a issue essay

• GRE Exam Info
• What's Tested on the GRE?
• What's a Good GRE Score?
• Taking the GRE
• GRE Study Plans
• GRE Tips and Tricks
• Applying to Grad School
• GRE Question of the Day
• GRE Pop Quiz
• GRE 20-Minute Workout
• Free GRE Practice Test
• GRE Practice Packs
• GRE Classes

7 Tips for a Perfect GRE Issue Essay

If you get a perfect score on the GRE’s Issue Essay (a 6), it can really boost your graduate school admissions chances! The best schools want good Verbal and Quantitative scores, but also students who are clear, competent writers. Lots of students have excellent transcripts and are good at taking tests – but not everyone can demonstrate impressive writing skills! Here are 7 tips to take your Issue essay to that perfect 6.

[ RELATED: What is a good GRE score?   ]

Write at least three practice essays.

Practice makes perfect! You can study for the GRE online by looking up the AWA prompts and practicing writing several of them within the 30-minute guideline. The only way to get comfortable with the time constraints is to practice them, so set up test-like conditions and get to work. If you’re a good writer, you might be tempted to take the GRE essay portion without practicing. That’s not a great idea–the issue essay is a different kind of essay than you’ve probably had to write in school, and you might miss the mark if you don’t practice. On the issue essay you’re not writing literary criticism or rhetorical analysis, but rather something more akin to a very direct, concise email to a very busy boss or professor. Get used to the idea that the issue essay isn’t about how well you make things flow or how pretty it sounds; it’s about how clearly you can get information across.

Don’t waffle.

You don’t have time to argue both sides of an issue on the GRE issue essay . Even if you don’t believe in the side you choose, you’ll only have time to argue one side effectively. If you take a middle-of-the-road approach you won’t sound as confident or clear. Remember, according to ETS, the “readers are evaluating the skill with which you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue.” Which side you choose to defend is less important than how you defend it!

Choose very specific real-world examples.

Don’t be general! Hypothetical arguments are easily refuted. The easy counter to any “what-if” argument is to challenge that the hypothetical scenario would ever actually happen. Instead, use specific examples: Mitt Romney, the War of 1812, Keynesian economic theory, an anecdote about your Uncle Ralph the compulsive gambler, etc. are all concrete examples you can use to drive home a point. 

BUT, make sure your examples are relevant to the topic.

You can choose examples from a wide range of subjects, including personal experience, pop culture, history, sports, literature, current events, politics, etc. But, don’t let your examples take over the essay. For instance, if you’re using a historical example, be careful that you don’t let the bulk of your essay become a summary of that event or a history paper equivalent. Your whole goal on the issue essay is to prove a point, so only use an example if it’s going to back up your argument.

Avoid first-person and self-reference.

In general, you should avoid writing in first person on the issue essay. Saying things like “I believe” or “in my opinion” adds unnecessary words since the reader already knows that the issue essay is written from your perspective. First-person pronouns should ONLY appear in a body paragraph if you are using personal experience as an example. Never use “I” in your introductory or concluding paragraphs.

Make strong, declarative statements.

Being direct doesn’t leave any room for miscommunication or misinterpretation. Part of the reason this is so important is because while one of your graders is human, the other is a computer. If you’ve ever talked to your GPS or Siri, you’ve probably experienced some miscommunication from time to time. Avoid this on the GRE issue essay by making strong, declarative statements.

Refute the opposing view in your conclusion.

Many GRE students wonder what to do in their conclusion. Try introducing the opposing viewpoint, showing that you recognize that in fact some people do not support your position. Then refute their argument in 1-2 sentences, and reinforce the validity of  your own thesis.

BONUS: Know how the GRE Analytical Writing Essays are scored

The GRE testmaker, Educational Testing Service (ETS) reports a single score rounded up to the nearest half-point. This score makes up the essay portion of your overall GRE score .

You can read more from ETS on  specific  score level breakdowns  here .

You might also like

Call 1-800-KAP-TEST or email [email protected]

Prep for an Exam

MCAT Test Prep

LSAT Test Prep

GRE Test Prep

GMAT Test Prep

SAT Test Prep

ACT Test Prep

DAT Test Prep

NCLEX Test Prep

USMLE Test Prep

Courses by Location

NCLEX Locations

GRE Locations

SAT Locations

LSAT Locations

MCAT Locations

GMAT Locations

Useful Links

Kaplan Test Prep Contact Us Partner Solutions Work for Kaplan Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy CA Privacy Policy Trademark Directory

Guidance from our top admission experts — for free!

• Admit Finder

Discover Past Admits, Gauge Your Chances!

• Shortlist Builder

Personalized University Picks, Just a Click Away.

• Course Finder

Navigate Global Courses Tailored for You

• Scholarship Finder

Unlock Funding Opportunities Worldwide.

Get tailored study abroad advice.

Sign in for exclusive content!

Planning to study abroad?

Build your target shortlist and see your odds of getting into top schools with Ambitio's AI shortlist builder!

Heading Out Already?

Our Ivy League mentors and top admission experts can help with personalized tips to get you into your dream school

9 minutes read

Nail the GRE Analytical Writing with Sample Issue Essays

Dirghayu Kaushik

15 August 2024

Worried about the cost of Studying Abroad?

Sign up to access 25 game-changing scholarships that could cover your costs.

• Introduction

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test required by many graduate schools in the United States and other English-speaking countries.

One of the most challenging sections of the GRE is the analytical writing section, which consists of two tasks: the issue task and the argument task.

This blog will focus on the issue task, providing GRE issue essay examples, tips, and strategies to help you nail the GRE analytical writing section.

Stuck on How to Pick Your Ideal College?

Sign up to access your tailored shortlist and simplify finding your ideal college.

• GRE Analytical Writing Section

The analytical writing section is the first part of the GRE and is designed to assess your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It consists of two 30-minute tasks: the ‘Analyze an Issue’ task and the ‘Analyze an Argument’ task.

In the issue task, you are given a statement on a general issue, and you are required to write a response in which you discuss your views on the issue. You will need to provide reasons and examples to support your position.

The quality of your essay, your ability to present a clear and well-reasoned response, and your writing skills will all contribute to your GRE analytical writing score.

See how Successful Applications Look Like!

Access 350K+ profiles of students who got in. See what you can improve in your own application!

• Preparing for the GRE Issue Essay

The issue essay requires you to take a position on an issue and to support your position with reasons and examples. It is important to practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to understand the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam.

Analyzing the Prompt

The first step in preparing for the issue essay is to analyze the prompt. The prompt will present a statement, and you will need to discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement.

It is important to carefully read and understand the prompt and to identify the key issues that need to be addressed in your essay.

Planning Your Response

Once you have analyzed the prompt, it is important to plan your response. Start by deciding on your position on the issue. Do you agree or disagree with the statement?

To what extent do you agree or disagree? Then, think about the reasons for your position and the examples that could be used to support your reasoning.

Writing the Essay

When writing the essay, start with an introduction that clearly states your position on the issue and provides a brief overview of the reasons for your position.

In the body of the essay, discuss your reasons and provide examples to support your position. Be sure to address the most compelling reasons and examples that could be used to challenge your position. Finally, in the conclusion, summarize your position and the reasons for your position.

Start Your University Applications with Ambitio Pro!

Get Ambitio Pro!

Begin your journey to top universities with Ambitio Pro. Our premium platform offers you tools and support needed to craft standout applications.

Unlock Advanced Features for a More Comprehensive Application Experience!

Start your Journey today

• GRE Issue Essay Examples

Below are some sample issue essay topics and responses to help you prepare for the GRE analytical writing section.

Sample Issue Essay 1:

Prompt : “In today’s world, it is more important to work quickly and risk making mistakes than to work slowly and make sure that everything is perfect.”

Introduction : In today’s fast-paced world, there is often a trade-off between speed and accuracy. While it is important to work quickly to meet deadlines and stay competitive, it is also important to ensure that the work is of high quality and free of mistakes. I partially agree with the statement that it is more important to work quickly and risk making mistakes than to work slowly and make sure that everything is perfect. While speed is important in some situations, accuracy is also crucial, and it is important to strike a balance between the two.

Body : On one hand, working quickly is important in many situations. In today’s competitive business environment, companies often face tight deadlines and need to respond quickly to changes in the market. Being able to work quickly can lead to increased productivity, faster decision-making, and a competitive advantage. Additionally, in some situations, it is better to make a decision quickly, even if it is not perfect than to delay and miss out on an opportunity.

On the other hand, it is also important to ensure that the work is of high quality and free of mistakes. Making mistakes can lead to wasted time and resources, and can damage a company’s reputation. In some industries, such as healthcare or aviation, making mistakes can have serious consequences and can even be life-threatening.

Conclusion : In conclusion, while it is important to work quickly in some situations, it is also important to ensure that the work is of high quality and free of mistakes. It is important to strike a balance between speed and accuracy, and to consider the potential consequences of making mistakes. Ultimately, the best approach will depend on the situation and the potential consequences of making mistakes.

Sample Issue Essay 2:

Prompt : “The best way to solve environmental problems caused by consumer-generated waste is for towns and cities to impose strict limits on the amount of trash they will accept from each household.”

Introduction : Environmental problems caused by consumer-generated waste are a growing concern worldwide. Landfills are overflowing, and pollution from waste is impacting air and water quality. While imposing strict limits on the amount of trash accepted from each household may be part of the solution, I do not believe it is the best way to solve the problem. A more comprehensive approach that includes reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, as well as educating the public about the importance of reducing waste, is needed to effectively address the issue.

Body : Imposing strict limits on the amount of trash accepted from each household may encourage people to reduce their waste and recycle more. However, it may also lead to illegal dumping or to people finding other ways to dispose of their waste that may be even more harmful to the environment. Additionally, it does not address the root causes of the problem, which include overconsumption and the production of non-recyclable or non-biodegradable products.

A more comprehensive approach is needed to effectively address the issue. This could include implementing policies that encourage the production and use of recyclable or biodegradable products, promoting recycling and composting programs, and educating the public about the importance of reducing waste. Additionally, providing incentives for households and businesses to reduce their waste and recycle, as well as imposing penalties for illegal dumping, could also be part of the solution.

Conclusion : In conclusion, while imposing strict limits on the amount of trash accepted from each household may be part of the solution, it is not the best way to solve the problem. A more comprehensive approach that includes reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, as well as educating the public about the importance of reducing waste, is needed to effectively address the issue.

• Tips for Writing a High-Scoring GRE Issue Essay
• Analyze the Prompt : Make sure you understand the prompt and the issue it presents. Identify the key issues that need to be addressed in your essay.
• Plan Your Response : Decide on your position on the issue and think about the reasons for your position and the examples that could be used to support your reasoning.
• Write a Clear and Well-Reasoned Response : Start with an introduction that clearly states your position on the issue and provides a brief overview of the reasons for your position. In the body of the essay, discuss your reasons and provide examples to support your position. Be sure to address the most compelling reasons and examples that could be used to challenge your position. Finally, in the conclusion, summarize your position and the reasons for your position.
• Practice, Practice, Practice : Practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to understand the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam.
• Revise Your Essay : After writing your essay, take some time to revise it. Check for any grammatical or spelling errors, and make sure that your ideas are clearly and logically presented.

Understanding the GRE Issue Task Scoring Criteria

Understanding the criteria on which your essay will be evaluated can help you write a high-scoring essay. ETS, the organization that administers the GRE, evaluates the issue essay on the following criteria:

• Articulation of Ideas : This criterion assesses the clarity and fluency with which you present your ideas. Your essay should be well-organized, with a clear and logical progression of ideas.
• Development and Support : This criterion assesses the reasons and examples you provide to support your position on the issue. Your reasons should be well-developed, and your examples should be relevant and compelling.
• Analytical Writing Skills : This criterion assesses your ability to analyze the issue, consider different perspectives, and present a well-reasoned and thoughtful response.
• Control of Language : This criterion assesses the quality of your writing, including your vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammatical correctness.

To score high on the GRE issue essay, make sure to address all of these criteria in your essay.

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is one of the most important parts of your essay. It should clearly state your position on the issue and provide a brief overview of the reasons for your position.

Your thesis statement should be specific and debatable, and it should provide a roadmap for your reader. Here are some tips for developing a strong thesis statement:

• Take a Clear Position : Your thesis statement should clearly state your position on the issue. Avoid vague or neutral statements that do not take a clear position.
• Be Specific : Your thesis statement should be specific and focused. Avoid broad or general statements that do not clearly articulate your position.
• Provide a Roadmap : Your thesis statement should provide a brief overview of the main points that you will discuss in your essay. This will help your reader understand the structure of your essay and the main ideas that you will be discussing.

Addressing Opposing Views

It is important to address opposing views in your essay. This shows that you have considered different perspectives on the issue and helps to strengthen your argument. Here are some tips for addressing opposing views in your essay:

• Be Respectful : Acknowledge the validity of opposing views, even if you do not agree with them. Avoid dismissive or derogatory language.
• Be Fair : Present opposing views accurately and fairly. Do not misrepresent or distort opposing views to make your own argument seem stronger.
• Provide a Counterargument : After presenting an opposing view, provide a counterargument that explains why you do not agree with that view and why your position is more persuasive.

Using Evidence Effectively

Using evidence effectively is crucial for writing a persuasive essay. Your evidence should be relevant, compelling, and should directly support your thesis statement. Here are some tips for using evidence effectively in your essay:

• Be Specific : Provide specific examples and details to support your thesis statement. Avoid vague or general statements that do not directly support your argument.
• Be Relevant : Make sure that the evidence you provide is directly relevant to your thesis statement and the main points of your essay.
• Be Persuasive : Use compelling evidence that persuades your reader to accept your position on the issue. This could include facts, statistics, anecdotes, or expert opinions.

Crafting a Strong Conclusion

Your conclusion is the final opportunity to persuade your reader to accept your position on the issue. It should summarize your main points, restate your thesis in a new way, and provide a closing thought that leaves a lasting impression on your reader. Here are some tips for crafting a strong conclusion:

• Summarize Your Main Points : Briefly summarize the main points of your essay. This helps to reinforce your argument and reminds your reader of the key reasons for your position.
• Restate Your Thesis : Restate your thesis in a new way. This helps to reinforce your argument and provides a sense of closure to your essay.
• Provide a Closing Thought : End your essay with a closing thought that leaves a lasting impression on your reader. This could be a call to action, a prediction about the future, or a final insight about the issue.
• Practice is Key

Practicing writing essays on various topics is crucial for developing your writing skills and for understanding the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam.

Practice writing essays on different topics, and seek feedback from others to improve your writing. Additionally, you can find sample issue essay prompts on the ETS website or in official GRE prep books.

Practice writing essays on these prompts to familiarize yourself with the types of topics that may appear in the actual exam and to develop your ability to write a well-reasoned and thoughtful response.

The GRE issue essay is an important part of the GRE analytical writing section. By understanding the scoring criteria, developing a strong thesis statement, addressing opposing views, using evidence effectively, and crafting a strong conclusion, you can write a high-scoring GRE issue essay.

Remember to practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to familiarize yourself with the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam. With practice and preparation, you can nail the GRE analytical writing section and achieve a high score.

What is the GRE analytical writing section?

The GRE analytical writing section is the first part of the GRE and is designed to assess your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It consists of two 30-minute tasks: the ‘Analyze an Issue’ task and the ‘Analyze an Argument’ task.

How is the GRE issue essay scored?

The GRE issue essay is scored on a scale of 0 to 6, with 0 being the lowest score and 6 being the highest score. ETS evaluates the issue essay on four criteria: articulation of ideas, development, and support, analytical writing skills, and control of language.

What are some tips for writing a high-scoring GRE issue essay?

Some tips for writing a high-scoring GRE issue essay include understanding the scoring criteria, developing a strong thesis statement, addressing opposing views, using evidence effectively, and crafting a strong conclusion.

How can I practice for the GRE issue essay?

Practice writing essays on various topics to develop your writing skills and to understand the types of topics that may appear in the actual GRE exam. Additionally, you can find sample issue essay prompts on the ETS website or in official GRE prep books. Practice writing essays on these prompts to familiarize yourself with the types of topics that may appear in the actual exam and to develop your ability to write a well-reasoned and thoughtful response.

Spread the Word!

Share across your social media if you found it helpful

Table of Contents

• • Introduction
• • GRE Analytical Writing Section
• • Preparing for the GRE Issue Essay
• • GRE Issue Essay Examples
• • Tips for Writing a High-Scoring GRE Issue Essay
• • Practice is Key
• • Conclusion

Build your profile to get into top colleges

Phone Number

What level are you targetting

Almost there!

Just enter your OTP, and your planner will be on its way!

Code sent on

Resend OTP (30s)

Your Handbook Is Waiting on WhatsApp!

Please have a look, and always feel free to reach out for any detailed guidance

Click here to download

Meanwhile check out your dashboard to access various tools to help you in your study abroad journey

Recent Blogs

What Is The GRE Score Needed For University of Maryland Admission?

What Is The Required GRE Score For Yale University?

What Are The GRE Score For University Of Connecticut And Other Admission Requirements?

Find your Dream school now⭐️

Welcome! Let's Land Your Dream Admit.

Let us make sure you get into the best!

• 2024 Winter
• 2024 Spring
• 2024 Summer

Enter verification code

Code was sent to

• Our Experts

Connect with us on our social media

Testimonials

Free Resources

PrepScholar GRE Prep

Gre prep online guides and tips, 4 top-scoring gre sample essays, analyzed (issue + argument).

The best way to figure out how to get a high Analytical Writing score is to look at a GRE essay sample, but doing so without any guidance can be overwhelming. How do you show insight? Do typos affect your score? What’s a good way to keep your essay organized?

We’ll answer all these questions for you (and more!) in this article by analyzing four real GRE essay examples and highlighting the key features you’ll want to include in your own essays.

How to Use This Guide

Before we get to the GRE sample essays and their analyses, I’ll highlight two best ways to use this guide to improve your essay and get a great scoring essay yourself.

First, use the perfect-scoring sample GRE essays in this guide as models of possible ways to accomplish the essay tasks . By this, I don’t mean you should plagiarize entire sentences, paragraphs, or essays – that’s both wrong and against GRE code of conduct (it will disqualify your entire test if discovered). Plus, there are so many prompts (152 Issue prompts and 176 Argument ones) that it’s unlikely you’d be able to use any of these exact essays anyway.

What you can and should do is incorporate the features highlighted in the analyses below in your own essays. For instance, if you’ve been struggling with how to logically connect ideas within paragraphs in your own essays, take a look of some of the examples of logical connection I point out in this article and see how they fit within the context of the full essay. You can then practice replicating successful connections between ideas in your own practice essays.

The other main way to use this guide is in conjunction with the essay grading rubrics to help ferret out your writing weaknesses and work on them. Start with the rubrics for the Issue and Argument tasks and identify which criteria are most difficult for you to meet. Even if you can’t articulate precisely what your weakest spot is (e.g. failing to logically connect your ideas within paragraphs), you can at least narrow down the general rubric area you most struggle with (e.g. organization in general).

Once you’ve identified the general area you have the most trouble with, read the GRE essay examples and our analyses in this article to find concrete instances (rather than the abstract descriptions) of the rubric criteria. For more information about the different rubrics for the different essay tasks, read our articles on how to write perfect-scoring GRE Issue and Argument essays .

Quick side note: we've created the world's leading online GRE prep program that adapts to you and your strengths and weaknesses. Not sure what to study? Confused by how to improve your score? We give you minute by minute guide.

You don't NEED a prep program to get a great GRE score. But we believe PrepScholar is the best GRE prep program available right now , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't know what to study .

Click here to learn how you can improve your GRE score by 7 points, guaranteed .

Because this article is on the longer side, we’ve created a table of contents to enable you to jump to a specific essay example or task type:

Table of Contents: GRE Essay Examples 

Issue essay 1: technology and human ingenuity, issue essay 2: cooperation vs. competition, argument essay 1: mason city riverside recreation, argument essay 2: super screen movie advertising.

The first of the GRE sample essays we’ll be looking at is written in response to the following “Analyze an Issue” prompt:

As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

The essay written on this Issue prompt takes the position that rather than hindering our abilities to think for themselves, technology will spur humanity on to achieve ever-greater things. The full text of this GRE essay sample can be found on the ETS website .

In this analysis, I’ll go over the different ways in which this essay meets the GRE essay rubric criteria for a perfect scoring Issue essay . The first of these rubric criteria I’ll be discussing is the way the author takes a clear and insightful stance on the issue in the essay.

The author’s position that instead of fearing new technology, we should embrace its possibilities is methodically articulated over the course of the entire essay, culminating in the essay’s conclusion with a full thesis statement (“There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.”). Below is an outline of how the author expresses her thesis throughout the essay:

• Paragraph 1 : The author acknowledges “technology has revolutionized the world.”
• Paragraph 2 : The author explains the reasoning behind the statement in the prompt (“The assumption is that an increased reliance on technology negates the need for people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries”).
• Paragraph 3 : The author counters the reasoning she discussed in paragraph 2, writing that “reliance on technology does not necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species.”
• Paragraph 4 : The author advances her counterclaim one step further, stating that “technology frees the human imagination.”
• Paragraph 5 : The author further develops the idea from Paragraph 4, stating “By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved.”
• Paragraph 6 : This final paragraph concludes the essay with a fully articulated thesis that also sums up what went before: “There is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the possibilities that technology provides for new avenues of human imagination.”

The author’s straightforward explanations of her thinking and logic enhance the clarity of her position, while the nuanced content of the position itself demonstrates insight into the issue.

The next area a perfect-scoring Issue essay must demonstrate mastery of is the development of its position through compelling and persuasive examples and reasoning . The author of this essay accomplishes this task by providing examples to support each idea she discusses and, furthermore, explaining not only the content of the examples but also why the examples support her position.

Here’s an example from paragraph 5:

By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved. Consider how the late 20th century witnessed the complete elimination of smallpox. This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox. Using technology, battle plans were drawn out, and smallpox was systematically targeted and eradicated.

In this example, the author begins by laying out the main idea to be discussed (impossible things can be achieved by relying more on technology). She then supports this idea with the example of the impossible problem of smallpox and the steps taken that led to its eradication.

The great thing about the way the author explains her reasoning and examples is the concision and precision with which she gets her information across. Rather than going off into a discussion about the damage caused by smallpox, or staying too vague by mentioning how “diseases” had been solved by the use of vaccines, the author chooses a specific example (smallpox) and mentions only the details relevant to proving her point . This kind of precise writing takes practice, but being able to effectively sum up an example and why it supports your position in just a couple of sentences is essential if you want to get a high score on the GRE Issue essay.

Focus, organization, and logical connections are the third criterion that a perfect-scoring essay needs to fulfill. In the case of this GRE essay sample, the author achieves this organization and focus by linking ideas both within paragraphs (as seen in the previous example) as well as between paragraphs . Let’s look at the way the author transitions between the end of paragraph four and the beginning of paragraph five:

The unlikely marriage of economics and medicine has healed tense, hyperinflation environments from South America to Eastern Europe.

This last example provides the most hope in how technology actually provides hope to the future of humanity. By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved.

The author connects the two paragraphs by continuing paragraph four’s discussion of ways human imagination has been pushed by technology (technology combining economics and medicine has solved a problem) with paragraph five’s exploration of how this example has led to achieving things previously considered impossible. The smoothness of the transition between the two paragraphs is effected both by presenting the content of the next paragraph as a logical progression from what was just discussed as well as by using language (“this last example”) that connects the two on a more superficial level.

By keeping paragraphs tightly linked on both the surface level of sentence structures as well as on the deeper level of content being discussed , the author of this essay also keeps her writing focused and cohesive.

Want to improve your GRE score by 7 points?  We have the industry's leading GRE prep program. Built by world-class instructors with 99th percentile GRE scores , the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through machine learning data science, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible.

Try our 5-day full access trial for free:

The last quality a perfect-scoring essay must demonstrate is precision of language and flow in writing . The author of this GRE Analytical Writing sample fulfills this requirement by using language to precisely and economically convey meaning throughout her essay. Here’s one example of precise and effective use of language in the essay:

This disease had ravaged the human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the technology of vaccines, free thinking humans dared to imagine a world free of smallpox.

In this excerpt, the author uses the evocative word “ravaged” to show the dire extent of the problem solved by technology, reinforcing that the issue was previously considered impossible to cope with. She also uses the phrase “humans dared to imagine” in this sentence, which ties the example being discussed back to the previous paragraph’s discussion of human imagination.

While there are a couple of minor errors in this excerpt (“prehistorical” should be “prehistoric,” “free thinking” should be “free-thinking”), they do not significantly change the meaning of the author’s words and so do not detract from the overall effectiveness of the author’s language.

Return to Table of Contents

The second of the GRE Issue essay samples I’ll be analyzing is written in response to the following prompt about the values of cooperation vs. competition:

“The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.”

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

The sample Issue essay written in response to this topic takes the stance that cooperation, not competition, is a preferable value to instill in young people in preparation for government. You can read the full essay on page 108 of this PDF . Read on for a discussion of the different ways in which this essay meets the requirements for a perfect score.

As with the previous GRE essay sample, we’ll start by looking at how this essay meets the perfect-scoring essay criteria of stating a clear and insightful position (as required by the essay task). The author fulfills the first part of the criteria with his clear statement of his thesis in the last line of the very first paragraph:

I would have to agree that the best way to prepare young people for leadership roles is to instill in them a sense of cooperation.

He reiterates this clear position with the last two sentences of his conclusion:

Getting to be President of the United States or the managing director of a corporation might require you to win some battles, but once you are there you will need diplomacy and people-skills. Those can be difficult to learn, but if you do not have them, you are likely to be a short-lived leader.

To achieve a perfect Issue essay score, however, it’s not just enough to be clear in your position; your position must also demonstrate insight into the issue . The author of this essay accomplishes this second part by choosing a two-pronged approach to answering the essay question. Rather than merely explaining how cooperativeness leads to positive outcomes in government, industry, and other fields, the author also explains how competitiveness leads to negative outcomes.

Thus, the author makes his position clear by stating it in the opening and closing paragraphs of the essay and shows insight by taking the more complex position that not only is cooperation good, but competition is bad.

The next of the rubric criteria we’ll discuss has to do with how well the author develops his position with examples and reasoning . A great example of this development can be found in the second paragraph of this essay, which discusses the drawbacks of competition.

The author begins his discussion of competitiveness by arguing that it’s a quality that doesn’t need to be “instilled” because it’s already present. Beginning with general reasoning about human behaviors at school and the office to introduce his point, the author then neatly segues into specific examples of competitiveness gone amok (Hitler in Germany and the recent economic meltdown in America).

With each example presented in the essay, the author pushes his position along a little further. He moves from discussing the most extreme historical cases (genocide) to more recent events (economic recession), concluding by focusing in on one person’s life and career (Tiger Woods). This final example allows the author to reach his final destination in his discussion of competitiveness: yes, competition can serve people well up to a certain point, but the price is that it is also “detrimental and ultimately quite destructive.”

The third way this essay meets the requirements of a perfect-scoring essay is through the logical connection of ideas within and between paragraphs . The transition between the end of paragraph two and the beginning of paragraph three provides a stellar example of this skillful connecting of ideas:

It [competitiveness] served him well in some respects, but it also proved to be detrimental and ultimately quite destructive.

Leaders who value cooperation, on the other ahnd, have historically been less prone to these overreaching, destructive tendencies.

On the face of it, the author only connects the two paragraphs by using a transition phrase (“on the other hand”) that sets up the next paragraph as contrasting with what came before. While this kind of transition would be good enough for a lower-scoring essay, though, the author does not just leave the connection between the two paragraphs at that. Instead, he also connects the two paragraphs by keeping the focus on the same issue from the end of one paragraph to the beginning of the next.

The content-level transition between paragraphs occurs when the author transitions from discussing the “detrimental and ultimately quite destructive” competitiveness of Tiger Woods directly into claiming that cooperation-valuing leaders are “less prone to these overreaching, destructive tendencies.” This twofold linkage of content (deeper level) and transition phrase (more surface level) makes it clear to the reader that the discussion of leaders valuing cooperation follows logically the discussion of negative outcomes for competition-valuing leaders.

The final 6-level quality demonstrated by this GRE Writing sample is its use of skillful and precise language to convey specific meaning . Overall, the language in this essay is formal and academic , despite the profligate use of first person point of view by the author (which can make writing seem less formal). The following sentence exemplifies the author’s command of language:

The recent economic meltdown was caused in no large part by the leaders of American banks and financial institutions who were obsessed with competing for the almighty dollar.

Despite the minor error in this sentence (it should read “in no small part,” rather than “in no large part,”), the author’s meaning is absolutely clear: competition led to the meltdown. Strong vocabulary choices like “economic meltdown,” “obsessed,” “almighty dollar” are what make this an effective statement of the author’s position. Compare the above excerpt to a more milquetoast version of the same statement:

The recent economic downturn was mostly caused by financial leaders who wanted to earn lots of money.

Want to improve your GRE score by 7+ points?

Check out our best-in-class online GRE prep program . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your GRE score by 7 points or more.

PrepScholar GRE is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses . We also feature 2,000 practice questions , official practice tests, 150 hours of interactive lessons, and 1-on-1 scoring and feedback on your AWA essays.

Check out our 5-day free trial now:

This second sentence has the same basic meaning as the real excerpt from the essay. Because it doesn’t use particularly precise or compelling language, however, this watered-down version ends up minimizing the magnitude of problems caused by competitiveness (which undercuts the author’s point). This vaguer version of the essay excerpt also lacks the word “competing,” which makes it useless as an instance of competition among leaders leading to negative consequences.

The original excerpt from the essay, and indeed the entire GRE essay example, is so strong precisely because it manages to pack in specific relevant language that adds to, rather than detracts from, the author’s meaning.

The next essay I’ll be analyzing is written in response to the following “Analyze an Argument” prompt:

In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating and fishing) among their favorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river’s water and the river’s smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is therefore sure to increase. The city government should for that reason devote more money in this year’s budget to riverside recreational facilities.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications are if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The GRE Argument essay sample I’ll be analyzing critiques the numerous assumptions made and ultimately concludes that the argument for spending more money on Mason City’s riverside recreational facilities rests on faulty assumptions.

The full text of this essay can be found on the ETS website . Be sure to read through the essay first before coming back to read my analysis of it. We’ll start by looking at the ways in which this GRE essay sample identifies and examines the argument given in the prompt in an insightful way:

There are three key assumptions made by the argument that are identified in the essay:

#1 : The survey results are valid and representative

#2 : The reason Mason River isn’t used is because of odor and pollution

#3 : Cleaning the pollution in the river will get rid of the odor and then lead to more usage by residents

The Argument essay example we’re looking at examines each of the assumptions by considering the implications if the assumptions made by the article turn out not to be true . Here’s part of the essay’s investigation of the second assumption listed above:

Though there have been complaints, we do not know if there have been numerous complaints from a wide range of people, or perhaps from one or two individuals who made numerous complaints.

The author identifies the assumption that complaints indicate many people want to use the river and examines it by reasoning through possible scenarios other than the one presented in the prompt. The insight comes from the fact that the specific possibilities discussed by the author are highly plausible alternative explanations for the facts that would change the validity of the prompt’s assumption. It’s very possible that the complaints were not made by every single resident, or even a majority of residents, as the prompt seems to assume, but were in fact only made by a few people.

As a result of her analysis, the author ultimately concludes that there is insufficient information to support the assumption that Mason River isn’t used due to its odor and pollution.

The next way the author of this sample GRE essay fulfills the requirements of a perfect-scoring Argument essay is by providing comprehensive support for each of her main points . Throughout the essay, the author is able to explain exactly why each assumption made is problematic by using examples that precisely illustrate her argument.

Consider how this is approached in the second paragraph of the essay. The author starts the paragraph by presenting the assumption made in the essay argument that the survey results can be relied upon. She then proceeds to decimate that assumption with multiple examples of ways in which the survey could be flawed and not be an accurate representation of the residents’ opinions, as can be seen in the following excerpt:

For example, the survey could have asked residents if they prefer using the river for water sports or would like to see a hydroelectric dam built, which may have swayed residents toward river sports. The sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river. The survey may have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions dedicated to river sports. We just do not know.

The thoroughness of the author’s support for her point is magnified by the specificity of the scenarios she proposes . Stating “the survey might not have been representative of the city residents” would have been far less compelling a point than stating “[t]he sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river.”

Another important ideal a perfect-scoring Argument essay must live up to is being organized logically, with clear transitions between ideas . The author of this GRE essay sample is able to meet the first part of this requirement with a simple five-paragraph organizational structure : an introduction, one paragraph for each assumption discussed, and a conclusion.

Accomplishing the logical connection and development of ideas throughout the essay requires a little bit more finesse, but the author still manages it. Here’s an example from the beginning of the third paragraph of a skillful transition:

Additionally, the author implies that residents do not use the river for swimming, boating, and fishing, despite their professed interest, because the water is polluted and smelly.

In the above example, the author uses the transition word “additionally” to connect the ideas that will follow with what went before. The example also references the previous paragraph’s discussion of the unreliability of the survey of residents (“their professed interest”) and links it to the current discussion of pollution and smell being the cause of low participation in riverside recreational activities. The combination of these two methods of connecting the two paragraphs results in a smooth logical flow from one idea to the next.

Lastly, a perfect-scoring Argument essay must be precise and effective in its discussion of ideas, with few if any errors . The author of this essay successfully meets this standard by using purposeful language to efficiently and clearly get her point across, as can be seen in this example from paragraph three:

While a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports, a concrete connection between the resident’s lack of river use and the river’s current state is not effectively made.

The author contrasts the prompt’s assumption (“a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports”) with the “concrete connection” that is not present. The essay as a whole is not completely devoid of errors (for example, the author writes “afffected” instead of “affected”), but the errors are few and do not have a negative impact on the clarity of the writing.

The last of the GRE essay examples I’ll be analyzing at is written in response to this “Analyze an Argument” prompt:

The following is taken from a memo from the advertising director of the Super Screen Movie Production Company.

“According to a recent report from our marketing department, during the past year, fewer people attended Super Screen-produced movies than in any other year. And yet the percentage of positive reviews by movie reviewers about specific Super Screen movies actually increased during the past year. Clearly, the contents of these reviews are not reaching enough of our prospective viewers. Thus, the problem lies not with the quality of our movies but with the public’s lack of awareness that movies of good quality are available. Super Screen should therefore allocate a greater share of its budget next year to reaching the public through advertising.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The essay written in response to this “Analyze an Argument” prompt raises and evaluates questions about how many viewers and reviews of Super Screen productions there actually were, if there is a strong relationship between how movie reviewers and general audiences react to movies, and whether or not the percentage of positive reviews about a movie reflects how much of an impact reviews have on audiences.

The full text of this GRE essay sample can be found on p. 112 of this PDF . Read through the essay first, then check below for an analysis of its positive (and negative) qualities.

The first aspect of the essay we’ll analyze is how it succeeds in identifying and examining the parts of the argument that are relevant to the task . In the essay’s introduction, the author mentions that there are questions that need to be asked (“Before this plan is implemented, however, Super Screen needs to address some questions about its possible flaws”), but he really hammers it home in the conclusion by specifying which questions need to be answered:

In conclusion, there are many questions Super Screen needs to answer before using this advertising director’s plan. They need to look carefully at actual numbers, both of viewership and of positive reviews. The also need to identify the relationship that their target audience has with movie reviewers and determine how their target audience feels about their movies. Fianlly they need to take a nuanced look at the movie reviews that they use in their advertising.

With this conclusion, the author hits the three main points that need to be considered before agreeing to the advertising director’s plan : viewer and review numbers, audience reactions to reviews, and whether or not reviews are a useful metric by which to measure movie success.

An instance of the author identifying a particular argument can be found in the third paragraph of this GRE essay sample. The paragraph starts by clearly stating the question that needs to be answered (what the number of positive reviews was and how it compared to past reviews). After this initial identification of the question, the author also explains how answering this question would have an impact on the usefulness of the recommendation: if the increase in positive reviews was from 1% to 2%, allocating more money to advertising to emphasize this fact is likely to have less impact than if the money were instead budgeted towards improving film quality.

Another quality all perfect-scoring Argument essays must contain is strong and thorough support for each point discussed . The author of the GRE essay sample we’re analyzing fulfills this requirement, supporting every question she raises about the argument in the prompt by showing how its answer would affect the recommendation.

A good example of this all coming together happens in paragraph five of the essay:

Finally the studio must ask whether the percentage of positive reviews is really a relevant way to measure the potential impact of movie reviews. There are dozens of movie reviewers but when deciding whether to not to go to a movie, the general public will usually pick from among the 10 most popular movie reviews. These are the reviews that will impress the public if they are included in advertising. If the most popular movie reviewers disliked Super Screen movies that a larger number of small time film bloggers reviewed positively, Super Screen needs to think of a new advertising strategy.

In this paragraph, the author opens by identifying the element of argument to be discussed (are positive reviews a useful way to measure the impact of movie reviews in general?). She then develops this point through reasoning about why the answer to this question might contradict the assumption made in the argument (people mostly use popular reviews to decide on what movies to see, rather than the ratio of popular to negative reviews).

The author ends this paragraph by conclusively showing that the answer to the question raised in this paragraph is crucial for determining whether or not Super Screen should follow the advertising director’s plan: if the percent of positive reviews isn’t a good way to measure movie impact and the real issue is that relatively few popular movie reviewers liked Super Screen movies, then the recommendation of the advertising department is unreasonable.

The third requirement for a perfect-scoring Argument essay is that it must develop and connect ideas in a clear and logical fashion. The organization of this GRE argument essay sample helps accomplish this by routing the author’s thoughts into an introduction, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion . Each body paragraph of the essay is centered around one or two related questions. A good example of this can be found in paragraph four, which contains two related questions about the relationship between audiences and movie reviewers:

Finally, Super Screen needs to ask what the relationship is between its viewers and the movie reviewers cited in the memo. Using a survey distributed to its target audience, Super Screen could determine if movie reviews have an effect on their audience’s decision to go see a movie, whether movie reviewers tended to have the same taste as the target audience and exactly whether or not movie reviews are reaching the audience. Super Screen also needs to consider how its movie choices have affected the separate movie reviewer and audience populations. If the studio has switched from making mega- blockbuster action movies to more nuanced dramas, the general public may be less willing to go see their movies even though movie critics prefer the dramas to the action movies.

The above paragraph starts out by discussing if Super Screen’s target audiences are affected by reviews and whether their audiences and movie reviewers have the same taste, then segues into discussing if the studio’s film-making choices have affected audiences and movie reviews. The transition between the two different questions being discussed is effected by the simple use of the word “also” in the third sentence of the paragraph:

Super Screen also needs to consider how its movie choices have affected the separate movie reviewer and audience populations. [bolded for emphasis]

The last sentence of the paragraph again links back to the discussion of audience taste vs. reviewer taste, reinforcing the close and logical connection between the two questions discussed in the paragraph.

Finally, a perfect-scoring Argument essay must employ varied and precise language, with few errors . Earlier, we discussed paragraph four as a particularly strong example of the author’s effective development of ideas. The last sentence of this paragraph contributes to this efficacy through the use of specific language :

“If the studio has switched from making mega-blockbuster action movies to more nuanced dramas, the general public may be less willing to go see their movies even though movie critics prefer the dramas to the action movies.”

The use of the descriptor “mega-blockbuster” to describe the action movies preferred by the masses effectively conjures up something that is the diametric opposite of a “nuanced drama.” In addition, the author’s contrasting of the “mega-blockbuster action movies” with “more nuanced dramas” parallels the second half of the sentence’s contrasting of the preferences of the general public vs. those of the (possibly) more refined movie reviewer.

There are a few minor spelling errors (e.g. in “attendence” instead of “attendance”), and the last two body paragraphs both start with “finally” (which is a little repetitive), but in general, this is a skillfully written essay. It’s not perfectly polished like an essay you’d turn in for school, but that’s absolutely OK. In the grand scheme of the GRE essay scoring rubric, writing flourishes matter much less than clarity of thought and precision of language.

6 Tips for a Perfect-Scoring GRE Essay

To wrap up this article, I’ll go over some of the key points you should take from the four GRE sample essays I analyzed in this article.

#1: Include an Introduction and a Conclusion

One thing that all these perfect-scoring GRE sample essays had in common was an introduction and a conclusion . It doesn’t have to be a full paragraph, but you need to at the very least introduce your ideas at the beginning of your essay and wrap up your conclusions at the end of it.

#2: State Your Position Clearly

In my notes to myself on one of the GRE Issue essay examples I analyzed above, I observed that the author “states her thesis early and often” because of the way her position was made clear throughout the essay. While obviously you don’t want to just repeat the same sentence over and over again, it is imperative that you include at least one clear statement of your position in your essay , preferably in your introduction paragraph.

The importance of clearly stating your position varies between the two GRE essay tasks somewhat. For the Argument essay, you might be able to get away with a vague summary of the points you’ll cover and still get a 4.0 or above on the essay; by contrast, it’s nearly impossible to get above a 3.0 on the Issue essay if you do not clearly state your position on the issue, as that is integral to the essay task itself.

Whatever the prompt or essay type, if you want to get a perfect score on your essay, you’ll need to include a clear statement of your position on the issue or what points you’ll be analyzing in regards to the argument in the prompt.

#3: Be Specific in Your Support

All of the perfect-scoring GRE essay examples analyzed in this article contained specific and relevant support for the claims made by the authors. In the Issue essay examples, the authors drew upon well-defined examples and concise examples that directly supported the author’s position on the issue. In the Argument essay samples, the authors focused in on several specific parts of the arguments and debated their validity using specific hypothetical scenarios and questions.

The takeaway of this for your own writing is that the specific is always more persuasive than the general when it comes to supporting a point. And if you can’t find specific support for your position or for the flaw you’ve found in an argument, then that’s a good sign that you need to consider changing your position or finding another part of the argument to critique.

#4: Explain Your Support Clearly

As I discussed in my analyses of the four GRE Writing samples, whether or not your writing is polished and perfectly worded and spelled is not nearly as important as your successful communication of your ideas and how they are supported . In the GRE essay, all is precision, and analyses of issues that use clearly-explained compelling examples or analyses of arguments that cut to the very heart of why an argument is flawed with supporting explanations will ultimately score higher than beautifully crafted but logically imprecise essays.

#5: Use Transitions

All of the authors of the GRE essay examples analyzed in this article are able to maintain focus and organization in their essays by employing multi-level transitions that link ideas between and within paragraphs on both content and linguistic levels. In your own writing, be conscious of when you are changing from discussing one idea to another and make sure the transition is smooth. Even just adding transition words like “additionally” or “in contrast” to the beginning of new ideas can help your writing flow better.

#6: Stay Organized

While all of the GRE essay examples used in this article were written in response to different prompts, they all adhered to basically the standard five-paragraph , introduction-body paragraphs-conclusion format.

There’s no reason to take extra time away from your analysis of the questions to figure out a unique organizational structure for each essay when the five paragraph essay will get it done just as well (if not better). This is not because other forms are not possible; as the ETS website says, “You are free to organize and develop your response in any way you think will enable you to effectively communicate your ideas about the issue.”

But the utility of the five paragraph form is that it’s a tried-and-true way to keep your essay organized . Using it will save you the time of having to figure out a new organizational strategy for every essay you write. And the more consistently you stick to a simple (but clear) organizational structure, the faster you’ll get at it, until organizing your thoughts logically comes as second-nature (especially important in a timed essay environment when every second counts).

What’s Next?

Now you know what it takes to get a perfect essay score. But do you actually need to get a perfect 6.0 on GRE Writing? Find out with our discussion of what a good GRE Writing score is .

Curious about how the criteria mentioned in this article translate into numerical scores? Read our article on how the GRE essay is scored to learn more!

Need to boost your essay score quickly? We have 15 great tips and strategies that help you improve your Analytical Writing score .

Ready to dive into practice essays with some practice topics? Use our guide to the 328 official GRE essay topics to get started.

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Laura Staffaroni

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel and fulfill their college and grad school dreams. View all posts by Laura Staffaroni

Vince's Best Tips

Sign up to receive my free 7-part "GRE Prep For High Scorers" email series.

GRE For High Scorers, Part 6: GRE Issue Essays

Vince's 2 main options to help you with your GRE prep are  HERE .

Vince's GRE Issue Essay Template

VIDEO: Watch me brainstorm a real issue essay prompt for an example of the Issue Essay template I describe in the below article.

In this article, I'll talk about my favorite template for writing a high-scoring Issue Essay. These tips will work best for you if you're a good writer; however, anyone can benefit from them.

First, here are two to-dos for you:

Action item #1: Read all sample essays and commentary in The Official Guide , as well as those in the  Verbal Practice book. These are great models for your writing since you can see what the ETS graders reward. Pay very close attention to the grader commentary.

Action item #2 :  Read and brainstorm two official  Issue Essay  prompts every time you study.

Bonus: learn more new words with my GRE vocabulary flashcards app !

Ok, assuming you've gotten started on the above, I want to give you some insight about what you need to do to get a 6.

GRE Issue Essay Example That Received A Perfect Score

You may notice that many Issue Essay prompts make statements that are difficult to fully support. The example and response I want to use first is this one about technology (link is to the full sample essay on the GRE's website). Go ahead and read the prompt, then read the "6" response just below it. Now, let's think about its statement:

As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

Notice that this statement - like many Issue statements - would be difficult to agree with 100% of the time. Good responses will acknowledge the complexity of the issue and respond in an insightful way to that complexity. This response does that partly by discussing the reasoning that might be used by someone who agrees with the statement (in paragraph 2):

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes to a reduction in the ability for humans to think for themselves. The assumption is that an increased reliance on technology negates the need for people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries. Looking back at the introduction, one could argue that without a car, computer, or mobile phone, the hypothetical worker would need to find alternate methods of transport, information processing and communication. Technology short circuits this thinking by making the problems obsolete.

Good writers often begin this way - they talk about their opponents' views, then respond with their own . This provides context and a framework for their argument. Writing a persuasive essay without addressing the reasoning of other points-of-view is like pretending your point-of-view exists in a vacuum with no one to challenge it.

Now let's look at a paragraph that continues to acknowledge the complexity of the issue in an insightful way (paragraph 3):

However, this reliance on technology does not necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species. The prior examples reveal that technology allows for convenience. The car, computer and phone all release additional time for people to live more efficiently. This efficiency does not preclude the need for humans to think for themselves. In fact, technology frees humanity to not only tackle new problems, but may itself create new issues that did not exist without technology. For example, the proliferation of automobiles has introduced a need for fuel conservation on a global scale. With increasing energy demands from emerging markets, global warming becomes a concern inconceivable to the horse-and-buggy generation. Likewise dependence on oil has created nation-states that are not dependent on taxation, allowing ruling parties to oppress minority groups such as women. Solutions to these complex problems require the unfettered imaginations of maverick scientists and politicians.

I like this paragraph a lot because not only does the author make an insightful point that technology gives people more time to think, but that technology itself creates problems that require thinking. This is a step up from what I think the average writer might do - just cite an example of technology that helps us think or that we need to think to use. Now, you don't always need this level of insight, but it's a good example of what might separate a 6 from a 5. Compelling reasoning and depth of thought are rewarded.

I also like that this essay creates a critical context with the first paragraph, defining the scope of what it's going to discuss. It's the one I most talk about if a higher-scoring student wants some kind of GRE issue essay template, too. It's nice to have a go-to structure when you've only got 29 minutes and 37 seconds and the clock is relentlessly ticking...

Another example I like in the Verbal Reasoning Practice Book is the 6 essay response to a prompt about "People should obey just laws and disobey unjust laws". The author spends some time questioning the context to apply "just" - i.e., what is more important, being just to the individual or just to society? The author also questions how to define "just": if a society is brainwashed, can "just" have any meaning? I like this approach, since, again, it acknowledges the complexity and complications of forming a position on that issue.

How To Effectively Choose And Use Examples In The Issue Essay

Many of my students find it difficult at first to think of relevant examples to support the arguments they make when writing the GRE issue essay. In this section, I’ll give you one of my favorite GRE essay tips: how to choose strong examples. Again, just so we have some context, here’s a sample Issue essay prompt: “Employees at all levels of a corporation should be involved in that corporation’s short and long term goal planning.” Now, one trap I want you to avoid falling into is thinking you have to have specialized knowledge of the topic. You might say to yourself that you’ve never worked for a corporation and that you don’t know how corporations typically plan. The good news is that you can still write a good essay about the topic using what you do know.

For example, let’s say you mostly agree with the statement and wanted to think of an example you could use. You could use an example from real life – perhaps you could talk about how employees at Google are encouraged to use 20% of their time to work on projects they think will benefit the company. Even if you couldn’t think of a real life example, you might use a hypothetical example and talk about how if an airline asked all employees about its plans for the future, flight attendants might provide unique insights into what customers like and don’t like . One strategy I like to recommend is to instead of thinking of what the perfect GRE issue essay examples might be, think about what you know well and see if it could fit. This will encourage you to choose examples you know well, making it easier to write insightfully about them. It might be a good idea to make a list of your personal “go-to” topics – things you can easily talk or write about. You’ll find that you can use many of them for many essays – don’t let the first thing that comes to mind box you in. Essay topics are designed so that almost anyone can write about them. For example, I love reading  The Economist . Since I read it every week, I usually have been thinking about some current events that I can apply to many Issue topics. Also, reading like this builds up a storehouse of information that you can dip into, making it increasingly likely you'll be inspired when a random topic pops up on the screen.

How Long Should GRE Essays Be?

In general, the more you write, the better. 500-600 words is a good goal for most people, but write more if you can!

Good writers tend to illustrate and explain well, which equals more words. If your essay paragraphs seem short, try explain why more and writing more detailed "for example" sentences. Your reader will find your argument more compelling, and the GRE computer algorithm* that contributes half of your essay score will reward you as well!

*Yeah - if you didn't know, both a robot and a human read and grade your essay, and your score will be the average of their scores. :)

How Do I Improve My Issue Essay Score?

Remember, the GRE issue essay examples you choose matter, but they must be used skillfully. Practice brainstorming lots of different essay prompts from the ETS website to get used to coming up with examples that you can use to support your point of view.

Improving your score generally will mean improving one of these five grading criteria:

• How compelling is your argument?
• The examples that support your point
• Organization / transitions
• Using standard written English

In my experience, the GRE's analytical writing assessment is the one part of the test that students tend to under-prepare for. No matter how you prepare for the essay, make sure that you at least write a few before you actually take the real GRE.

P.S. I can help you with your essays, but I will charge you for my time. If you don't want to work with me personally, you can ask for feedback on Reddit ( r/GRE ) - it's the most popular and active GRE forum I know of.

(Reddit is nerdy but also useful.)

Final Issue Essay Thoughts

Check out all the 6 responses in the ETS books (there are five "6" responses for the Issue task, and five for the Argument task). These will give you more ideas about what the highest-scoring essays do. Just keep in mind that these are paradigms of "6" responses... you don't always have to be that good to earn a "6". Again, I think one of the most valuable things you can do is to find an essay structure you like and create your own issue essay template out of it, so you have a "go-to" structure on test day.

If you enjoyed this free guide, check out Vince's other free GRE resources .

And, speaking of writing stuff, our graduate school admissions essay expert, Lauren Hammond, can help you write your personal statement !

Testimonial: "I wanted to improve my analytical writing score for the GRE and decided, with one week left before the test, that I should consult an expert for some last minute advice. Vince was awesome and provided me with so much feedback on the sample essays I sent to him. I ended up getting the score I needed, and I know meeting with Vince made that possible! Thanks again!" - Cayleen Harty

Top Streams

• Data Science Courses in USA
• Business Analytics Courses in USA
• Engineering Courses in USA
• Tax Courses in USA
• Healthcare Courses in USA
• Language Courses in USA
• Insurance Courses in USA
• Digital Marketing Courses in USA

Top Specialization

• Masters in Data Analytics in USA
• Masters in Mechanical Engineering in USA
• Masters in Supply Chain Management in USA
• Masters in Computer Science in USA
• MBA in Finance in USA
• Masters in Architecture in USA

Top Universities

• Cornell University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• University of California Los Angeles
• University of Harvard
• Stanford University
• Arizona State University
• Northeastern University
• Scholarships to Study in USA
• Project Management Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Australia
• Medical Courses in Australia
• Psychology Courses in Australia
• Interior Designing Courses in Australia
• Pharmacy Courses in Australia
• Social Work Courses in Australia
• MBA in Australia
• Masters in Education in Australia
• Masters in Pharmacy in Australia
• Masters in Information Technology in Australia
• BBA in Australia
• Masters in Teaching in Australia
• Masters in Psychology in Australia
• University of Melbourne
• Deakin University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Monash University
• University of Sydney
• University of Queensland
• RMIT University
• Macquarie University
• PR Courses in Australia
• SOP for Australia Student Visa
• Data Science Courses in Canada
• Business Management Courses in Canada
• Supply Chain Management Courses in Canada
• Project Management Courses in Canada
• Business Analytics Courses in Canada
• Hotel Management Courses in Canada
• MBA in Canada
• MS in Canada
• Masters in Computer Science in Canada
• Masters in Management in Canada
• Masters in Psychology in Canada
• Masters in Education in Canada
• MBA in Finance in Canada
• Masters in Business Analytics in Canada
• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia
• McGill University
• University of Alberta
• York University
• University of Calgary
• Algoma University
• University Canada West
• IELTS requirement for Canada Student Visa
• Canada Visa Interview
• Top cities in Canada for International Students
• Project Management Courses in UK
• Data Science Courses in UK
• Public Health Courses in UK
• Digital Marketing Courses in UK
• Hotel Management Courses in UK
• Nursing Courses in UK
• Medicine Courses in UK
• Interior Designing Courses in UK
• Masters in Computer Science in UK
• Masters in Psychology in UK
• MBA in Finance in UK
• MBA in Healthcare Management in UK
• Masters in Education in UK
• Masters in Marketing in UK
• MBA in HR in UK
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Coventry University
• University of East London
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Birmingham
• Imperial College London
• University of Glasgow

Top Resources

• Universities in Germany
• Study in Germany
• Masters in Germany
• Courses in Germany
• Bachelors in Germany
• Germany Job Seeker Visa
• Cost of Living in Germany
• Best Universities in Germany

Top Courses

• Masters in Data Science in Germany
• MS in Computer Science in Germany
• Marine Engineering in Germany
• MS Courses in Germany
• Masters in Psychology in Germany
• Hotel Management Courses in Germany
• Masters in Economics in Germany
• Paramedical Courses in Germany
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• University of Bonn
• University of Freiburg
• University of Hamburg
• University of Stuttgart
• Saarland University
• Mannheim University
• MBA in Ireland
• Phd in Ireland
• Masters in Computer Science Ireland
• Cyber Security in Ireland
• Masters in Data Analytics Ireland
• Ms in Data Science in Ireland
• Pharmacy courses in ireland
• Business Analytics Course in Ireland
• Universities in Ireland
• Study in Ireland
• Masters in Ireland
• Courses in Ireland
• Bachelors in Ireland
• Cost of Living in Ireland
• Ireland Student Visa
• Part Time Jobs in Ireland
• Trinity College Dublin
• University College Dublin
• Dublin City University
• University of Limerick
• Dublin Business School
• Maynooth University
• University College Cork
• National College of Ireland

Colleges & Courses

• Masters in France
• Phd in France
• Study Medicine in France
• Best Universities in Frankfurt
• Best Architecture Colleges in France
• ESIGELEC France
• Study in France for Indian Students
• Intakes in France
• SOP for France Visa
• Study in France from India
• Reasons to Study in France
• How to Settle in France

More About France

• Cost of Living in France
• France Study Visa
• Cost of Living in Frankfurt
• France Scholarship for Indian Students
• Part Time Jobs in France
• Stay Back in France After Masters

About Finland

• Universities in Finland
• Study in Finland
• Courses in Finland
• Bachelor Courses in Finland
• Masters Courses in Finland
• Cost of Living in Finland
• MS in Finland
• Average Fees in Finland Universities
• PhD in Finland
• Jobs in Finland
• Bachelor Degree in Medicine & Surgery
• MBBS Courses in Georgia
• MBBS Courses in Russia
• Alte University
• Caucasus University
• Georgian National University SEU
• David Tvildiani Medical University
• Caspian International School Of Medicine
• Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University
• Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
• Cremeia Federal University
• Bashkir State Medical University
• Kursk State Medical University
• Andijan State Medical Institute
• IELTS Syllabus
• IELTS Prepration
• IELTS Eligibility
• IELTS Test Format
• IELTS Band Descriptors
• IELTS Speaking test
• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS score validity
• IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Reading Answers Sample

• Animal Camouflage
• Types Of Societies
• Australia Convict Colonies
• A Spark A Flint
• Emigration To The Us
• The History Of Salt
• Zoo Conservation Programmes
• The Robots Are Coming
• The Development Of Plastic

IELTS Speaking Cue Card Sample

• Describe A Puzzle You Have Played
• Describe A Long Walk You Ever Had
• Describe Your Favourite Movie
• Describe A Difficult Thing You did
• Describe A Businessman You Admire
• Memorable Day in My Life
• Describe Your Dream House
• Describe A Bag You Want to Own
• Describe a Famous Athlete You Know
• Aquatic Animal

IELTS Essay Sample Sample

• Best Education System
• IELTS Opinion Essay
• Agree or Disagree Essay
• Problem Solution Essays
• Essay on Space Exploration
• Essay On Historical Places
• Essay Writing Samples
• Tourism Essay
• Global Warming Essay
• GRE Exam Fees
• GRE Exam Syllabus
• GRE Exam Eligibility
• Sections in GRE Exam
• GRE Exam Benefits
• GRE Exam Results
• GRE Cutoff for US Universities
• GRE Preparation
• Send GRE scores to Universities

GRE Exam Study Material

• GRE Verbal Preparation
• GRE Study Material
• GRE AWA Essays
• GRE Sample Issue Essays
• Stanford University GRE Cutoff
• Harvard University GRE Cutoff
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning
• GRE Verbal Reasoning
• GRE Reading Comprehension
• Prepare for GRE in 2 months

Other Resources

• Documents Required For Gre Exam
• GRE Exam Duration
• GRE at Home
• GRE vs GMAT
• Improve GRE Verbal Scores

Free GRE Ebooks

• GRE Preparation Guide (Free PDF)
• GRE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• GMAT Eligibility
• GMAT Syllabus
• GMAT Exam Dates
• GMAT Registration
• GMAT Exam Fees
• GMAT Sections
• GMAT Purpose

GMAT Exam Study Material

• How to prepare for GMAT?
• GMAT Score Validity
• GMAT Preparation Books
• GMAT Preparation
• GMAT Exam Duration
• GMAT Score for Harvard
• GMAT Reading Comprehension
• GMAT Retake Strategy

Free GMAT Ebooks

• GMAT Guide PDF
• Download GMAT Syllabus PDF
• TOEFL Exam Registration
• TOEFL Exam Eligibility
• TOEFL Exam Pattern
• TOEFL Exam Preparation
• TOEFL Exam Tips
• TOEFL Exam Dates
• Documents for TOEFL Exam
• TOEFL Exam Fee

TOEFL Exam Study Material

• TOEFL Preparation Books
• TOEFL Speaking Section
• TOEFL Score and Results
• TOEFL Writing Section
• TOEFL Reading Section
• TOEFL Listening Section
• TOEFL Vocabulary
• Types of Essays in TOEFL

Free TOEFL Ebooks

• TOEFL Exam Guide (Free PDF)
• PTE Exam Dates
• PTE Exam Syllabus
• PTE Exam Eligibility Criteria

PTE Test Centers in India

Pte exam pattern, pte exam fees.

• PTE Exam Duration
• PTE Exam Registration

PTE Exam Study Material

• PTE Exam Preparation
• PTE Speaking Test
• PTE Reading Test
• PTE Listening Test
• PTE Writing Test
• PTE Essay Writing
• PTE exam for Australia

Free PTE Ebooks

• PTE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Exam
• Duolingo Test Eligibility
• Duolingo Exam Pattern
• Duolingo Exam Fees
• Duolingo Test Validity
• Duolingo Syllabus
• Duolingo Preparation

Duolingo Exam Study Material

• Duolingo Exam Dates
• Duolingo Test Score
• Duolingo Test Results
• Duolingo Test Booking

Free Duolingo Ebooks

• Duolingo Guide (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Test Pattern (Free PDF)

NEET & MCAT Exam

• NEET Study Material
• NEET Preparation
• MCAT Eligibility
• MCAT Preparation

SAT & ACT Exam

• ACT Eligibility
• ACT Exam Dates
• SAT Syllabus

SAT Exam Pattern

• SAT Exam Eligibility

USMLE & OET Exam

• USMLE Syllabus
• USMLE Preparation
• USMLE Step 1
• OET Syllabus
• OET Eligibility
• OET Prepration

PLAB & LSAT Exam

• PLAB Exam Syllabus
• PLAB Exam Fees
• LSAT Eligibility
• LSAT Registration
• PLAB Accepted Countries
• TOEIC Result
• Study Guide

Application Process

• LOR for Masters
• SOP Samples for MS
• LOR for Phd
• SOP for Internship
• SOP for Phd
• Check Visa Status
• Motivation Letter Format
• Motivation Letter for Internship
• F1 Visa Documents Checklist

Career Prospects

• Popular Courses after Bcom in Abroad
• Part Time Jobs in Australia
• Part Time Jobs in USA
• Salary after MS in Germany
• Salary after MBA in Canada
• Average Salary in Singapore
• Higher Studies after MBA in Abroad
• Study in Canada after 12th
• Most Demanding Engineering Fields

Trending Topics

• Best Education System in World
• Best Flying Schools in World
• Top Free Education Countries
• Best Countries to Migrate from India
• 1 Year PG Diploma Courses in Canada
• Germany Post Study Work Visa
• Post Study Visa in USA
• Packing List for Indian Students
• Data Science Vs Data Analytics
• Public Vs Private Universities in Germany
• Universities Vs Colleges
• Difference Between GPA and CGPA
• Undergraduate Vs Graduate
• MBA in UK Vs MBA in USA
• Degree Vs Diploma in Canada
• IELTS vs TOEFL
• Duolingo English Test vs. IELTS
• Canada Vs India
• Why Study in Canada
• Cost of Living in Canada
• Education System in Canada
• SOP for Canada
• Summer Intake in Canada
• Spring Intake in Canada
• Winter Intake in Canada
• Accommodation in Canada for Students
• Average Salary in Canada
• Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada
• Why Study in USA
• Cost of Studying in USA
• Spring Intake in USA
• Winter Intake in USA
• Summer Intake in USA
• STEM Courses in USA
• Scholarships for MS in USA
• Acceptable Study Gap in USA
• Interesting Facts about USA
• Free USA course
• Why Study in UK
• Cost of Living in UK
• Cost of Studying in UK
• Education System in UK
• Summer Intake in UK
• Spring Intake in UK
• Student Visa for UK
• Accommodation in UK for Students
• Scholarships in UK
• Why Study in Germany
• Cost of Studying in Germany
• Education System in Germany
• SOP for Germany
• Summer Intake in Germany
• Winter Intake in Germany
• Study Visa for Germany
• Accommodation in Germany for Students
• Free Education in Germany

Country Guides

• Study in UK
• Study in Canada
• Study in USA
• Study in Australia
• SOP Samples for Canada Student Visa
• US F1 Visa Guide for Aspirants

Exams Guides

• Duolingo Test Pattern

Recommended Reads

• Fully Funded Masters Guide
• SOP Samples For Australia
• Scholarships for Canada
• Data Science Guide
• SOP for MS in Computer Science
• Study Abroad Exams
• Alumni Connect
• Booster Program
• Scholarship
• Offline Centres

GPA CALCULATOR Convert percentage marks to GPA effortlessly with our calculator!

Expense calculator plan your study abroad expenses with our comprehensive calculator, ielts band calculator estimate your ielts band score with our accurate calculator, education loan calculator discover your eligible loan amount limit with our education calculator, university partner explore growth and opportunities with our university partnership, accommodation discover your perfect study abroad accommodation here, experience-center discover our offline centers for a personalized experience, our offices visit us for expert study abroad counseling..

• 18002102030
• Study Abroad

GRE Sample Issue Essays: Introduction to the Types of Topics Covered

• GRE Registration
• GRE Exam Dates
• GRE Exam Fee
• GRE Syllabus
• GRE Test Centers
• How to Study for GRE

Updated on 28 August, 2024

Pragya Sharma

Sr. content editor.

The Analytical Writing section (AWA) of the GRE measures your ability to think critically and assesses how well you can support and articulate complex ideas and arguments and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. Since the Verbal and Quantitative sections are objective-based, the Analytical Writing Section gives you a chance to prove your analytical skills. AWA before September 2023 consisted of two areas, which are as follows:

a) An "Analyze an Issue" task for 30 minutes

b) An "Analyze an Argument" task for 30 minutes.

The Analytical Writing section after September 2023 consists of only one 30-minute issue essay task. The GRE Issue Essay requires analyzing and writing about a general statement and emphasizes personal opinions and reasoning.

Table of Contents

What is gre issue essay, types of topics included in gre issue essays, gre issue essay pool.

• Dos and Don'ts During GRE Issue Essay Preparation

Structure of GRE Issue Essays and Tips to Frame Strong One

Tips to write impressive gre issue essay, download these useful guides to ace your gre preparation, gre sample issue essay, important resources for pte/sat/act exam.

The GRE Issue Essay is a 30-minute task in the GRE Analytical Writing section, where test-takers are asked to express their views on a given statement or topic. The prompt presents a general issue and asks for the writer's perspective, supported by reasoning and examples. It tests critical thinking, persuasive writing, and the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and logically.

The essay is scored on coherence, clarity, and depth of analysis. Preparation involves practicing writing structured, argumentative essays, and understanding common themes. This essay forms the GRE Analytical Writing measure, crucial for graduate school applications and your dream of an abroad education.

Usually, the ideas and topics on which a student will be probed in the GRE issue essay are drawn from everyday life and requires you to rely on your experiences to answer them. The topics for issue essays are taken from various domains such as business, politics, technology, art, education, and more etc. The GRE issue essay consists of a statement or statements, along with specific task instructions which require you to respond to the task in a certain way.

The GRE Issue Essay Pool provides a collection of prompts designed to assess a test-taker's ability to critically analyze and express complex ideas. THE GRE issue essay pool challenges test-takers to think deeply and present well-reasoned arguments, reflecting on diverse and often contentious issues. Preparation involves familiarizing oneself with such themes and practicing structured, persuasive writing.

Dos and Don'ts During GRE Issue Essay Preparation

The better you organize your essay, the clearer it becomes to the examiner as they want to assess how you develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue. You can structure your essay into five paragraphs which are as follows:

a) Introduction

Develop your points so that the analysis guides the examiner through the argument you are trying to make. 

b) Body Paragraph 1

Use your most specific and most important reason at first and support it with logical analysis and examples.

c) Body Paragraph 2

Launch into your second reason by using a transition phase and supporting example. 

d) Final Body Paragraph

Transition into your third stance along with an example and explain how it supports your thesis. You can also bring a solid counterargument for the view and explain why it is incorrect. 

e) Conclusion

Summarizing the points you made in brief, your conclusion should reflect your introductory paragraph.

Here are a few tips on writing a good GRE issue essay: 

i) Choose a side and stick to it.

ii) Keep your examples specific and relevant to the real world.

iii) Use strong, declarative sentences as they add distinction and confidence to your writing.

iv) Refute the other position by introducing an opposite point of view.

Recommended Reads:

Now that you have understood the structure and have the tips to write a good one, here's a GRE sample essay that will help you improve and enable you to see the topic from a different perspective.

As people become more reliant on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.

The statement linking technology negatively with people's ability to think freely reflects the recent human experience over the past century. A glance at a typical day for a human being shows how technology has revolutionized the world. From commuting to work in an automobile that runs on an internal combustion engine to interacting with a computer that processes information on silicon bridges that are 0.09 micrometers wide, to reaching out to family members on leaving home through wireless networks, technology is involved in almost everything. In the 19th century, each of these common occurrences was unimaginable.

The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic changes that were once considered inconceivable to a reduction in the ability of humans to think for themselves. It assumes that increased reliance on technology has reduced the need for people to think creatively. Looking back in time, without a mobile phone, computer, or car, humans would need to find alternate methods of communication, information processing, and transport. Still, the developments in technology have made these problems outdated.

However, this dependence on technology does not necessarily deter humans from being creative. While technological development has made things convenient, it has also made people live more efficiently. This efficiency did not preclude the need for humans to think for themselves. Though it has freed the human species from tackling new problems, it has also created issues that did not exist without technology. For example, the need for fuel conservation has increased globally with the proliferation of automobiles, making global warming a significant concern with growing energy demands from emerging markets. In the same way, increased demand for oil has created nation-states that do not pay taxes, and the ruling parties oppress minority groups, such as women. Only maverick scientists and politicians' unfettered imaginations can solve these complex problems.

Let's consider the digital revolution and the advent of the internet, which contradicts the statement. We can witness how technology frees the human imagination, allowing for an unprecedented exchange of ideas. WebMD, a popular internet portal for medical information, has opened pathways of thinking for a layman by permitting patients to self-research symptoms for a more informed doctor visit. As Jeffrey Sachs developed the UN Millenium Development Goals, the unlikely union between economics and medicine has healed hyperinflation and tension from South America to Eastern Europe. The latter example provides a ray of hope for how technology will enlighten the future of humanity. Though too much dependence on technology is harmful, at the same time, it helps us achieve impossible goals. Consider how the technology of vaccines created a world free from smallpox in the late 20th century. Using technology, a disease that has ravaged the human race since prehistoric days was systematically targeted and eradicated.

From the discovery of fire to the implementation of nanotechnology, technology will permanently mark the human experience. There will be no limit to the number of old and new problems we can tackle. Therefore, it is better to embrace a hopeful attitude toward technology's possibilities for new avenues of human imagination.

Study Abroad Preparation Course

What does the Course include:

• 12 Weeks of Dedicated Coaching to Build a robust profile for Top 1% Universities
• SOP & Personal Statements For Academic Writing
• 25 hours of live online classes with mock tests for IELTS
• Visa, University Application & Submission
• Country-specific Support with Education loan Guidance
• International Faculty Masterclass

Sample 2: 

Passion is necessary for a truly great idea to take hold among a people—passion either on the part of the original thinker, the audience, or ideally both. The claim that the most lucrative subject matter for inspiring great ideas is “commonplace things” may initially seem to be counterintuitive. After all, aren’t great ideas usually marked by their extraordinary character? While this is true, their extraordinary character is often not directly derived from their insight into things that had theretofore gone unquestioned. While great ideas certainly can arise through seemingly pure innovation... say, for example, Big Bang cosmology, which developed nearly all of its own scientific and philosophical precepts through its own process of formation, it is nevertheless equally true that such groundbreaking thought was, and is, still largely a reevaluation of previous assumptions to a radical degree. all, the question of the ultimate nature of the universe, and man’s place in it, has been central to human thought since the dawn of time. Commonplace things are, additionally, necessary as material for the generation of “the best ideas” since certainly the success of an audience must be considered in evaluating the significance and quality of an idea.

The advent of Big Bang cosmology, which occurred in rudimentary form almost immediately upon Edwin Hubble’s first observations at the Hooker telescope in California during the early 20th century, was the most significant advance in mankind’s understanding of the universe in over 400 years. The seemingly simple fact that everything in the universe, on a very large scale, is moving away from everything else betrays nearly all of our scientific knowledge of the origins and mechanics of the universe. A slight, one might even say commonplace, distortion of tint on a handful of photographic plates carried with it the greatest challenge to man’s general, often religiously reinforced, conception of the nature of the world, to an extent not seen since the days of Galileo. Not even Charles Darwin’s theory, though it created more of a stir than Big Bang cosmology, had such shattering implications for our conceptions of the nature of our reality. Yet it is not significant because it introduces the question of the nature of what lies beyond Man’s grasp. Many megalithic ruins, including the Pyramids of Mexico and Egypt, Stonehenge, and others, indicate that this question has been foremost on humankind’s mind since immemorial. Big Bang cosmology is incredibly significant in this line of reasoning because it changed the direction of this generally held, constantly pondered, and very ancient train of thought. 

Additionally, there is a diachronic significance to the advent of Big Bang cosmology, which is that disregarding limitations such as the quality of optical devices available and the state of theoretical math, it could have happened at any point in time. That is to say; all evidence points to roughly the same raw intellectual capacity for homo sapiens throughout our history; our progress has merely depended upon the degree of it that a person happens to inherit, a pace that has been increasing rapidly since the industrial revolution. Yet this discovery had to happen at a certain point in time or another—it cannot have been happening constantly or have never happened yet still be present—and this point in time does have its own significance. That significance is precisely the fact that the aforementioned advent must have occurred at precisely the point in time at which it truly could have occurred—that is to say, it marks the point in our history when we had progressed sufficiently to begin examining, with remarkable substantiated acuity, the workings of the universe across distances that would take millions of human lifetimes to reach or to traverse. The point of success for this advent must necessarily have been the point at which the audience concerned was capable and prepared to accept such a radical line of reasoning. 

Both factors a radical, passionate interpretation of the commonplace and the preparedness to accept such an interpretation, are necessary for the formulation of a truly great idea. If the passion is absent from an inquiry by the thinker or by the bulk of an audience, the idea will die out if it comes to fruition at all. If the material is not sufficiently commonplace to be considered by an informed audience of sufficient size, the same two hazards exist. Given these two factors, the idea must still be found palatable and interesting by the audience if it is to hope to gain a foothold and eventually establish itself in a significant fashion. 

Source: ETS

PTE Examination Eligibility Criteria

There are no specific PTE exam eligibility criteria set by Pearson VUE – the organizers of the test.

PTE Academic Syllabus

PTE syllabus includes various sections such as Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening.

The PTE exam pattern is designed to test whether candidates can study at international institutions that have English as the main language for instructions.

PTE exam fees in India are INR 14,700, including taxes. You can choose your slot with this fee two days in advance.

Here is a list of PTE exam centers in India that you can check out. Please note that owing to the COVID pandemic, several centers are still closed.

PTE Exam Dates 2022

The PTE 2022 examination list has been released officially by the authorities conducting the examination.

PTE Accepted Universities in USA

After all, America is home to some world-class universities. Let’s discuss PTE-accepted universities in USA.

PTE Accepted Universities in Canada

Canada is a country that is renowned for the quality of its educational infrastructure. As a result, it is no surprise that a list of PTE accepted universities in Canada is sought-after.

SAT Exam Dates & Deadlines for 2022

The SAT exam dates fall on Saturdays and the test is generally conducted on 7 Saturdays every year; the deadline for registration is four weeks prior to the date of the test.

• SAT Exam Syllabus

According to the latest update on SAT syllabus 2022, SAT Subject Tests and the SAT optional essays have been discontinued which has now reduced the duration of the exam by 50 minutes.

Understanding the SAT exam pattern is of paramount importance for all those who want to study undergraduate courses from universities or colleges abroad.

SAT Scholarship for Indian Students

The College Board India Scholars Program offers the SAT scholarship for Indian students. This scholarship helps students receive education from renowned institutes worldwide.

How to Register for SAT Exam

How to register for the SAT examination? Stay assured that the procedure is not at all complex. Students desirous of obtaining admission into bachelor’s or undergraduate courses in the US or Canada will find this to be an important examination.

ACT exam syllabus

It is very important for ACT aspirants to be aware of the complete ACT exam syllabus, as it will help them to avoid any surprises on the day of the examination.

ACT exam pattern

The ACT is a widely accepted and standardized examination in the U.S. and several other countries. It is used majorly for undergraduate admissions into several colleges and universities.

ACT Test Centres in India

Due to its relevance and popularity, there are various ACT centres. Moreover, the ACT test centres in India are spread across multiple states.

ACT Exam Registration

Registration of the ACT examination is done through the official website online. Applicants need to register for the test at least two months before the test date.

The American College Testing– ACT score is a part of the college applications in the United States of America (USA), depending on the institution students apply to. There are no fixed passing marks for this examination.

Let's take a close look at the ABCs of the ACT exam and help you prepare with some essential ACT study tips.

ACT Exam Dates 2022

It is important to know the ACT dates for the year 2022 if you are planning to appear anytime soon.

SAT Preparation Books

Carefully curated list of the top SAT prep material can prove invaluable to reducing aspirants' efforts. So, to simplify your research, here are 10 SAT exam books to consider for thorough preparation.

PTE Exam Accepted Countries

Here you will find the complete list of PTE exam accepted countries.

How can I prepare for the issue essay on the GRE?

To ace the GRE, aspirants should opt for practice tests. Aspirants can practice with ScoreItNow!™. It is one of the most essential GRE issue essay tips. It is an impeccable web-based tool that helps aspirants enhance their writing skills.

What kind of topics can I expect for the issue essay on the GRE?

You can expect a topic from these categories: Technology and Society, Education, Cities, Government and Power, and Philosophical & Intellectual Endeavors. 

What is the format of the issue essay on the GRE?

The structure of the GRE Issue Essay is comparable to the conventional 5-paragraph short essay. It will include an introduction, body paragraph (2), final body, and conclusion.

How many sample issue essays should I practice before taking the GRE?

Make sure to practice with at least three essays. You can also study by looking up the AWA prompts and increasing your speed while writing a multitude of them within 30-minute guidelines. So, if you want to ace the exam, ensure to practice.

What is the difference between the issue essay and the argument essay in the GRE?

The issue essay requires you to present your viewpoint on a given topic, supported by reasoning and examples. The argument essay asks you to critique another author's argument, identifying logical flaws and assumptions without presenting your own opinion on the issue.

Is a 3.5 GRE essay good?

A 3.5 GRE essay is considered adequate but not exceptional. It indicates competent writing skills, with some minor issues in coherence, clarity, or complexity. Improving this score involves practicing clear, logical, and well-structured essays.

How long should a GRE issue essay be?

Although there is no specified word limit for the GRE issue essay, you should typically try to write it in 400-600 words. Ensuring your essay is well-developed, with clear reasoning and examples, is more important than the word count.

How do I organize my GRE essay?

Organize your GRE essay with an introduction that presents your thesis, body paragraphs that provide supporting arguments and examples, and a conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis. Ensure logical flow and coherence throughout.

Pragya Sharma is a content developer and marketer with 6.5+ years of experience in the education industry. She started her career as a social media copywriter for NIELIT, Ministry of Electronics & IT, and has now scaled up as a 360-degree content professional well-versed with the intricacies of digital marketing and different forms of content used to drive and hook the target audience. She is also a co-author of 2 stories in an anthology based on the theme- women empowerment.

Important Exams

Important resources for gre, free study abroad counselling, verify your number for a free session with experts .

By submitting this form, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Refer Your Friend & Earn upto ₹15000

Help your friend upgrade to a Global Career and earn rewards together.

TRENDING SEARCHES

Editor's pick, other countries.

• Bachelors in Aviation
• BSc in Nursing
• Masters in Accounting
• MA in Communication
• MS in Australia
• Nursing Courses in Australia
• Universities in Australia
• Courses in Australia
• University of Melbourne Courses
• University of Adelaide
• La Trobe University
• Masters in Australia
• Masters in Business Analytics in Australia
• Masters in Public Health in Australia
• Universities in Canada
• Thompson Rivers University
• Masters in Canada
• Concordia University
• Trent University
• University of Manitoba
• University of Victoria
• Courses in Canada
• University of Windsor
• Masters in Data Science in Canada
• University of Saskatchewan
• Queen Mary University of London
• Courses in UK
• University of Strathclyde Ranking
• University of Leicester
• De Montfort University
• Masters in UK
• Universities in UK
• University of West London Ranking
• Manchester Metropolitan University Ranking
• University of Sussex Ranking
• Bachelors in UK
• Liverpool John Moores University Ranking
• University of Oxford Courses
• Birmingham City University
• University of Cambridge Courses
• Kings College London
• University of Leicester Ranking
• Northumbria University Ranking
• Queen Mary University of London Ranking
• University of Bristol
• Universities in USA
• Northeastern University acceptance rate
• Saint Louis University
• University at Buffalo
• Saint Louis University Ranking
• Columbia University Ranking
• DePaul University
• New York University
• Purdue University ranking
• Courses in USA
• Purdue University
• Northeastern University ranking
• University of Dayton ranking
• Masters in USA
• George Mason University ranking
• George Mason University
• DePaul University Ranking
• Drexel University Ranking
• University of Texas at Arlington ranking
• masters in computer science in usa
• Bachelors in USA
• University of Texas at Dallas ranking
• University of South Florida ranking
• Columbia University Acceptance Rate
• New York University Ranking
• Duolingo Certificate
• MBA In UK Without Gmat
• Top Phrases for IELTS Speaking Test
• How to download IELTS Scorecard
• Duolingo Accepted Universities In Canada
• Universities in Canada Without IELTS
• IELTS Introduction Sample
• Usmle Test Centers In India
• GRE Waived University In Usa
• Gre Exam Fee in India
• IELTS Band Score Chart
• CEFR Level in IELTS
• Duolingo vs IELTS
• Minimum IELTS Score For Canada
• Duolingo Accepted Universities In Australia
• 22 July IELTS Exam
• Duolingo Exam Fee
• IELTS Speaking Scores
• IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics
• Gmat Syllabus
• IELTS Common Speaking Topics
• National University of Ireland Galway Courses
• Maynooth University Courses
• Business Courses in Ireland
• Dundalk Institute of Technology Courses
• Courses in Netherlands
• Technological University Dublin
• University of Limerick Courses
• Technological University Dublin Courses
• Dundalk Institute of Technology
• Universities in Netherlands
• Dublin City University Courses

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.

Call us to clear your doubts at:

• Grievance Redressal
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Report a Vulnerability
• University Partner
• Accommodation
• IELTS Band Calculator
• Download Study Abroad App
• Education Loan Calculator
• upGrad Abroad Office
• Expense Calculator
• Knowledge Base
• Business Partner

Top Destinations

Masters programs.

• MBA in Germany, IU
• MIM in Germany, IU
• MS in CS in Germany, IU
• MS in Data Analytics in USA, Clark University
• MS in Project Management in USA, Clark University
• MS in IT in USA, Clark University
• MS in Data Analytics & Visualization in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Artificial Intelligence in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Cybersecurity, Yeshiva University

Study Abroad Important Blogs

• Cost of Study:
• Cost of Studying in Canada
• Cost of Studying in Ireland
• Cost of Studying in Australia
• Cost of living:
• Cost of living in UK
• Cost of living in Australia
• Cost of living in Germany
• Cost of living in Ireland
• Cost of living in Canada
• Cost of Living in Singapore
• Cost of Living in Netherlands
• Career Opportunities:
• Career Opportunities in Australia
• Career Opportunities in Germany
• Job Opportunities in After MS in Canada
• Job Opportunities After MBA in Australia
• Job Opportunities After MS in UK
• IELTS Exam Resources:
• IELTS Registration
• Academic IELTS
• IELTS Band Score
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Slot Booking
• IELTS Score for UK
• IELTS Score for USA
• Validity of IELTS Score
• IELTS Speaking Topics
• IELTS Reading Tips
• How to Prepare for IELTS at Home Without Coaching
• IELTS Preparation Books
• Types of IELTS Exam
• IELTS Academic vs General
• IELTS Exam Fee
• IELTS Exam Pattern
• IELTS Results
• IELTS Essay
• IELTS Exam Dates
• Top Streams:
• Fashion Designing Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Canada
• Management Courses in Canada

A Perfect GRE Issue Essay: Tips, Structure & More

Home » Blog » A Perfect GRE Issue Essay: Tips, Structure & More

Table of Contents

  6329 Reads     Updated on: April 3, 2024

       Updated on: 

The GRE tests the skills of the students in three areas: Verbal reasoning , Quantitative reasoning, and Analytical writing skills. The first section on the test is always the Analytical Writing Assessment . In this section, the student has to write two essays – analysis of an Issue and analysis of an Argument. These essays are then graded on a scale of 0-6.

While the students strive to achieve good scores on the GRE Quantitative Reasoning and GRE Verbal Reasoning sections, the GRE Analytical Writing Assessment is often ignored. The GRE analytical scores from this section too are relevant for the admission process.

What are the Skills that Get Tested in the AWA Section?

The AWA section tests the students’ skill to articulate and support complex ideas, and construct and evaluate arguments. While the GRE issue essay requires the student to express his opinion about a topic, the argument essay requires the student to evaluate the point of view made by someone. These two tasks are complementary.

7 Tips for the Perfect GRE Issue Essay

A perfect score on the GRE’s Issue Essay (a 6) can significantly improve your chances of admission to graduate school! The best schools value students who are clear, competent writers as well as those who have high verbal and quantitative scores.

Many students have excellent transcripts and perform well on tests, but not all can demonstrate impressive writing skills! Here are 7 Tips for writing GRE Issue Essay to help you get a perfect score of 6.

Write a Minimum of Three Practice Essays

Perfect practice makes perfect! You can prepare for the GRE by researching AWA prompts and practicing writing several of them within the 30-minute time limit. Setting up test-like conditions and getting to work is the only way to become comfortable with time constraints.

If you’re a strong writer, you might be tempted to skip the GRE essay section. That’s not a good idea—the issue essay is a different type of essay than you’ve probably had to write in school, and if you don’t practice, you might miss the mark. You’re not writing literary criticism or rhetorical analysis in the issue essay, but rather something akin to a very direct, concise email to a very busy boss or professor.

Get in the habit of thinking that the issue essay isn’t about how well you make things flow or how pretty it sounds; it’s about how clearly you can communicate information.

On the GRE issue essay, you don’t have time to argue both sides of an issue. Even if you don’t believe in the side you choose, you’ll only have time to effectively argue one side. You won’t sound as confident or clear if you take a middle-of-the-road approach. Remember that “readers are evaluating your skill with which you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue,” according to ETS. It is less important which side you choose to defend than how you defend it!

Select Extremely Specific Real-World Examples

Don’t be too broad! Theoretical arguments are easily debunked. The simple counter to any “what if” argument is to question whether the hypothetical scenario would ever occur. Use specific examples instead: Concrete examples include Mitt Romney, the War of 1812, Keynesian economic theory, an anecdote about your Uncle Ralph the compulsive gambler, and so on.

Ensure that Your Examples are Related to the Topic

You can choose from a wide range of topics, such as personal experience, pop culture, history, sports, literature, current events, politics, and so on. However, don’t let your examples dominate the essay.

For example, if you use a historical example, be careful not to let the majority of your essay become a summary of the event or a history paper equivalent. The purpose of the issue essay is to prove a point, so only use examples to support your argument.

Avoid Referring to Yourself in the First Person

In general, you should avoid writing the issue essay in the first person. Using phrases like “I believe” or “in my opinion” adds unnecessary words because the reader already knows the issue essay is written from your point of view. Only use first-person pronouns in a body paragraph if you are using personal experience as an example. Never use the word “I” in your introduction or conclusion.

Make Powerful, Declaratory Statements

Being direct eliminates the possibility of miscommunication or misinterpretation. One of the reasons this is so important is that one of your graders is human, while the other is a computer. If you’ve ever spoken to your GPS or Siri, you’ve probably encountered some miscommunication. On the GRE issue essay, avoid this by making strong, declarative statements.

In Your Conclusion, Refute the Opposing View

Many GRE students are unsure what to write in their conclusion. Introduce the opposing viewpoint, demonstrating that you are aware that some people do not support your position. Then, in 1-2 sentences, refute their argument and reinforce the validity of your own.

Structure of an Issue Essay

The GRE Issue Essay template is similar to that of the traditional 5-paragraph short essay. How long should GRE Essay be? You can choose between 4-6 paragraphs, but the template provided here calls for 5.

Readers of the Issue essay, according to the official GRE website, “are evaluating the skill with which you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue.” The reader will understand your essay better if it is well-organized.

Paragraph 1: Introduction

Make sure to pepper your analysis with words that guide the reader through the argument you’re making as you develop your points. Because, although, additionally, however, alternatively, and alternatively will draw the reader’s attention as you develop your argument.

The following is an example of how to structure each paragraph in your template (adapted from our GRE study guide):

Although the reader will have access to the prompt, your essay should stand on its own, clearly stating the assignment and your response to it. Begin your essay by restating the issue you were assigned, followed by a sentence stating your position on that assignment—your thesis. Next, introduce the specific reasons or examples you intend to provide in each of the following three paragraphs, one sentence for each.

Consider the specific task you were assigned, and ensure that the language you use in your first paragraph demonstrates that you understand the specific instructions in your assignment. For example, if your task requires you to “address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position,” you will be required to demonstrate at least two strong reasons or examples that the opposing party can use—and then explain why those reasons or examples are incorrect.

Structure your first paragraph in this manner, and you’ll be well on your way to signaling to the reader that you understand the assignment, are organized, have considered the complexities of the issue, and can use standard written English—all of which are required for a high essay score.

Paragraph 2: Body Paragraph

Use your most powerful, specific reason first. You should back up your claim with examples and/or logical analysis. You can use examples from history, science, politics, business, entertainment, pop culture, current events, or even your own personal experience. Make it a point to explain why your examples support your reasoning and how this reasoning supports your main thesis. In your body paragraphs, you have three tasks:

• Use your own example.
• Explain its relevance to the topic.
• Demonstrate that it fully supports your thesis.

The majority of your body paragraph should be spent on the third step: demonstrating how it fully supports your thesis.

Paragraph 3: Body Paragraph

Begin your second reason and supporting example with a transition phrase. Repeat the first paragraph’s procedure.

Paragraph 4: Final Body Paragraph

In the first topic sentence, use a transition phrase once more. Describe the third example and how it relates to your thesis. Make sure the reader understands how each example relates to the topic.

This paragraph is an excellent opportunity to present a strong counterargument to your thesis and then explain why the counterargument is incorrect. You are demonstrating to the reader that not only is your position correct, but the opposing position is incorrect as well.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Your conclusion should be a condensed version of your introduction. Remind the reader of the topic you were asked to consider and your point of view. Summarize what you said in a few sentences.

If you run out of time, it is better to include your final body paragraph and skip the conclusion paragraph, because the conclusion adds nothing new to your analysis. A well-written Issue Essay that lacks a conclusion will not be penalized.

How is the GRE Analytical Writing Scored?

The GRE essay is scored by both a human grader and a computer grader. Firstly, the essays are graded by a human using a holistic scale, which means your essay is graded on a scale of 0-6 for overall quality.

Next, the essay will be rated by the e-rater software that gauges the essay based on quantifiable aspects like vocabulary complexity, grammar usage, and the length of the essay. If the scores of both the human grader and the e-rater closely agree, the average of those scores will be your AWA score.

If the scores disagree, then a second human grader will be made to grade the essays, and the final score will be the average of the scores given by the two human graders.

What is a Good Score on the AWA Section?

If you have a score of 4.5 or above in the GRE section, you are good to go for most of the graduate programs. Another factor that decides your score is the subject of choice of the student.

While Engineering and Science-based courses require a lower score, business and art and literature-based courses require slightly higher scores. The Ph.D. programs require a higher score on AWA than the Master’s programs.

Rubrics of GRE Issue Essay Scoring

A good GRE essay should have a clear thesis statement and should be bolstered by reasons and examples. In a level 6 essay, the graders will look for “a cogent, well-articulated analysis of the issue and conveys meaning skillfully.” One has to write an essay that articulates a clear insight into the topic.

This should be accompanied by compelling reasons and persuasive examples. The essay has to be well organized and fluently and precisely convey ideas using effective vocabulary, Standard English Conventions, and variety in sentence structure.

While ETS may expect a level 4 essay to provide competent analysis of the issue, any essay in which the directions are disregarded and analytical thinking is lacking would fare a score of 2 or less. (Source ETS)

The graders evaluate the essays in the following areas: analysis, ideas, development, support, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. The more precise the components of the essay are, the higher the score will be.

General Tips to Tackle the AWA Section

Know the Topics

The AWA GRE topics are not random. They can be from these topics: Education, Science, Arts, Cities, Philosophy, Governmental policies, leadership, and intellectual efforts.

The student will be able to go through all the Issue and Argument essay prompts from the ETS essay pool. Instead of trying to write an essay on all the topics, the student should focus on how to work with different topics in general.

Read the Instructions Carefully

The instructions appear after the prompt in the test. The student should read the instructions carefully and write the essay. Any deviation from the instructions could mean a reduced score. The different instructions may not mean a change in the entire essay structure, but the student has to tweak the examples and add a few sentences to accommodate what is given in the question.

Both these essays are to be completed in 30 minutes each. Since time is the main criterion, the student has to plan the timing in these sections. The student can split the timing this way:

• Understanding the topic and brainstorming – 2-3 minutes
• Organizing 3- 5 minutes
• Developing and Typing the essay – 20- 22 minutes
• Conclusion and proofreading – 2-3 minutes.

Write as Much as You Can

ETS doesn’t prescribe any word length for the essay but prescribes that the students use as many paragraphs as possible to explain the topic. A short essay may not be sufficient to bring out all the important points, while a too lengthy essay could mean the student cannot complete the section. With the optimum number of words, the student should frame a quality essay. The GRE vocabulary can be used when relevant.

Tips to Improve the Issue Essay Score

• Don’t Ramble: You will have enough time only to discuss one side of the essay. Whether you believe in the point or not, choose a side for which you have good reasons and examples. If you choose to talk about both sides, you may not make a clear stance. Remember the graders are looking for how well you establish a position and support it. It is certainly not about which side you choose.
• Practice a Few Essays: Pick out a few topics and write essays under test-like conditions. This will help you to get used to the time constraints. Work on the topics for which the GRE sample essays with grades are available on the ETS website. This will allow you to know where you stand.
• Look for Real-Life Examples: The examples that you use on the test should be universal. The graders may not be able to relate to local scenarios. The examples cannot be hypothetically describing a what-if scenario. Instead, it should talk about a real event or a person. Use names, places, and dates to make the example more specific. Avoid controversial scenarios.
• Use Relevant Examples: The examples can come from a wide range of topics such as science, history, literature, current affairs, politics, sports, personal experiences, etc. Make sure these examples relate to the reasons and the topic.
• Don’t Overuse First-Person Pronouns: You can introduce the stance in the first person. But don’t overdo it in all the paragraphs.
• Make Asserting Statements: The thesis statement should be very clear and leave no room for misunderstanding. The e-rater is software and needs direct statements for the analysis of your essay.
• Debunk the Opposite Side: Clearly mention why you are opposing the other side. You need not give examples but may quote reasons to do this.

You might have to make a concession point where you bring up the points from the side you disagree with. Don’t let this weaken your argument.

Remember to include the GRE Analytical Writing, when you are taking a GRE mock test .

Improve Your Vocabulary with GRE WordsApp

If you are preparing for GRE and struggling with your Vocabulary then Manya GRE WordsApp is the ideal choice for you. Manya GRE WordsApp is a simple and efficient way to improve your vocabulary for the GRE Exam. This app will make it simple to memorize words and to improve your GRE vocabulary in bite-sized pieces.

You get around 1300+ GRE words divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced, each of which is further divided into levels for easy learning. Each word has crystal-clear meaning in simple language, pictorial representation of words, synonyms, antonyms and much more. In addition, quizzes & rewards make mastering even the toughest GRE vocabulary simple.

Download the App Now: Google Play   or  App Store

Manya – The Princeton Review Advantage

Manya – The Princeton Review offers end-to-end study abroad services encompassing  admissions consulting services , test preparation, English language training, career assessment, and international internship opportunities to study abroad aspirants. Founded in 2002, Manya holds an impeccable track record of enabling more than 4 lac students to accomplish their study abroad dreams through its network of 47+ centers across India.

Manya has formed long-lasting global alliances with several market leaders in the education industry in order to maximize the benefits of its large service portfolio. Their list of esteemed partners and affiliations includes – The Princeton Review (TPR), Cambridge University Press (CUP), Cogito Hub, British Council, Tuding to name a few. Manya has also forged 600+ partnerships with international universities across top study abroad destinations.

How to start a GRE issue essay?

Begin your essay by restating the issue you were assigned, followed by a sentence stating your position on that assignment—your thesis.

Next, introduce the specific reasons or examples you intend to provide in each of the following three paragraphs, one sentence for each.

How do you compose a GRE issue essay?

Given below are the 7 Tips for writing GRE Issue Essay:

• Prepare at least three practice essays.
• Don’t dither.
• Select very specific real-world examples.
• Ensure that your examples are relevant to the topic.
• Avoid using the first person and referring to yourself.
• Make bold, declarative statements.
• In your conclusion, refute the opposing viewpoint.

What are the most common GRE issue essay topics?

The most common GRE essay topics are:

• Technology and Society.
• Government and Power.
• Intellectual Endeavors.
• Philosophical.

Is 300 words sufficient for a GRE Issue Essay?

Your GRE issue essay should have at least four indented paragraphs and be between 350 and 600 words long—ideally between 500 and 600.

The most important factor is quality, but in order to achieve it, you must provide a solid line of reasoning and excellent examples—both of which require length.

Do GRE essay topics come up repeatedly?

Yes! ETS does ask questions from their massive question bank again and again. This means that if some of your friends took their GRE a few days before you, you may see a few of their questions repeated on your exam.

Previous Blog

Related Blogs

Mastering GRE Text Completion: Essential Tips for Success

GRE Quantitative Reasoning Syllabus 2024: Key Topics to Master

Best Free Online GRE Coaching – Top Resources for GRE Preparation

Planning to study abroad? Get free 1-on-1 counselling with our experts

Subscribe to this blog.

Your email:

Trending Blogs

• Study abroad
• Study Abroad UK
• Study Abroad US
• Study Abroad Canada
• Study Abroad Australia
• Study Abroad Germany
• Study Abroad South Korea
• Study Abroad Spain
• Study Abroad Netherlands
• Study Abroad Switzerland
• Study Abroad Japan

Just One Step Away!

Our Experts require more information to assist you in a better way.

Testimonial

Download Form

Privacy overview.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

AWA Issue Sample Topic: Setting Up Pro and Con Points

Today, I will take apart an AWA Issue sample topic from the GRE Issue task . I’ll show my brainstorm process and come up with pros and cons and specific examples to back up each side.

Click here to view the prompt (Source and instructions: ETS Pool of Issue Topics )

First of all, be sure to read not only the prompt at the link above but also the directions found in the second ETS link (and this applies to any prompt you write an essay for, of course!). You’ll then want to establish a nuanced position on the issue and provide your rationale. You do not want your position to be too neutral (defending a default position is never that compelling) but neither do you want it to be too extreme (for instance: “Unless you study the cities of a major society you will be forever doomed in trying to understand that society”.)

In determining what position you wish to take, it’s helpful to come up with statements that are either For or Against the prompt. Then, you’ll want to pick whichever side you feel has the best reasoning and support. Below, I’ll walk you through my own example reasoning for this AWA Issue sample topic.

• All great civilizations have had a flourishing city. The government/king/queen have been here. To understand most of its people, the way in which it is ruled, we must understand the city.
• ‘Most important characteristics’ shows that life outside of a city can still help illuminate the society, but not as much as city life can.
• Learning centers/colleges/universities are typically in a city. Understanding the intellectual output is key to understanding a society.
• In post-agrarian societies, most jobs are contained within cities. That is commerce is conducted in the cities.
• Many societies have been agricultural. That society’s customs, rituals can only be understood in the context of a rural backdrop.
• Even a modern society depends on agriculture to sustain it. Surely, to understand the important characteristics of a society, we need to understand the people who live in rural areas.
• ‘Major cities’ is a stretch. Even smaller cities can help us understand a society, especially if the culture/values tend to be different in the smaller cities/more rural areas.

For your actual essay, your For/Against should not be so long. Find some shorthand way of expressing your thoughts (I wrote everything out because my shorthand wouldn’t look very good in a blog post).

Perhaps you’ve come up with a different list of For/Against. Regardless, the next step is to figure out where you fall on the Agree/Disagree spectrum. That is what position, based on your brainstorming, are you taking.

I’ll choose For, stating that my position was predicated on modern societies, most of which have a majority of their population living in major cities. I’ll concede at some point in the essay that even smaller cities can offer insight into a society.

To effectively support and develop these points, I would want to think of relevant examples. For the last point, I would offer up the United States. The culture between large cities and small cities can be very different. There is the Red State vs. Blue State dichotomy that can also pertain to small cities vs. large cities. To understand the religious political divide in the U.S. we would need to also study life in small cities and rural areas. This would be my concession point, which basically shows that my position is not 100% for the prompt, but is more balanced and nuanced.

I hope this breakdown of an AWA Issue sample topic was helpful to you. If you’re looking for more practice, the ETS website offers hundreds more sample essay prompts. Now if you’re not convinced and think, “Hey, I already have a book with sample essay prompts,” then consider this: on test day the prompt you get will be one of the prompts on this site. I highly recommend you use it in your GRE practice!

Chris graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and has 20 years of experience in the test prep industry. He’s been quoted as a subject expert in many publications, including US News , GMAC , and Business Because .

View all posts

More from Magoosh

Leave a Comment

Please leave any questions or suggestions in the comments, we try our best to respond within a few days! Your email address will not be published.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

52 responses to “AWA Issue Sample Topic: Setting Up Pro and Con Points”

Hey Magoosh,

I feel very late to the table with my question but here goes- Is it okay for me to back up my support for a topic (or disagreement with it) with real life examples? For instance, If I’ve chosen to support the topic “To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must understand it’s major cities,” can I state my support with examples of real life cities such as NYC and Lisbon, Portugal or should i steer clear of specifics and try to speak more generally.

Real life examples are definitely OK for these kinds of essays, and using your own experience can make it easier for you to come up with good ideas and supporting details. So go for it! 🙂

Hi, Magoosh

I would like to know the link between these two Issue prompts:

”Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.” and

”Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.” Please, also, how do I go about each one of them? Thanks.

Hi Benjamin,

There are six different instructions that you will see in the Issue essay, but they are all basically asking you to do the same thing! Your task in the Issue Essay is to take a position and craft a strong argument in favor of that position. You should also make sure to acknowledge the other side of the argument in a short concession point paragraph, which shows that you thought about the problem from multiple angles. While the instructions are slight different, you’ll notice that they are essentially asking you the same thing! The only difference between them might be in the way you talk about your evidence. For example, in your first example, you might discuss different “considerations” while for the second one you might talk about “reasons.” Your language should mirror the language in the prompt, but otherwise you approach all Issue essays in exactly the same way, regardless of directions!

Hello Chris ! Please if you are for the motion how do you talk against it too. Do you talk for the motion throughout and talk against it at the latter or do both simultaneously?

I can take this one! 🙂 If you are in favor of something in a pro/con AWA essay, it’s best to focus on why you’re for the motion in most of the essay. The best place to bring up points against what you’re in favor of would be in the second-to-last paragraph, right before the conclusion. This second-to-last paragraph can focus on your counter-argument– the cos of what you are “pro” for. Remember, though, if you bring up a counter-argument, you should also explain why the counter-argument isn’t significant enough to sway your opinion. Be sure to explain that part at the end of your counter-argument paragraph. Does that make sense? 🙂

Can we agree to both views in the issue task “Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future.”

Hi Pranavi,

The golden rule of the Issue essay is to always take ONE side and stick to it! It doesn’t matter which side you choose, but the graders want to see that you are thinking critically and able to effectively argue a point. You should have a ‘concession point paragraph’ where you show that you have considered the other side, but even here you need to clearly show why your argument is superior.

My arguments for this topic were completely different from yours. Am I reading the issue topic wrong? My argument was that the demographics, culture, and value of a major city may be extreme different from the rest of the country due to immigration, tourism, and a different economic focus. Therefore, one cannot only study a country’s major cities to understand their society.

The cons you just listed would also work. There are many different approaches someone can take to constructing an AWA argument, and there is no one right approach to this question– or to other AWA questions.

Is there any website that lists the most-frequent topics for the issues and argument sections?

https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool

This is the pool of topic for issue based essays Hope it helps 🙂

Hello Chris, I´m curious…Can I make up an example – like invent an ancient city to support my position? Regards, Michelle

Hmm…this is fine on the SAT, but I’m not sure how that flies on the GRE. True, the computer won’t know the difference. The human grader, technically, should be looking for logical structure, persuasiveness and general syntactical pizzazz. Still…subjectivity may just creep in there. I’d play it safe, but you might very well be able to get a perfect ‘6’ by talking about Floramia, the most architectural advance pre-Sumerian civilization 🙂

Hi Magoosh,

Can we use personalized examples in awa issue ? Like something from my personal life but still relevant to the topic given ?

You can, to some extent. I would just be careful not to base your entire essay of the example or get too caught up in summarizing the example. As long as there is analysis and you relate it to the issue and even to the other examples. That is, there should be a sentence or two in which you mention the general significance of your example.

Hope that helps!

Can I question the question itself? The concept of “most important characteristics“ is very vague and can be determined solely by interpretation. If we define education as one important characteristics, then we must study cities. If we say that only agriculture is vital, then we need to study the villages. Can I write these points in the essay?

i am struggling with initiating the paragraph with first sentence ,what should i do to overcome this problem.

HI Mr.Chris, I have started preparing for my GRE exam. I am extremely worried about the analytical writing section. While writing an essay, I take a lot of time to plan and jot down the points.I get frustrated that I am not able to complete the essays in 30 minutes. Even after taking down the points, I am not able to write a free-flowing essay as I tend to get stuck often. Until now, I practiced about 4 essays and each took me more than an hour to complete. Please help me.

This approach does make the task easier and I thank you for it. But even so, I had recently asked my friends to grade a couple of essays I had written and they’ve all been averaging 3.5. They say I use unrelated words and that my grammar isn’t very good. I understand that those reasons would impact my score but could you tell me to what degree they would? I do provide examples related to the topic and write enough text to support my stand.

I think it’s very tough for friends–or someone who isn’t familiar with what GRE essays get which scores–to grade these essays. What typically happens is said friends will look at the score guidelines (for what merits anything from a ‘0’ to a ‘6’) and then use their interpretation of the info. to come up with a score. One user on the forums was so adamant that an essay deserved a ‘1’ because according to him, his scoring was consistent with how he interpreted the scoring.

What someone needs to do is actually look at essays that have score a 1, 2, etc. to get a sense of what the GRE considers a 1, 2, etc. If your friends are willing to put in the time to get a better sense of this, then you could use their feedback. For now, I’d question it.

One quick piece of advice: don’t just say you agree or disagree with the prompt and then use a few examples that clearly show your stance. You have take a stance somewhere in the middle. Doing so shows that you accept that the answer to the question is anything but black and white but depends on some variables. Address these “depends” and showing how they influence your position is the type of analytical thinking the GRE is looking for–don’t just rattle of tidy examples.

Hey, thanks for the advice against taking a concrete stand and not acknowledging the opposing view. I used to make that mistake up until that point but I soon changed my approach and focused on an analytic reasoning of both sides of the topic. I got 5.5 on the AWA on test day and being a non-native speaker, I’m very thrilled. Thanks again. =)

Great! That’s awesome to hear 🙂

Thanks for your awesome tips. Their simply great. Is the issue and argument going to be one of the topics included in the ETS ‘s issue/argument pool. Thanks

Hello Chris,

I wanted to ask that in the issue essay, after we have jotted the points for both the sides of the issue(pros and cons) and its time to choose a side, is it necessary to choose a side? Or we can elucidate/support both the positions in our essay?

Actually, do not choose just one side. You can choose a side for a couple of paragraphs but then you should show how the position doesn’t hold up in some cases. You should address those cases, using relevant examples. The whole point of the Issue is they give you a black and white statement and they want you to elucidate the shades of gray. Ultimately, you don’t want to choose a side but show that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Hi Yeah, I understand it better now. Anyways thank you for all the awesome tips you provide here. Great job! 🙂

But *then ?

Thanks for catching that typo! 😉

My problem stems from getting the pros and cons. i’m usually stuck there 🙁 . How can i improve this aspect of my writing?.

Hi, I was wondering how we should go about tackling the issues with prompts that state a Claim and Reason. For e.g.

Claim: Nations should suspend government funding for the arts when significant numbers of their citizens are hungry or unemployed. Reason: It is inappropriate—and, perhaps, even cruel—to use public resources to fund the arts when people’s basic needs are not being met.

Do we have to spend our whole essay dissecting the reason, arguing for and against the cruelty of using funds to support the arts when people are starving, or can we address the claim more generally, giving other reasons such as government funding for the arts is an insignificant portion of overall funding for the arts? I hope it is the latter, for it does not seem like an easy task to come up with many argument for only one reason.

I don’t think ETS really has an official stance on how the best approach the question. As long as you combine an analysis of the claim and the reason, you should be fine. Meaning, focus on the claim, if you feel it is easier to do so, but do not ignore the reason. Likewise, do not focus only on the reasoning, attacking it the same way you would a typical issue question, without addressing the claim on which it is based.

Hope that made sense :).

Hello So do you think it would be all right if if you argument states that the claim is right but the reason is not applicable to the claim?

I’m not sure if I understand the last part of your question…in general, though, don’t completely agree with the issue. The issue is there for you to analyze. Indeed, the issue is stated in such a black and white manner so that you can step in and say, in essence, “Actually, it’s not that straightforward.”

My strategy is similar to what is listed here. I took about 7 minutes to brainstorm and draw up a pro and cons column. Also, I had examples for both positions and at the end of brain storming, I decided which side of the essay prompt I was going to adopt. Then after clearly elucidating my arguments for my adopted position, I also considered the opposing view, so as to give the essay a balanced analysis.

I received a 4.5/6 on the AWA.

Without actually seeing your essay it is hard to determine why you received a 4.5 and not a ‘5’ or higher. The truth is structure is only one ingredient to your essay. ETS will also look to see how cogent your examples are, how varied your sentence structure, and how sophisticated your prose is. I can confidently say that if you followed the structure above that doing so should not have detracted from your score.

My best guess is cogency of examples. Some of my students have off days, and though everything else is tidy about their essays, their examples fail to cohere and they get a point or so off.

Hope that helps shed some insight :).

Thanks Chris, I began practice for AWA two days back. I hope my writings improves to earn at least a 4.5 on my test date (Early September). Also, Do we have a magoosh team that can help score practice AWA essay. At no cost o!

Hi Oluwunmi,

Unfortunately, we don’t offer an essay review service! If you have any general questions about approaches to writing or structuring essays, feel free to let us know through the Help tab in Magoosh and we’d be happy to help.

I’m going to retake the gre and am wondering how much a score higher on the essays like from 4 to 5 will affect my quantitative grade as well. I just need five grades higher on the quantitative and am wondering how many points I can get by studying for and raising my essay as well? I mean is it worth the time or should I stick to the maths, I don’t really have much time left.

Your essay score is totally unrelated to your quant score. So in order to raise you quant score you will have to improve on the math. I’d say don’t give up so easily. A 5-point increase in math is attainable :).

oh I wish I’d known that a bit earlier. this just made me realize- so if I need a quantitative grade of 149 to apply for my masters, then I can even totally skip the verbal and essay sections to the maths?? (I mean ım not sure ıll actually do this, but then it means it won’t affect my maths at all?) and one last question- Im not sure if it may be silly but I had a 145 in my last exam and need a 149, about how many more questions will I have to do right this time?.. I wish the gre scores were given in more detail (to me and not the school or wherever).

thanks a lot!

Yes, I know the score bit is confusing. I’m guessing a 3+ correct answers should get you there.

As for skipping the AWA, you can definitely do so without in any way affecting your verbal score.

Hey Chris, I’ve signed on to Magoosh for a year and had written GRE earlier this year (303 awa 2). i intend to take GRE once again and the AWA scares me. Not that I cant read nor right, I just have this problem starting and developing the thoughts to my satisfaction. Is there a section for AWA on magoosh ?

I had a different problem. My verbal score was 146 and AWA 4.0. However, I am seeing mostly people with having far better verbal score than mine but their AWA score less than 4.0. Still perplexed with my predicament of this type.

How did you go about studying for the verbal? I’d love to help you dramatically improve upon your score :).

Yes, we do have a special section for the AWA. Hopefully, it will help get the thoughts flowing. In the meantime, I recommend using the prompts from the ets bank to practice coming up with pros and cons.

http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool

Yes, we have an AWA section on Magoosh :). Indeed it talks about a few strategies to help generate thoughts. Let me know if you find it helpful :).

You mentioned that one should avoid being too neutral in an issue essay, and yet in the example topic, you concede with the point that small cities can offer insight into a society. At what point is an essay deemed “too neutral?” I often find myself having appealing pro and con examples for my essays, yet too few of substantial examples to firmly decide on what side of the issue I should write on.

Also, do you have any tips for generating examples on the fly? I often find myself stuck trying to generate insightful examples and ultimately result to insipid “personal experience” ones.

Good question! I think there is an important difference between a concession point and a neutral thesis. A concession point shows that you are able to consider the other side of the issue and show that, in some cases or situations, your point does not hold true.

Being neutral, on the other hand, would involve not taking a side at all. Consider the following thesis: Studying cities can sometimes yield important characteristics of a society.

That’s a very wishy-washy argument, one that really doesn’t amount to much of a stance.

Hope that clears things up :).

Thanks! Very helpful points.

Could you please give main points(For and Against) for a few more difficult issue topics.

Hi Shubham,

I will work to do so in the near future. Glad you are enjoying the posts :).

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

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

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

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

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

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, get unlimited documents corrected.

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

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

5 Steps to Write a Great Analytical Essay

General Education

Do you need to write an analytical essay for school? What sets this kind of essay apart from other types, and what must you include when you write your own analytical essay? In this guide, we break down the process of writing an analytical essay by explaining the key factors your essay needs to have, providing you with an outline to help you structure your essay, and analyzing a complete analytical essay example so you can see what a finished essay looks like.

What Is an Analytical Essay?

Before you begin writing an analytical essay, you must know what this type of essay is and what it includes. Analytical essays analyze something, often (but not always) a piece of writing or a film.

An analytical essay is more than just a synopsis of the issue though; in this type of essay you need to go beyond surface-level analysis and look at what the key arguments/points of this issue are and why. If you’re writing an analytical essay about a piece of writing, you’ll look into how the text was written and why the author chose to write it that way. Instead of summarizing, an analytical essay typically takes a narrower focus and looks at areas such as major themes in the work, how the author constructed and supported their argument, how the essay used literary devices to enhance its messages, etc.

While you certainly want people to agree with what you’ve written, unlike with persuasive and argumentative essays, your main purpose when writing an analytical essay isn’t to try to convert readers to your side of the issue. Therefore, you won’t be using strong persuasive language like you would in those essay types. Rather, your goal is to have enough analysis and examples that the strength of your argument is clear to readers.

Besides typical essay components like an introduction and conclusion, a good analytical essay will include:

• A thesis that states your main argument
• Analysis that relates back to your thesis and supports it
• Examples to support your analysis and allow a more in-depth look at the issue

In the rest of this article, we’ll explain how to include each of these in your analytical essay.

How to Structure Your Analytical Essay

Analytical essays are structured similarly to many other essays you’ve written, with an introduction (including a thesis), several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Below is an outline you can follow when structuring your essay, and in the next section we go into more detail on how to write an analytical essay.

Introduction

Your introduction will begin with some sort of attention-grabbing sentence to get your audience interested, then you’ll give a few sentences setting up the topic so that readers have some context, and you’ll end with your thesis statement. Your introduction will include:

• Brief background information explaining the issue/text
• Your thesis

Body Paragraphs

Your analytical essay will typically have three or four body paragraphs, each covering a different point of analysis. Begin each body paragraph with a sentence that sets up the main point you’ll be discussing. Then you’ll give some analysis on that point, backing it up with evidence to support your claim. Continue analyzing and giving evidence for your analysis until you’re out of strong points for the topic. At the end of each body paragraph, you may choose to have a transition sentence that sets up what the next paragraph will be about, but this isn’t required. Body paragraphs will include:

• Introductory sentence explaining what you’ll cover in the paragraph (sort of like a mini-thesis)
• Analysis point
• Evidence (either passages from the text or data/facts) that supports the analysis
• (Repeat analysis and evidence until you run out of examples)

You won’t be making any new points in your conclusion; at this point you’re just reiterating key points you’ve already made and wrapping things up. Begin by rephrasing your thesis and summarizing the main points you made in the essay. Someone who reads just your conclusion should be able to come away with a basic idea of what your essay was about and how it was structured. After this, you may choose to make some final concluding thoughts, potentially by connecting your essay topic to larger issues to show why it’s important. A conclusion will include:

• Paraphrase of thesis
• Summary of key points of analysis
• Final concluding thought(s)

5 Steps for Writing an Analytical Essay

Follow these five tips to break down writing an analytical essay into manageable steps. By the end, you’ll have a fully-crafted analytical essay with both in-depth analysis and enough evidence to support your argument. All of these steps use the completed analytical essay in the next section as an example.

#1: Pick a Topic

You may have already had a topic assigned to you, and if that’s the case, you can skip this step. However, if you haven’t, or if the topic you’ve been assigned is broad enough that you still need to narrow it down, then you’ll need to decide on a topic for yourself. Choosing the right topic can mean the difference between an analytical essay that’s easy to research (and gets you a good grade) and one that takes hours just to find a few decent points to analyze

Before you decide on an analytical essay topic, do a bit of research to make sure you have enough examples to support your analysis. If you choose a topic that’s too narrow, you’ll struggle to find enough to write about.

For example, say your teacher assigns you to write an analytical essay about the theme in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath of exposing injustices against migrants. For it to be an analytical essay, you can’t just recount the injustices characters in the book faced; that’s only a summary and doesn’t include analysis. You need to choose a topic that allows you to analyze the theme. One of the best ways to explore a theme is to analyze how the author made his/her argument. One example here is that Steinbeck used literary devices in the intercalary chapters (short chapters that didn’t relate to the plot or contain the main characters of the book) to show what life was like for migrants as a whole during the Dust Bowl.

You could write about how Steinbeck used literary devices throughout the whole book, but, in the essay below, I chose to just focus on the intercalary chapters since they gave me enough examples. Having a narrower focus will nearly always result in a tighter and more convincing essay (and can make compiling examples less overwhelming).

#2: Write a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the most important sentence of your essay; a reader should be able to read just your thesis and understand what the entire essay is about and what you’ll be analyzing. When you begin writing, remember that each sentence in your analytical essay should relate back to your thesis

In the analytical essay example below, the thesis is the final sentence of the first paragraph (the traditional spot for it). The thesis is: “In The Grapes of Wrath’s intercalary chapters, John Steinbeck employs a variety of literary devices and stylistic choices to better expose the injustices committed against migrants in the 1930s.” So what will this essay analyze? How Steinbeck used literary devices in the intercalary chapters to show how rough migrants could have it. Crystal clear.

#3: Do Research to Find Your Main Points

This is where you determine the bulk of your analysis--the information that makes your essay an analytical essay. My preferred method is to list every idea that I can think of, then research each of those and use the three or four strongest ones for your essay. Weaker points may be those that don’t relate back to the thesis, that you don’t have much analysis to discuss, or that you can’t find good examples for. A good rule of thumb is to have one body paragraph per main point

This essay has four main points, each of which analyzes a different literary device Steinbeck uses to better illustrate how difficult life was for migrants during the Dust Bowl. The four literary devices and their impact on the book are:

• Lack of individual names in intercalary chapters to illustrate the scope of the problem
• Parallels to the Bible to induce sympathy for the migrants
• Non-showy, often grammatically-incorrect language so the migrants are more realistic and relatable to readers
• Nature-related metaphors to affect the mood of the writing and reflect the plight of the migrants

#4: Find Excerpts or Evidence to Support Your Analysis

Now that you have your main points, you need to back them up. If you’re writing a paper about a text or film, use passages/clips from it as your main source of evidence. If you’re writing about something else, your evidence can come from a variety of sources, such as surveys, experiments, quotes from knowledgeable sources etc. Any evidence that would work for a regular research paper works here.

In this example, I quoted multiple passages from The Grapes of Wrath  in each paragraph to support my argument. You should be able to back up every claim you make with evidence in order to have a strong essay.

#5: Put It All Together

Now it's time to begin writing your essay, if you haven’t already. Create an introductory paragraph that ends with the thesis, make a body paragraph for each of your main points, including both analysis and evidence to back up your claims, and wrap it all up with a conclusion that recaps your thesis and main points and potentially explains the big picture importance of the topic.

Analytical Essay Example + Analysis

So that you can see for yourself what a completed analytical essay looks like, here’s an essay I wrote back in my high school days. It’s followed by analysis of how I structured my essay, what its strengths are, and how it could be improved.

One way Steinbeck illustrates the connections all migrant people possessed and the struggles they faced is by refraining from using specific titles and names in his intercalary chapters. While The Grapes of Wrath focuses on the Joad family, the intercalary chapters show that all migrants share the same struggles and triumphs as the Joads. No individual names are used in these chapters; instead the people are referred to as part of a group. Steinbeck writes, “Frantic men pounded on the doors of the doctors; and the doctors were busy.  And sad men left word at country stores for the coroner to send a car,” (555). By using generic terms, Steinbeck shows how the migrants are all linked because they have gone through the same experiences. The grievances committed against one family were committed against thousands of other families; the abuse extends far beyond what the Joads experienced. The Grapes of Wrath frequently refers to the importance of coming together; how, when people connect with others their power and influence multiplies immensely. Throughout the novel, the goal of the migrants, the key to their triumph, has been to unite. While their plans are repeatedly frustrated by the government and police, Steinbeck’s intercalary chapters provide a way for the migrants to relate to one another because they have encountered the same experiences. Hundreds of thousands of migrants fled to the promised land of California, but Steinbeck was aware that numbers alone were impersonal and lacked the passion he desired to spread. Steinbeck created the intercalary chapters to show the massive numbers of people suffering, and he created the Joad family to evoke compassion from readers.  Because readers come to sympathize with the Joads, they become more sensitive to the struggles of migrants in general. However, John Steinbeck frequently made clear that the Joads were not an isolated incident; they were not unique. Their struggles and triumphs were part of something greater. Refraining from specific names in his intercalary chapters allows Steinbeck to show the vastness of the atrocities committed against migrants.

Steinbeck also creates significant parallels to the Bible in his intercalary chapters in order to enhance his writing and characters. By using simple sentences and stylized writing, Steinbeck evokes Biblical passages. The migrants despair, “No work till spring. No work,” (556).  Short, direct sentences help to better convey the desperateness of the migrants’ situation. Throughout his novel, John Steinbeck makes connections to the Bible through his characters and storyline. Jim Casy’s allusions to Christ and the cycle of drought and flooding are clear biblical references.  By choosing to relate The Grapes of Wrath to the Bible, Steinbeck’s characters become greater than themselves. Starving migrants become more than destitute vagrants; they are now the chosen people escaping to the promised land. When a forgotten man dies alone and unnoticed, it becomes a tragedy. Steinbeck writes, “If [the migrants] were shot at, they did not run, but splashed sullenly away; and if they were hit, they sank tiredly in the mud,” (556). Injustices committed against the migrants become greater because they are seen as children of God through Steinbeck’s choice of language. Referencing the Bible strengthens Steinbeck’s novel and purpose: to create understanding for the dispossessed.  It is easy for people to feel disdain for shabby vagabonds, but connecting them to such a fundamental aspect of Christianity induces sympathy from readers who might have otherwise disregarded the migrants as so many other people did.

The simple, uneducated dialogue Steinbeck employs also helps to create a more honest and meaningful representation of the migrants, and it makes the migrants more relatable to readers. Steinbeck chooses to accurately represent the language of the migrants in order to more clearly illustrate their lives and make them seem more like real paper than just characters in a book. The migrants lament, “They ain’t gonna be no kinda work for three months,” (555). There are multiple grammatical errors in that single sentence, but it vividly conveys the despair the migrants felt better than a technically perfect sentence would. The Grapes of Wrath is intended to show the severe difficulties facing the migrants so Steinbeck employs a clear, pragmatic style of writing.  Steinbeck shows the harsh, truthful realities of the migrants’ lives and he would be hypocritical if he chose to give the migrants a more refined voice and not portray them with all their shortcomings. The depiction of the migrants as imperfect through their language also makes them easier to relate to. Steinbeck’s primary audience was the middle class, the less affluent of society. Repeatedly in The Grapes of Wrath , the wealthy make it obvious that they scorn the plight of the migrants. The wealthy, not bad luck or natural disasters, were the prominent cause of the suffering of migrant families such as the Joads. Thus, Steinbeck turns to the less prosperous for support in his novel. When referring to the superior living conditions barnyard animals have, the migrants remark, “Them’s horses-we’re men,” (556).  The perfect simplicity of this quote expresses the absurdness of the migrants’ situation better than any flowery expression could.

In The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck uses metaphors, particularly about nature, in order to illustrate the mood and the overall plight of migrants. Throughout most of the book, the land is described as dusty, barren, and dead. Towards the end, however; floods come and the landscape begins to change. At the end of chapter twenty-nine, Steinbeck describes a hill after the floods saying, “Tiny points of grass came through the earth, and in a few days the hills were pale green with the beginning year,” (556). This description offers a stark contrast from the earlier passages which were filled with despair and destruction. Steinbeck’s tone from the beginning of the chapter changes drastically. Early in the chapter, Steinbeck had used heavy imagery in order to convey the destruction caused by the rain, “The streams and the little rivers edged up to the bank sides and worked at willows and tree roots, bent the willows deep in the current, cut out the roots of cottonwoods and brought down the trees,” (553). However, at the end of the chapter the rain has caused new life to grow in California. The new grass becomes a metaphor representing hope. When the migrants are at a loss over how they will survive the winter, the grass offers reassurance. The story of the migrants in the intercalary chapters parallels that of the Joads. At the end of the novel, the family is breaking apart and has been forced to flee their home. However, both the book and final intercalary chapter end on a hopeful note after so much suffering has occurred. The grass metaphor strengthens Steinbeck’s message because it offers a tangible example of hope. Through his language Steinbeck’s themes become apparent at the end of the novel. Steinbeck affirms that persistence, even when problems appear insurmountable, leads to success. These metaphors help to strengthen Steinbeck’s themes in The Grapes of Wrath because they provide a more memorable way to recall important messages.

John Steinbeck’s language choices help to intensify his writing in his intercalary chapters and allow him to more clearly show how difficult life for migrants could be. Refraining from using specific names and terms allows Steinbeck to show that many thousands of migrants suffered through the same wrongs. Imitating the style of the Bible strengthens Steinbeck’s characters and connects them to the Bible, perhaps the most famous book in history. When Steinbeck writes in the imperfect dialogue of the migrants, he creates a more accurate portrayal and makes the migrants easier to relate to for a less affluent audience. Metaphors, particularly relating to nature, strengthen the themes in The Grapes of Wrath by enhancing the mood Steinbeck wants readers to feel at different points in the book. Overall, the intercalary chapters that Steinbeck includes improve his novel by making it more memorable and reinforcing the themes Steinbeck embraces throughout the novel. Exemplary stylistic devices further persuade readers of John Steinbeck’s personal beliefs. Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath to bring to light cruelties against migrants, and by using literary devices effectively, he continuously reminds readers of his purpose. Steinbeck’s impressive language choices in his intercalary chapters advance the entire novel and help to create a classic work of literature that people still are able to relate to today. 

This essay sticks pretty closely to the standard analytical essay outline. It starts with an introduction, where I chose to use a quote to start off the essay. (This became my favorite way to start essays in high school because, if I wasn’t sure what to say, I could outsource the work and find a quote that related to what I’d be writing about.) The quote in this essay doesn’t relate to the themes I’m discussing quite as much as it could, but it’s still a slightly different way to start an essay and can intrigue readers. I then give a bit of background on The Grapes of Wrath and its themes before ending the intro paragraph with my thesis: that Steinbeck used literary devices in intercalary chapters to show how rough migrants had it.

Each of my four body paragraphs is formatted in roughly the same way: an intro sentence that explains what I’ll be discussing, analysis of that main point, and at least two quotes from the book as evidence.

My conclusion restates my thesis, summarizes each of four points I discussed in my body paragraphs, and ends the essay by briefly discussing how Steinbeck’s writing helped introduce a world of readers to the injustices migrants experienced during the dust bowl.

What does this analytical essay example do well? For starters, it contains everything that a strong analytical essay should, and it makes that easy to find. The thesis clearly lays out what the essay will be about, the first sentence of each of the body paragraph introduces the topic it’ll cover, and the conclusion neatly recaps all the main points. Within each of the body paragraphs, there’s analysis along with multiple excerpts from the book in order to add legitimacy to my points.

Additionally, the essay does a good job of taking an in-depth look at the issue introduced in the thesis. Four ways Steinbeck used literary devices are discussed, and for each of the examples are given and analysis is provided so readers can understand why Steinbeck included those devices and how they helped shaped how readers viewed migrants and their plight.

Where could this essay be improved? I believe the weakest body paragraph is the third one, the one that discusses how Steinbeck used plain, grammatically incorrect language to both accurately depict the migrants and make them more relatable to readers. The paragraph tries to touch on both of those reasons and ends up being somewhat unfocused as a result. It would have been better for it to focus on just one of those reasons (likely how it made the migrants more relatable) in order to be clearer and more effective. It’s a good example of how adding more ideas to an essay often doesn’t make it better if they don’t work with the rest of what you’re writing. This essay also could explain the excerpts that are included more and how they relate to the points being made. Sometimes they’re just dropped in the essay with the expectation that the readers will make the connection between the example and the analysis. This is perhaps especially true in the second body paragraph, the one that discusses similarities to Biblical passages. Additional analysis of the quotes would have strengthened it.

Summary: How to Write an Analytical Essay

What is an analytical essay? A critical analytical essay analyzes a topic, often a text or film. The analysis paper uses evidence to support the argument, such as excerpts from the piece of writing. All analytical papers include a thesis, analysis of the topic, and evidence to support that analysis.

When developing an analytical essay outline and writing your essay, follow these five steps:

Reading analytical essay examples can also give you a better sense of how to structure your essay and what to include in it.

What's Next?

Learning about different writing styles in school? There are four main writing styles, and it's important to understand each of them. Learn about them in our guide to writing styles , complete with examples.

Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

Literary devices can both be used to enhance your writing and communication. Check out this list of 31 literary devices to learn more !

Trending Now

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?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

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

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Ask a Question Below

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

Fall 2024 Admissions is officially OPEN.  Sign up for the next live information session here .

How To Write Enduring Issues Essay

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the task of combining historical documents and crafting a coherent essay, you’re not alone. The enduring issues essay format offers a clear path to navigate these challenges. This format guides you to explore timeless problems that have persisted throughout history, using specific source materials to illuminate their enduring nature. 

Sticking to this structure isn’t just about following instructions; it ensures your essay tackles a significant issue, showcases your analytical skills, and delivers a well-supported argument. So, grab your source documents, sharpen your pencils, and prepare to delve into the fascinating world of enduring issues!

Why Is It Important To Learn How To Write An Enduring Issues Essay

Enduring issues essays offer a powerful lens for examining the world around us. We journey through time by delving into historical documents that explore timeless problems. We witness societies across different eras grappling with issues like war, inequality, and the power struggle. This comparative analysis allows us to draw connections between the past and present, fostering a deeper understanding of the roots of contemporary challenges.

Moreover, these essays are pivotal in honing our critical thinking skills. We learn to dissect historical documents discerningly, identifying key points, evaluating potential biases, and extracting evidence to support our arguments. This process sharpens our ability to analyze information critically and form well-reasoned arguments, a crucial skill for academic success and beyond.

Ultimately, enduring issues essays equip us to be informed and engaged citizens. By understanding the historical context of ongoing challenges, we learn from the triumphs and failures of the past. This knowledge empowers us to contribute to solutions for the future, fostering a sense of agency and responsibility in tackling the complex issues that continue to shape our world.

How To Write An Enduring Issues Essay

The enduring issues essay might seem daunting, but with a clear roadmap, you can conquer it! Here’s a breakdown of the steps involved, along with examples to illustrate:

Step 1 Understanding The Enduring Issue

It is essential to understand an enduring issue. This problem has persisted throughout history and continues to be relevant today. Examples include war, hunger, inequality, and the balance between power and freedom. 

Your task is to research and write about the issue as accurately as possible. For example, you have documents about the Roman Republic, the French Revolution, and a modern news article on a recent conflict. All three touch upon the issue of power struggles and how they impact societies.

Step 2 Enduring Issue Essay Introduction

An enduring issue is a problem that has plagued humanity for a significant amount of time, persisting across different eras and societies. It’s a challenge that continues to resonate with us today. For this exploration, we’ll focus on the power struggle.

We’ll examine three key documents to demonstrate this issue’s enduring nature. The first document, the Roman Republic, sheds light on power struggles and how they impact societies. Document two, the French Revolution, delves into the battle for power and exemplifies the issue. Finally, the contemporary perspective comes from the homeless epidemic, which analyzes how power struggles have ongoing relevance. By examining these diverse sources, we can build a strong case for the enduring nature of power imbalance.

The enduring issue essay introduction should be between 4 and 5 lines. It should define your issue and thesis statement. For example, power’s dominance, a timeless issue, shapes societies across eras. We’ll delve into the Roman Republic’s power struggles and then witness the French Revolution, where abused power sparked change. Finally, we’ll explore homelessness, an issue with power imbalances. This journey exposes power’s enduring influence.

Step 3 Body Paragraphs

Dedicate each body paragraph to a single source document. Briefly summarize the document’s main arguments or events. Then, delve deeper by explaining how it exemplifies the enduring issue you’re exploring. To solidify your analysis, provide specific evidence from the document, such as quotes, details, or particular events. Remember to connect everything back to your thesis, demonstrating how each source strengthens your central argument about the enduring issue’s significance. 

For example, The Roman Republic exemplifies the enduring problem of power struggles. Documents detailing ambitious figures like Julius Caesar, who defied the Senate’s authority and crossed the Rubicon, illustrate this. This act of rebellion highlights how individual power grabs can destabilize a balanced system. Similarly, figures like Sulla and Marius, who used military might for political gain, showcase the destructive nature of unchecked ambition. These historical struggles reinforce our thesis on the enduring nature of power struggles.

Step 4 Concluding The Essay

Craft a powerful conclusion for your enduring issues essay. Briefly revisit your thesis and summarize how each source backed your claim. But don’t stop there! Extend the conversation by showing the issue’s relevance today. Briefly connect the historical examples to present-day situations or draw a broader lesson – perhaps about the cyclical nature of power struggles or the human capacity for conflict and cooperation. This leaves a lasting impression and underscores the issue’s enduring significance.

Unveiling enduring issues through historical analysis is a rewarding challenge. By following these steps, you’ll craft a powerful essay. But the story doesn’t end there! Consider how these historical struggles connect to the present day. Understanding the past empowers us to shape a better future. Now, dive into those documents and let history come alive!

Related Posts

Our Exceptional Alumni: College Admission Results 2020-2023

CCIR Academy Featured by Nature, The World’s Most Prestigious Academic Publication

High School Student Researcher Ishaan’s Paper on Examining Structural Transformation and Resilience of the Indian Economy Accepted at the MIT URTC 2024

High School Student Researcher Deepayan’s Paper on Novel Multifunction Intelligent Rover for Mars Accepted at the MIT URTC 2024

High School Student Researcher Arnav’s Paper on Modeling of PEDOT Electrodes for Skin-based Technologies Wins Best Paper Award at IEEE ECBIOS 2024 Conference

What Is The National Merit Scholarship Program

Download Programme Prospectus

• Programme structure
• Research course catalogue
• Professor biographies
• Tuition and Scholarship

Start Your Application

Cambridge Future Scholar (Fall 24)

Admission is OPEN.

Early Admissions Deadline: 1 Oct

Regular Admissions Deadline: 15 Oct

Rolling Admissions.

1-on-1 Research Mentorship Admission is open all year.

• New Visions Social Studies Curriculum
• Curriculum Development Team
• Content Contributors
• Getting Started: Baseline Assessments
• Getting Started: Resources to Enhance Instruction

Getting Started: Instructional Routines

• Unit 9.1: Global 1 Introduction
• Unit 9.2: The First Civilizations
• Unit 9.3: Classical Civilizations
• Unit 9.4: Political Powers and Achievements
• Unit 9.5: Social and Cultural Growth and Conflict
• Unit 9.6: Ottoman and Ming Pre-1600
• Unit 9.7: Transformations in Europe
• Unit 9.8: Africa and the Americas Pre-1600
• Unit 9.9: Interactions and Disruptions
• 10.0: Global 2 Introduction
• 10.01: The World in 1750 C.E.
• 10.02: Enlightenment, Revolution, & Nationalism
• 10.03: Industrial Revolution
• 10.04: Imperialism & Colonization
• 10.05: World Wars
• 10.06: Cold War
• 10.07: Decolonization & Nationalism
• 10.08: Cultural Traditions & Modernization
• 10.09: Globalization & Changing Environment
• 10.10: Human Rights Violations
• Unit 11.0: US History Introduction
• Unit 11.01: Colonial Foundations
• Unit 11.02: American Revolution
• Unit 11.03A: Building a Nation
• Unit 11.03B: Sectionalism & Civil War
• Unit 11.04: Reconstruction Era
• Unit 11.05: Gilded Age and Progressive Era
• Unit 11.6: Rise of American Power
• Unit 11.7: Prosperity and Depression
• Unit 11.8: World War II
• Unit 11.9: Cold War
• Unit 11.10: Domestic Change
• Resources: Regents Prep: Global 2 Exam
• Regents Prep: Framework USH Exam: Regents Prep: US Exam
• Find Resources

Regents Prep: Global 2 Exam

How to Write an Enduring Issues Essay Thesis

A lesson on writing a thesis that includes the enduring issue, a claim about it, and a list of examples to be discussed in the essay.

Getting Started

Enduring Issues Check-In: How to Write an Enduring Issues Essay Thesis

Teacher Feedback

Please comment below with questions, feedback, suggestions, or descriptions of your experience using this resource with students.

If you found an error in the resource, please let us know so we can correct it by filling out this form . 

Knowledge is Power Our favorite resources, stories and insights curated especially for you

• Featured Resources
• Interested in TWC
• Working on My Application
• Interviewing for My Internship
• Preparing for D.C.
• My Interest is In...
• Law/Criminal Justice
• Communications
• Political Science
• I Want to Know More About...
• Internships in D.C.
• Living in D.C.
• What Makes TWC Different?
• Alumni Success Stories
• Navigating the Workplace
• Career Launch Advice
• TWC Disability Services
• Semester/Summer Programs
• Academic Internship Program
• Programs for International Students
• Funded Federal Diversity Internships
• Veterans Employment Trajectory (VET) Initiative
• Seminar Programs
• Inside Washington Seminar
• National Security Seminar
• Campaign & Inauguration Seminars
• Colleges & Universities
• Connector Blog

Sample Issues Essays

• Share this Resource

The Issues Essay is part of your TWC application and asks you to reflect on a key issue related to your professional field of interest to demonstrate your written communication skills. Use these sample Issues Essays as a guide when writing your own.

Previous Resource

Use this infosheet as a guide to writing thank you emails after your internship interviews.

Next Resource

We have resume samples for highlighting your Relevant Coursework, Honors and Awards, Research Experience or...

Browse related resources

Review the agenda for the Health Policy Immersion Program, coming up Thursday, September 26 through Sunday, September 29.

Find directions to get to The Washington Center's RAF (Residential and Academic Facility) located in Washington, D.C.'s NoMa neighborhood.

Overview of contact hours for the semester and summer Academic Internship Program.

These instructions will help you to understand the State Department’s regulations for international students regarding the J-1 Visa.

This infosheet will help employers understand the unique requirements of hosting an international intern.

This infosheet will help employers understand the importance of and how to budget for equitable internship compensation.

This resource highlights events and workshops for the most recent semester.

One-pager highlighting how students can apply to internship sites that TWC does not partner with.

This one-pager highlights the disability support services and accommodations that TWC offers to ensure that our program is accessible to as many students as possible.

See how TWC works for students interested in nonprofit and advocacy work and learn about the most popular internship sites and programming for these students.

See how TWC works for students interested in business and international relations and learn about the most popular internship sites and programming for these students.

See how TWC works for students interested in criminal justice and learn about the most popular internship sites and programming for these students.

See how TWC works for students interested in political science and learn about the most popular internship sites and programming for these students.

Learn how students from unaffiliated schools can earn credit for their participation at TWC.

Whether you take part in our internship program in Washington, D.C. or join us online, you’ll have an immersive experience that’s tailored to you and your goals.

Are you a criminal justice major interested in spending a semester with The Washington Center? Learn more about potential internship placements in the field outside of law enforcement.

• Share this Hub

Check out our new blog! Check out our new blog!

Test Prep Has Never Been More Affordable

$7.99 per month.

Why You Should Join Us

We started Greg Mat+ because we found the test prep world confusing, expensive, misleading, and inaccessible to many. We pride ourselves on offering students an honest, practical, and entertaining approach to test prep. Best of all, it's cheap -- just $7.99 a month. Come join us!!

Live Classes

At least 10 Live Classes are held each week, so you never feel like you're missing the action.

Recorded Classes

We have a huge back catalog of live classes for you to learn from and never worry about missing a live class again.

Problem Solving

44 Mini GRE exams and nearly 1000 practice problems!

Study Plans

Confused where to begin? Prefer to follow a structure? Follow our meticulously crafted and super comprehensive GRE study plans!

Upcoming Classes

One Month Plan

If you're pressed for time but still want a comprehensive, structured approach to the GRE, then this is for you.

Two Month Plan

If you've got all the time in the world and want a true deep dive into the GRE, then this is for you.

TOEFL Study Plan

Prepare for your TOEFL exam in only two weeks!

• Have your assignments done by seasoned writers. 24/7
• Contact us:
• +1 (213) 221-0069
• [email protected]

How to Write an Enduring Issues Essay: Guide with Topics and Examples

Writing Enduring Issues Essay

Writing an enduring issues essay is not easy. You must discuss a topic that can get people to discuss and think long after they read your paper.

This guide will teach you how to write an enduring issues essay. You will find the topics list and examples of each one. In addition, we go over the different types of essays used for this purpose and give you a brief overview.

Also Read: 21 Hardest and 21 Easiest Courses in Colleges to Take in 2022

What is an Enduring Issues Essay?

An enduring issues essay is a written task where the author identifies and describes a historically significant challenge that endured for a long duration and has been addressed with different degrees of success.

You should describe the challenge, explain why it has endured and how different people successfully addressed it at different times.

Mostly, this can be either by a group or an individual, but it must be historically significant so that the argument you present can be backed up with historical evidence.

An enduring issues essay is a written task where you are to identify and describe a historically significant challenge that has endured over time and has been addressed with varying degrees of success.

For example, if you were asked to write an enduring issues essay on women’s rights in America, you would need to determine if women’s rights have improved or not since the beginning of the nation.

You could then compare these results from past times with present-day trends. This task can happen by looking at how women were treated in colonial times compared to now.

You could also compare them to those who came before us, such as those who were slaves during slavery, compared to today’s race relations which do not discriminate based on race but rather on merit.

Typically, an enduring issues essay allows for historical analysis to see how our society has changed over time and what is still relevant today.

Also Read: 21 Good Excuses to Miss Class and Reasons to Skip a Class

How to Write an Enduring Issues Essay

1. choose your topic.

When you are writing an essay, you need to choose a topic that is interesting and interesting enough to draw the attention of your readers. The topic should be something that can get discussed in several different ways.

To ensure that your essay is successful, it needs a clear structure.

An outline will help you plan exactly what you want to say in each section of your essay and how they relate to one another. In addition to planning your essay, several tips can help you write an enduring issues essay.

First, write down some ideas for the essay. Write down what questions or topics you would like to discuss; for example, if you wanted to write about global warming in your essay, then write down all the things happening worldwide on this issue.

You must consider something that impacts everyone, not just someone specific or something local such as pollution.

Next, think about where these ideas come from. For example: do you have friends who are interested in this issue? Can they help you find information about it? Can they give examples of others who have written about this topic before?

2. Choose your Thesis Statement

The best way to write an enduring issues paper is to start with a thesis statement. This sentence or two summarizes your argument and explains why you are writing.

The thesis statement should be a strong one that states your main point clearly and concisely but also broad enough to encompass many other points of view. It should be like: “All of us need to find ways to improve our communication skills.”

You can then support this thesis by using examples from your own life or others in your family, school or community. You might also use statistics or other research materials from books or online resources, such as Wikipedia.

3. Write your Introduction

You should write your introduction in an engaging and emotional tone. You can achieve this by writing about a personal connection, experience or something that makes you feel strongly about the issue.

If you are writing about a social issue, discussing how it affects people and what it means for those involved or affected by it is important.

You can use examples to illustrate this point and help your readers understand the importance of your argument.

For example:

In this essay, I will discuss how climate change is affecting our future generations by highlighting some of the problems they face due to climate change, such as rising sea levels and ocean acidification, droughts and wildfires, extreme weather events and food shortages (Klein and Sams).

In addition, I will discuss how we can tackle these issues by implementing new technologies that reduce carbon emissions and help us adapt to climate change (Klein and Sams).

4. Include Body Sections

The body section is where you will elaborate further on the issue, giving examples and evidence that support your argument. You may also include an additional supporting quote if you have any. The body section should be no less than three paragraphs long.

The essay’s body sections should explain each issue’s causes and effects. The body section should not be longer than three paragraphs unless you are going for a detailed explanation of your chosen topic.

A good way to structure your body section is by using a question-and-answer format. You can ask yourself questions such as: ‘What are the causes?’ or ‘How does it affect me?’ and answer them with your own opinion or research findings.

The body section is where you need to explain what you have learned about the topic and why it matters to you personally. You can use quotes from others who have experienced similar problems or relevant statistics on how many people are affected by these issues worldwide.

5. Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part of a written essay, which can be either a paragraph or a point, and it should give you a summary of your main points. It should not be too long and should include some conclusion statement.

The conclusion is the last line of your essay that summarizes all the points previously discussed in your writing. The best way to conclude an essay is by stating your main points, followed by an explanation.

Also Read: 9 Hacks How to Get Homework Done Fast and Score A

Enduring Issues Essay Example Topics

Climate change.

For example;

The issue of climate change has been a topic that has been discussed in the past and will continue to be discussed in the future.

Climate change is a global phenomenon affecting all parts of Earth’s life. It is caused by human activities such as fossil fuel burning, deforestation and agriculture. It devastates agriculture, water supply, food production and human health.

The causes of climate change can be attributed to human activities such as fossil fuel burning, deforestation and agriculture (UNFCCC).

Fossil fuels are the main contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) which are responsible for trapping heat within the atmosphere through a process known as radiative forcing.

Deforestation is another cause of climate change as it contributes to land-use changes, which results in increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere.

Agriculture contributes to CO2 emissions because it releases methane gas into the atmosphere when animals eaten by humans are released back into the environment after being consumed by humans.

Climate change has serious consequences for all life on earth, including humans, who have become a major contributor to climate change through their consumption habits, such as over-fishing or consuming meat from animals raised using non-sustainable practices such as intensive farming methods and fertilizers.

The Great Depression

One example of this kind of essay is “The Great Depression,” which was written by John Steinbeck in 1939. In this essay, he talked about how people worldwide suffered during this time because they had no jobs, money or food.

He also talked about how people turned to crime to survive financially, which brought down society’s values even more than before.

The Nazi Holocaust

Another example would be “The Nazi Holocaust” by Hannah Arendt, which discusses the systematic genocide done by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party against Jews during World War II.

In this essay, she talks about how many German citizens were happy when Hitler took control of their country because they thought it would bring glory to Germany again after losing wars with other countries such as France.

With over 10 years in academia and academic assistance, Alicia Smart is the epitome of excellence in the writing industry. She is our chief editor and in charge of the writing department at Grade Bees.

Related posts

How to Use Quotation Marks On Essay Titles

Can you Quote Essay Titles: How to use Quotes as Paper Titles

Simple Ways Of Representing Your Data Using Graphs

Research Paper Graph: How to Insert Graphs, Tables & Figures

using essay writing services

Is using an Essay Writing Service Cheating? Is it Ethical?

The Paradox of Infidelity: Unveiling Why Happy Partners Cheat

The intricate psychology behind affairs in seemingly fulfilled relationships..

Posted September 18, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

• The Challenges of Infidelity
• Take our Relationship Satisfaction Test
• Find a therapist near me

Adultery has been a persistent part of human relationships since the concept of marriage was first established. Despite the prevalence of infidelity , our understanding of why it occurs, especially in seemingly happy marriages, remains limited. Many believe that a "happy marriage" is a strong deterrent against infidelity. However, some individuals in fulfilling relationships still find themselves drawn into affairs.

So, what drives a loving and committed partner to betray their spouse? Here are several nuanced reasons why people in happy relationships may have affairs:

The Lure of Forbidden Fruit: How Modern Temptations Fuel Infidelity

In our modern world, the opportunities for infidelity have multiplied. Advances in technology and changes in social dynamics have made extramarital encounters more accessible. Work environments, travel, and social media provide more avenues for temptation. The thrill of instant gratification and the ease with which one can engage in an affair make it challenging for some to resist these temptations.

The Tug of War Within: Navigating Our Contradictory Desires for Love and Freedom

Humans are complex beings with contradictory desires. The interplay between stability and novelty, commitment and freedom, or long-term goals and short-term needs can create internal conflicts. This internal struggle can manifest in infidelity as individuals attempt to reconcile these opposing desires.

Trauma’s Shadow: Past Pain Drives Betrayal

Unresolved trauma or PTSD can significantly impact one’s behavior in relationships. For some, an affair might be a form of self-sabotage or a way to recreate dramatic scenarios that trigger a fight-or-flight response. It could also be a way to cope with unresolved pain or to seek empathy and understanding from another person, rather than from the partner.

The Self-Worth Struggle: Low Self-Esteem Leads to Affairs

Even in a stable and happy relationship, low self-esteem can drive infidelity. For some, no amount of love and affirmation from their partner feels sufficient. They may feel that external validation is necessary to boost their self-worth. The affair offers a temporary sense of desirability and importance but often exacerbates underlying feelings of inadequacy, leading to a cycle of emotional turmoil.

Tangled Roots: Unresolved Attachment Issues Trigger Infidelity

Individuals with unresolved attachment issues from childhood , such as avoidant or anxious attachment styles, may be more prone to infidelity. These deep-rooted issues can create challenges in maintaining emotional closeness or trusting fully, leading some to seek outside connections as a form of emotional detachment or reassurance.

The Void of Connection: Emotional and Physical Gaps That Push Partners Astray

Even in otherwise happy relationships, periods of emotional distance or a decline in physical intimacy can occur. When partners feel emotionally neglected or unappreciated, they may seek to fulfill these unmet needs elsewhere. An affair might seem like a solution to this intimacy gap, providing a temporary remedy for feelings of loneliness or disconnection.

The Hidden Craving: Affairs as a Reflection of Unfulfilled Longing

Affairs can sometimes be an expression of a longing for something that feels missing, even in a happy relationship. This could be a desire for excitement, freedom, or passion. The affair might represent an attempt to reconnect with parts of oneself that feel neglected or to integrate lost aspects of one’s identity . This longing isn't necessarily a reflection of dissatisfaction with the partner but rather a personal quest for fulfillment.

Boredom’s Dangerous Call: The Quest for Thrill in Monotonous Relationships

As relationships progress, the initial intensity and novelty can fade, leading some individuals to seek out the excitement that an affair can provide. The routine and familiarity of a long-term relationship can become monotonous, and the thrill of a new romantic adventure can appear as a way to reignite the passion and novelty that has waned over time.

Addiction and Substances: The Dangerous Spiral of Impaired Judgment

Substance abuse and other addictive behaviors can contribute to infidelity. The impairment of judgment due to alcohol or drug use can lead to poor decision-making . Conversely, the excitement of an affair can lead to compulsive behaviors , mirroring the patterns of addictive behaviors.

Emotional Overload: Affairs as an Escape From Relationship Burnout

Emotional labor is often a hidden dynamic in relationships, especially when one partner feels overwhelmed by constantly tending to the other's needs. The affair might not be about dissatisfaction with the partner but rather about a desire to experience a connection free of emotional responsibility, leading to an escape from the pressures of daily emotional investment.

Playing the Power Game: Infidelity as a Quest for Control

Infidelity can sometimes be an assertion of power or control, either within the relationship or in other areas of life. People may cheat to feel a sense of dominance over their circumstances, asserting independence, or as an act of rebellion. This could stem from perceived powerlessness in other areas of their lives, such as work, family, or the relationship itself.

The Mirage of "Better": The Grass Is Greener in an Affair

Even in seemingly happy relationships, people may feel that there is always something better out there. This idealized perception that another partner might fulfill needs or desires in a way their current one cannot provide can drive them to explore what they believe they are missing. It reflects a constant state of comparison and dissatisfaction, despite being in a loving relationship.

Social Pressure: Cultural Norms and Expectations Spark Infidelity

Sometimes, societal pressures or cultural norms can influence infidelity. If an individual grew up in an environment where infidelity was normalized, or if there are societal pressures to conform to certain gender roles or expectations, they may be more inclined to have an affair. This may happen even in the absence of dissatisfaction, as they may feel compelled to live up to external expectations rather than personal values.

Infidelity, even in happy relationships, highlights the complexity of human desires and behaviors. Betrayals can reveal deeper insights into our expectations, desires, and perceptions of love and commitment. By exploring and understanding these underlying factors, individuals can gain a clearer perspective on their actions and motivations. Addressing these issues openly and honestly within a relationship can help prevent infidelity and foster a deeper, more resilient connection between partners.

Moshe Ratson, MBA, MFT, is a psychotherapist and executive coach in NYC. He specializes in personal and professional development, anger management, emotional intelligence, infidelity issues, and couples and marriage therapy.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

• ACS Foundation
• Inclusive Excellence
• ACS Archives
• Careers at ACS
• Federal Legislation
• State Legislation
• Regulatory Issues
• Get Involved
• SurgeonsPAC
• About ACS Quality Programs
• Accreditation & Verification Programs
• Data & Registries
• Standards & Staging
• Membership & Community
• Practice Management
• Professional Growth
• News & Publications
• Information for Patients and Family
• Preparing for Your Surgery
• Recovering from Your Surgery
• Jobs for Surgeons
• Become a Member
• Media Center

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

• Membership Benefits
• Find a Surgeon
• Find a Hospital or Facility
• Quality Programs
• Education Programs
• Member Benefits
• September 17, 2024 Issue
• Young Surgeons: Submit Ess...

Young Surgeons: Submit Essays for History and Archives Committee Competition

September 17, 2024

The ACS History and Archives Committee offers a Young Surgeons Essay Competition that is intended to recognize and support young surgeons who are interested in the historical roots of the surgical profession and are dedicated to studying it. The objective is to produce a scholarly essay for publication using original historical research that will advance knowledge of the past, thus promoting both young surgeon historians and the history of surgery itself.

Young surgeons are invited to submit an essay on a historical topic of their choosing. The winner and runner up will be invited to publish their paper in a surgical journal, with publication costs covered, if accepted.

Entries are invited from young surgeons who must be the first and primary author.

Young surgeons are defined as:

• Fellows 45 or younger
• Associate Fellows 45 or younger
• Resident members
• Medical student members, who must be the first and primary author

Fellows older than 45 years of age may serve as additional or senior authors.

Submissions for the 2025 essay competition are now open, and the deadline to submit an entry is January 10, 2025. View the guidelines for the essay contest, including how and to whom to submit, and contact ACS Archivist Michael Beesley at [email protected]  for more information. 

In This Issue

Register Today for 2024 ACS Simulation in Surgical Education Course

Sign up for a chance to learn how simulation can teach and refine essential surgical skills; the course will take place November 13–16 in Dallas, TX.

Attend Academy Virtual Grand Rounds on the Learning Environment and Culture

Don't miss the Academy Virtual Grand Rounds this Thursday! Panelists will discuss learning culture in surgical education.

Mild TBI May Have Longer-Term Consequences on Cognitive Impairment

Listen to Dr. Mallory Jebbia discuss postdischarge cognitive impairment in certain brain injury patients.

Read about Evolving Management of Pancreatitis

Improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with pancreatitis may soon go beyond current approaches to include AI and genetic testing.

Learn Who Was Honored for Volunteerism and Humanitarian Efforts

ACS H.O.P.E. has announced the recipients of the 2024 ACS/Pfizer Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards.

Register for New Traumatic Brain Injury Guidelines Course

The new course is for offers key recommendations in mortality reduction for clinicians committed to improving patient outcomes.

Participate in Hands-On Decision-Making and Ergonomics Clinics

The Surgical Metrics Project and the Surgical Ergonomics Clinic will return to the exhibit floor at this year’s Clinical Congress.

Second Victim Syndrome Must Be Addressed at Institutional Level, Article Suggests

Second victim syndrome can cause significant damage psychologically and adversely impact a clinician’s ability to provide patient care in the future.

Index Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholangitis Shows Better Outcomes versus Delayed

Acute cholangitis is a potentially life-threatening illness, and management is guided by the Tokyo Guidelines.

Intravenous Amino Acid Infusion May Reduce AKI Risk after Cardiac Surgery

Acute kidney injury is a significant complication following cardiac surgical procedures, due, in large part, to reduced renal perfusion.

Surgeons Discuss Recent Trends in Management of Acute Cholecystitis

Listen to Drs. Clancy Clark and Trang Nguyen discuss some of the latest trends in management of acute cholecystitis.

• Cultural Studies General
• Popular Culture

Taylor Swift and Philosophy: Essays from the Tortured Philosophers Department

ISBN: 978-1-394-23860-6

August 2024

Wiley-Blackwell

Digital Evaluation Copy

Catherine M. Robb , Georgie Mills , William Irwin

Explore the philosophical wisdom of Taylor Swift and her music

Taylor Swift is a “Mastermind” when it comes to relationships, songwriting, and performing sold-out stadium tours. But did you know that Taylor is also a philosophical mastermind?

Taylor Swift and Philosophy is the first book to explore the philosophical topics that arise from Taylor Swift's life and music. Edited and authored by Swifties who also happen to be philosophers and scholars, this fun and engaging book is written with general readers in mind—you don't have to be a devoted fan or a specialist in philosophy to explore the themes, concepts, and questions expressed in Taylor's songs.

• Is Taylor Swift a philosopher?
• What can her songs tell us about ethics and society?
• What is the nature of friendship?
• Should you forgive someone for breaking your heart?

Presenting top-tier research and new perspectives on important contemporary issues, twenty-seven chapters discuss the philosophical contexts of Taylor's work, such as the ethics of reputational damage, the impacts of first impressions, the moral obligation to speak out against injustice, and much more.

Taylor Swift and Philosophy is a must-read for Swifties who want to deepen their appreciation and understanding of Taylor's work, as well as for philosophy students and scholars with an interest in popular culture and media studies.

CATHERINE M. ROBB is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Tilburg University, Netherlands. Her research interests include ethics, metaphysics, aesthetics, and applied philosophy, with a focus on the nature and value of ability, skill and talent, and related ethical implications.

GEORGIE MILLS is a Research Fellow at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands. She is primarily a philosopher of science, emotion, and medicine with a range of interests in the philosophy of pop culture. She has published work on Punk, Post-Punk, Britney Spears, and Ted Lasso .

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The Reinhardt MBA program develops in each graduate the skills necessary to analyze and interpret complex business situations, to seek and employ innovative methods for solving business problems, and to lead diverse groups of individuals effectively and ethically .  Furthermore, the Reinhardt MBA teaches students to recognize strategic and   operational advantages and to use analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for effective   strategic and tactical decision-making. Reinhardt MBA students learn to utilize interpersonal skills to foster team consensus ,  leadership, business ethics,   and individual as well as social responsibility.

Program Coordinator

Tony   Daniel,   Ph.D.,   SHRM-SCP  Professor of Business 770-720-5638 [email protected]

Accreditation

Reinhardt University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, and masters. Questions about the accreditation of Reinhardt University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling(404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website ( www.sacscoc.org).

Reinhardt University's overall educational program emphasizes the study of liberal arts, sciences and professional studies within the University's historic commitment to the United Methodist faith and tradition. The University affirms that learning is best facilitated through a partnership between faculty members and students where the integration of faith and   learning   is   essential.   The   University   is   committed to students who desire a small, caring community dedicated to personalized attention.

The MBA program shares the same commitments of the University's overall mission, but with a focus on the graduate student community. The MBA program challenges students academically and “puts them in the chair” of the decision maker in actual business situations. This is done by personal interaction and case   study   assignments with   other   students   and   with   a unique faculty that is academically qualified and seasoned with of business experience.

MBA   Student   Learning Outcomes

MBA students demonstrate the following qualities, abilities, and skills upon completion of the program:

M1 Critical Thinking, Analytical and Problem- Solving Skills -  analyze business situations using information and logic to make recommendations for problem solving and decision making.

M2 Interpersonal, Teamwork, Leadership, and Communications Skills -  use team building and collaborative behaviors in the accomplishment of group tasks and will communicate effectively the problem alternatives considered, a recommended solution, and an implementation strategy in oral, written and electronic form.

M3 Ethical Issues and Responsibilities -  recognize and analyze ethical dilemmas and propose resolutions for practical business solutions.

M4 Business Skills and Knowledge -  apply best practices, established theories, and managerial skills to business situations and problems.

M5 Awareness of Global and Multicultural Issues -  demonstrate awareness of, and analyze, global and multicultural issues as they relate to  business.

M6 Knowledge of Research Methodologies  - derive business decision-making applications based upon sound research practices and procedures.

Admission  Requirements

All admission documents should be sent to the following address:

Office of Admissions  Reinhardt University  7300 Reinhardt Circle Waleska, GA 30183 PHONE: 770-720-5526 e-mail:   [email protected]

General admission to Reinhardt University graduate studies:

• The Graduate Admission Application form—complete and submit the Online Application for Admission
• Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended; proof of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution should be on one transcript. If a transcript includes any graduate classes, the applicant should have left the graduate program in good standing.

Official transcripts must be mailed from the granting institution, or delivered in   a   sealed envelope from   the institution, or sent via a professional electronic transcript sending service.

Additional admission requirements for the Reinhardt MBA:

• A professional résumé.
• A 300-word essay on how an online MBA fits with the applicant’s career goals
• Three letters of reference addressing the applicant’s ability to carry out graduate course work, with one letter addressing the applicant’s two (2) years of full-time, post- baccalaureate career experience.

And, either

A Bachelor’s Degree in Business from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 2.75 GPA (alternate discretion criteria: a greater than 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credits)

• An online interview with the MBA Program Coordinator or his/her designee may be required.

Note:  If the applicant’s undergraduate degree is not in Business, then, the candidate must have a Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited university with at least a 2.75 GPA.

Admission for Current Reinhardt  University Undergraduate Students

Applicants   who   complete   an   a   bachelor’s   degree   at Reinhardt University with a 3.0 GPA or higher-

• Submit the graduate school application
• Students in this category can automatically be accepted without references, interviews, and/or essays by the admissions department

Applicants   who   complete   a   bachelor’s   degree   at   Reinhardt University with less than a 3.0 GPA-

• Submit graduate application
• Students in this category can be accepted without references, interviews, and/or essays but must be approved by the program coordinator
• Other documents may be required at the discretion of the program coordinator

Transfer  Credit

No transfer courses are accepted for credit.

Credit   hour   policy  (Online)

Over seven (7) weeks, students will spend a variable number of minutes per week in online lectures, class discussions, and in preparation of class projects and research papers. Instructional time includes a 3-hour final exam. Out-of-class work includes homework and preparation for exams and quizzes and is a variable number of minutes per week (6750 minutes for the semester).

Graduate Students are expected to participate each week in required assignments as scheduled by the instructor. This may require collaboration among classmates and outside research .

Academic Performance

MBA students are expected to earn grades of “A” or “B” in their course work. Only one (1) course grade of   “C”   may   be   included   in   the   computation   for   degree completion.   A   second   course grade   of   “C”   will   result in   Academic   Probation. The   course   must   be retaken to count toward degree completion.   A third course   grade   of   “C”   or   a   first   course   grade   of “F” will result in Academic Dismissal.

A student may appeal a dismissal by submitting a letter to the vice President for Academic Affairs describing the condition and identifying the reasons for seeking a positive decision of the appeal.

See also Grade Appeals  and Enrollment Related Appeals  under Appeals and Petitions .

Graduation Requirements:

• A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, and
• No more than (1) one “C” in the program, counted toward degree completion, regardless of the GPA.
• A maximum of 5 years for completion

See Academic Performance and Degree Completion Requirements .

Degrees and Certificates

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA)