

It’s a very drastic and upsetting thing to believe, but you can see how we could effectively use evidence from Nineteen Eighty-Four to prove it.

Step 4: Turn that argument into a thesis statement

Now that you know exactly what your overarching argument is going to be, you can write a thesis statement from that. To turn your argument into a thesis statement, you need to:

• Specify details relevant to the themes in your prescribed text
• Be as concise as possible
• Avoid using first or second-person language

Don’t write the 94851 th essay that your marker has to read with these mistakes.

Mistake 1: Repeating the question

The most common error when composing thesis statements is repeating the question.

As senior students, you are expected to analyse the question and construct a personal and logical response to it. Repeating the question back at the marker as a thesis statement does not demonstrate an understanding of the question, module, or text. Instead, such a response demonstrates that you have a limited understanding of both.

Let’s look at the 2021 HSC question for Module A:

How do the extracts provided contribute to a broader textual conversation between the pair of prescribed texts that you have studied in Module A?

You can find the extracts the question refers to here .

We’ve written examples for the prescribed texts The Tempest and Hag-Seed .

Mistake 2: Using uncertain terms

Don’t be vague or use low modality words and expressions in your thesis.

Students have it drilled into them that “they know nothing” or “don’t have the experience” to say things with certainty. This is said to stop students making broad sweeping statements about human existence or genres of writing, but it must not apply to your understanding of the text.

Let’s have a look at the 2020 HSC Module A question to see what we mean:

In textual conversations, the later text is often seen as a shadow, lacking the originality and power of the earlier.

To what extent is this statement true of the two prescribed texts you have studied in Module A?

A common thesis mistake was to state something along the lines of:

“Margaret Edson’s play ‘W;t’ (1995) may appear to merely echo the concepts John Donne explores in his poems. However, her play could be also seen as nuanced commentary of Donne’s poetry that creates a highly engaging textual conversation about the death, separation and salvation of one’s physical and mental being.”

This statement uses the verb “could” which lacks certainty. You want to avoid verbs like “may,” “might,” or “could” , or replace them with verbs like “will,” “does,” and “shall” that have high-modality or high certainty.

 People are more inclined to give credibility to assertive and confident voices.  This is why the following thesis statement sounds so authoritative:

“It would be grossly unfair to say that Margaret Edson’s later play ‘W;t’ (1995) merely echoes the concepts that John Donne explores in his poems. In fact, Edson’s nuanced commentary of Donne’s poetry creates a highly engaging textual conversation about the death, separation and salvation of one’s physical and mental being.”

Mistake 3: Trying to fit it all in one sentence when it really doesn’t fit

The term thesis statement can be misleading. We hear “statement” and we often think “sentence.” The two words are not synonymous, though. It is far better to use an extra sentence to add detail to your sentence rather than stubbornly pack it into one. You need to explain the logic of your argument in a thesis, not just outline an argument.

Compare these two thesis statements:

“The storytelling of narratives that have been denied or repressed leads individuals to reconsider their knowledge of things.”

“The storytelling of narratives that have been denied or repressed profoundly impacts an individual’s perspective of society. The process of uncovering these stories compels individuals to reassess the political regime they live in and adjust their understanding of truth in their world.”

The second thesis is obviously better, but why?

The first thesis statement is competent, but it does not help the marker into your understanding of the module or the question. By splitting the statement over two sentences in the second example, we detail the logic of our argument. The second statement explains how the process of storytelling works, rather than merely noting that it occurs. 

Mistake 4: Not answering the question asked

Too often students will write the thesis they have prepared and not the one that responds to the question they have been given. This is common amongst students who prefer to write “generic” essays and “mould” them to suit a question.

Let’s consider the 2021 HSC question for Module B:

‘Literature forces us to ask questions and look for answers. Even if those answers do not exist.’

To what extent is this true?

In your response, make close reference to your prescribed text.

One of the key things to note is that this question asks you ‘ To what extent is this [statement] true’. You can answer that in a range of ways:

1. The statement is completely true

2. the statement is completely false, 3. the statement is partly true.

In an exam, you usually won’t have enough time to write out all the different stances you could make to address the question. However, at the very least, you should dedicate a minute to annotating parts of the question that you agree and disagree with, and think about how you can use the evidence you remember to support your thesis.

You have already got off to a good start by going through these steps to writing a thesis statement. From here, it’s all about practice and making sure you don’t let down your fabulous thesis statement with the rest of your essay.

Tip 1: Practice

Essay writing is a skill that develops the same way as juggling a soccer ball or playing the panpipes. You will not become adept unless you invest many hours writing and rewriting responses to a variety of questions.

If you want to learn how to produce that killer thesis go to the NESA website  and work your way through their practice questions until you’re an expert.

Tip 2: Learn how to write a thematic framework

Now you’ve got a thesis, you need to use it to structure an essay. The next step is to choose the themes that you will discuss and introduce them to your reader.

How to Structure Your Essay Introduction | Essay Writing Part 2

© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement in 4 Steps

Learn what a thesis statement is, why thesis statements are important to your essay, and how to write a thesis statement in four easy steps!

It’s no secret that a solid thesis statement is an essential part of any essay. If your writing doesn’t have a defined thesis, nothing else will matter. The thesis statement is the first element of your paper that you’ll be judged on. If your thesis is not clear and straightforward, you’ll lose your reader. So, let’s talk about how to write the perfect thesis statement in four simple steps. But first, let’s start from the beginning. 

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is one or two sentences at the beginning of your essay that tells your reader the main idea of your paper and maps out the supporting details of that main idea. The thesis statement will focus your writing, and it will help readers link the subtopics of your essay to your central focus. 

In short, the thesis statement is one to two sentences that communicates the main idea, argument or central point of your essay. There are different types of essays, but each one will need a thesis statement. Let’s go over a few different types of essays. 

Three Types of Essays 

What is an analytical essay  .

In an analytical essay, the author is analyzing a topic breaking it down into its component parts. In an analytical essay, you might dissect another author’s argument about a subject. You can also use an analytical essay to write about a book, movie, or other lengthy text. 

The thesis statement of an analytical essay will answer a ‘how’ or ‘why’ question. For example, a while back, I wrote a blog post on how Jane Austen uses the theme of effective communication in her novel, Pride and Prejudice . If you flip that statement and form the question- How does Jane Austen demonstrate the theme of effective communication in Pride and Prejudice ? That’s the question I answered with my essay by analyzing the novel, its characters, and plot.  

What is an expository essay?  

In an expository essay, the author will explain their topic. They will elaborate on a subject or investigate an issue. You’ll also see the term expository essay used as a blanket term to describe all types of essays. Another name for an expository essay is an explanatory essay. 

So, expository can be a general term and may describe an analytical or argumentative essay. A thesis statement for an expository essay will be much like an analytical essay. You could answer a question and lay out the reasons for an outcome with a ‘because’ statement. 

For example: 

You shouldn’t drink and drive because alcohol impairs your judgment and motor skills which could cause harm to you or others and damage to property. 

What is an argumentative essay?  

In an argumentative essay, the writer is taking a stance and defending their opinion. They are making an argument about the topic of the essay. In an argumentative essay, you’ll be evaluating and presenting data that reinforces your opinion. 

In these essays, the term position statement is sometimes used to mean the thesis statement. If you hear a person use the term position statement, they’re talking about the thesis statement. To write your thesis or position statement, you’ll state your opinion and preview the details you will use to back it up. 

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the four steps you can use to write a perfect thesis statement that will fit the needs of any of these essay types. 

4 Steps to Writing the Perfect Thesis Statement

Step 1: Ask a question about your research subject. 

This question will guide your research and will lead you to a central idea for your essay. 

The first step in writing a thesis statement is investigating the subject of your essay. Whether that’s a text, like a book or a movie, or science topic like volcanos. The point of an essay is to relay some information to your reader. You need to decide what this information will be. The best place to start is with a question about your topic, something that genuinely interests you. Having a research question will make your research a lot easier and your writing clearer. 

Let’s go back to the example of volcanos. You don’t want to write an essay that focuses on just volcanoes because that’s too broad a subject. In writing, broad means boring. You’ll want to start drilling down on the topic and asking more specific questions. 

Maybe you want to know why volcanoes erupt. But, that question is still too broad a topic for most essays. You’ll need to ask narrower questions like why do people build cities close to volcanoes? Or, what is the chance of another eruption on the scale of Mt. Saint Helens, in the US? These questions will narrow the scope of your research and ease the writing process. 

Step 2: Formulate the Main Idea of your essay. 

The answer to your research question is your main idea or thesis. 

Once you’ve asked your question, you need to find the answer to it through research. Depending on the scope of your essay, this could take a few hours or a few years. The point of research is to come to some conclusions that answer your initial questions. 

You may find that your original research question changes as you look into your topic, and that’s fine. Nothing is set in stone until you start the writing process. Once you start writing, though, you don’t want to change the direction of your paper. 

When you have an answer to your research question, you can formulate a central idea. Your main idea is the main point of your essay, and it’s also called a thesis. 

Write out this thesis, and you’re half done with your thesis statement!

Step 3: Develop your Supporting Details 

Identify the facts that support, or prove, your main idea.

This isn’t to say, decide on your main idea and go out looking for data to prove it. This is working backward and will lead you to make a false assumption through confirmation bias. The concept of confirmation bias is that if you start with an idea you want to prove, then you’ll only look for information that confirms your view. When you do find data that disproves it, you’ll likely ignore it. 

You should already have supporting details once you develop your main idea. The supporting details are the data that led you to your main idea. You should also look for information that disproves your main idea. Be honest, and let your research guide you to a conclusion. Never start with your conclusion in mind. 

Once you’ve reached your conclusion, collect the most substantial data points that led you to that main idea, the answer to your research question. 

Step 4: Combine your Main Idea with your Supporting Details into one statement

Clearly state your main idea and preview your supporting details in one or two sentences. 

The job of your thesis statement is to layout, for the reader, your thesis or main idea early in your essay. You need to state your main idea as clearly as possible. You also need to preview the supporting details that will make up the body of your essay. Depending on the length and complexity of your article and main idea, you may need more than one sentence to accomplish this. 

We can take the above example of my analytical essay on Pride and Prejudice to examine how to formulate a thesis statement. Through reading the book, I decided there was a theme of communication. By drilling down on that topic, I discovered that each character had possessed a flawed way of communicating, which led to most of the conflict in the novel. 

The following sentence is a thesis statement developed from that conclusion: 

In her work, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen explores the theme of effective communication. ⇠ Main Idea Through various characters’ means of expression, she demonstrates how the lack of communication skills can lead to a breakdown of romantic, friendly, and familial bonds. ⇠ Supporting Details

In the above thesis statement, the first sentence states the main idea. In the second sentence, I preview my supporting details- the data that proves my main idea. 

Thesis Statement Checklist 

A thesis statement should… 

• Be clear and concise 
• In the intro paragraph(s) of your essay
• Not be too broad 
• Be An opinion not a fact 
• Preview your supporting details 
• Answer your research question

A Formula for Thesis Statements 

While there’s no single way to write a thesis statement, here’s a simplified way to help guide your thinking: 

State your Main Idea + Preview your Supporting Details = Thesis Statement 

Examples of Thesis Statements 

The following are examples of thesis statements pulled from the article 25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing A Breeze by J.Birdwell Branson. You can read the full list here. As you read each of these examples, identify the main idea and the supporting details in each one. 

“Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.”

“Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don’t forget what they’ve learned throughout the school year.”

“School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.”

“The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.”

Check out the twenty-one more great examples at Servicescape.com 

Write your own Thesis Statement using our Controlling Idea Writing Exercise

Read more about Thesis Statements: 

The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing

“Whether you’re composing a letter, writing a school thesis, or starting a novel, this resource offers expert advice on how to think more creatively, how to conjure up ideas from scratch, and how to express those ideas clearly and elegantly… Some features include:

• How to use journals to store ideas and explore potential topics • Examples of style and technique from such masters of form as Mark Twain, H.L. Mencken, E.B. White, and Annie Dillard • Advice on using outlines to shape your material—and drafts and revisions to refine them • Selecting the proper words to convey both information and point of view • A useful appendix on punctuation, ranging from commas to underlining and capitalization”

Resources: 

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements – Purdue University 

Writing Tips: Thesis Statements – the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

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Research Paper: A step-by-step guide: 3. Thesis Statement & Outline

• 1. Getting Started
• 2. Topic Ideas
• 3. Thesis Statement & Outline
• 4. Appropriate Sources
• 5. Search Techniques
• 6. Taking Notes & Documenting Sources
• 7. Evaluating Sources
• 8. Citations & Plagiarism
• 9. Writing Your Research Paper

About Thesis Statements

Qualities of a thesis statement.

Thesis statements:

• state the subject matter and main ideas of a paper.
• appear in the first paragraph and announces what you will discuss in your paper.
• define the scope and focus of your essay, and tells your reader what to expect.  
• are not a simple factual statement.  It is an assertion that states your claims and that you can prove with evidence.
• should be the product of research and your own critical thinking.
• can be very helpful in constructing an outline for your essay; for each point you make, ask yourself whether it is relevant to the thesis.

Steps you can use to create a thesis statement

1. Start out with the main topic and focus of your essay.

youth gangs + prevention and intervention programs

2. Make a claim or argument in one sentence.  It can be helpful to start with a question which you then turn into an argument

Can prevention and intervention programs stop youth gang activities?  How?  ►►►  "Prevention and intervention programs can stop youth gang activities by giving teens something else to do."

3. Revise the sentence by using specific terms.

"Early prevention programs in schools are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement by giving teens good activities that offer a path to success."

4. Further revise the sentence to cover the scope of your essay and make a strong statement.

"Among various prevention and intervention efforts that have been made to deal with the rapid growth of youth gangs, early school-based prevention programs are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement, which they do by giving teens meaningful activities that offer pathways to achievement and success."

5. Keep your thesis statement flexible and revise it as needed. In the process of researching and writing, you may find new information or refine your understanding of the topic.

You can view this short video for more tips on how to write a clear thesis statement.

An outline is the skeleton of your essay, in which you list the arguments and subtopics in a logical order. A good outline is an important element in writing a good paper. An outline helps to target your research areas, keep you within the scope without going off-track, and it can also help to keep your argument in good order when writing the essay.  Once your outline is in good shape, it is much easier to write your paper; you've already done most of the thinking, so you just need to fill in the outline with a paragraph for each point.

To write an outline: The most common way to write an outline is the list format.  List all the major topics and subtopics with the key points that support them. Put similar topics and points together and arrange them in a logical order.    Include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. 

A list outline should arrange the main points or arguments in a hierarchical structure indicated by Roman numerals for main ideas (I, II, III...), capital letters for subtopics (A, B, C...), Arabic numerals for details (1,2,3...), and lower-case letters for fine details if needed (a,b,c...). This helps keep things organized.  

Here is a shortened example of an outline:

Introduction: background and thesis statement

I. First topic

1. Supporting evidence 2. Supporting evidence

II. Second Topic

III. Third Topic

I. Summarize the main points of your paper II. Restate your thesis in different words III. Make a strong final statement

You can see examples of a few different kinds of outlines and get more help at the Purdue OWL .

• << Previous: 2. Topic Ideas
• Next: 4. Appropriate Sources >>
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2023 12:12 PM
• URL: https://butte.libguides.com/ResearchPaper

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

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