write a essay on letter

12+ Essay Letter Writing – Format, Examples, Writing Tips

• Letter Writing
• March 4, 2024
• School Letters

Essay Letter Writing: Essay letter writing is a form of written communication that combines the structure and format of an essay with the personal tone and conversational style of a letter. This type of school letter writing can be used to express personal thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics, from social issues to academic assignments.

In essay letter writing, the writer has the freedom to share their ideas and experiences in a unique and creative way, while also adhering to the basic principles of essay writing, such as structure, coherence, and logical argumentation. This Essay Letter Writing is an effective way to communicate complex ideas in a clear and engaging manner.

Also Check: Formal Letter Format Class 8

Essay Letter Writing – Structure of Essay Letter Writing Tips

Content in this article

Essay letter writing follows a basic structure that combines the elements of an essay with the conversational tone of a Essay Letter Writing. Here is a general outline of the structure:

• Introduction : The first paragraph introduces the topic and purpose of the Essay Letter Writing. It should be engaging and clearly state the writer’s thesis or main point.
• Body Paragraphs : The body of the Essay Letter Writing should consist of two or three paragraphs that support the thesis with relevant evidence and examples. The paragraphs should be well-organized and flow logically from one point to the next.
• Conclusion : The final paragraph summarizes the writer’s main points and restates the thesis in a clear and concise manner. Essay Letter Writing should leave the reader with a lasting impression and a call to action.

Essay Letter Writing – Sample Format

Below is a sample format for essay letter writing. This format can be adapted based on the specific purpose and audience of your essay letter:

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date]

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Title or Relationship] [Company, School, or Institution Name] [Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Subject: [Briefly Mention the Topic of the Essay]

I trust this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to share my thoughts on [mention the main topic or purpose of the essay]. As someone deeply passionate about this subject, I believe it is crucial to explore and articulate my perspectives on [provide a brief overview of the essay’s focus].

Introduction: In the introduction, I aim to captivate your attention by [mention how you plan to engage the reader, e.g., sharing a personal anecdote, posing a question, or presenting a relevant quote]. This introductory section sets the stage for a comprehensive exploration of [the main theme or idea].

Body Paragraphs: The body of the essay will delve into [three to four key points or ideas related to the main theme]. Each paragraph will explore a distinct aspect, supported by [examples, evidence, personal experiences, or relevant information]. This structured approach ensures a coherent and compelling presentation.

Conclusion: The concluding section will summarize the key findings and insights discussed throughout the essay. I aim to leave the reader with [a thought-provoking statement, a call to action, or a reflection on the broader implications of the topic].

I appreciate your time and consideration in reading my essay. I believe that [mention the potential impact or relevance of the essay] and look forward to any insights or feedback you may have.

Thank you for your attention.

[Your Full Name] [Your Title or Affiliation, if applicable] [Your Signature – if sending a physical letter]

Feel free to customize this template based on the specific topic, purpose, and recipient of your essay letter. Adjust the language, tone, and content to suit the nature of the essay and the preferences of your audience.

Essay-Letter Writing – Example

Here’s an example of Essay Letter Writing:

Dear [Recipient],

I am writing to share my recent experience with essay writing. As you may know, essay writing is a crucial skill that is required in many academic settings, including college and university courses.

Recently, I had to write an essay on the topic of climate change and its impact on the environment. At first, I found it challenging to organize my thoughts and ideas in a logical and coherent manner. However, with the help of some research and a lot of hard work, I was able to create a well-written essay that received a high grade.

Through this experience, I have learned that essay writing is not just about putting words on paper; it is about expressing ideas and arguments in a clear and persuasive manner. Additionally, I have realized that careful planning and organization are essential for producing a successful essay.

Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to improve my essay writing skills and I hope to continue honing them in the future.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Essay – Letter Writing – Example

Essay Letter Writing About Social Media

Here’s an Essay Letter Writing About Social Media

I am writing to share my thoughts on the topic of social media and its impact on our lives. In today’s world, social media has become an integral part of our daily routines, and it is hard to imagine life without it.

While social media has its advantages, such as staying connected with friends and family and accessing a wealth of information, it also has its drawbacks. One of the biggest issues with social media is the spread of misinformation and fake news. Many people tend to believe whatever they read online, without fact-checking or verifying the sources.

Furthermore, social media can also have negative effects on mental health. It is easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others and feeling inadequate, which can lead to anxiety and depression.

In my opinion, it is important to strike a balance when it comes to social media usage. We should be mindful of the information we consume and make sure it is accurate and reliable. Additionally, we should limit our time on social media and use it in moderation, so as not to let it consume our lives.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on this important topic.

Essay Letter Writing About Social Media 

Essay Letter Writing for Students

Below is an Essay Letter Writing suitable for students:

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Title or Position] [School or Institution Name] [Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Subject: Exploring the Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Student Development

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. As a student at [Your School/College Name], I am writing to share my thoughts on the significance of participating in extracurricular activities for overall student development.

Introduction: In today’s dynamic educational landscape, the role of extracurricular activities goes beyond the traditional classroom setting. These activities encompass a wide range of opportunities for students to explore their interests, develop essential skills, and foster a well-rounded personality.

Body: Paragraph 1: Broadening Horizons Engaging in extracurricular activities exposes students to diverse fields beyond their academic curriculum. It provides a platform to discover and explore various interests, allowing students to broaden their horizons and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world.

Paragraph 2: Skill Development Participating in clubs, sports, or cultural activities enhances the development of crucial life skills. Teamwork, leadership, time management, and communication are just a few examples of skills that students can acquire through active involvement in extracurricular pursuits. These skills are not only valuable during the school years but also play a pivotal role in shaping a successful future.

Paragraph 3: Building Character Extracurricular activities contribute significantly to character building. Students learn to overcome challenges, face competition, and cope with both success and failure. These experiences foster resilience, perseverance, and a strong sense of responsibility, qualities that are integral to personal growth.

Paragraph 4: Holistic Development The combination of academic excellence and active participation in extracurricular activities leads to holistic development. Students who strike a balance between their studies and interests tend to perform well academically while also developing a more well-rounded and adaptable personality.

Conclusion: In conclusion, I firmly believe that encouraging students to engage in extracurricular activities is crucial for their holistic development. These activities not only complement academic learning but also nurture qualities that are essential for success in the ever-evolving global landscape.

I look forward to discussing this topic further and exploring ways to promote and support extracurricular involvement among students at [Your School/College Name]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

[Your Full Name] [Your Grade/Class] [Your Signature – if sending a physical letter]

Feel free to customize this letter based on your specific thoughts, experiences, and the requirements of your essay assignment.

Writing an Essay in Letter Form

Writing an essay in letter form involves combining the structure of a formal or informal letter with the content and structure of an essay. Here is a sample essay in letter form:

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Title or Position] [Organization or Institution Name] [Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Subject: Exploring the Impact of Technology on Education

I trust this letter finds you well. As a concerned student passionate about the role of technology in education, I am writing to share my insights on how technological advancements are shaping the learning landscape.

Introduction: Technology has become an integral part of our lives, and its influence on education is undeniable. In this letter, I aim to examine the positive and negative impacts of technology on the educational experience, shedding light on its transformative effects.

Paragraph 1: Positive Impacts One of the notable positive impacts of technology on education is the accessibility of information. The internet has opened up vast repositories of knowledge, making learning resources readily available to students worldwide. This accessibility has democratized education, breaking down barriers to information.

Paragraph 2: Interactive Learning Furthermore, technology has revolutionized the way we learn. Interactive tools, simulations, and virtual classrooms create an engaging and dynamic learning environment. These tools not only cater to diverse learning styles but also foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Paragraph 3: Global Connectivity The interconnected world facilitated by technology allows students to connect with peers and experts globally. Collaborative projects, online forums, and virtual exchange programs contribute to a richer and more diverse educational experience.

Paragraph 4: Challenges and Concerns However, with the benefits come challenges. The digital divide, unequal access to technology, and concerns about privacy and online security are critical issues that need addressing. Balancing the integration of technology while ensuring equitable opportunities for all students is a pressing concern.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the impact of technology on education is profound and multifaceted. While it presents exciting opportunities for enhanced learning, we must address the challenges to create an inclusive educational landscape that benefits all.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss these ideas further and explore strategies for leveraging technology responsibly in education. Thank you for considering my perspective.

Feel free to customize this template based on your specific topic and the guidelines provided for your assignment. Adjust the tone, style, and content to suit the nature of your essay and your audience.

Essay Letter Writing Template

Below is a template that you can use for essay letter writing. This template is a general structure; you can customize it based on the specific topic or purpose of your essay.

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Date]

Introduction: Begin your letter with a brief introduction. Clearly state the purpose of your letter and provide a hook to engage the reader’s interest.

Body Paragraphs: Divide the body of your letter into paragraphs, each addressing a specific point or idea related to your essay topic.

• Introduce the topic of your essay.
• Provide background information to set the context.
• Clearly state your thesis or the main point you will be discussing.
• Introduce and discuss the first supporting point.
• Provide evidence, examples, or facts to strengthen your argument.
• Explain the relevance of this point to your overall argument.
• Introduce and discuss the second supporting point.
• Provide evidence, examples, or facts to support this point.
• Explain how this point connects to your thesis.
• Acknowledge potential counterarguments.
• Refute or address counterarguments, demonstrating the strength of your position.
• Summarize the key points discussed in your essay.
• Reinforce the importance of your thesis.
• Provide a smooth transition to the conclusion.

Conclusion: Conclude your letter by summarizing the main points and restating the significance of your topic or argument. End with a call to action, a thought-provoking statement, or a question to leave a lasting impression.

Closing: End your letter with a formal closing. Choose a closing phrase that matches the tone and purpose of your essay.

[Your Full Name] [Your Signature – if sending a physical letter]

Feel free to adapt this template of Essay Letter Writing based on the specific requirements of your essay or the guidelines provided for your assignment. Adjust the tone, style, and content to suit the nature of your essay and your audience.

Formal Essay Letter Writing

When writing an Essay Letter Writing in Formal tone, you want to maintain a professional tone while effectively conveying your thoughts. Below is a formal Essay Letter Writing:

Subject: An Examination of Environmental Sustainability Practices in [Organization/Institution Name]

I trust this letter finds you in good health. As a dedicated student of [Your School/College Name], I am writing to bring attention to the importance of adopting sustainable practices within our institution, specifically in the context of environmental conservation.

Introduction: Environmental sustainability is an issue of global concern, and its implications resonate across various sectors, including education. In this letter, I aim to shed light on the benefits of implementing eco-friendly initiatives within [Organization/Institution Name] and the positive impact it can have on our community and beyond.

Paragraph 1: The Need for Environmental Sustainability The pressing need for environmental sustainability arises from the escalating challenges posed by climate change. By incorporating sustainable practices within our institution, we contribute to the global effort to mitigate the adverse effects of environmental degradation.

Paragraph 2: Implementing Green Initiatives I propose the implementation of green initiatives, such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and the incorporation of renewable energy sources. These initiatives not only align with global sustainability goals but also instill a sense of environmental responsibility among students, faculty, and staff.

Paragraph 3: Educational Opportunities Furthermore, embracing environmental sustainability provides unique educational opportunities. By incorporating sustainable practices into our curriculum, we equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to address complex environmental issues in their future endeavors.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the integration of environmental sustainability practices within [Organization/Institution Name] is not only a responsibility we owe to the planet but also an opportunity to foster a culture of environmental stewardship among the members of our institution.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss these proposals further and explore feasible ways to initiate and support sustainable practices within our institution. Thank you for considering these recommendations.

Feel free to adapt this formal Essay Letter Writing based on the specific topic and guidelines provided for your assignment. Ensure that the tone remains formal and that the content aligns with the expectations of a formal letter.

Job Application Essay Letter Writing

Below is a job application Essay Letter Writing that you can use as a reference:

[Employer’s Name] [Company Name] [Company Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Employer’s Name],

Subject: Application for [Job Position] – [Your Full Name]

I am writing to express my sincere interest in the [Job Position] advertised on your company’s website. With a strong background in [Relevant Skills or Experience], I am confident in my ability to contribute effectively to your team and the success of [Company Name].

Introduction: In my current role at [Your Current Company], I have successfully [highlight a significant accomplishment or responsibility related to the job]. This experience has equipped me with [mention specific skills or qualities] that align with the requirements of the [Job Position] at [Company Name].

Body: Paragraph 1: Why I am a Strong Candidate I am particularly drawn to [Company Name] due to its commitment to [mention any specific values, projects, or achievements of the company]. My [mention number of years] years of experience in [Your Industry or Field] have honed my ability to [mention key responsibilities or skills relevant to the job].

Paragraph 2: Key Skills and Achievements I possess a proven track record in [mention relevant skills or achievements], as evidenced by [provide specific examples or metrics]. These experiences have sharpened my [mention soft skills] and my ability to [mention any other relevant strengths].

Paragraph 3: Why I Want to Join [Company Name] I am attracted to [Company Name] because of its reputation for [mention any specific aspects of the company culture, projects, or values that resonate with you]. I am eager to contribute my skills and learn from the talented team at [Company Name].

Conclusion: In conclusion, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name] and am confident in my ability to excel in the [Job Position]. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills and experiences align with your company’s needs in further detail.

Thank you for considering my application. I am eager to further discuss how my qualifications make me a strong fit for this position.

Feel free to customize this Essay Letter Writing for job application based on your specific experiences, skills, and the requirements of the job you are applying for.

Essay Letter Writing for Different Audiences

Essay Letter Writing for different audiences involves tailoring your content, tone, and approach based on the specific group you are addressing. Below are examples of Essay Letter Writing for different audiences:

1. Essay Letter Writing to Parents – Topic: Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Student Development

[Your Name] [Your Grade/Class] [Date]

[Parents’ Names] [Parents’ Address]

Dear Mom and Dad,

I hope this letter finds you both well. As your son/daughter and a student at [Your School], I wanted to share my thoughts on the significance of participating in extracurricular activities for overall student development.

[Continue with the body of the essay, discussing benefits, personal experiences, and the impact on academic and personal growth.]

2. Essay Letter Writing to Teachers – Topic: The Role of Technology in Enhancing Classroom Learning

[Teacher’s Name] [School Name]

Dear [Teacher’s Name],

I trust this letter finds you well. As a student in your [Subject] class, I would like to explore the impact of technology on classroom learning and how it can enhance the educational experience for both students and teachers.

[Continue with the body of the essay, discussing positive impacts, examples, and potential challenges.]

3. Essay Letter Writing to Friends – Topic: The Benefits of Reading for Personal Growth

[Your Name] [Date]

[Friends’ Names]

Dear Friends,

I hope you’re doing great. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the many benefits of reading and how it contributes to personal growth. I thought I’d share my thoughts with you.

[Continue with the body of the essay, discussing the joys of reading, cognitive benefits, and the impact on personal development.]

[Your Full Name]

4. Essay Letter Writing to the Editor – Topic: Addressing Environmental Concerns in Our Community

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Date]

[Editor’s Name] [Newspaper/Magazine Name] [Address]

Dear Editor,

I am writing to bring attention to the environmental concerns in our community, specifically focusing on [specific issue]. It is imperative that we address these issues to ensure a sustainable future.

[Continue with the body of the essay, providing information, possible solutions, and urging community involvement.]

[Your Full Name] [Your Contact Information]

Feel free to customize these letters of Essay Letter Writing for different audiences based on the specific audience and topic you are addressing. Adjust the language, tone, and content to suit the relationship and communication style appropriate for each audience.

Essay Letter Writing About Pollution – Email Format

Here’s an Email Format of Essay Letter Writing about Pollution:

I am writing to you today to express my deep concern about the issue of pollution. In recent years, pollution has become a major problem that is affecting our environment, our health, and our future. It is a global issue that needs to be addressed urgently.

Pollution is caused by various factors, including industrial activities, transportation, and waste disposal. The consequences of pollution are dire, including climate change, respiratory problems, and biodiversity loss. It is important that we take action to reduce our carbon footprint, recycle waste materials, and limit the use of harmful chemicals.

As citizens of this planet, we all have a responsibility to protect our environment and reduce pollution. I urge you to join me in taking action to reduce pollution in our daily lives. We can start by using public transportation, conserving energy, and practicing responsible waste disposal.

Let’s work together to create a healthier and more sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come.

Essay Letter Writing for Various Occasions

Essay Letter Writing for various occasions involves tailoring your content to the specific event or celebration. Below are examples of Essay Letter Writing for different occasions:

1. Essay Letter Writing for Graduation – Reflecting on the Journey

[Your Name] [Graduation Date]

[Principal’s Name] [School Name]

Dear Principal [Principal’s Last Name],

As I stand on the threshold of a new chapter in my life, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey that has led me to this moment. Graduation is not just a culmination of academic achievements, but a celebration of growth, resilience, and the bonds formed in these hallowed halls.

[Continue with the body of the essay, reflecting on memorable experiences, friendships, and the lessons learned during the academic journey.]

[Your Full Name] [Your Graduation Class]

2. Essay Letter Writing for Thanksgiving – Gratitude for Family and Friends

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Address]

As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings in my life, particularly the cherished relationships with family and friends. In the spirit of thankfulness, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for the impact you have had on my life.

[Continue with the body of the essay, expressing specific reasons for gratitude, fond memories, and the significance of the relationship.]

Warm regards,

3. Essay Letter Writing for a Birthday Celebration – Reflecting on Another Year

[Your Name] [Birthday Date]

[Recipient’s Name]

As I celebrate another year of life, I am prompted to reflect on the experiences, growth, and joys that this journey has brought. Birthdays are not just a marker of passing time; they are a celebration of the lessons learned, the relationships cherished, and the memories created.

[Continue with the body of the essay, reflecting on the past year, expressing gratitude, and sharing hopes for the future.]

Cheers to another year,

4. Essay Letter Writing for New Year’s Resolutions – Setting Intentions for the Year Ahead

As the New Year approaches, it offers a fresh canvas on which to paint the aspirations, goals, and intentions for the coming months. In the spirit of new beginnings, I wanted to share my reflections on the year gone by and outline the resolutions that will guide my path in the year ahead.

[Continue with the body of the essay, reflecting on achievements and challenges of the past year, and outlining specific resolutions.]

Wishing you a wonderful New Year,

Feel free to customize these letters of Essay Letter Writing in different occasions based on the specific occasion and your personal sentiments. Adjust the language, tone, and content to suit the nature of the event or celebration.

College Admission Essay Letter Writing

Writing a college admission Essay Letter Writing is an important step in the application process. Below is a sample college admission essay letter:

[College Admissions Office] [College/University Name] [College/University Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear Admissions Committee,

I am writing to express my sincere interest in joining the [College/University Name] community as a [Your Intended Major] major. As a passionate and dedicated student, I am eager to contribute to and benefit from the academic environment and unique opportunities offered by your esteemed institution.

Introduction: Ever since I attended [Your High School Name], I have been inspired by the pursuit of knowledge and a desire to make a positive impact on the world. [Provide a brief introduction to your academic background and interests.]

Why [College/University Name]? [College/University Name] stands out to me as the ideal place to further my academic journey due to [mention specific reasons such as renowned faculty, exceptional programs, unique resources, or a particular campus culture]. The [Your Intended Major] program, in particular, aligns perfectly with my academic and career aspirations.

Unique Qualities and Achievements: Throughout high school, I have consistently demonstrated my commitment to excellence in [mention specific academic or extracurricular achievements]. These experiences have not only shaped my character but have also prepared me for the challenges and opportunities that a rigorous academic environment like [College/University Name] provides.

Contributions to Campus Life: I am excited about the prospect of contributing to the vibrant campus life at [College/University Name]. My experiences in [mention relevant extracurricular activities or community service] have instilled in me a sense of leadership, teamwork, and social responsibility.

Personal Growth and Goals: Beyond academics, I see [College/University Name] as a platform for personal growth and exploration. I am eager to immerse myself in the diverse learning experiences, engage with a community of like-minded individuals, and broaden my perspectives.

Conclusion: In conclusion, I believe that my passion for [Your Intended Major], commitment to academic excellence, and dedication to contributing positively to campus life make me a strong candidate for admission to [College/University Name]. I am excited about the prospect of becoming a valuable member of your community and contributing to the rich tapestry of experiences at [College/University Name].

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the vibrant academic environment at [College/University Name].

[Your Full Name] [Your High School Graduation Year] [Your Signature – if sending a physical letter]

Feel free to customize this letter based on your specific experiences, aspirations, and the requirements of the college or university you are applying to. It’s important to convey your unique qualities, achievements, and reasons for choosing the institution.

FAQS for Essay Letter Writing – Format, Examples, Writing Tips

What is the basic format for an essay letter writing.

The basic format of Essay Letter Writing includes a salutation, introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Include your contact information, date, and a closing signature. The structure may vary depending on the type of letter and audience.

How do I start an essay letter?

Start with a salutation addressing the recipient. In the introduction, engage the reader with a compelling hook, such as a question, quote, or personal anecdote, to draw them into your essay.

What should I include in the body paragraphs of an essay letter?

Each body paragraph should focus on a specific point or idea related to your topic. Include supporting evidence, examples, or personal experiences to strengthen your arguments or convey your message effectively.

How do I end an essay letter?

Conclude your essay letter by summarizing key points, reiterating the main message, or providing a call to action. End with a closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Can you provide examples of Essay Letter Writing for different purposes?

Certainly! Essay Letter Writing Examples include job application essay letters, college admission essay letters, letters to friends on specific topics, and letters addressing various occasions. Tailor the content based on the purpose and audience.

Essay Letter Writing is an important skill that has been around for centuries. It serves as a means of communication and expression of ideas and emotions. With the advancement of technology, letter writing has evolved, but its importance has not diminished. Whether it is a formal business letter or a personal letter to a friend, the art of letter writing requires attention to detail, clear communication, and an understanding of the audience.

Related Posts

12+ SSC 10th Class English Letter Writing Format, Tips, Examples

26+ Letter Writing to Principal for Certificates – Format & Samples

20+ Letter Writing in English for Class 6 – Examples, Tips, Topics

10+ Samples for Write a Letter to your Principal for 3 Days Leave

25+ Undertaking Letter Format for Students – Tips, Examples

30+ Sick Leave Letter to Class Teacher from Parents – Templates

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Name  *

Email  *

Add Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

• Features for Creative Writers
• Features for Work
• Features for Higher Education
• Features for Teachers
• Features for Non-Native Speakers
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

How to Write a Letter With Examples and Tips

Sarah Oakley

Table of Contents

How do you write a letter, how to format a letter in 6 steps, letter format examples, how prowritingaid can help you with writing letters.

Letter writing is still a popular form of communication in a world where we expect instant responses thanks to email and phone calls.

USPS reports they process and deliver an average of 421.4 million mail pieces every day. Millions of those are letters being sent all over the world, not just to the US.

Letter writing is a great way to make your voice heard, make things happen, and show how much you care about something. Writing a letter carries more weight than an email or phone call because it takes more effort, and there are bigger costs involved.

In this article, we’ll talk about how to write a letter to clearly convey your points, and we’ll show you some examples you can use for inspiration.

To write a letter , you need to decide if you’re going to handwrite or type. Handwritten letters show you took the time to express your thoughts on paper. However, typing can save you some time, and you can still hand sign it after it’s printed.

The next part of writing a successful letter is thinking about what you would like your letter to achieve. You could write a love letter, hoping to get a date. It could be a cover letter to accompany your résumé, which needs to secure you an interview. Think about the result you hope to achieve before you plan what you want your letter to say.

You’ll need to decide if your letter will be formal or informal. Depending on the recipient and the reason for the letter, the formality is important, as it can affect how the message is received. If you are writing a personal letter to someone you know, opt for informal. However, if it’s for a job application or for an official, the reader would expect you to use formal letter writing.

Another thing to consider when writing a letter is your tone, which is how your letter sounds to the person reading it. If you’re writing a complaint, you want the reader to know you’re frustrated, but you don’t want to sound rude.

When you’re ready to write your letter, set some time aside for it. Before you write your letter, make a plan for what you’re going to say. Get your writing tools together as well as some envelopes and stamps, then you can start.

A letter is a piece of writing that is easy to identify by the written format. Letters follow a similar format to allow the reader to find and skim the important information.

The formatting details in the next six steps will tell you how to write a letter that gets your point across.

How to Head a Letter

Letterheads start with the sender’s address aligned to the left, right, or in the middle. If you write formal letters, you will need to include this as the receiver may need to respond in writing. For informal letters to those you know, forgo your address if you want to.

If you write lots of letters, consider getting some letterheads printed. Having a stack of paper with your details already printed can save you a lot of time. Alternatively, you can get a custom stamp printed and an ink block.

Which Side Do You Write the Date on a Letter?

Under the sender’s address , you’ll need to add the date you’re writing the letter. Write the date on the same side of the page as your address.

For personal letters where you haven’t included the sender’s address, you still need to add the date. The date gives context to your letter, so you don’t want to leave it out.

If you’re writing a formal letter, write the date out in full with the month first, then the day, then the year. For example, a letter written on 2023-03-15, you would write March 15, 2023. In the US, you need to add a comma between the day and the year.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Where to Include the Recipient’s Address on a Letter

The recipient’s address needs to be aligned to the left-hand side on the line below the date.

When writing a formal letter, start the recipient’s address with their name on one line, followed by their job title on the next line. Then write the company name and address below that.

For personal letters, you don’t need to include your recipient’s address.

How to Write an Introduction in a Letter

The introduction in your letter is the greeting and the first paragraph. Leave a line space under the address and start with the greeting.

There are many possible greetings you could start your introduction with, such as “Dear [recipient’s name].” For a formal letter, write their entire name. Alternatively, you can write “Mr.” or “Ms.” followed by their initials and surname. If it’s an informal letter, just write their first name.

If you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to, you can use “Dear Sir or Madam.” To get the right address for your letter when writing to a company, you can call and request the name of the person you need to write to.

After the salutation, write your introductory paragraph. Always include the subject in your first sentence, and follow up with your reason for writing. For example, in a complaint letter about a faulty product, you would mention the product and any purchase reference in the first sentence, then explain you would like to complain about the quality of the product.

In a personal or informal letter, still include the subject and reason for writing in your first paragraph. This lets the reader know what to expect in the letter and sets the tone.

What to Write in a Letter

The body of your letter is where you’ll add the main points you want to address. All the points should be in an easy-to-follow order so your reader doesn’t lose the overall message of your letter.

Each paragraph should start with an opening sentence, followed by your evidence or additional information. Then you’ll want to close with a concluding sentence that connects to the next paragraph.

The length of your letter can differ depending on what you are writing about. Don’t write too much to make your letter look longer, as you’ll risk losing the reader’s attention. However, you don’t want to leave anything essential out of your letter, either.

If you’re struggling to order your points or know what to say, try using a template to guide you. Just remember, each letter is unique, so don’t rely on a template to write 100% of your letter. You don’t want your letter to sound generic or copied from the internet.

Ways to Sign a Letter

The last part of letter writing is the signature or sign-off. How you sign your letter will depend on the formality of the letter and if you know the recipient.

For formal letters, use “Yours sincerely” when you know the recipient, and “Yours faithfully” when you don’t. If you are writing to an official, such as a politician you will never meet, you can use “Yours truly.”

Sign-offs are not set in stone, though some people might tell you they are. It’s best to use what feels right for your letter based on the formality and tone you’ve used so far.

In an informal or personal letter, you can sign off with something a lot friendlier. You could use “With all my love” or “Your devoted friend.”

If you are typing your letter, you can handwrite your signature under the sign-off to show you have checked it and are confirming the words above are all your own.

For formal letters, include your full name in capital letters under your signature to be clear about who is signing the letter.

If you’re still not sure about how to write a letter, we have some examples to help you get started.

Here is an example of the indented paragraph format:

123 High Street

London, OH 12345

November 23, 2022

Martin Jones

Marketing Director

Advertising Company

456 West Street

London, OH 23456

Dear Mr. M Jones,

I recently saw your television advertisement for the new beauty salon on 7th Street, and I thought you did a great job. I would like to inquire about your rates for a 30-second advertisement for my beauty salon.

Please send me the costs for filming and producing an advertisement for television. I believe this will benefit my business and bring in new clients.

If there is any further information you require for the quotation, please get in touch with me at the above address.

Yours faithfully,

If you’re using the indented paragraph format, indent the initial line. You should then format subsequent paragraphs with indented first lines. The indented paragraph format is a common format used for both business and personal letters. 

Here is an example of the block letter format:

1 New Street

Manhattan, NY 12345

January 3, 2023

Managing Director

Example Company

123 Old Road

Brooklyn, NY 67891

Dear Mr. J Bloggs,

I’m writing to you today to discuss the price increase in my energy bill dated December 30th, 2022. I don’t recall being notified of this increase.

As you did not notify me of the increase, I did not budget for it. I cannot afford the extra amount and would appreciate it if you revert my charge back to the previous amount.

I look forward to hearing from you.

In this format, align everything to the left, including the addresses and the date. You do not need to indent your first line, but you should leave spaces between paragraphs. You’ll see the block letter format used by businesses as a formal letter format.

Here is an example of a simplified style letter format:

Janet Jones

Retail Company HQ

456 New Acre Drive

Denver, CO 12345

March 30, 2022

Store Manager

Retail Company

Colorado Springs, CO 34567

STOCK LEVELS OF BANANAS AND ORANGES

The stock levels of bananas and oranges in your store are getting low. I would recommend you place an order for these items soon to ensure you continue to provide these to your customers.

Please let me know if you cannot place an order for these products before April 5th, 2022.

I look forward to seeing you again on my next store visit. 

Yours sincerely,

The fundamental difference between this format and the others is that it includes a subject line instead of a greeting.

Once you’ve written your first draft of a letter, you’ll want to edit it to ensure it reads correctly and doesn’t have any grammatical errors. That’s where ProWritingAid can help you.

Start by reading your letter aloud, as this will help you spot any glaring errors. Then you can run it through ProWritingAid to see if there’s anything you’ve missed. The Realtime checker picks up on spelling and grammar errors and passive voice. It also shows places where you can improve readability, which is important for your reader to understand what you’re saying.

You can use the Style and Grammar Reports for a more in-depth analysis of your letter. If you are writing business letters, select the specific document type from the drop-down menu in the Realtime sidebar before you run your reports. This will ensure your results focus on the specific requirements for your letter type.

Even if you’re not typing out your letter, write a first draft and edit it before you write the version you’ll be posting. For tips on editing, you can check out some of the other articles on the ProWritingAid blog.

We hope this article has helped you learn how to write a letter that achieves the results you want.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

How to write a letter

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER:  A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

In this age of digital communication, writing letters is becoming something of a lost art. Emails and text messages can be sent instantly and for a fraction of the cost good old-fashioned snail mail can offer.

So, why bother teaching letter-writing at all? Well, though electronic ‘letters’ are often freer in formatting and language than physical letters, we can also apply letter-writing rules to electronic media. However, physical letters do offer some distinct benefits of their own too.

A WELL-WRITTEN LETTER CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

Whilst we pride ourselves here on how to write a great essay, information report, or another text type that is primarily used in an educational setting, the ability to craft a powerful letter or email has literally changed people’s lives, altered the course of history and been the difference between life and death in some cases.

It can be the one opportunity to remove all the noise and confusion on any subject area and honestly tell someone how you feel straight from the heart.  Pen to paper.  

For whatever reason, a thousand emails, tweets, and likes will never have the same impact as a well-crafted handwritten letter.  Its very creation and existence show your reader how passionate and genuine about what it contains.

Letters fall under the transactional writing category; if you want to know more about transactional texts, be sure to check out our in-depth guide here.

COMPLETE LETTER WRITING UNIT FOR STUDENTS

Over 100 PAGES of engaging RESOURCES , various letter SAMPLES , LESSON PLANS and INTERACTIVE DIGITAL RESOURCES to teach your students how to write amazing LETTERS and EMAILS .

Teach this life skill with confidence through this excellent ALL-IN-ONE RESOURCE . No preparation is required.

3 REASONS TO TEACH LETTER WRITING

1. the personal touch: .

Those of us who grew up in an age before the internet got going will remember the excitement of waiting for and receiving a letter. Many of us will have had childhood pen pals we never met or received love letters from our teenage sweethearts. Maybe some treasured letters are still securely stored in a bedside drawer.

There is something extremely personal and intimate about the letter that email cannot capture. Letters are physical, and their increasing rarity makes them seem even more intimate today.

In this day and age, receiving a personally written letter is something a unicorn in communication terms. Students who know how to produce a well-crafted letter can use it to their advantage. For example, any business hiring manager will undoubtedly be numbed by the constant torrent of emails flooding their inbox.

That mailed resume accompanied by a handwritten letter that waits for them on their desk in the morning will surely stand out and secure an attentive read. The letter, in its various forms, is guaranteed to stand out and make an impact in an age where the vast majority of communication is digital.

3. Handwriting

Just as letter writing has declined in popularity, so too has the emphasis on well-developed handwriting skills. You can, if you wish, take the opportunity here to have the students work on their handwriting skills.

While students may protest that they can accomplish the task much quicker by word-processing, another benefit of handwriting a letter is that the speed becomes almost meditative. This allows students to focus carefully on their grammar and punctuation without always resorting to the crutch of spell-checkers and grammar correction software.

FORMAL AND INFORMAL LETTER WRITING:  WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The table below outlines whether your letter should be written formally or informally, with some suggested prompts .  Whilst there are many similarities, a formal letter should always be considered as a document with a real purpose and ramifications.

FORMAL LETTER FEATURES

USED FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION THESE DOCUMENTS FOLLOW A PRESCRIBED FORMAT. THEY ARE WRITTEN IN A PASSIVE VOICE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND IN MANY CASES ARE LEGALLY BINDING. SOME EXAMPLES ARE.

INVITATION Make someone feel special about an upcoming event.

APPLICATION Write a professional letter of application for a job or group you wish to join.

REFEREE / REFERENCE Vouch for another’s skills, personality or credibility.

ACCEPTANCE & REJECTION Approve or deny an applicant in a professional manner.

MAKE AN OFFER Make a formal and binding offer in writing.

EXIT / RESIGNATION Formally leave or step down in a professional and dignified manner.

INFORMAL LETTER FEATURES

USED FOR PERSONAL COMMUNICATION THESE LETTERS HAVE NO PRESCRIBED FORMAT AND ARE WRITTEN IN AN ACTIVE VOICE.

THANK YOU Let someone know you appreciate their efforts.

CONGRATULATIONS Acknowledge someone’s achievements in life.

GRIEVANCE / LOSS Acknowledge someones personal loss or suffering and let them know you care.

FRIENDSHIP & LOVE Tell someone how special they are to you and why?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR / MAYOR ETC. Let someone know how their actions and adversely affect you and others.

LETTER TO SELF Give your older or younger self some words of advice and wisdom.

INFORMATIONAL UPDATE Write a letter back home telling them what you have been up to.

HOW TO WRITE FORMAL LETTERS

The writing process begins with planning.

As with all genres of writing, the process of formal letter writing should start with planning. This should involve sketching a brief outline from which to work rather than a comprehensive detailing of minutiae. The plan should include:

• Note addresses, names etc. – who are you writing to?
• Record the purpose of the letter – what do you want to say?
• List points to be made (each will form a paragraph) – how will you say it?
• State action point – what do you want the reader to do?

Formal letters can be written for a wide range of purposes and may come in various shapes, including a letter of complaint, a cover letter accompanying a job application, a letter of invitation, a reference letter, or a proposal letter – to name a few. Though each will adhere to its own rules of formatting and tone when writing formal letters, students should avoid using slang or contractions.

Language should be straightforward and polite. Encourage students to avoid bursts of purple prose in favor of direct, functional language. Usually, a formal letter will be written to achieve a particular end and should be written with that end foremost in mind. Students should avoid meanderings and stay firmly focused on the task at hand.

TIPS FOR WRITING GREAT FORMAL LETTERS

• The writer’s address should be in the top right-hand corner.
• The date should be written below the writer’s address
• The recipient’s name and address are below that on the left-hand side
• Use the correct opening (Dear Sir / Madam, Dear Mrs Ferguson, etc.)
• Use Standard English
• The opening sentence should explain the purpose of the letter
• Each paragraph should make a single specific point
• Use an appropriate formal tone and register in the wording of the letter
• Avoid contractions, slang, and abbreviations
• The concluding ‘action point’ paragraph states what you want the recipient to do
• The formal ending, such as Yours Sincerely or Yours Faithfully

A Note on Salutations

If the student knows the intended recipient’s name, start with Dear Mr. / Mrs Surname and end with Yours Sincerely. If they don’t know the recipient’s name, start with Dear Sir / Madam and end with Yours Faithfully.

Use of Rhetorical Devices

As mentioned, formal letter writing focuses on attempting to convince someone to take some course of action or other. To do this, it is helpful to employ some rhetorical devices to make the writing more persuasive . Some useful techniques to encourage your students to employ include:

Direct Address: Using the pronoun ‘you’ in a formal letter makes the reader feel that you are speaking directly to them. This helps to engage the reader and encourage them to continue reading the letter.

Emotive Language: Where students are trying to convince the reader to take a course of action, the use of emotive language can often be a powerful tool. Students can use either positive or negative colored words to create the desired response in the reader.

Facts and Figures: Another way to persuade and convince is to employ facts and figures to support the points made in the letter.

FORMAL LETTER STUDENT EXAMPLES

How to write an informal letter

Common features of informal letters:.

There are far fewer rules to follow when writing an informal letter, but there are still some practical guidelines to follow that will prove helpful for students engaged in writing informally.

As with any piece of writing, it is important to consider who the audience is and the reason for writing in the first place. In particular, this will help decide the tone and the language register. The more intimate the relationship, the more informal the language can be.

Though the letter will be informal, it will still have a purpose. Information should still be organized into paragraphs, as would be done with a formal, more ‘official’ letter. Students sometimes struggle with this aspect, as they often conflate ‘informal’ with ‘disorganized.’ Making them plan their informal letter before writing can help ensure it is sufficiently organized.

HOW TO START AN INFORMAL LETTER

Informal letters will start with a greeting appropriate to how close the relationship is. For acquaintances, this may be ‘Dear Tom,’ (using the first name instead of the surname) to a very informal ‘Hi Jane,’. Don’t forget the comma after the name!

After the greeting, a general opening sentence should follow. Usually, this will be something like a ‘How are you?’ or a ‘How have you been?’. If the recipient is married or has kids, you may wish to ask how their spouse or children are.

Next, students should state the reason for writing. The language should be open and friendly in tone and, in contrast to the formal letter, colloquial language, idiomatic expressions, and contractions are perfectly okay and even desirable.

Just as the opening salutation to an informal letter is much more relaxed, so too will the closing salutation. There are many possibilities for the students to choose here, and their decision will depend on who they are writing to and their personal preferences. Some examples of possible closings include ‘Love’, ‘Best regards’, ‘All the best’, and ‘Thanks’.

INFORMAL LETTER STUDENT EXAMPLES

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

PRACTICE LETTER WRITING WITH THESE ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

The most effective way for students to internalize all the features of letter writing, formal or informal, is to gain experience by writing various letters for differing purposes. The following activities offer some suggestions for students to get practising today:

1. FICTION AS A SPRINGBOARD

Have students write as if they were a character from a piece of fiction you have been reading in class. Choosing a dramatic point in the plot , ask students to imagine they are one of the characters writing a letter to another character in the story. This writer may be either formal or informal, depending on the scenario presented. This will give students realistic letter-writing practice while also getting them to engage closely with the text and respond imaginatively to its themes.

2. THE AGONY AUNT

Either offer a range of possible life predicaments or cut out the questions from the ‘agony aunt’ page of a local newspaper. Students must write back offering advice in response to the predicaments expressed in the question or predicament. The response should be written in full letter format. This activity also lends itself to several variations. The response may be written to a close friend, for example, or written from the perspective of a professional agony aunt employing a more formal tone and presentation.

3. A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

Have students think of their favorite candy bar or clothing item. Encourage them to imagine they have bought this product lately and found it to be substandard. Students must write a formal letter of complaint to the manufacturer outlining their complaint and recommending a course of action to satisfactorily resolve that complaint. They must use all the features of a formal letter as outlined above.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HANDWRITTEN LETTERS LOOK OLD AND AUTHENTIC.

• Write in pencil or a calligraphy pen,
• screw them up tightly and carefully unfold and flatten.
• Lightly dab coffee stains over the paper to make it look aged.
• Carefully singe or burn the edges of your paper.
• Add some sepia-filtered photos for effect.

SIGNING-OFF

As students become more confident in their understanding of letter-writing formats, encourage them to exchange letters with each other for peer assessment. You may wish to provide them with a checklist of features to look for while reading over their partner’s work.

Letter-writing can also be a great way to partner up with schools overseas; often, children studying English as a second language will be delighted to receive letters from (and write to) students in English-speaking countries. And though email increasingly encroaches on the traditional territory of the letter, many of the skills garnered in the practice of letter writing are transferable to the modern manifestation. There is ample opportunity here to link letter-writing learning with approaches to writing emails too.

Letter-writing can provide a focus for a wide range of learning objectives while also teaching students valuable practical skills that will serve them well beyond their school years, both in their personal and work lives. And who knows, perhaps in years to come, one of the letters your student writes in your class may become a treasured keepsake in someone’s bedside drawer.

LETTER WRITING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS (TEMPLATES)

WRITING CHECKLIST & RUBRIC BUNDLE FOR ALL TEXT TYPES

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (92 Reviews)

HOW TO WRITE A FORMAL LETTER TUTORIAL VIDEO

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO LETTER WRITING

Transactional Writing

Personal Narrative Writing Guide

How to Write a Recount Text (And Improve your Writing Skills)

Content for this page has been written by Shane Mac Donnchaidh.  A former principal of an international school and university English lecturer with 15 years of teaching and administration experience.  Editing and support content has been provided by the literacyideas  team.

How to Write an Open Letter: A Comprehensive Guide

Did you know that the first ever open letter in history was created in 1640? A group of English nobles wrote to King Charles I to voice their opinion against the absolutist rule of the king and his dislike of the critics. Of course, at that time, this act was seen as something amazing. The letter was quickly distributed across England and ultimately led to the English Civil War.

Some would say that not much has changed since then, and the methods of raising public awareness are still the same. You can write an open letter on any topic that worries you as long as you find your target audience.

What Is an Open Letter?

An open letter is a written message that is addressed to a specific person or group of people but is intended for public consumption. Open letters are often published in newspapers, on websites, or through social media platforms. They are typically used to express opinions, raise awareness, or advocate for changes on public or controversial issues.

The "open" aspect of these letters is that they are not private communications; rather, they are meant to be read by a wider audience beyond the intended recipients. This allows the author to share their message with the public, potentially influencing a broader dialogue around the subject at hand.

First, let’s start with the theoretical foundation so we are on the same page. Open letter can be a powerful instrument in spreading awareness about something that worries you. They can mobilize people to take action or to call for social justice, peace, and human rights. Basically, an open letter is intended for either a wide audience or for one person.  

Apart from personal use, open letters can be published in periodicals, journals, or even online on official websites. There are many famous open letter examples in history that you might have already known about, but we will explore them later. 

In this guide, we will present all the features and nuances of open letters. This type of correspondence might be difficult to write, so it’s always better to hire a writer on EssayHub college essay writing service ! We will also take a closer look at open letter examples, such as the case of Elisabeth Deluca.

Reasons and Goals for Writing an Open Letter

No matter what the reason, the main goal of open letters is to make a difference in the world. Usually, they are addressed to government officials, corporate executives, the general public, or even celebrities. Let’s take a look at what are the purposes of creating an open letter:

• To raise awareness about an important issue that is often ignored;
• To call for action on a specific issue, like climate change.
• To demonstrate a strong opinion or point of view, like criticism.
• To expose or call out a powerful person, to they can take accountability for their actions.
• To inspire others to take action on an important issue, for example, to vote or to donate.

It’s pretty obvious all of these purposes are of paramount importance to the general public. You can use open letters to amplify the voices of those who often remain unheard.

Writing an Open Letter: Pros and Cons

Before we explore how to write an open letter, it’s crucial to know what its features and strong and weak points are. Writing an open letter is not an easy task, so you have a lot to consider. You need to consider the pros and cons before deciding whether to write one.

• they can reach a wide audience;
• they can start an active discussion on a certain topic;
• they can be a way to share your story;
• they can be a way to connect with other individuals with the same shared values.

At the same time, there are some nuances to crafting an open letter, as for any other type of paper. You can ask for help from a write my college essay for me services online in case you are overwhelmed!

• they are time-consuming to write;
• they put you in the spotlight;
• they might not get the reaction that you hoped for.

How to Write an Open Letter: a Guide

In most cases, open letter format is pretty straightforward. You need to explain the reason for writing your paper, the main issue at hand, and the solution to this issue. But first, let’s discuss the target audience for your letter. If you are studying in one of the colleges from USA education ranking , you will need to know how to write an open letter.

How to Choose a Target Audience for Open Letters

You need to thoroughly think about who will be reading your letter. Here are some questions that you can ask:

• Who will be interested in the issue you are writing about?
• Who has the power to make a difference on this issue?
• Who is most likely to be convinced by your message?

Also, it’s critical to use the full titles of officials and government representatives in your letter.

Correct Open Letter Format

Right now, there is no one-size-fits-all format for this type of correspondence. Every issue and reason for writing an open letter is unique. This is why you probably have to adjust your writing process a lot. On the other hand, there are some general guidelines on how to format an open letter.

Start with a strong introduction. You need to capture the attention of the readers immediately, so the first letter should be captivating and intriguing. You want your readers to feel your pain and fight for your cause.

Explain your purpose. After grabbing the attention of your readers, explain why you wrote this letter at this time. What is the main issue that you are thinking about, and what do you propose to do about it?

Give evidence to support your claims. Of course, using strong words and phrases is important. But it’s always better to go with structured evidence instead of emotional claims. Your evidence can include statistics, research studies, or even personal stories.  

End with a call to action. This is the place where you tell your readers what you want them to do once again. Maybe it’s signing a petition, donating to a charity, or contacting elected officials.

Step 1. Defining and Presenting the Issue

Here, you need to convince the audience that your problem is significant and it has a negative impact on people around you. When presenting the issue, it is important to be specific and to provide evidence to support your claims. You can use statistics, research studies, or personal stories to add to the overall impact of the issue. Here is what you can explore:

• What is the purpose of an open letter?
• What is the problem?
• Who is affected by it?
• Why is it important to the general public?

Also, remember to be respectful to all people who are connected to your cause. Try to avoid personal attacks, even when you disagree with something. This will show that you can remain professional in spite of the circumstances. 

Step 2. Explaining your Motivation and Connection to the Cause

The second step in this process is to create a connection between you, your cause, and your readers. It’s always a good idea to present your personal connection to the issue and why you are passionate about it. For example, sharing your personal story is a powerful way to establish a relationship with the audience. They always like to know the face behind a letter!

When thinking about how to write an open letter, consider your own feelings in this case. What would you like to read if you were a government official? What would make you care about the presented issue? What would make you build trust and credibility with the writer? For this, try to get back to your target audience and adjust your letter to them.

Step 3. Presenting the Solution to the Problem

Now that you already hooked the reader with your issue, it’s time to present your solution. It’s your choice whether to write about specific actions or just to raise awareness about your cause. Still, you need to include a call to action and say what you want your reader to do after reading an open letter. For this part, you shouldn’t be too authoritative but rather encouraging.

Here are some examples of sentences that encourage people to take action:

• I urge you to take the following actions…
• I ask you to support policies…
• I encourage you to start an active discussion about…
• Together, we can change our future…

As you can see, it’s not about telling people what to do.

Famous Open Letter Examples in History

Open letter to Elisabeth DeLuca, Subway owner

In 2022, a group of workers at DeLuca's Coffee Roasters wrote an open letter to the company's founder and CEO, Elisabeth DeLuca. Elisabeth DeLuca is an entrepreneur and the owner of several companies, including Subway and DeLuca’s Coffee Roasters. 

She has been featured in many magazines and newspapers, where she has been praised for her success in the coffee industry. However, in 2022, something changed when more than 100 people accused her of abusive behavior and toxic working conditions. The letter said that DeLuca regularly screamed at her workers. 

People also said that she created a climate of fear and abuse in the workplace. The purpose of the open letter was to raise awareness of the alleged abuse at DeLuca's Coffee Roasters and to pressure DeLuca to change her behavior. As a result of a reaction from the community, DeLuca resigned as CEO.

‍ Open letter to President Biden on the climate crisis

‍ This is an excellent example of scientists taking a stand. In 2023, more than 1,000 researchers and climate experts urged President Biden to take more action on climate change. They expressed their opinion about a climate catastrophe and proposed their plan of action for the future.

‍ Correspondence between Einstein and Freud

In 1932, Albert Einstein wrote a letter ‘Why War?’ to Sigmund Freud. This was not a typical modern format of an open letter but rather a dialogue about the psychological roots of armed conflict.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about open letters. As you can see, this task can be challenging. You need to put your thoughts on paper in such a way that your readers feel inspired to take action. It’s always a good idea to hire a writer on our essay writing services to get help with the writing part. Expert writers will make your text more persuasive without losing meaning!

Using an open letter as a tool for change might not be as glamorous as you think. On the other hand, this is a powerful platform for raising awareness, voicing your concerns, and educating the general public.

Ryan Acton is an essay-writing expert with a Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in sociological research and historical analysis. By partnering with EssayHub, he provides comprehensive support to students, helping them craft well-informed essays across a variety of topics.

• Plagiarism Report
• Unlimited Revisions
• 24/7 Support

Have a language expert improve your writing

Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes, generate your apa citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• College essay

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

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

A standout essay has a few key ingredients:

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

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

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

Table of contents

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

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

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

What do colleges look for in an essay?

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

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

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

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

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

Create an essay tracker sheet

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

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

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

College essay tracker template

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

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

What makes a good topic?

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

Brainstorming questions

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

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

How to identify your topic

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

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

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

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

Vignettes structure

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

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

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

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

Single story structure

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

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

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

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

Brainstorm creative insights or story arcs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Option 1: Start with an intriguing hook

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

Option 2: Start with vivid imagery

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

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

Show, don’t tell

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

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

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

Be vulnerable to create an emotional response

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

Use appropriate style and tone

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

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

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

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

Here are two strategies to craft a strong conclusion.

Option 1: Full circle, sandwich structure

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

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

Option 2: Revealing your insight

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

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

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

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

Respect the word count

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

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

Check your content, style, and grammar

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

Get feedback

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

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

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

College admissions essay checklist

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

I’ve done a comprehensive brainstorm for essay topics.

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

I’ve created an outline to guide my structure.

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

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

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

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

I’ve used appropriate style and tone .

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

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

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

Congratulations!

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

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

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

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked.

• What Do Colleges Look For in an Essay? | Examples & Tips
• College Essay Format & Structure | Example Outlines
• How to Revise Your College Admissions Essay | Examples

More interesting articles

• Choosing Your College Essay Topic | Ideas & Examples
• College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn't
• Common App Essays | 7 Strong Examples with Commentary
• How Long Should a College Essay Be? | Word Count Tips
• How to Apply for College | Timeline, Templates & Checklist
• How to End a College Admissions Essay | 4 Winning Strategies
• How to Make Your College Essay Stand Out | Tips & Examples
• How to Research and Write a "Why This College?" Essay
• How to Write a College Essay Fast | Tips & Examples
• How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples
• How to Write a Great College Essay Introduction | Examples
• How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example
• How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples
• Style and Tone Tips for Your College Essay | Examples
• US College Essay Tips for International Students

Get unlimited documents corrected

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

How to Write an Essay

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Essay Writing Fundamentals

How to prepare to write an essay, how to edit an essay, how to share and publish your essays, how to get essay writing help, how to find essay writing inspiration, resources for teaching essay writing.

Essays, short prose compositions on a particular theme or topic, are the bread and butter of academic life. You write them in class, for homework, and on standardized tests to show what you know. Unlike other kinds of academic writing (like the research paper) and creative writing (like short stories and poems), essays allow you to develop your original thoughts on a prompt or question. Essays come in many varieties: they can be expository (fleshing out an idea or claim), descriptive, (explaining a person, place, or thing), narrative (relating a personal experience), or persuasive (attempting to win over a reader). This guide is a collection of dozens of links about academic essay writing that we have researched, categorized, and annotated in order to help you improve your essay writing. 

Essays are different from other forms of writing; in turn, there are different kinds of essays. This section contains general resources for getting to know the essay and its variants. These resources introduce and define the essay as a genre, and will teach you what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab

One of the most trusted academic writing sites, Purdue OWL provides a concise introduction to the four most common types of academic essays.

"The Essay: History and Definition" (ThoughtCo)

This snappy article from ThoughtCo talks about the origins of the essay and different kinds of essays you might be asked to write. 

"What Is An Essay?" Video Lecture (Coursera)

The University of California at Irvine's free video lecture, available on Coursera, tells  you everything you need to know about the essay.

Wikipedia Article on the "Essay"

Wikipedia's article on the essay is comprehensive, providing both English-language and global perspectives on the essay form. Learn about the essay's history, forms, and styles.

"Understanding College and Academic Writing" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This list of common academic writing assignments (including types of essay prompts) will help you know what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Before you start writing your essay, you need to figure out who you're writing for (audience), what you're writing about (topic/theme), and what you're going to say (argument and thesis). This section contains links to handouts, chapters, videos and more to help you prepare to write an essay.

How to Identify Your Audience

"Audience" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This handout provides questions you can ask yourself to determine the audience for an academic writing assignment. It also suggests strategies for fitting your paper to your intended audience.

"Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

This extensive book chapter from Writing for Success , available online through Minnesota Libraries Publishing, is followed by exercises to try out your new pre-writing skills.

"Determining Audience" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This guide from a community college's writing center shows you how to know your audience, and how to incorporate that knowledge in your thesis statement.

"Know Your Audience" ( Paper Rater Blog)

This short blog post uses examples to show how implied audiences for essays differ. It reminds you to think of your instructor as an observer, who will know only the information you pass along.

How to Choose a Theme or Topic

"Research Tutorial: Developing Your Topic" (YouTube)

Take a look at this short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to understand the basics of developing a writing topic.

"How to Choose a Paper Topic" (WikiHow)

This simple, step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through choosing a paper topic. It starts with a detailed description of brainstorming and ends with strategies to refine your broad topic.

"How to Read an Assignment: Moving From Assignment to Topic" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Did your teacher give you a prompt or other instructions? This guide helps you understand the relationship between an essay assignment and your essay's topic.

"Guidelines for Choosing a Topic" (CliffsNotes)

This study guide from CliffsNotes both discusses how to choose a topic and makes a useful distinction between "topic" and "thesis."

How to Come Up with an Argument

"Argument" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

Not sure what "argument" means in the context of academic writing? This page from the University of North Carolina is a good place to start.

"The Essay Guide: Finding an Argument" (Study Hub)

This handout explains why it's important to have an argument when beginning your essay, and provides tools to help you choose a viable argument.

"Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument" (University of Iowa)

This page from the University of Iowa's Writing Center contains exercises through which you can develop and refine your argument and thesis statement.

"Developing a Thesis" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page from Harvard's Writing Center collates some helpful dos and don'ts of argumentative writing, from steps in constructing a thesis to avoiding vague and confrontational thesis statements.

"Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

This page offers concrete suggestions for each stage of the essay writing process, from topic selection to drafting and editing. 

How to Outline your Essay

"Outlines" (Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via YouTube)

This short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows how to group your ideas into paragraphs or sections to begin the outlining process.

"Essay Outline" (Univ. of Washington Tacoma)

This two-page handout by a university professor simply defines the parts of an essay and then organizes them into an example outline.

"Types of Outlines and Samples" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL gives examples of diverse outline strategies on this page, including the alphanumeric, full sentence, and decimal styles. 

"Outlining" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Once you have an argument, according to this handout, there are only three steps in the outline process: generalizing, ordering, and putting it all together. Then you're ready to write!

"Writing Essays" (Plymouth Univ.)

This packet, part of Plymouth University's Learning Development series, contains descriptions and diagrams relating to the outlining process.

"How to Write A Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure" (Criticalthinkingtutorials.com via YouTube)

This longer video tutorial gives an overview of how to structure your essay in order to support your argument or thesis. It is part of a longer course on academic writing hosted on Udemy.

Now that you've chosen and refined your topic and created an outline, use these resources to complete the writing process. Most essays contain introductions (which articulate your thesis statement), body paragraphs, and conclusions. Transitions facilitate the flow from one paragraph to the next so that support for your thesis builds throughout the essay. Sources and citations show where you got the evidence to support your thesis, which ensures that you avoid plagiarism. 

How to Write an Introduction

"Introductions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page identifies the role of the introduction in any successful paper, suggests strategies for writing introductions, and warns against less effective introductions.

"How to Write A Good Introduction" (Michigan State Writing Center)

Beginning with the most common missteps in writing introductions, this guide condenses the essentials of introduction composition into seven points.

"The Introductory Paragraph" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming focuses on ways to grab your reader's attention at the beginning of your essay.

"Introductions and Conclusions" (Univ. of Toronto)

This guide from the University of Toronto gives advice that applies to writing both introductions and conclusions, including dos and don'ts.

"How to Write Better Essays: No One Does Introductions Properly" ( The Guardian )

This news article interviews UK professors on student essay writing; they point to introductions as the area that needs the most improvement.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

"Writing an Effective Thesis Statement" (YouTube)

This short, simple video tutorial from a college composition instructor at Tulsa Community College explains what a thesis statement is and what it does. 

"Thesis Statement: Four Steps to a Great Essay" (YouTube)

This fantastic tutorial walks you through drafting a thesis, using an essay prompt on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as an example.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through coming up with, writing, and editing a thesis statement. It invites you think of your statement as a "working thesis" that can change.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (Univ. of Indiana Bloomington)

Ask yourself the questions on this page, part of Indiana Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services, when you're writing and refining your thesis statement.

"Writing Tips: Thesis Statements" (Univ. of Illinois Center for Writing Studies)

This page gives plentiful examples of good to great thesis statements, and offers questions to ask yourself when formulating a thesis statement.

How to Write Body Paragraphs

"Body Paragraph" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course introduces you to the components of a body paragraph. These include the topic sentence, information, evidence, and analysis.

"Strong Body Paragraphs" (Washington Univ.)

This handout from Washington's Writing and Research Center offers in-depth descriptions of the parts of a successful body paragraph.

"Guide to Paragraph Structure" (Deakin Univ.)

This handout is notable for color-coding example body paragraphs to help you identify the functions various sentences perform.

"Writing Body Paragraphs" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

The exercises in this section of Writing for Success  will help you practice writing good body paragraphs. It includes guidance on selecting primary support for your thesis.

"The Writing Process—Body Paragraphs" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

The information and exercises on this page will familiarize you with outlining and writing body paragraphs, and includes links to more information on topic sentences and transitions.

"The Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post discusses body paragraphs in the context of one of the most common academic essay types in secondary schools.

How to Use Transitions

"Transitions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains what a transition is, and how to know if you need to improve your transitions.

"Using Transitions Effectively" (Washington Univ.)

This handout defines transitions, offers tips for using them, and contains a useful list of common transitional words and phrases grouped by function.

"Transitions" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This page compares paragraphs without transitions to paragraphs with transitions, and in doing so shows how important these connective words and phrases are.

"Transitions in Academic Essays" (Scribbr)

This page lists four techniques that will help you make sure your reader follows your train of thought, including grouping similar information and using transition words.

"Transitions" (El Paso Community College)

This handout shows example transitions within paragraphs for context, and explains how transitions improve your essay's flow and voice.

"Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post, another from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, talks about transitions and other strategies to improve your essay's overall flow.

"Transition Words" (smartwords.org)

This handy word bank will help you find transition words when you're feeling stuck. It's grouped by the transition's function, whether that is to show agreement, opposition, condition, or consequence.

How to Write a Conclusion

"Parts of An Essay: Conclusions" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course explains how to conclude an academic essay. It suggests thinking about the "3Rs": return to hook, restate your thesis, and relate to the reader.

"Essay Conclusions" (Univ. of Maryland University College)

This overview of the academic essay conclusion contains helpful examples and links to further resources for writing good conclusions.

"How to End An Essay" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) by an English Ph.D. walks you through writing a conclusion, from brainstorming to ending with a flourish.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page collates useful strategies for writing an effective conclusion, and reminds you to "close the discussion without closing it off" to further conversation.

How to Include Sources and Citations

"Research and Citation Resources" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL streamlines information about the three most common referencing styles (MLA, Chicago, and APA) and provides examples of how to cite different resources in each system.

EasyBib: Free Bibliography Generator

This online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. Be sure to select your resource type before clicking the "cite it" button.

CitationMachine

Like EasyBib, this online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. 

Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA)

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of MLA referencing rules. Order through the link above, or check to see if your library has a copy.

Chicago Manual of Style

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of Chicago referencing rules. You can take a look at the table of contents, then choose to subscribe or start a free trial.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

"What is Plagiarism?" (plagiarism.org)

This nonprofit website contains numerous resources for identifying and avoiding plagiarism, and reminds you that even common activities like copying images from another website to your own site may constitute plagiarism.

"Plagiarism" (University of Oxford)

This interactive page from the University of Oxford helps you check for plagiarism in your work, making it clear how to avoid citing another person's work without full acknowledgement.

"Avoiding Plagiarism" (MIT Comparative Media Studies)

This quick guide explains what plagiarism is, what its consequences are, and how to avoid it. It starts by defining three words—quotation, paraphrase, and summary—that all constitute citation.

"Harvard Guide to Using Sources" (Harvard Extension School)

This comprehensive website from Harvard brings together articles, videos, and handouts about referencing, citation, and plagiarism. 

Grammarly contains tons of helpful grammar and writing resources, including a free tool to automatically scan your essay to check for close affinities to published work. 

Noplag is another popular online tool that automatically scans your essay to check for signs of plagiarism. Simply copy and paste your essay into the box and click "start checking."

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit (improve content), proofread (check for spelling and grammar mistakes), and finalize your work until you're ready to hand it in. This section brings together tips and resources for navigating the editing process. 

"Writing a First Draft" (Academic Help)

This is an introduction to the drafting process from the site Academic Help, with tips for getting your ideas on paper before editing begins.

"Editing and Proofreading" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page provides general strategies for revising your writing. They've intentionally left seven errors in the handout, to give you practice in spotting them.

"How to Proofread Effectively" (ThoughtCo)

This article from ThoughtCo, along with those linked at the bottom, help describe common mistakes to check for when proofreading.

"7 Simple Edits That Make Your Writing 100% More Powerful" (SmartBlogger)

This blog post emphasizes the importance of powerful, concise language, and reminds you that even your personal writing heroes create clunky first drafts.

"Editing Tips for Effective Writing" (Univ. of Pennsylvania)

On this page from Penn's International Relations department, you'll find tips for effective prose, errors to watch out for, and reminders about formatting.

"Editing the Essay" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This article, the first of two parts, gives you applicable strategies for the editing process. It suggests reading your essay aloud, removing any jargon, and being unafraid to remove even "dazzling" sentences that don't belong.

"Guide to Editing and Proofreading" (Oxford Learning Institute)

This handout from Oxford covers the basics of editing and proofreading, and reminds you that neither task should be rushed. 

In addition to plagiarism-checkers, Grammarly has a plug-in for your web browser that checks your writing for common mistakes.

After you've prepared, written, and edited your essay, you might want to share it outside the classroom. This section alerts you to print and web opportunities to share your essays with the wider world, from online writing communities and blogs to published journals geared toward young writers.

Sharing Your Essays Online

Go Teen Writers

Go Teen Writers is an online community for writers aged 13 - 19. It was founded by Stephanie Morrill, an author of contemporary young adult novels. 

Tumblr is a blogging website where you can share your writing and interact with other writers online. It's easy to add photos, links, audio, and video components.

Writersky provides an online platform for publishing and reading other youth writers' work. Its current content is mostly devoted to fiction.

Publishing Your Essays Online

This teen literary journal publishes in print, on the web, and (more frequently), on a blog. It is committed to ensuring that "teens see their authentic experience reflected on its pages."

The Matador Review

This youth writing platform celebrates "alternative," unconventional writing. The link above will take you directly to the site's "submissions" page.

Teen Ink has a website, monthly newsprint magazine, and quarterly poetry magazine promoting the work of young writers.

The largest online reading platform, Wattpad enables you to publish your work and read others' work. Its inline commenting feature allows you to share thoughts as you read along.

Publishing Your Essays in Print

Canvas Teen Literary Journal

This quarterly literary magazine is published for young writers by young writers. They accept many kinds of writing, including essays.

The Claremont Review

This biannual international magazine, first published in 1992, publishes poetry, essays, and short stories from writers aged 13 - 19.

Skipping Stones

This young writers magazine, founded in 1988, celebrates themes relating to ecological and cultural diversity. It publishes poems, photos, articles, and stories.

The Telling Room

This nonprofit writing center based in Maine publishes children's work on their website and in book form. The link above directs you to the site's submissions page.

Essay Contests

Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

This prestigious international writing contest for students in grades 7 - 12 has been committed to "supporting the future of creativity since 1923."

Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest

An annual essay contest on the theme of journalism and media, the Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest awards scholarships up to $1,000.

National YoungArts Foundation

Here, you'll find information on a government-sponsored writing competition for writers aged 15 - 18. The foundation welcomes submissions of creative nonfiction, novels, scripts, poetry, short story and spoken word.

Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest

With prompts on a different literary work each year, this competition from Signet Classics awards college scholarships up to $1,000.

"The Ultimate Guide to High School Essay Contests" (CollegeVine)

See this handy guide from CollegeVine for a list of more competitions you can enter with your academic essay, from the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards to the National High School Essay Contest by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Whether you're struggling to write academic essays or you think you're a pro, there are workshops and online tools that can help you become an even better writer. Even the most seasoned writers encounter writer's block, so be proactive and look through our curated list of resources to combat this common frustration.

Online Essay-writing Classes and Workshops

"Getting Started with Essay Writing" (Coursera)

Coursera offers lots of free, high-quality online classes taught by college professors. Here's one example, taught by instructors from the University of California Irvine.

"Writing and English" (Brightstorm)

Brightstorm's free video lectures are easy to navigate by topic. This unit on the parts of an essay features content on the essay hook, thesis, supporting evidence, and more.

"How to Write an Essay" (EdX)

EdX is another open online university course website with several two- to five-week courses on the essay. This one is geared toward English language learners.

Writer's Digest University

This renowned writers' website offers online workshops and interactive tutorials. The courses offered cover everything from how to get started through how to get published.

Writing.com

Signing up for this online writer's community gives you access to helpful resources as well as an international community of writers.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

"Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue OWL offers a list of signs you might have writer's block, along with ways to overcome it. Consider trying out some "invention strategies" or ways to curb writing anxiety.

"Overcoming Writer's Block: Three Tips" ( The Guardian )

These tips, geared toward academic writing specifically, are practical and effective. The authors advocate setting realistic goals, creating dedicated writing time, and participating in social writing.

"Writing Tips: Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block" (Univ. of Illinois)

This page from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Center for Writing Studies acquaints you with strategies that do and do not work to overcome writer's block.

"Writer's Block" (Univ. of Toronto)

Ask yourself the questions on this page; if the answer is "yes," try out some of the article's strategies. Each question is accompanied by at least two possible solutions.

If you have essays to write but are short on ideas, this section's links to prompts, example student essays, and celebrated essays by professional writers might help. You'll find writing prompts from a variety of sources, student essays to inspire you, and a number of essay writing collections.

Essay Writing Prompts

"50 Argumentative Essay Topics" (ThoughtCo)

Take a look at this list and the others ThoughtCo has curated for different kinds of essays. As the author notes, "a number of these topics are controversial and that's the point."

"401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing" ( New York Times )

This list (and the linked lists to persuasive and narrative writing prompts), besides being impressive in length, is put together by actual high school English teachers.

"SAT Sample Essay Prompts" (College Board)

If you're a student in the U.S., your classroom essay prompts are likely modeled on the prompts in U.S. college entrance exams. Take a look at these official examples from the SAT.

"Popular College Application Essay Topics" (Princeton Review)

This page from the Princeton Review dissects recent Common Application essay topics and discusses strategies for answering them.

Example Student Essays

"501 Writing Prompts" (DePaul Univ.)

This nearly 200-page packet, compiled by the LearningExpress Skill Builder in Focus Writing Team, is stuffed with writing prompts, example essays, and commentary.

"Topics in English" (Kibin)

Kibin is a for-pay essay help website, but its example essays (organized by topic) are available for free. You'll find essays on everything from  A Christmas Carol  to perseverance.

"Student Writing Models" (Thoughtful Learning)

Thoughtful Learning, a website that offers a variety of teaching materials, provides sample student essays on various topics and organizes them by grade level.

"Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

In this blog post by a former professor of English and rhetoric, ThoughtCo brings together examples of five-paragraph essays and commentary on the form.

The Best Essay Writing Collections

The Best American Essays of the Century by Joyce Carol Oates (Amazon)

This collection of American essays spanning the twentieth century was compiled by award winning author and Princeton professor Joyce Carol Oates.

The Best American Essays 2017 by Leslie Jamison (Amazon)

Leslie Jamison, the celebrated author of essay collection  The Empathy Exams , collects recent, high-profile essays into a single volume.

The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate (Amazon)

Documentary writer Phillip Lopate curates this historical overview of the personal essay's development, from the classical era to the present.

The White Album by Joan Didion (Amazon)

This seminal essay collection was authored by one of the most acclaimed personal essayists of all time, American journalist Joan Didion.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace (Amazon)

Read this famous essay collection by David Foster Wallace, who is known for his experimentation with the essay form. He pushed the boundaries of personal essay, reportage, and political polemic.

"50 Successful Harvard Application Essays" (Staff of the The Harvard Crimson )

If you're looking for examples of exceptional college application essays, this volume from Harvard's daily student newspaper is one of the best collections on the market.

Are you an instructor looking for the best resources for teaching essay writing? This section contains resources for developing in-class activities and student homework assignments. You'll find content from both well-known university writing centers and online writing labs.

Essay Writing Classroom Activities for Students

"In-class Writing Exercises" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page lists exercises related to brainstorming, organizing, drafting, and revising. It also contains suggestions for how to implement the suggested exercises.

"Teaching with Writing" (Univ. of Minnesota Center for Writing)

Instructions and encouragement for using "freewriting," one-minute papers, logbooks, and other write-to-learn activities in the classroom can be found here.

"Writing Worksheets" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

Berkeley offers this bank of writing worksheets to use in class. They are nested under headings for "Prewriting," "Revision," "Research Papers" and more.

"Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism" (DePaul University)

Use these activities and worksheets from DePaul's Teaching Commons when instructing students on proper academic citation practices.

Essay Writing Homework Activities for Students

"Grammar and Punctuation Exercises" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

These five interactive online activities allow students to practice editing and proofreading. They'll hone their skills in correcting comma splices and run-ons, identifying fragments, using correct pronoun agreement, and comma usage.

"Student Interactives" (Read Write Think)

Read Write Think hosts interactive tools, games, and videos for developing writing skills. They can practice organizing and summarizing, writing poetry, and developing lines of inquiry and analysis.

This free website offers writing and grammar activities for all grade levels. The lessons are designed to be used both for large classes and smaller groups.

"Writing Activities and Lessons for Every Grade" (Education World)

Education World's page on writing activities and lessons links you to more free, online resources for learning how to "W.R.I.T.E.": write, revise, inform, think, and edit.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
• Downloads of 1956 LitCharts Lit Guides
• Teacher Editions for every Lit Guide
• Explanations and citation info for 41,253 quotes across 1956 books
• Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play

Need something? Request a new guide .

How can we improve? Share feedback .

LitCharts is hiring!

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Format of a Formal Letter

Help with formatting formal and business letters. A summary of writing rules including outlines for cover letters and letters of enquiry, and formal abbreviations.

How to Write a Formal Letter

There are times in life when you will probably want to write a formal letter instead of an informal letter or email. These include cover letters for job applications, letters of enquiry, letters of resignation, legal correspondence and many more. In these situations it's important that you follow the expected format.

Use a formal letter format

Layout is a crucial aspect of professional writing. It sets the tone and communicates the seriousness of the content within.

The Power of Proper Formatting: The layout of your letter speaks volumes! Ensure it's professional and communicates your message effectively.

The example formal letter shown below shows you a general outline for a formal or business letter. Further information about each part can be found after the image.

English Writing Skills

Our writing skills section offers key insights, tips, and exercises to enhance your skills. Discover how to harness the power of the written word to effectively express your ideas.

Follow formatting rules and conventions

When writing a formal or business letter, there are certain rules and conventions that need to be followed. These rules ensure that the letter maintains a professional tone and is easily understood by the recipient.

You must try to write as simply and clearly as possible, and avoid making the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions.

Keep your letter's content concise, clear, and relevant. Every word counts!

How to start a formal letter

The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of a formal letter. This will usually your address, but could be any other address to which a reply should be sent.

Add the address of the person you are writing to. The recipient's address should be written on the left, often starting below your address. If you are going to print and post the letter using a windowed envelope, make sure you align this address with the clear plastic window.

There is no strict rule about the placement of the date, but it can be placed on either the left or right side of the page after the recipient's address. Write the month as a word.

The tip to starting a formal English letter is to greet the person you're writing to in the correct way. This is known as the 'Salutation'. If you know the name of the person you're writing to then use 'Sir' or 'Madam' here, otherwise write their full name, including their title. Remember, try not to be too informal or casual.

Salutations Set the Tone! - Greet your recipient appropriately, whether you know their name or not.

a) If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use the following form (it is always advisable to try to find out a name):

Dear Madam, Dear Sir, Dear Sir or Madam,

b) If you know the name , use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the family name only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss , you can use Ms , which is for both married and single women.

Dear Mr Jenkins, Dear Ms Hamers, Dear Mrs Hutchins, Dear Miss Davis, Dear Dr Green, Etc.

In the past, English formal letters had a variety of intricate salutations based on the social status and relationship between the writer and the recipient. For example, letters to clergymen might begin with "Reverend Sir" or "Most Worthy Sir."

If you want help with writing any kind of letter, please feel free to ask us in our discussion forum. Our teachers and experts will be able to help answer any questions you might have.

How to write the letter body

The body content should be clear, concise, and relevant to the purpose of the letter. It should not include any unnecessary information or informal language.

Be direct and try to keep it as brief as possible, often between three or four paragraphs in total.

The first paragraph should be kept short and is designed to introduce you and to state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc. The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle should contain the relevant information behind the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are not very long, so keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and logical manner rather than expanding too much. The last paragraph should state what action you expect the recipient to take- to refund, send you information, etc.

How to end a formal letter

Just as there are conventions about creating the salutation, there are also rules about how you close or sign-off your letter. If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter using 'Yours faithfully'. If you know the recipient's name, use 'Yours sincerely'.

Sign your name, then print it underneath your signature using capital letters (or type it). If you think the person you are writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put your title in brackets after your name. Optionally, it can also be helpful to include your phone number and email address.

Now that you've completed the first draft, read if over from start to finish and check for any errors in grammar and spelling. Make sure it reads well and that the recipient will understand what the letter is about.

Proofreading is Key! - Before sending, always check for errors. A well-proofed letter showcases attention to detail.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common for formal letters to have long and ornate closing statements. An example might be: "I remain, Sir, with the most distinguished consideration, your most obedient servant."

Free formal letter template download:

This sample formal letter template can be a useful tool for ensuring that all necessary information is included in the correct format.

Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing

There are several abbreviations that are commonly used in professional letters. From "AKA" to "TBD", getting to know these common abbreviations will help to keep your letters sharp.

Outline: A Covering Letter

A covering letter accompanies your CV or resume when applying for a job. It should include information about the applicant's qualifications, experience, and interest in the position. This is a simple formal letter example that uses a fairly conventional layout of the paragraphs.

Opening Paragraph Briefly identify yourself and the position you are applying for. Add how you found out about the vacancy. Paragraph 2 Give the reasons why you are interested in working for the company and why you wish to be considered for that particular post. State your relevant qualifications and experience, as well as your personal qualities that make you a suitable candidate. Paragraph 3 Inform them that you have enclosed your current CV and add any further information that you think could help your case. Closing Paragraph Give your availability for interview, thank them for their consideration, restate your interest and close the letter.

Outline: A Letter of Enquiry

A letter of enquiry is sent when you are approaching a company speculatively, that is you are making an approach without their having advertised or announced a vacancy. It's an example of a basic business letter, and should include information about the applicant's qualifications, experience, and interest in the company.

Opening Paragraph Introduce yourself briefly and give your reason for writing. Let them know of the kind of position you are seeking, why you are interested and how you heard about them. Paragraph 2 Show why their company in particular interests you, mention your qualifications and experience along with any further details that might make them interested in seeing you. Paragraph 3 Refer to your enclosed CV and draw their attention to any particularly important points you would like them to focus on in it. Closing Paragraph Thank them, explain your availability for interview and restate your enthusiasm for their company and desire to be considered for posts that might as yet be unavailable.

What is MLA letter format?

This refers to the guidelines recommended by the Modern Language Association for writing and formatting letters in a uniform and professional manner. This format is commonly used in academic settings, such as when writing cover letters for research papers or submitting correspondences to scholarly journals.

The primary purpose of following MLA format is to ensure clarity, consistency, and proper organisation in written communication. The format includes specific guidelines for elements such as the heading, date, recipient's address, salutation, body paragraphs, closing, and signature. By adhering to these guidelines, writers can effectively convey their ideas while maintaining professionalism and adhering to academic standards.

More information: Using MLA Format

What is APA letter format?

The APA format recommended by the American Psychological Association is a standardised way to structure and present written correspondence in the field of psychology and other social sciences. It outlines specific guidelines for fonts, margins, spacing, and citation style to ensure consistency and clarity in academic communication.

This format is widely used in research papers, professional letters, and manuscripts, aiming to provide a cohesive and professional appearance. The format emphasises readability and organisation by including a clear heading, concise and formal language, and proper referencing. Additionally, it includes specific guidelines for the placement of addresses, dates, salutations, subject lines, body paragraphs, and signatures, allowing writers to maintain consistency and professionalism in their correspondence.

Overall, the APA format serves as a tool to enhance communication within the academic community and ensure that ideas and information are conveyed accurately and effectively.

More information: Using APA Format

What is Chicago letter format?

Chicago letter format is a specific style of formatting business letters that is commonly used in the United States. It follows a set of guidelines to create a professional and visually appealing document.

The format typically starts with the sender's contact information, including the name, address, phone number, and email address. This is followed by the date on which the letter is written, and then the recipient's contact information, including their name, title, company name, and address.

An appropriate salutation is used to address the recipient, after which the body of the letter is typically divided into paragraphs, with each paragraph conveying a distinct idea or point. It is crucial to maintain a polite and formal tone throughout the letter.

It is common to include a complimentary closing, such as "Sincerely" or "Best regards," followed by the sender's name and title. Lastly, the sender's initials may be included, along with any enclosures or attachments.

The Chicago format ensures that business correspondence is clear, organized, and professional, allowing for effective communication between parties.

More information: The Chicago Manual of Style Online

Final Thoughts

We hope you have found this comprehensive guide useful. Mastering the art of writing this type of letter is an essential skill in both professional and personal contexts. The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately through a formal letter can open doors and facilitate important conversations. By understanding and applying the principles outlined here, you can ensure your formal letters are clear, concise, and convey your message effectively.

Remember, practice makes perfect! - The more you write, the better you'll get. So, keep practicing and refining your skills.

Enjoy a seamless learning experience without interruptions from advertisements.

UsingEnglish.com is partnering with Gymglish to give you a free one-month trial of this excellent online English training course. Activate your free month of lessons (special offer for new users, with no obligation to buy) - and receive a level assessment!

Sign Up Now!

• Back to top ^
• Privacy Notice
• Terms of Use
• Copyright © 2002 - 2024 UsingEnglish.com Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only unless otherwise stated.

Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt

Asking analytical questions, introductions, what do introductions across the disciplines have in common, anatomy of a body paragraph, transitions, tips for organizing your essay, counterargument, conclusions.

Basic Instructions & Examples:

• Writing Personal Letters
• Writing Business Letters

   Choose a Letter Type:

A short guide for writing an essay.

Essays are written for a variety of purposes. A particular essay can talk about one’s childhood and another one can be to argue a certain point. There is no limit on what can be talked about in an essay. However, the one thing that would define it is its revolution around a particular theme.

Just in case you are wondering:

Essay: An essay is a piece of writing (usually a few thousand words) that delivers the authors own, more or less witty, perspective on a scientific, cultural or social phenomenon. The criteria of scientific methodology can be neglected; so the writer has relatively great freedom to express his personal view.

Servicey: Servicey is urban slang, and describes the capacity (or attitude) of a person, to tell other people information, which they think those want to know before they even ask.

Structure of an Essay

You have to use a certain structure when writing an essay; especially if you want to have a perfect ending. You have to follow a certain procedure so that you can end your essay without leaving your readers in suspense. There is no way you can write a perfect end if you do not have the beginning and the middle. Your conclusion depends especially on the middle part of an essay. That is why you need to know how to write your beginning and the middle before you can draw the best conclusion.

An essay involves three significant parts:

• The Introduction
• The Conclusion

The introduction is designed to lead people into the subject and simplify what the essay paper will particularly deal with. It usually involves one passage, but this will depend on the time you invest in the composition and the amount of history the situation needs. The beginning will contain key introductory phrase (or, if necessary, more than one).

Each idea in the body is offered in an individual passage and developed with assisting proof by means of information, descriptions, or similar, and supported with examples where appropriate or necessary. This is where the bulk of your essay writing lies. It is in the body where you will present your facts; discuss them and present supporting information to ascertain their validity. You can never write a body if you have no information about the topic. You need to do research so that you can get the right information. A perfectly written essay paper body will help closing your argument / statement.

One major objective of an essay is to present all relevant points before making any thoughts on the result of the discussion/argument. And what does an excellent conclusion look like? The framework of any essay work is not as formalized as that of a report. Like reviews, however, you must still offer a disagreement or controversial point of view that is clearly sustained.

Basic instructions

As you write your essay there several things that you should put in mind if you want to write the best essay. One of the factors that you should consider is the purpose of your essay. Why are you writing the essay? If the essay is about college application you need to put this in mind as you ponder of ideas for your essay. Never diverge and write irrelevant things.

The other factor is your grammar. This is important because if your grammar is poor, it will be hard for your essay to be understood.  You need to employ the art of using the perfect tense.  Tense is the backbone of all writings and many students fail here. They might have the best ideas or points, but their tense will undo all these.

The perfect tense to use in your essay writing include the present perfect, the past perfect, and the future perfect tense. The present perfect tense is to form the present perfect tense; using the auxiliary verb has or have with the past participial. Use the present perfect tense to show an action:

• That was completed at an indefinite time in the past
• That began in the past and continues into the present.

For example:

• He has left without his books. (Action completed at indefinite time)
• We have worked here for ten years. (Action continuing into the present)

The past perfect tense is to form the past perfect tense by using the auxiliary verb had with the past participle. Use the past perfect tense in your essay to show an action in the past that came before another action in the past.

I had already finished when you called. (Action preceding another past action)

The future perfect tense is to form the future perfect tense by using the auxiliary verbs will have or shall have with the past participle. Use the future perfect tense to show an action in the future that will occur before another future action or time.

The above tense suggestion will help you write a grammar free essay that has uses the correct tenses. All you need to do is to adhere to each of the category.

Another point to note is to check on the grammar and spelling. You may have very enlightening information but if spelling mistakes are present, it can be a major turn off and distraction even to the passionate readers. To avoid this, it is advisable to use a competent word processing program that automatically checks the spelling for you. If you opt for handwritten material, proof reading should be done by a person well versed in grammar and spelling.

Writing Guide

Check our How to write Good guide for writing tips. And if you can not find the right word, check out this great list of Synonyms which is sorted by categories. See also this helpful article about Alignment Rules for attributes of a letter

Effective Application Essays

After examining your essay paper with the key elements and asking for views from your instructor and your friends, you should have at least one or two exciting composition issues. Consider the following suggestions.

These Are The Basic Features Of An Application Essay

• “ Diversity ” is the best trick to improve your essay paper. Every institution, expert educationist, or college student, wants to increase variety. For this purpose, so many people are inclined to assert what makes them different. However, basically saying you are an assassin won’t add you any points. While a essay makes use of this information and probably is your best subject idea, you must finalize the issue by dealing with your own individual attributes and how you changed preconception, treated cultural ostracism, etc. You must display strongly to your individual attributes, pursuits, inspirations, etc. Address, particularly how your format will promote the world view in university, the instructional atmosphere, and self-confidence.
• Be genuine , but not for honesty’s cause. Unless you are a truly good writer, your best and enthusiastic writing will be about activities that actually took place. Write a composition about your lifestyle that shows your character.
• Don’t refer to your weakness unless you need to describe them anyway. You want to create a good perception , showing all the good attributes that will increase your chance of being accepted. Why to confess to weakness and failures when you can instead display your strengths. It not your weakness that will make you essay great but your strength. So list them all in your essay paper.

Improve Your Technique

Being proficient in writing essays is a skill that can be learned. Unfortunately many students who set out to write don’t have the slightest clue what to do. However with a little research, it is possible to improve on their skills. This article sets out to highlight various tips that anyone can apply when writing.

• The first thing is make a list of all the keywords and ideas that have to be discussed. This will enable them to execute a logical flow of thoughts when writing. It will also ensure that none of the important points are left out.
• Secondly, as you set out to write, organize the whole work into sections . That means that there should be an introduction, body and ending. All these parts should be highly impressionable on the reader.
• Thirdly, the best way to make writing essays interesting is to include stories that try to explain your points . These stories are usually called anecdotes and are used by professional writers especially in the beginning to captivate the audience. These stories should encourage the reader to relate with what is being discussed. The reader should be able to relate at what is being discussed at a personal level. These stories also contribute to the whole essay becoming an immersive experience to the reader.
• Finally make sure that your work has educational value in that it will give the audience the incentive to see things differently. If someone is trying to explain for example the downside of female circumcision, they should leave the reader with no doubt as to why it is unacceptable.

Remember, as a student, writing essays needs not be a drag. With a little help and a change in attitude, it can become a whole lot enjoyable.

Final Words

Although essays tend to be subjective in its point of view, it is different from mere rambling. A certain theme holds the essay together and serves as the point of writing one. If you want to write an essay , below are some steps to get you started.

• Have something to say. This is important in any essay that you write. Again, the theme of your essay is where much of its weight can be found.
• Be able to condense your theme into a single statement. This is called the thesis statement.
• Do your research. While writing an essay is a subjective exercise, you need to have background information to support your arguments. This helps in convincing your readers about the point that you are pushing for.
• Write your essay. This is the point why you’re reading this how-to guide, right? When writing your essay, begin with an introduction that will pique your readers’ interest. If you cannot grab them by the first paragraph, you may have a hard time convincing them to read the next, much less, the entire piece.
• Your succeeding paragraphs should be logically structured. They should also support your thesis statement. In other words, each paragraph should contribute to the essay as a whole. Otherwise, you are wasting ink, white space and your readers’ time.
• Finally, edit your work. This is the most surefire way of having a well-written essay. If Rome wasn’t built in a day, an essay isn’t done in one sitting. Unless of course, a lousy one is what you’re aiming for.

BTW: Looking for Cheat Sheets? Have a look at these www.system-overload.org

Essay Cover Letter

Cover letter maker.

An Essay Cover Letter is more than a formality; it’s an opportunity to impress. Whether you’re submitting an academic essay or looking for a publication opportunity, the cover letter serves as your first impression. This article sheds light on what an Essay Cover Letter is, provides insightful examples, and offers valuable tips to make your cover letter stand out.

What is an Essay Cover Letter?

An Essay Cover Letter is a brief introduction accompanying an essay, typically submitted to an academic institution or a publication. It summarizes the content and purpose of the essay, highlights the writer’s qualifications, and expresses the intention behind submitting the essay. It’s a personalized note that connects the reader to the writer, setting the tone for the content that follows.

What is an Example of an Essay Cover Letter?

Here’s an generic cover letter example for an Essay Cover Letter tailored for an academic submission:

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date]

[Professor’s Name] [Department] [University Name] [University Address] [City, State ZIP Code]

Dear [Professor’s Name],

I am submitting my essay entitled “[Title of the Essay]” for consideration in your [Course Name] class. This essay explores [Brief Summary of the Essay Content], drawing on [Methodology or Sources Used].

As a student majoring in [Your Major], I have thoroughly researched the subject matter and applied critical thinking skills to provide a comprehensive analysis of [Specific Topic]. I believe this essay aligns with the course objectives and will contribute valuable insights to the class discussions.

Please find the essay attached for your review. I look forward to receiving your feedback and am available for any questions or further clarification.

Thank you for considering my submission.

[Your Signature]

[Your Full Name] [Student ID]

This example outlines the essential elements of an effective Essay Cover Letter, maintaining a formal tone and providing specific details about the essay and the writer’s qualifications.

Size: 26 KB

Free Essay Cover Letters – Copy & Paste

Essay cover letter format.

This example represents the standard format that an Essay Cover Letter should follow. The below template can be customized according to your needs.

[Your Full Name] [Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Phone Number] [Email Address] [Date]

[Recipient’s Full Name] [Recipient’s Title] [Organization/University Name] [Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

[Opening Paragraph: Introduction and reason for writing]

[Body Paragraph(s): Details about the essay, your qualifications, and why your essay fits the context]

[Closing Paragraph: Thank you note and contact information]

[Signature (if printed)] [Typed Full Name]

Customize the bracketed sections with your specific details. Make sure to include an introduction, details about the essay, and a closing thank you note.

Sample Essay Cover Letter Example

This is a  good cover letter  sample that can be adapted to any essay submission.

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I am writing to submit my essay titled “[Essay Title]” for [Purpose of Submission]. My essay explores [Topic], and I believe it offers a fresh perspective on [Specific Aspect].

[Body Paragraph detailing the approach, sources, and relevance of the essay]

Thank you for considering my work. I look forward to your feedback.

Best Regards, [Your Name]

This sample is adaptable. Fill in the brackets with specific details about your essay and the submission context.

Size: 25 KB

Short Essay Cover Letter

Ideal for submissions with a strict word count limit.

Enclosed is my essay “[Essay Title],” written for [Purpose]. It delves into [Topic], and I hope it contributes to [Specific Field or Discussion].

Thank you, [Your Name]

This short version is perfect when brevity is required. It gets straight to the point but remains polite and professional.

Size: 22 KB

Essay Cover Letter for College Student Example

Specifically designed  cover letter for college students submitting essays for class or applications.

[Your Name] [College] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Date]

[Professor’s Name] [Department] [College] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code]

I’m submitting my essay on [Subject] for your [Course Name]. As a [Major] student, I found this topic particularly intriguing because [Reason].

[Details about the essay and any specific request for feedback]

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, [Your Name] [Student ID]

Customize this template to reflect the course details, your major, and specifics about your essay. It maintains a tone suitable for academic correspondence.

Size: 24 KB

MLA Style Essay Cover Letter Example

For submissions requiring MLA citation style.

[Your Name] [Professor’s Name] [Course] [Date]

[Title of Essay]

[Essay Introduction]

Sincerely, [Your Name]

This template is formatted according to the MLA style and should be used for submissions requiring this citation method.

Size: 21 KB

APA Style Essay Cover Letter Example

This is suitable for submissions that require APA formatting.

[Your Name] [Institution] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Date]

[Recipient’s Name] [Title] [Organization] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code]

I am submitting my essay titled “[Essay Title],” written in accordance with the APA citation style, for [Purpose].

[Body Paragraphs detailing the essay, its relevance, and your qualifications]

Use this template for submissions that require adherence to the APA citation style.

Simple Essay Cover Letter Example

This is a minimalist version suitable for any essay submission.

I’m submitting my essay “[Essay Title]” for [Purpose]. It examines [Topic] through [Methodology/Approach].

This simple version is versatile and can be used for various submission contexts.

Size: 23 KB

Basic Essay Cover Letter Example

Another minimalist & basic cover letter template, focused on academic submissions.

[Your Name] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Date]

Attached is my essay for your [Course Name], titled “[Essay Title].”

This basic format is tailored to academic submissions and maintains a formal tone.

Essay Cover Letter for Admission Example

Ideal for students submitting essays as part of a college application.

[Your Name] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Phone Number] [Email Address] [Date]

[Admission Officer’s Name] [College/University Name] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code]

Dear [Admission Officer’s Name],

I’m thrilled to submit my essay for consideration as part of my application to [College/University Name]. My essay, titled “[Essay Title],” reflects my passion for [Field of Study] and my commitment to [College/University Values or Goals].

[More details about the essay, your qualifications, and why you chose this particular institution]

Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely, [Your Signature] [Your Full Name]

This template can be tailored to the specific college or university application, highlighting your alignment with the institution’s values or goals.

Persuasive Essay Cover Letter Example

For submitting persuasive essays specifically.

I am submitting my persuasive essay titled “[Essay Title].” This piece aims to convince readers about [Argument/Thesis] and is supported by [Evidence/Methodology].

[Further details about the essay, its relevance, and your qualifications]

Use this template when submitting a persuasive essay, emphasizing the argument and evidence.

History Essay Cover Letter Example

For history-related essays and submissions.

[Professor/Recipient’s Name] [Title/Department] [Institution/Organization] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code]

Dear [Professor/Recipient’s Name],

I am submitting my historical analysis titled “[Essay Title].” Drawing from primary sources, this essay explores [Historical Event or Period], offering new insights into [Specific Aspect or Perspective].

[More details about the essay, its relevance to the field of history, and your qualifications]

This template is tailored to history essays, with emphasis on the sources and historical analysis.

Size: 266 KB

Research Paper Cover Letter Example

This Research Paper cover letter is Ideal for research paper submissions to journals or academic conferences.

[Your Name] [Title] [Institution] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Date]

[Editor’s Name] [Journal Name] [Address] [City, State ZIP Code]

Dear [Editor’s Name],

I am submitting my research paper titled “[Paper Title]” for consideration in [Journal Name]. My research focuses on [Research Area], and I believe it offers significant contributions to the field.

[Further details about the research, methodology, and relevance to the journal’s readership]

Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Contact Information]

Use this template for research paper submissions, making sure to tailor it to the specific journal or conference requirements.

What do you write in an Essay Cover Letter?

An Essay Cover Letter is more than a formality; it’s a chance to present your essay in the best possible light. Here’s what to include:

– Your Contact Information: Always include your full name, address, phone number, and email so the recipient can easily reach you. – Recipient’s Information: Address the cover letter to a specific person, if possible, including their title and address. – Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself, your academic or professional background, and explain the purpose of your essay. – Summary of the Essay: Offer a concise summary of your essay’s main topic, argument, or thesis. Avoid revealing too much, but give the reader a taste of what’s to come. – Relevance: Detail why your essay is relevant to the reader, whether it’s a professor, admissions officer, or publication editor. – Your Qualification and Interest: Share your qualifications or experiences that make you the right person to write this essay, along with why the topic interests you. – A Closing Statement: Express gratitude for the reader’s time and consideration, and include information on how they can contact you. – Signature: Include a formal closing, followed by your signature (for a hard copy) or typed name (for an email).

How Do You Write a Cover Letter for an Essay?

Writing an Essay Cover Letter requires understanding and careful crafting. Here’s how you can write one:

– Identify the Audience: Know your reader and adjust your tone and content to match their expectations. – Choose the Right Format: Standard letter format works well, but make sure to adhere to any specific guidelines provided. – Write Clearly: Use clear and concise language without oversimplifying your points. – Highlight Key Points: Emphasize the primary arguments or findings without merely repeating the essay. – Express Your Passion and Relevance: Your interest in the topic should shine through, and the relevance of the essay should be clear to the reader. – Edit Thoroughly: Check for grammatical and spelling mistakes, and consider having someone else review it.

Tips for Writing an Essay Cover Letter

– Maintain Consistency: The cover letter’s style and tone should match the essay. – Avoid Redundancy: Don’t repeat the entire essay; summarize and complement it instead. – Use Proper Formatting: If your essay follows APA or MLA guidelines, mirror this in the cover letter. – End Strongly: Conclude with a respectful closing and a clear call to action.

Crafting an Essay Cover Letter is an essential skill that requires attention to detail, a clear understanding of the purpose of the essay, and an ability to connect with the reader. With thoughtful consideration and following these guidelines, you can write a cover letter that not only introduces your essay effectively but also creates a positive initial impression.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a cover letter for a college student applying for an internship at an educational technology company

Form a cover letter for a high school student seeking a part-time job at a local bookstore.

Learn the Standard Essay Format: MLA, APA, Chicago Styles

Being able to write an essay is a vital part of any student's education. However, it's not just about linearly listing ideas. A lot of institutions will require a certain format that your paper must follow; prime examples would be one of a basic essay format like MLA, the APA, and the Chicago formats. This article will explain the differences between the MLA format, the APA format, and the Chicago format. The application of these could range from high school to college essays, and they stand as the standard of college essay formatting. EssayPro — dissertation services , that will help to make a difference!

What is an Essay Format: Structure

Be it an academic, informative or a specific extended essay - structure is essential. For example, the IB extended essay has very strict requirements that are followed by an assigned academic style of writing (primarily MLA, APA, or Chicago):

This outline format for an extended essay is a great example to follow when writing a research essay, and sustaining a proper research essay format - especially if it is based on the MLA guidelines. It is vital to remember that the student must keep track of their resources to apply them to each step outlined above easily. And check out some tips on how to write an essay introduction .

Lost in the Labyrinth of Essay Formatting?

Navigate the complexities of essay structures with ease. Let our experts guide your paper to the format it deserves!

How to Format an Essay (MLA)

To write an essay in MLA format, one must follow a basic set of guidelines and instructions. This is a step by step from our business essay writing service.

Essay in MLA Format Example

Mla vs. apa.

Before we move on to the APA essay format, it is important to distinguish the two types of formatting. Let’s go through the similarities first:

• The formatting styles are similar: spacing, citation, indentation.
• All of the information that is used within the essay must be present within the works cited page (in APA, that’s called a reference page)
• Both use the parenthetical citations within the body of the paper, usually to show a certain quote or calculation.
• Citations are listed alphabetically on the works cited / reference page.

What you need to know about the differences is not extensive, thankfully:

• MLA style is mostly used in humanities, while APA style is focused more on social sciences. The list of sources has a different name (works cited - MLA / references - APA)
• Works cited differ on the way they display the name of the original content (MLA -> Yorke, Thom / APA -> Yorke T.)
• When using an in-text citation, and the author’s name is listed within the sentence, place the page number found at the end: “Yorke believes that Creep was Radiohead’s worst song. (4).” APA, on the other hand, requires that a year is to be inserted: “According to Yorke (2013), Creep was a mess.”

Alright, let’s carry over to the APA style specifics.

Order an Essay Now & and We Will Cite and Format It For Free :

How to format an essay (apa).

The APA scheme is one of the most common college essay formats, so being familiar with its requirements is crucial. In a basic APA format structure, we can apply a similar list of guidelines as we did in the MLA section:

If you ask yourself how to format an essay, you can always turn to us and request to write or rewrite essay in APA format if you find it difficult or don't have time.

Note that some teachers and professors may request deviations from some of the characteristics that the APA format originally requires, such as those listed above.

If you think: 'I want someone write a research paper for me ', you can do it at Essaypro.

Essay in APA Format Example

Apa format chronobiology, chicago style.

The usage of Chicago style is prevalent in academic writing that focuses on the source of origin. This means that precise citations and footnotes are key to a successful paper.

Chicago Style Essay Format

The same bullet point structure can be applied to the Chicago essay format.

Tips for Writing an Academic Paper

There isn’t one proper way of writing a paper, but there are solid guidelines to sustain a consistent workflow. Be it a college application essay, a research paper, informative essay, etc. There is a standard essay format that you should follow. For easier access, the following outline will be divided into steps:

Choose a Good Topic

A lot of students struggle with picking a good topic for their essays. The topic you choose should be specific enough so you can explore it in its entirety and hit your word limit if that’s a variable you worry about. With a good topic that should not be a problem. On the other hand, it should not be so broad that some resources would outweigh the information you could squeeze into one paper. Don’t be too specific, or you will find that there is a shortage of information, but don’t be too broad or you will feel overwhelmed. Don’t hesitate to ask your instructor for help with your essay writing.

Start Research as Soon as Possible

Before you even begin writing, make sure that you are acquainted with the information that you are working with. Find compelling arguments and counterpoints, trivia, facts, etc. The sky is the limit when it comes to gathering information.

Pick out Specific, Compelling Resources

When you feel acquainted with the subject, you should be able to have a basic conversation on the matter. Pick out resources that have been bookmarked, saved or are very informative and start extracting information. You will need all you can get to put into the citations at the end of your paper. Stash books, websites, articles and have them ready to cite. See if you can subtract or expand your scope of research.

Create an Outline

Always have a plan. This might be the most important phase of the process. If you have a strong essay outline and you have a particular goal in mind, it’ll be easy to refer to it when you might get stuck somewhere in the middle of the paper. And since you have direct links from the research you’ve done beforehand, the progress is guaranteed to be swift. Having a list of keywords, if applicable, will surely boost the informational scope. With keywords specific to the subject matter of each section, it should be much easier to identify its direction and possible informational criteria.

Write a Draft

Before you jot anything down into the body of your essay, make sure that the outline has enough information to back up whatever statement you choose to explore. Do not be afraid of letting creativity into your paper (within reason, of course) and explore the possibilities. Start with a standard 5 paragraph structure, and the content will come with time.

Ask for a Peer Review of Your Academic Paper

Before you know it, the draft is done, and it’s ready to be sent out for peer review. Ask a classmate, a relative or even a specialist if they are willing to contribute. Get as much feedback as you possibly can and work on it.

Final Draft

Before handing in the final draft, go over it at least one more time, focusing on smaller mistakes like grammar and punctuation. Make sure that what you wrote follows proper essay structure. Learn more about argumentative essay structure on our blog. If you need a second pair of eyes, get help from our service.

Want Your Essay to Stand Out in Structure and Style?

Don't let poor formatting overshadow your ideas. Find your essay on sale and ensure your paper gets the professional polish it deserves!

What Is Essay Format?

How to format a college essay, how to write an essay in mla format.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Sample Letters

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.

If you are using letterhead, do not include the sender's address at the top of the letter; instead, begin with the date.

Block Format

123 Winner's Road New Employee Town, PA 12345

March 16, 2001

Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345

Dear Mr. English:

The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening, then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.

Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.

Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.

Lucy Letter

Modified Block Format

(Tab to center, begin typing) 123 Winner's Road New Employee Town, PA 12345

(Tab to center, begin typing) Sincerely,

(Tab to center, begin typing) Lucy Letter

Semi-Block Format

(Indent) The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening, then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.

(Indent) Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.

(Indent) Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.

Application Essays

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise the personal statement required by many graduate programs, internships, and special academic programs.

Before you start writing

Because the application essay can have a critical effect upon your progress toward a career, you should spend significantly more time, thought, and effort on it than its typically brief length would suggest. It should reflect how you arrived at your professional goals, why the program is ideal for you, and what you bring to the program. Don’t make this a deadline task—now’s the time to write, read, rewrite, give to a reader, revise again, and on until the essay is clear, concise, and compelling. At the same time, don’t be afraid. You know most of the things you need to say already.

Read the instructions carefully. One of the basic tasks of the application essay is to follow the directions. If you don’t do what they ask, the reader may wonder if you will be able to follow directions in their program. Make sure you follow page and word limits exactly—err on the side of shortness, not length. The essay may take two forms:

• A one-page essay answering a general question
• Several short answers to more specific questions

Do some research before you start writing. Think about…

• The field. Why do you want to be a _____? No, really. Think about why you and you particularly want to enter that field. What are the benefits and what are the shortcomings? When did you become interested in the field and why? What path in that career interests you right now? Brainstorm and write these ideas out.
• The program. Why is this the program you want to be admitted to? What is special about the faculty, the courses offered, the placement record, the facilities you might be using? If you can’t think of anything particular, read the brochures they offer, go to events, or meet with a faculty member or student in the program. A word about honesty here—you may have a reason for choosing a program that wouldn’t necessarily sway your reader; for example, you want to live near the beach, or the program is the most prestigious and would look better on your resume. You don’t want to be completely straightforward in these cases and appear superficial, but skirting around them or lying can look even worse. Turn these aspects into positives. For example, you may want to go to a program in a particular location because it is a place that you know very well and have ties to, or because there is a need in your field there. Again, doing research on the program may reveal ways to legitimate even your most superficial and selfish reasons for applying.
• Yourself. What details or anecdotes would help your reader understand you? What makes you special? Is there something about your family, your education, your work/life experience, or your values that has shaped you and brought you to this career field? What motivates or interests you? Do you have special skills, like leadership, management, research, or communication? Why would the members of the program want to choose you over other applicants? Be honest with yourself and write down your ideas. If you are having trouble, ask a friend or relative to make a list of your strengths or unique qualities that you plan to read on your own (and not argue about immediately). Ask them to give you examples to back up their impressions (For example, if they say you are “caring,” ask them to describe an incident they remember in which they perceived you as caring).

Now, write a draft

This is a hard essay to write. It’s probably much more personal than any of the papers you have written for class because it’s about you, not World War II or planaria. You may want to start by just getting something—anything—on paper. Try freewriting. Think about the questions we asked above and the prompt for the essay, and then write for 15 or 30 minutes without stopping. What do you want your audience to know after reading your essay? What do you want them to feel? Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, organization, or anything else. Just get out the ideas you have. For help getting started, see our handout on brainstorming .

Now, look at what you’ve written. Find the most relevant, memorable, concrete statements and focus in on them. Eliminate any generalizations or platitudes (“I’m a people person”, “Doctors save lives”, or “Mr. Calleson’s classes changed my life”), or anything that could be cut and pasted into anyone else’s application. Find what is specific to you about the ideas that generated those platitudes and express them more directly. Eliminate irrelevant issues (“I was a track star in high school, so I think I’ll make a good veterinarian.”) or issues that might be controversial for your reader (“My faith is the one true faith, and only nurses with that faith are worthwhile,” or “Lawyers who only care about money are evil.”).

Often, writers start out with generalizations as a way to get to the really meaningful statements, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you replace the generalizations with examples as you revise. A hint: you may find yourself writing a good, specific sentence right after a general, meaningless one. If you spot that, try to use the second sentence and delete the first.

Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they’ve asked you to address.

Now that you’ve generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It’s time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience. Your readers may have thousands of essays to read, many or most of which will come from qualified applicants. This essay may be your best opportunity to communicate with the decision makers in the application process, and you don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them feel you are wasting their time.

With this in mind:

• Do assure your audience that you understand and look forward to the challenges of the program and the field, not just the benefits.
• Do assure your audience that you understand exactly the nature of the work in the field and that you are prepared for it, psychologically and morally as well as educationally.
• Do assure your audience that you care about them and their time by writing a clear, organized, and concise essay.
• Do address any information about yourself and your application that needs to be explained (for example, weak grades or unusual coursework for your program). Include that information in your essay, and be straightforward about it. Your audience will be more impressed with your having learned from setbacks or having a unique approach than your failure to address those issues.
• Don’t waste space with information you have provided in the rest of the application. Every sentence should be effective and directly related to the rest of the essay. Don’t ramble or use fifteen words to express something you could say in eight.
• Don’t overstate your case for what you want to do, being so specific about your future goals that you come off as presumptuous or naïve (“I want to become a dentist so that I can train in wisdom tooth extraction, because I intend to focus my life’s work on taking 13 rather than 15 minutes per tooth.”). Your goals may change–show that such a change won’t devastate you.
• And, one more time, don’t write in cliches and platitudes. Every doctor wants to help save lives, every lawyer wants to work for justice—your reader has read these general cliches a million times.

Imagine the worst-case scenario (which may never come true—we’re talking hypothetically): the person who reads your essay has been in the field for decades. She is on the application committee because she has to be, and she’s read 48 essays so far that morning. You are number 49, and your reader is tired, bored, and thinking about lunch. How are you going to catch and keep her attention?

Assure your audience that you are capable academically, willing to stick to the program’s demands, and interesting to have around. For more tips, see our handout on audience .

Voice and style

The voice you use and the style in which you write can intrigue your audience. The voice you use in your essay should be yours. Remember when your high school English teacher said “never say ‘I’”? Here’s your chance to use all those “I”s you’ve been saving up. The narrative should reflect your perspective, experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Focusing on events or ideas may give your audience an indirect idea of how these things became important in forming your outlook, but many others have had equally compelling experiences. By simply talking about those events in your own voice, you put the emphasis on you rather than the event or idea. Look at this anecdote:

During the night shift at Wirth Memorial Hospital, a man walked into the Emergency Room wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. He seemed confused and was moaning in pain. One of the nurses ascertained that he had been swinging from tree branches in a local park and had hit his head when he fell out of a tree. This tragic tale signified the moment at which I realized psychiatry was the only career path I could take.

An interesting tale, yes, but what does it tell you about the narrator? The following example takes the same anecdote and recasts it to make the narrator more of a presence in the story:

I was working in the Emergency Room at Wirth Memorial Hospital one night when a man walked in wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. I could tell he was confused and in pain. After a nurse asked him a few questions, I listened in surprise as he explained that he had been a monkey all of his life and knew that it was time to live with his brothers in the trees. Like many other patients I would see that year, this man suffered from an illness that only a combination of psychological and medical care would effectively treat. I realized then that I wanted to be able to help people by using that particular combination of skills only a psychiatrist develops.

The voice you use should be approachable as well as intelligent. This essay is not the place to stun your reader with ten prepositional phrases (“the goal of my study of the field of law in the winter of my discontent can best be understood by the gathering of more information about my youth”) and thirty nouns (“the research and study of the motivation behind my insights into the field of dentistry contains many pitfalls and disappointments but even more joy and enlightenment”) per sentence. (Note: If you are having trouble forming clear sentences without all the prepositions and nouns, take a look at our handout on style .)

You may want to create an impression of expertise in the field by using specialized or technical language. But beware of this unless you really know what you are doing—a mistake will look twice as ignorant as not knowing the terms in the first place. Your audience may be smart, but you don’t want to make them turn to a dictionary or fall asleep between the first word and the period of your first sentence. Keep in mind that this is a personal statement. Would you think you were learning a lot about a person whose personal statement sounded like a journal article? Would you want to spend hours in a lab or on a committee with someone who shuns plain language?

Of course, you don’t want to be chatty to the point of making them think you only speak slang, either. Your audience may not know what “I kicked that lame-o to the curb for dissing my research project” means. Keep it casual enough to be easy to follow, but formal enough to be respectful of the audience’s intelligence.

Just use an honest voice and represent yourself as naturally as possible. It may help to think of the essay as a sort of face-to-face interview, only the interviewer isn’t actually present.

Too much style

A well-written, dramatic essay is much more memorable than one that fails to make an emotional impact on the reader. Good anecdotes and personal insights can really attract an audience’s attention. BUT be careful not to let your drama turn into melodrama. You want your reader to see your choices motivated by passion and drive, not hyperbole and a lack of reality. Don’t invent drama where there isn’t any, and don’t let the drama take over. Getting someone else to read your drafts can help you figure out when you’ve gone too far.

Taking risks

Many guides to writing application essays encourage you to take a risk, either by saying something off-beat or daring or by using a unique writing style. When done well, this strategy can work—your goal is to stand out from the rest of the applicants and taking a risk with your essay will help you do that. An essay that impresses your reader with your ability to think and express yourself in original ways and shows you really care about what you are saying is better than one that shows hesitancy, lack of imagination, or lack of interest.

But be warned: this strategy is a risk. If you don’t carefully consider what you are saying and how you are saying it, you may offend your readers or leave them with a bad impression of you as flaky, immature, or careless. Do not alienate your readers.

Some writers take risks by using irony (your suffering at the hands of a barbaric dentist led you to want to become a gentle one), beginning with a personal failure (that eventually leads to the writer’s overcoming it), or showing great imagination (one famous successful example involved a student who answered a prompt about past formative experiences by beginning with a basic answer—”I have volunteered at homeless shelters”—that evolved into a ridiculous one—”I have sealed the hole in the ozone layer with plastic wrap”). One student applying to an art program described the person he did not want to be, contrasting it with the person he thought he was and would develop into if accepted. Another person wrote an essay about her grandmother without directly linking her narrative to the fact that she was applying for medical school. Her essay was risky because it called on the reader to infer things about the student’s character and abilities from the story.

Assess your credentials and your likelihood of getting into the program before you choose to take a risk. If you have little chance of getting in, try something daring. If you are almost certainly guaranteed a spot, you have more flexibility. In any case, make sure that you answer the essay question in some identifiable way.

After you’ve written a draft

Get several people to read it and write their comments down. It is worthwhile to seek out someone in the field, perhaps a professor who has read such essays before. Give it to a friend, your mom, or a neighbor. The key is to get more than one point of view, and then compare these with your own. Remember, you are the one best equipped to judge how accurately you are representing yourself. For tips on putting this advice to good use, see our handout on getting feedback .

After you’ve received feedback, revise the essay. Put it away. Get it out and revise it again (you can see why we said to start right away—this process may take time). Get someone to read it again. Revise it again.

When you think it is totally finished, you are ready to proofread and format the essay. Check every sentence and punctuation mark. You cannot afford a careless error in this essay. (If you are not comfortable with your proofreading skills, check out our handout on editing and proofreading ).

If you find that your essay is too long, do not reformat it extensively to make it fit. Making readers deal with a nine-point font and quarter-inch margins will only irritate them. Figure out what material you can cut and cut it. For strategies for meeting word limits, see our handout on writing concisely .

Finally, proofread it again. We’re not kidding.

Other resources

Don’t be afraid to talk to professors or professionals in the field. Many of them would be flattered that you asked their advice, and they will have useful suggestions that others might not have. Also keep in mind that many colleges and professional programs offer websites addressing the personal statement. You can find them either through the website of the school to which you are applying or by searching under “personal statement” or “application essays” using a search engine.

If your schedule and ours permit, we invite you to come to the Writing Center. Be aware that during busy times in the semester, we limit students to a total of two visits to discuss application essays and personal statements (two visits per student, not per essay); we do this so that students working on papers for courses will have a better chance of being seen. Make an appointment or submit your essay to our online writing center (note that we cannot guarantee that an online tutor will help you in time).

For information on other aspects of the application process, you can consult the resources at University Career Services .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Asher, Donald. 2012. Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice , 4th ed. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Curry, Boykin, Emily Angel Baer, and Brian Kasbar. 2003. Essays That Worked for College Applications: 50 Essays That Helped Students Get Into the Nation’s Top Colleges . New York: Ballantine Books.

Stelzer, Richard. 2002. How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School , 3rd ed. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson Peterson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

Writing a strong college admissions essay

Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

How formal should the tone of your college essay be?

Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

Taking your college essay to the next level

Hear an admissions expert discuss the appropriate level of depth necessary in your college essay.

Student Stories

Student Story: Admissions essay about a formative experience

Get the perspective of a current college student on how he approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about personal identity

Get the perspective of a current college student on how she approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about community impact

Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

• Online Degrees
• Find your New Career
• Join for Free

7 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

Writing, like any other skill, is something you can get better at with time and practice. Learn how.

From sending emails to preparing presentations, writing is often a day-to-day task in many professions spanning diverse industries. Writing skills go beyond grammar and spelling. Accuracy, clarity, persuasiveness, and several other elements play a part in ensuring your writing is conveying the right message.

In this article, we'll explore various aspects of writing skills and offer tips for improving yours.

If you'd like to start enhancing your writing skills now, two popular options on Coursera are University of California Irvine's Academic English: Writing Specialization and University of Michigan's Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization .

What are writing skills?

Writing is a technical skill that you use to communicate effectively through the written word. Though these may vary depending on what you’re writing, there are several that transcend categories. Writing skills can more specifically include:

Sentence construction

Research and accuracy

Persuasiveness

Each of these components can influence the quality of writing.

Why are writing skills important?

Being able to write well is a form of effective communication , which many employers see as a crucial job skill . In fact, strong communication—spanning written, verbal, non-verbal, and visual—is among the nine common employability skills that employers seek in job candidates.

Regardless of your role, with good writing skills, you can clearly transcribe your thoughts into meaningful messages, enabling you to share your ideas, build relationships, and strengthen your professional image.

Learn more: Important Communication Skills and How to Improve Them

How to improve your writing skills

Writing, like any other skill, is something we can get better at with time and practice. Here are some strategies for developing your own written communication:

1. Review grammar and spelling basics.

Grammar and spelling form the foundation of good writing. Writing with proper grammar and spelling communicates your professionality and attention to detail to your reader. It also makes your writing easier to understand.  

Plus, knowing when and how to use less-common punctuation, like colons, semicolons, and em-dashes, can unlock new ways to structure sentences and elevate your writing. 

If you’re looking to strengthen your grammar and spelling, start by consulting a writing manual. The Elements of Style by William Stunk and E.B. White has long been considered a staple for writers. You can find similar resources at your local library, bookstore, or online.

2. Read what you want to write.

Knowing what a finished piece of writing can look like can guide your own. If you’re trying to write a humorous short story, read humorous short stories. Writing a book review? Find a few and take note of how they’re structured. Pay attention to what makes them good and what you want to emulate (without plagiarizing, of course). If you’re working on a school assignment, you can ask your instructor for examples of successful pieces from past students.

Make reading a part of your everyday life to improve your writing. Try reading the news in the morning or picking up a book before you head to bed. If you haven’t been a big reader in the past, start with topics you’re interested in, or ask friends and family for recommendations. You’ll gradually begin to understand what subjects, genres, and authors you enjoy.

3. Proofread.

While it’s tempting to submit work as soon as you’re done with it, build in some time to revisit what you’ve written to catch errors big and small. Here are a few proofreading tips to keep in mind:

Set your work aside before you edit. Try to step away from your writing for a day or more so you can come back to it with fresh, more objective eyes. Crunched for time? Even allotting 20 minutes between writing and proofreading can allow you to approach your work with renewed energy.

Start with easy fixes, then progress to bigger changes. Starting with easier changes can get you in the rhythm for proofreading, allow you to read through your work once more, and clear distractions so you can focus on bigger edits. Read through your work to catch misspellings, inconsistencies, and grammar errors. Then address the larger problems with structure or awkward transitions. 

If you could say something in fewer words, do so. Being unnecessarily wordy can cloud your message and confuse the reader. Pare down phrases that are redundant, repetitive, or obvious.

Read out loud. Reading out loud can help you find awkward phrases and areas where your writing doesn’t flow well. 

Should you use computer spelling and grammar tools?

Many computer-based tools—like spell check on your word processor, or Grammarly — can help you find and fix simple spelling and grammar errors. These tools are not perfect but can help even the most seasoned of writers avoid mistakes. Take note of any frequently highlighted words or phrases so that you can avoid the same mistakes in the future.

4. Get feedback.

Whether you’re writing emails or essays, asking for feedback is a great way to see how somebody besides yourself will interpret your text. Have an idea of what you’d like your proofreader to focus on—the structure, conclusion, the persuasiveness of an argument, or otherwise. 

Approach a trusted friend, family member, coworker, or instructor. If you’re a student, your school might also have a writing resource center you can reach out to. 

You might also consider forming a writing group or joining a writing class. Find writing courses online, at your local community college, or at independent writing workshops in your city.

5. Think about structure.

Grammar and spelling keep your writing consistent and legible, but structure ensures the big ideas get across to the reader.

In many cases, forming an outline will help solidify structure. An outline can clarify what you’re hoping to convey in each section, enable you to visualize the flow of your piece, and surface parts that require more research or thought. 

Structure might look different depending on what you’re writing. An essay typically has an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. A fiction piece might follow the six-stage plot structure: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement. Choose what’s best for your purposes.

Like many skills, one of the best ways to improve your writing is to practice. Here are a few ways you can get started:

Start a journal or a blog.

Join a class or writing workshop.

Practice free writing.

Write letters to friends or family.

Put together an opinion piece for your local newspaper or publication you like.

7. Know some common fixes.

Even if a text is grammatically correct, you may be able to make it more dynamic and interesting with some polish. Here are some common ways you can sharpen your writing:

Choose strong verbs (for example, “sprinted,” “dashed,” or “bolted” instead of “ran”).

Avoid passive voice.

Vary sentence length.

Cut unnecessary words.

Replace cliches with original phrasing.

Showing your writing skills in a job search

Your writing skills will shine throughout the job search process , whether or not you intend to show them off. This is because job applications are largely written materials, including your cover letter , resume , and email communications . Use these opportunities to demonstrate your writing skills to prospective employers by submitting clear, accurate, and engaging materials.

Additionally, if you have specialized expertise, such as experience with legal writing, medical writing, technical writing, or scientific writing, you can note that in a resume skills section and further detail that experience within your cover letter or during your interviews .

Getting started

Whether you’re a scientist or a product manager, journalist or entrepreneur, writing effectively will enable you to communicate your ideas to the world. Through practice, exposure, and familiarizing yourself with basic rules, you’ll be able to use your writing to say exactly what you want to say.

If you’re looking for a structured way to expand your writing skillset, explore writing courses on Coursera —the first week is free.

Build job-ready skills with a Coursera Plus subscription

• Get access to 7,000+ learning programs from world-class universities and companies, including Google, Yale, Salesforce, and more
• Try different courses and find your best fit at no additional cost
• Earn certificates for learning programs you complete
• A subscription price of $59/month, cancel anytime

Give your team access to a catalog of 8,000+ engaging courses and hands-on Guided Projects to help them develop impactful skills. Learn more about Coursera for Business .

Keep reading

Coursera staff.

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

How to Structure an Essay

Essay writing is a fundamental skill, a basic task, that is expected of those who choose to pursue their undergraduate and master’s degrees. It constitutes a key requirement for students to complete a given course credit. However, many students and early career researchers find themselves struggling with the challenge of organizing their thoughts into a coherent, engaging structure. This article is especially for those who see essay writing as a daunting task and face problems in presenting their work in an impactful way.  

Table of Contents

• Writing an essay: basic elements and some key principles  
• Essay structure template 
• Chronological structure 
• Problem-methods-solutions structure 
• Compare and contrast structures 
• Frequently asked questions on essay structure 

Read on as we delve into the basic elements of essay writing, outline key principles for organizing information, and cover some foundational features of writing essays.  

Writing an essay: basic elements and some key principles

Essays are written in a flowing and continuous pattern but with a structure of its own. An introduction, body and conclusion are integral to it. The key is to balance the amount and kind of information to be presented in each part. Various disciplines may have their own conventions or guidelines on the information to be provided in the introduction.  

A clear articulation of the context and background of the study is important, as is the definition of key terms and an outline of specific models or theories used. Readers also need to know the significance of the study and its implications for further research. Most importantly, the thesis or the main proposition should be clearly presented.  

The body of the essay is therefore organized into paragraphs that hold the main ideas and arguments and is presented and analyzed in a logical manner. Ideally, each paragraph of the body focuses on one main point or a distinct topic and must be supported by evidence and analysis. The concluding paragraph should bring back to the reader the key arguments, its significance and food for thought. It is best not to re-state all the points of the essay or introduce a new concept here. 

In other words, certain general guidelines help structure the information in the essay. The information must flow logically with the context or the background information presented in the introductory part of the essay. The arguments are built organically where each paragraph in the body of the essay deals with a different point, yet closely linked to the para preceding and following it. Importantly, when writing essays, early career researchers must be careful in ensuring that each piece of information relates to the main thesis and is a building block to the arguments. 

Essay structure template

• Introduction 
• Provide the context and share significance of the study 
• Clearly articulate the thesis statement 
• Body  
• Paragraph 1 consisting of the first main point, followed by supporting evidence and an analysis of the findings. Transitional words and phrases can be used to move to the next main point. 
• There can be as many paragraphs with the above-mentioned elements as there are points and arguments to support your thesis. 
• Conclusion  
• Bring in key ideas and discuss their significance and relevance 
• Call for action 
• References 

Essay structures

The structure of an essay can be determined by the kind of essay that is required.  

Chronological structure

Also known as the cause-and-effect approach, this is a straightforward way to structure an essay. In such essays, events are discussed sequentially, as they occurred from the earliest to the latest. A chronological structure is useful for discussing a series of events or processes such as historical analyses or narratives of events. The introduction should have the topic sentence. The body of the essay should follow a chorological progression with each para discussing a major aspect of that event with supporting evidence. It ends with a summarizing of the results of the events.  

Problem-methods-solutions structure

Where the essay focuses on a specific problem, the problem-methods-solutions structure can be used to organize the essay. This structure is ideal for essays that address complex issues. It starts with presenting the problem, the context, and thesis statement as introduction to the essay. The major part of the discussion which forms the body of the essay focuses on stating the problem and its significance, the author’s approach or methods adopted to address the problem along with its relevance, and accordingly proposing solution(s) to the identified problem. The concluding part offers a recap of the research problem, methods, and proposed solutions, emphasizing their significance and potential impact. 

Compare and contrast structures

This structure of essay writing is ideally used when two or more key subjects require a comparison of ideas, theories, or phenomena. The three crucial elements, introduction, body, and conclusion, remain the same. The introduction presents the context and the thesis statement. The body of the essay seeks to focus on and highlight differences between the subjects, supported by evidence and analysis. The conclusion is used to summarize the key points of comparison and contrast, offering insights into the significance of the analysis.  

Depending on how the subjects will be discussed, the body of the essay can be organized according to the block method or the alternating method. In the block method, one para discusses one subject and the next para the other subject. In the alternative method, both subjects are discussed in one para based on a particular topic or issue followed by the next para on another issue and so on.  

Frequently asked questions on essay structure

An essay structure serves as a framework for presenting ideas coherently and logically. It comprises three crucial elements: an introduction that communicates the context, topic, and thesis statement; the body focusing on the main points and arguments supported with appropriate evidence followed by its analysis; and a conclusion that ties together the main points and its importance .  

An essay structure well-defined essay structure enhances clarity, coherence, and readability, and is crucial for organizing ideas and arguments to effectively communicate key aspects of a chosen topic. It allows readers to better understand arguments presented and demonstrates the author’s ability to organize and present information systematically. 

Yes, while expert recommend following an essay structure, early career researchers may choose how best to adapt standard essay structures to communicate and share their research in an impactful and engaging way. However, do keep in mind that deviating too far from established structures can hinder comprehension and weaken the overall effectiveness of the essay,  By understanding the basic elements of essay writing and employing appropriate structures such as chronological, problem-methods-solutions, or compare and contrast, researchers can effectively organize their ideas and communicate their findings with clarity and precision. 

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

Related Reads:

Powerful academic phrases to improve your essay writing .

• How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively
• How to Use AI to Enhance Your College Essays and Thesis
• How to Cite Social Media Sources in Academic Writing? 

Leveraging Generative AI to Enhance Student Understanding of Complex Research Concepts 

You may also like, leveraging generative ai to enhance student understanding of..., how to write a good hook for essays,..., addressing peer review feedback and mastering manuscript revisions..., how paperpal can boost comprehension and foster interdisciplinary..., what is the importance of a concept paper..., how to write the first draft of a..., mla works cited page: format, template & examples, how to ace grant writing for research funding..., how to write a high-quality conference paper.

Kafka letter, in which he says he can no longer write, goes to auction

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Barbara Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Lifestyle Chevron

Glastonbury festival kicks off as thousands of fans stream in.

Thousands of people began pouring into Worthy Farm in southwest England as the Glastonbury music festival kicked off on Wednesday, with hundreds of artists including Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Shania Twain set to enthral fans.

By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy .

Voice of the Discipline

News and publications.

Access AHA news and publications supporting the work of historians.

Stay up-to-date with the AHA

June 25, 2024

AHA Members Co-author Article on SCOTUS and Gun Control

AHA members Holly Brewer (Univ. of Maryland) and Laura F. Edwards (Princeton Univ.) have co-authored an article for Washington Monthly…

June 24, 2024

Action Alert Opposing Ohio SB 83

June 21, 2024

AHA Signs On to CIE Letter Urging HEA-Title VI Funding for FY 2025

June 18, 2024

Welcome to the AHA’s New Website

The American Historical Review is the flagship journal of the AHA and the journal of record for the historical discipline in the United States, bringing together scholarship from every major field of historical study.

Perspectives on History is the newsmagazine of the AHA and is the principal source for news and information about the discipline of history. Since 1962, Perspectives has promoted our work by publishing articles and commentary on all aspects of the historical discipline.

History in Focus Podcast

Environmental Crisis and Recovery

Collaborative history + revisiting marion thompson wright, aha booklets.

The AHA publishes booklets that address a diversity of topics to serve the needs of history students and historians in all professions. Our publications include career advice for history graduates, overviews and syntheses of current historical topics and fields, and guides to teaching and learning in history.

For the Press

The AHA is pleased to provide resources for journalists and press. If you are a member of the media and would like to submit a request for a referral or interview, please email [email protected] . Please provide any pertinent deadlines and we will do our best to accommodate your request. The AHA can find you a historian for any topic, and assists with dozens of inquiries each year.

The AHA encourages the reading of history with periodic reading challenges.

Permission to Use AHA Copyrighted Material

All material published by the American Historical Association in any medium is protected by copyright.

Join the AHA

The AHA brings together historians from all specializations and all work contexts, embracing the breadth and variety of activity in history today.