The College Essay

The College Essay Here you are, questioning whether or not going to college is the right decision. The percentile ranking of your test scores against all test takers nationwide can show you how you compare to other undergraduate-bound students. Like the diner essay above, this sample excerpt from a student at St. Cloud State spruces up something as everyday as a local pawn shop. Narration means you're telling a story from a certain viewpoint, and there is usually a reason for the telling. It's important to cite your sources with accuracy and clarity. Follow these guidelines on how to use quotes in essays and speeches. Start by writing the thesis statement at the top, and then write a topic sentence for each paragraph below that. This means you should know exactly what each of your paragraphs is going to be about before you write them. Your thesis statement is the main point of your essay. You need to simply sit and think of ideas during this phase. For some, writing an essay is as simple as sitting down at their computer and beginning to type. All narrative essays have characters, setting, a climax, and most importantly, a plot. Another common area of concern is quotation marks. But, before you move forward, take heed of these topics to avoid. Once you have a list of possible topics, it's time to choose the best one that will answer the question posed for your essay. You want to choose a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow. Use clustering or mind mapping to brainstorm and come up with an essay idea. Go to the library or search online for information about your topic. Interview people who might be experts in the subject. Choose the best topic idea from among your list and begin moving forward on writing your essay. This involves writing your topic or idea in the center of the paper and creating bubbles of related ideas around it. You cannot write an essay unless you have an idea of what to write about. Brainstorming is the process in which you come up with the essay topic. But, a lot more planning goes into writing an essay successfully. If you have never written an essay before, or if you struggle with writing and want to improve your skills, it is a good idea to follow a number of important steps in the essay writing process. It is essentially one sentence that says what the essay is about. You should usually state your thesis in your introductory paragraph. Keep your research organized so it will be easy for you to refer back to. This will also make it easier to cite your sources when writing your final essay. Once you have done your brainstorming and chosen your topic, you may need to do some research to write a good essay. The percentile is the percentage of test takers who get lower test scores than you. For example, the median composite SAT score is 1083 (541 Math, 543 Evidence-based Reading and Writing).