“Noooooo!” you scream in anguish as your dreams (and your soul) are crushed by those big red letters staring back at you. Okay, an actual rejection letter would probably let you down way more gently than that. The soul-crushing disappointment, though? That’s super real and, well, crushing.

But your dreams don’t have to end that way. Use these 11 secrets to good college essays to help you nail all your college application essays and keep your dreams on track.

11 Secrets to Good College Essays

Whether you’re writing a general personal statement or one of what feels like a million supplemental admission essays, the nuts and bolts of what creates good college essays don’t really change that much. That means the secrets below apply in most cases.

Secret #1: Decode the prompt

The goal of essentially every prompt (as well as the general personal statement) is to give the admissions committee insight into who you are—as a person, as a student, and most importantly, as a potential student and community member at that specific school.

In other words, decoding the prompt is essential to your admission prospects. Once you decode the prompt, you can focus on showing the committee who you are and why you’re the best candidate within the scope of the prompt itself.

But you also need to understand what’s being asked specifically in a prompt and recognize the hints about the scope and structure of your response. Not sure how to do that? That’s okay. I’m here to help.

How to decode a college essay prompt

Let’s look at an example.

Prompt: “Tell us about personal, social or family challenges you have faced. How have you dealt with them, and how have they shaped your thinking? (500 words or less)”

The first hint is the word length.

While pretty standard, 500 words doesn’t give you a ton of space to work with. Thus, being clear and concise is key.

Second, the prompt is asking you to address three different things:

• Share personal, social, or family challenges
• Show how you dealt with them
• Show how you changed because of those challenges

This tells you that what you write about has to be directly related to you or impact you personally. You can’t tell a story about something that happened before you were born or about something that happened to your best friend and didn’t involve you.

The question is also asking for information that highlights important aspects of your character, background, or skills. While you might feel like the death of your grandparent is the most compelling story to tell, sharing the story of leading a group in class to victory on a project might be more enlightening for the committee.

Finally, the phrasing in the question suggests that you really need to bring home the lessons you’ve learned and how you’re going to apply those lessons in college and beyond.

Read this response to see how well one student decoded (or didn’t decode) the prompt above.

The main takeaway is, regardless of the prompt, understanding what a prompt is really asking is central to writing good college essays. Want more help on how to tackle a specific prompt? Check out these resources:

• 10 Common Types of College Essay Prompts—and How to Crush Them
• Decode the Common App College Essay Prompts for 2018-19

Secret #2: Think like the admissions committee

The admissions officers decide whether you’re admitted to your dream school. That means, to write a killer essay, you need to think like them and figure out what they care about.

Ultimately, they want insight into your perspective, your thinking, and your self-awareness. But they’re also considering the following:

What impact you’ll have

• What do you value about this school?
• What experiences have shaped your perspective and are unique to you (and are obvs worth sharing with your peers)?
• What do you want to get out of the college experience, specifically at this school?
• What strengths will serve you well in this program and the community? (Many prompts will directly ask this, but even if they don’t, trust me—the admissions committee wants to know.)
• How will you aid your peers?

The admissions committee often also wants to get an idea of what impact you’ll have on the reputation of the college—both during your college years and beyond. This isn’t universally true (obviously a community college doesn’t care if you want to cure cancer). But most admissions committees are considering your potential ROI (return on investment).

In other words, make it clear to them what you want to ultimately achieve in your career. Whatever that is, it will (eventually) reflect back on the school you attended, so it helps them decide if you’re a good fit.

Demonstrated interest and yield

Demonstrated interest is pretty self-explanatory—it’s how well you demonstrate your interest in the specific school. That means showing why, SPECIFICALLY, you want to attend this school. If you could remove the name of the school or program in your essays and drop in any other school/program name, you’re not effectively demonstrating your interest.

Yield is the percentage of accepted students who actually enroll. When you can demonstrate your interest, admissions officers are more likely to assume you’d actually enroll if accepted—and thus increase the yield of their offers (something that’s good for them).

Want more insight on what the admissions committee is thinking? Read Personal Statement Advice: Here’s What the Admissions Experts Have to Say.

Secret #3: Embrace a theme

Good college essays have a narrative or theme that connects all of the ideas. Period. Even if the prompt itself is pretty open-ended, your response should have a purpose and be centered around a theme.

That means making clear connections that bring the theme into focus throughout your essay.

For example, maybe you want to prevent needless suffering due to lack of access to preventative healthcare. Or maybe you have a lifelong passion for artistic expression or a desire to connect with others from different cultures.

Whatever *it* is, you want a theme that tells an engaging and compelling story. Then make sure that narrative is cohesive throughout your application essay. What you don’t want is a list of key ideas that feel disconnected.

If you need help identifying a theme, here are a few posts that can help you brainstorm ideas:

• How to Come Up With College Essay Ideas That Stand Out
• 4 Must-Answer Questions Before Brainstorming Personal Statement Topics
• Personal Statement Topics: A Step-by-Step Tutorial to Finding Yours!

Finally, many of the same elements of writing a personal narrative essay apply to college application essays. That means you can gain insight in how to approach your application essays by understanding what makes a personal narrative powerful.

Secret #4: Outline before you write

Once you know what you’re going to write about (see Secret #1 if you need help decoding the prompt), an outline is your bestiest of besties. Mapping out your essay in an outline or using a graphic organizer will help keep your essay focused.

More than that, it’ll help you organize your ideas logically.

And most importantly, outlining makes it easier for you to see how to connect different sections to a central idea or theme (see Secret #3).

Secret #5: Be authentic and unique

Everyone has a unique story to tell. Embrace yours, and be authentic in telling it.

What do I mean by that?

First, write in your own voice and at your own writing ability. Being fake will be obvious, yo. Don’t make stuff up, don’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not, and don’t use so-called “big words” just because you think they make you sound smart. They don’t.

Second, write authentically about your experiences, your thoughts, your goals, and so on. If you were telling a friend about something, how would you talk about it? You’d be real and share your true thoughts, feelings, and aspirations, right? That’s the voice you want to capture.

Third, show why you’re unique and what makes you stand out from other applicants. How? Focus on key experiences that have shaped who you are. How you’ve responded to, learned from, and grown as a result of those experiences are the details that make you unique. Make a strong statement that tells YOUR unique story.

One caveat here is that you also want to keep Secrets #6, #7, and #8 in mind when crafting unique and authentic narratives.

Secret #6: Perfect the art of the humblebrag

You’re a badass, so own it—humbly, of course. This delicate balance lies in showing the admissions committee why you’re a badass without explicitly saying, “I’m a badass, yo!”

Enter the humblebrag.

Writing about yourself can be tough. I get it. But your application essays are one of the few places you’re expected to toot your own horn. It’s your job to show the admissions committee how awesome you are so that giving you an offer is a no-brainer.

Think of humblebragging as sort of like passive-aggressive bragging. You want to project confidence about who you are, why you’re unique, what attribute you’re zeroing in on, what you achieved, etc., but do so in a subtle rather than cocky way.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Example #1 (strong English skills): “Learning English was a challenge, but I worked hard and placed at the top of my English Language Learning class and received top marks on the TESOL exam.”

Example #2 (leadership experience): “My peers frequently looked to me for leadership and guidance, electing me to serve as group leader to ensure our best results.”

Example #3 (returning to school after a long absence): “Because I have had time to develop myself personally and professionally, I bring a strong sense of maturity and responsibility to my work.”

Trust me, I know how uncomfortable it can be to sell yourself, but that’s the whole point of college application essays, so don’t sell yourself short. And definitely don’t write about how you’re not very good at something. Embrace your awesomeness, whatever it is, in ways that show your strengths, character, ambitions, and drive.

Still feeling a little uncomfortable braggin’ about your badassery? Read How to Write an Essay About Yourself With Confidence.

Secret #7: Put on your persuasive pants

Regardless of what you’re writing about in your application essays, you want to be persuasive in your tone, in your word choices, and in the way you project confidence. How?

Don’t be wishy-washy

Promise, right now, to ban the phrases “I believe,” “I think,” and “I hope” (and any other phrases that lack an authoritative voice) from your application essays. Those phrases actually undermine your projected confidence, undermine your conviction in whatever follows the phrases, and ultimately, undermine the admissions committee’s confidence in you.

Use persuasive writing techniques

Your words and your approach matter a lot when you’re trying to be persuasive. At the core of persuasion are ethos, pathos, and logos (you can read about how to use them in your writing here), but there are many persuasive techniques you can use to convince the admissions committee that you’re perfect for the school.

Don’t use underwhelming aspirations

While you want to be authentic (see Secret #5), you don’t want to be underwhelming by saying something like, “I want to work at a mid-tier company in the plastics industry.” Not very compelling, right?

Instead, think big. Be bold. You should shoot for the stars in terms of your goals and aspirations. NO ONE WILL FOLLOW UP ON THIS. That said, you don’t have free license to lie or BS your way through your college application essays. Just be fearless and confident.

Describe the absolute dream. Then convince the admissions committee not only that you’re equipped to achieve it, but also that this school is central to making that dream a reality.

And hey, if you need to literally put on a snazzy pair of pants to feel more persuasive, no judgment here. I may or may not have worn silver leopard-print pants covered in glitter when writing persuasive essays in college.

Secret #8: Avoid a snoozefest

Your goal is to be accepted, which means not putting the admissions committee to sleep, obviously. The admissions committee literally has to read THOUSANDS of essays from applicants just like you who are just as eager to be accepted.

The good news is that there are some techniques you can use to get—and keep—their attention by being engaging and telling a compelling narrative. How? I’m glad you asked. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Use a good hook

Starting with a good hook is essential to writing good application essays. Why? You want to get the admissions committee engaged with your essay from the very first sentence. Need help developing a compelling opening? Read How to Start a Personal Statement the Right Way and How to Write Attention Grabbers That Work.

SHOW, don’t tell, the committee why you’re awesome and a good fit for the school

In other words, share a story. Don’t simply tell the admissions officers something. SHOW them through the actions you took, how your thinking shifted, how you were impacted by something, what you felt…yada, yada, yada. Tap into details that evoke emotions using descriptive, emotive words. Paint a picture that’s compelling.

Focus on what you’re passionate about

Don’t write about something just because you think it will be impressive. Admissions officers will see right through that. If you choose something that you’re passionate about, the enthusiasm behind it will show. And that’s super important for writing good college essays.

Secret #9: Keep the focus on YOU

This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many students use too much valuable essay space to talk about something or someone else that’s more tangential to their own story.

For instance, a common mistake is focusing completely on an event that took place, such as an event you volunteered at, something monumental that happened to you, or something that happened to everyone (like 9/11).

While what occurred is important, you need to demonstrate how it affected YOU and how YOU felt. Admissions officers want to see how YOU think and how YOU’VE grown. The essay is the only place on YOUR application to truly take them into YOUR mind.

The same goes for if you’re writing about someone who inspired YOU or shaped who YOU are in some critical way.

In other words, YOU are the star (in case me screaming it at you in all caps 100 times didn’t emphasize that enough, heh). Bask in the spotlight!

Secret #10: End with pizzazz

The end of your application essay, whatever the prompt, is your mic-drop moment. It’s your last chance (in that essay, anyway) to make a lasting impression, so make it count!

Dial into the core takeaway you want the reader to remember and end with something that brings your theme (see Secret #3) together cohesively while making a strong statement.

Here are a few examples of powerful closings:

Theme #1: Developing resilience through adversity

Closing: I am not here before you today in spite of my setbacks, but rather because of how they challenged me and inspired me to change and adapt. The barriers helped me build resiliency and led me to pursue my dreams, knowing that I have the strength and determination it takes to succeed and make a difference in the lives of others.

Theme #2: My father, my role model

Closing: To me, my father epitomized success. I idolized him as only a son can, and even when he faced incredible setbacks and had to regroup, I saw his strength and determination as a source of inspiration. I aspire to someday have the same impact on those around me, share the same love with my family, and see the same intense respect and admiration in my own son’s eyes. Only then will I truly know success.

Secret #11: Get a second pair of eyes

Like anything of monumental importance, getting a second (or third or fourth) pair of eyes on your college application essays can provide crucial feedback. And the first 10 secrets here convey just how much thought needs to go into your essays—and the aspects that are essential to getting them right.

Friends, family members, teachers, guidance counselors, and others in your life can probably give you some broad-level feedback on whether your essays are compelling. But sometimes the surest way to tell your BEST story is with the help of an impartial observer.

Enter Kibin’s admission essay editors—who know all the secrets to good college essays.

We’ll help you polish your essays to make sure you’re on the right track—to avoid that soul-crushing defeat of a rejection from your dream school.

Maybe you’ve already written an introduction, maybe not. In either case, diving into your body paragraphs, crafting the perfect paragraph structures, is next on the agenda.

You might be wishing for a little pink-winged paragraph fairy to wave his magic wand and transform your outline into beautifully constructed paragraphs…

I had to face that hard reality, too, when writing this blog post. But it’s OK. Writing strong paragraphs with good structures is a process you can tackle. I promise.

The secret is in using “evidence” to support your main ideas and package it all in a fail-safe structure. In this blog post, I’ll break down the anatomy of the perfect paragraph structure. I’ll leave you with a blueprint to tackle all your academic paragraphs—no magic or cute little fairies needed.

Here’s a break down of the anatomy of the perfect paragraph structure.
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First, though, let’s look at why paragraph structure is so important. Ready?

Why Paragraph Structure Matters—A Lot

The right paragraph structure for body paragraphs is important for several reasons.

Thanks, Instructor Obvious, we probably figured that out from your essay prompt. The obvious aside, good paragraph structure allows you to group and organize your main ideas into body paragraphs. These paragraphs, then, “prove” your thesis statement.

They give your essay credibility—regardless of the type of essay you’re writing. They allow readers (and the most important reader—your instructor) to grasp your main ideas. Finally, your body paragraphs flush out the logic and support for your thesis statement.

And, yes, as Instructor Obvious so deftly pointed out, they do account for a major chunk of your essay grade.

To start crafting effective paragraphs, you first need to understand all the pieces that fit together to form a cohesive paragraph structure. Let’s jump in, shall we?

The Components of the Perfect Paragraph Structure

Every academic paragraph structure has three main components:

1. Topic sentence
2. Support sentences
3. Concluding sentence

A paragraph, according to Merriam-Webster.com, is “a part of a piece of writing that usually deals with one subject, that begins on a new line, and that is made up of one or more sentences.”

While that doesn’t help us much in terms of structure, it does highlight one key point: A paragraph deals with one main idea.

A paragraph deals with one main idea.
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Each paragraph in any academic essay should have one—and only one—main point. This highlights the first component of the perfect paragraph structure, the topic sentence.

The second component comprises the support sentences. These sentences establish the proof of, and develop, your main idea.

The third component, the concluding sentence, then brings the first two components together. It synthesizes the main idea with the proof to show why it matters.

I’ve put the three main components in a handy table for you with more detail about what each entails:

Let’s break those down even more and practice with an example paragraph.

Paragraph Structure Component #1: Topic Sentence

The topic sentence presents both the topic and the controlling idea of your paragraph. It also accomplishes three crucial things:

1. It connects to and supports your thesis statement.
2. It establishes what the paragraph is about.
3. It unifies the content of the paragraph.

Think of the topic sentence as a mini-thesis.
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Think of the topic sentence as a mini-thesis. Everything in the rest of the paragraph must relate back to it. A good topic sentence is clear and relevant to your thesis statement.

There’s one caveat here. Make sure the topic sentence is specific enough to connect to your thesis statement and provide a writable blueprint for the paragraph. But also make sure it’s broad enough that the details within it don’t make it hard to write an entire paragraph.

Let’s build an example of the first component of the perfect paragraph structure.

Assume my thesis statement says this:

The “over” position for toilet paper is superior because it is safer due to a shorter reach to unravel and grab tissue, it limits the spread of germs, and it is more visually appealing.

(I don’t know about you, but in my house, the position of toilet paper is a serious point of contention. It’s sparked many debates and heated “discussions.”)

My topic sentence might look something like this:

The “over” position for toilet paper is safer due to the shorter reach to unravel and grab the tissue.

Comparing against the three things a topic sentence should do, my example does the following:

  Connects to and supports the thesis statement.

  Establishes what the paragraph is about.

  Unifies the content of the paragraph (which you’ll see in the next section!).

This topic sentence sets up the lead-in to the details that form the support sentences, the second component of the perfect paragraph structure.

Paragraph Structure Component #2: Support Sentences

Support sentences are vital to supporting both your topic sentence and your thesis statement. These sentences will accomplish three things:

1. They add more detail to and/or explain your topic sentence.
2. They use concrete details as “evidence” to prove, clarify, or illustrate your main point.
3. They give your paragraph meaning.

How you develop the support sentences will depend on the type of essay you’re writing, though. While there are many approaches to paragraph development , answering a few questions can help you figure out what approach is best for your essay topic and structure.

• Will examples, details, or reasons support your point?
• Do you need to analyze information or argue a point?
• Will quoting research help establish your point?
• Do you have relevant statistics or other research data available?
• Can or should you tie in personal experience?

By answering these questions, you can start to shape how you will develop the paragraph to create the perfect paragraph structure. Use at least two concrete details to make your paragraph effective. You can use more—let your topic and the amount of support it needs dictate that for you.

If you need to analyze information from research, for example, your paragraph will likely be longer. While there’s no set number of sentences you need to include, aim for 5-8 sentences. This ensures you don’t make paragraphs too long but still have sufficient details and content to establish the main support for the topic sentence.

You also want to present support sentences logically and systematically. For example, you don’t want to present research first and then further explain your topic sentence. The paragraph development method you select will guide you in this process.

Now, let’s break the support sentences into two steps.

First, I want to further explain my topic sentence and add a little more detail. I might create a sentence that looks something like this:

Even though the distance is a matter of mere inches, research suggests it creates a safer environment.

Then, as the second step, I want to provide the evidence that supports my topic sentence and, by extension, my thesis, too. I’ll use research data and statistics to argue my point—that the “over” position for toilet paper is superior because it’s safer.

I might construct two additional support sentences that look like this:

A 2014 Bathroom Safety (BS) survey found that households using the “over” position had 75% fewer falls off the toilet. Further, according to the Consortium of Research About Paper Products (CRAPP), bathroom goers who use the “under” position are 30% more likely to suffer debilitating rotator cuff damage.

Notice how I’ve put “further” in bold? This highlights the importance of transitioning between your support sentences. Just throwing in a series of rapid-fire sentences hurts the flow of information. So make sure you use transitions well to create continuity and unity, which together will build good flow.

Comparing against what support sentences should do, my sentences do the following:

  Add more detail to the topic sentence.

  Use concrete details as evidence.

  Give the paragraph meaning.

Don’t just stuff facts or details into a paragraph, though. You need to show why the information is important.

Don’t just stuff facts or details into a paragraph, though. You need to show why the info is important.
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The concluding sentence allows you to do this in a nice neat bow to wrap up the paragraph.

Paragraph Structure Component #3: Concluding Sentence

The concluding sentence lets you show the “why.” You provided the “evidence,” but why do the details matter?

The concluding sentence accomplishes three things:

1. It shows the significance of the information.
2. It answers the “so what?” question.
3. It synthesizes your paragraph content with your topic sentence.

In other words, you want to use wording that reinforces the main idea in your topic sentence and draws the information you presented together with that main idea. This means using similar wording (but not just restating) from your topic sentence. It also means reinforcing the relevance of the paragraph to your thesis statement.

My example concluding sentence might look something like this:

Thus, while small, the shorter reach required with toilet paper in the “over” position ensures bathroom safety and prevents injury, making the “over” position superior.

Notice a few key things here that help reinforce the paragraph structure. First, I used a transitional word (“thus”) to shift into the concluding sentence.

Second, I used wording that mirrors my topic sentence (“shorter reach,” “ensures bathroom safety,” and “prevents injury”).

Third, the end of the sentence relates the paragraph back to my thesis statement with “making the ‘over’ position superior.”

Comparing against what a concluding sentence should do, my sentence does the following:

  Explains the significance of the information (answers the “so what?” question).

  Synthesizes the supporting details with the topic sentence.

  Connects to your thesis statement.

Now, let’s put it all together to view the final paragraph to see how the perfect paragraph structure looks with a full example:

That wasn’t so bad, was it? If you follow the simple steps I’ve outlined and choose the right method of paragraph development, you will craft the perfect paragraph structure every time.

See? You don’t need the paragraph fairy after all.

Perfect Paragraph Structure Checklist

Before I send you off into the wild to write perfect paragraphs for your next essay, here’s a checklist you can use to help keep your paragraph structure on track.

Need More Help Creating Perfect Paragraph Structure?

If you’re still feeling a little unsure about creating the perfect paragraph structure, check out this handout from the UNC Writing Center, try the P.I.E. approach, or read this blog on paragraph development.

If you’re feeling adventurous, look at some example essays that are similar to your assigned essay and compare them against the perfect paragraph checklist. This will give you an idea of what you should or shouldn’t do when crafting your own paragraphs for a specific essay type.

If you’ve got your first essay draft done and want reassurance or additional guidance, send your essay to a Kibin editor to check for paragraph structure and development (and a whole lot more!) because that’s how we roll (har har).

And if the Great Toilet Paper Debate is a hotly contested issue in your house, you can quiet those naysayers to the “over” position, too. A look at the image submitted with the patent for the first toilet paper holder clearly shows the “correct” position.

With that, I bid you adieu. Here’s to happy, stress-free writing AND safe bathroom expeditions!

When writer’s block strikes, it can be doggone demoralizing. But the good news is that an outline is your best friend for getting organized and ready to write.

In this post, I’ll show you how to develop a compare and contrast essay outline that lets you kick writer’s block to the curb and craft a structurally sound essay about anything.

Let’s start with making sure everyone’s on the same page about what makes up a compare and contrast essay. Ready?

What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay?

It’s not, however, just a simple comparison – that’d be too easy, right?

It must serve a larger purpose by doing one of the following:

• State something unknown.
• Clear up a misunderstanding.
• Show that one thing is superior to another.
• Lead to a new way of doing/seeing/understanding something.
• Argue a point with supported facts.

There are several formats for writing a compare and contrast essay, but I’ll use point-by-point organization to make my outline.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: Point-by-Point Organization

The point-by-point comparison focuses on comparing and contrasting one aspect about both subjects at the same time.

It’s typically easier for readers to follow this structure. It provides a clear, easy-to-follow structure. To keep things simple, I’ll use a 5-paragraph essay structure to create a compare and contrast essay outline.

The outline consists of three parts:

1. Introduction
2. Body Paragraphs
   1. The first difference between subjects
   2. The second difference between subjects
   3. The third difference between subjects
3. Conclusion

Now that you have the basic structure down, let’s break down the components using my two favorite four-legged beasts: Molly and Morgan.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: Introduction

The introduction is where you introduce your topic both in broad and specific terms. It’s also where make your thesis statement. The thesis statement provides the main point of or ideas within your essay.

The introduction has three key elements. I’ll go through each separately.

1. Introduction to the main topic

To introduce your main topic, you ideally want to start with a hook sentence and then detail the specifics of the topic itself.

Comparing and contrasting Morgan and Molly, my opening lines to introduce the topic might read something like this:

“Do opposites really attract? The law of attraction says they do, but is this phenomenon limited to humans? It’s definitely not, nor is it limited to romantic relationships. Dogs with drastically different personalities and habits form close attachments all the time.”

 2. Specific subjects to compare and contrast

Next you need to identify who or what you’re comparing and contrasting specifically under the main topic and theme.

The next lines in my introduction might look something like this:

“The dogs in my household, while similar in many ways simply because they’re dogs, are vastly different creatures. Molly is a 70-pound bully who likes to pounce, lick, and paw at canines and humans until she gets her way. Morgan, on the other hand, is a 50-pound sweetheart who is content with whatever is going on. Despite their differences, the two dogs are strongly attached to one another.”

3. Thesis statement

Finally, to wrap up your intro, you want to express the specific aspects you’re comparing and contrasting. This provides a clear idea of where your essay is going.

My thesis statement focuses on three specific habits/characteristics of my rambunctious dogs. It might be something like this:

“Most notably, Molly and Morgan differ in how they accessorize, what their favorite toys are, and how they deal with downtime, yet the two have a strong bond as ‘sisters’ who cuddle at every opportunity.”

Whew! The introduction is often the toughest part. It’s where you’ll lay out the structure of your essay. (For this reason, it’s usually a good idea to write the introduction last.) Since that’s done, we’ll move on to Part B, the body paragraphs.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: The Body Paragraphs

Since I’m focusing on just three aspects about Molly and Morgan, I’ll have three body paragraphs. Under the point-by-point organization for a compare and contrast essay outline, you’ll need as many paragraphs as the number of aspects you’re comparing and contrasting.

Each paragraph will have a topic sentence focused on the aspect you’re comparing and contrasting. Each paragraph will also have two details about each subject as they relate to the aspect:

Body paragraph #1

The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence of my first paragraph might look like this:

Aspect #1 – Topic sentence: “The first difference between Molly and Morgan is the way they accessorize; while both are budding fashionistas, each of the girls has her own personal style.”

If you can ignore their cuteness (yup, I’m biased, but you have to admit they’re pretty adorable, right?), we’ll dive into the two details for each dog. My detail sentences might look like this:

Subject #1: Molly

• Detail #1: “Molly takes the sporty approach and is perfectly content with her owner’s baseball cap firmly on her head.”
• Detail #2: “Her choice in headwear is indicative of the brute, in-your-face interactions with her sister and owners.”

Subject #2: Morgan

• Detail #1: “On the other hand, Morgan prefers the downhome, classic country look of a bandana.”
• Detail #2: “Her accessory preference speaks to her humble, attention-loving and passive demeanor.”

See how easy crafting a paragraph is when you break it down?

You could write paragraphs in your sleep now, right? No? Okay, let’s do the same thing for the second and third body paragraphs.

Body paragraph #2

Aspect #2 – Topic sentence: “Another difference between the girls is their favorite toys; even though they are both equally protective of their favorites, their choices contradict their personalities.”

Subject #1: Molly

• Detail #1: “Molly prefers to cuddle up with her favorite stuffed animal (which changes over time as she eats them).”
• Detail #2: “She often can be found protectively cuddling the stuffed animal in her sleep and making sure her owners give it plenty of love, too, by pushing the drool-covered plush in their faces at any opportunity.”

Subject #2: Morgan

• Detail #1: “Conversely, Morgan prefers the traditional rawhide bone.”
• Detail #2: “She will growl, snarl, and bare teeth to protect it from anyone (even her owners!).”

Two body paragraphs down – only one to go. If you’re struggling, just take a breather.

Take your time, and work through the outline one section at a time if you need to.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your compare and contrast essay outline doesn’t have to be either (unless you’re a procrastinator).

Body paragraph #3:

Now we’ll look at my third body paragraph. The final body paragraph wraps up the last aspect identified in the thesis. Mine might be constructed something like this:

Aspect #3 – Topic Sentence: “The final difference between the two pups is how they deal with downtime, more specifically, their ability to just chill while ignoring (or not ignoring) distractions.”

Subject #1: Molly

• Detail #1: “Molly isn’t content unless she’s getting attention, even if that attention is simply having a warm human body next to her; she’s frequently found flopping on the couch looking pensive and bored out of her pay-attention-to-me-now-or-I-will-lick-your face-endlessly mind.
• Detail #2: “While it’s sometimes possible to catch a photo-op with her sandwiched between pillows wearing a pleading look, breaking out the camera usually produces a face-licking attack before the shot is even focused.”

Subject #2: Morgan

• Detail #1: “Morgan, however, handles downtime differently. Perfectly content without constant attention, Morgan takes it as an opportunity to curl up and catch some ZZZs.”
• Detail #2: “A heavy sleeper who snores and runs in her sleep while dreaming of chasing squirrels, Morgan is happy sleeping for hours and is undisturbed by camera flashes and clicks.”

That’s it. The body paragraphs are complete. Not so bad, was it?

While I had three body paragraphs, your outline might have only two. Or it might have five. It depends on the number of points you’re comparing and contrasting.

Now we’re ready to wrap things up with the conclusion. 

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: Conclusion

The conclusion is the easiest part. You’ve already set the stage for it with your thesis statement and body paragraphs. It’s just a matter of putting it all together while focusing on three areas:

1. Summary of main points

First, you want to summarize your main points. It’s more than a simple summary, though. You want to synthesize your thesis with the information in your body paragraphs.

I might summarize with a few sentences like this:

“In conclusion, these three aspects clearly show how Molly and Morgan go about their doggy lives in different ways. While Molly likes to accessorize with baseball caps, cuddle with stuffed animals, and sit around looking bored, Morgan prefers rawhide bones, relaxing solo, and sleeping contently whenever she can.”

 2. Evaluation

Next, you want to evaluate what you’ve discussed or talk about possible future developments.

This is where you show the greater purpose of your topic. Your conclusion should answer one question: What does it all mean?

As you work on this part, keep in mind that your conclusion should bring things full circle to your introduction.

My compare and contrast essay outline requires just focusing on an evaluation.

My evaluation sentences might look something like this:

“In some ways, the differences parallel their personalities—Molly as a brute and Morgan as a sweetheart. The differences also show how both dogs sometimes stray from their normal behavior, notably through how they interact with their favorite toys. Taken collectively, however, their differences don’t stop the law of attraction from coming into play. Though they like a different look, like to play with different toys, and like to relax differently, they adore each other and cuddle up together at every opportunity.”

 3. Significance

Finally, you need to show the significance of the differences. What was your end goal in showing the differences? (Hint: Refer back to your introduction and thesis statement if you’re stuck here.)

I might use one sentence to show the significance, tie everything back to the intro, and create finality all in one swoop by writing something like this:

“This shows that opposites really do attract—even among canines.”

Download Template for Your Own Compare and Contrast Outline

Have your own compare and contrast essay to write? Make the process easier, and banish writer’s block by downloading this compare and contrast essay outline in MS Word or PDF format to get started.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template (.doc)

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template (PDF)

Whether you’re ready to write or still flushing out your topic, using an outline keeps you on-task. It keeps you on-topic to create a logical, easy-to-follow format.

Additional Help for Your Compare and Contrast Essay Outline

Still struggling? Try reading some completed read more about this type of essay.

Finally, don’t forget about editing and proofreading! Even the best writers make mistakes or have difficulty recognizing weak points in their own writing.

If you’re aiming to put your best paw—err draft—forward, have one of our talented Kibin editors edit your essay for grammar, logic, clarity, and flow.

Write on, and best of luck!

Stuck On Your Essay?

Check Out These Example Compare and Contrast Essays

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In simple terms, what is an expository essay?

An expository essay exposes something—no, not that—sheesh, get your mind out of the gutter! It lays out all the facts, and only facts, to inform, investigate, evaluate and, in some cases, propose an argument. It’s not an argumentative essay, however. While you can pick a side, it’s not mandatory. The focus is on explaining.

You encounter expository writing everywhere—nonfiction books, textbooks, newspaper articles, biographies, online articles, just to name a few. What makes something expository is one key feature: it answers a question. Below are just a handful (or two) of relevant questions.

1.  What is X?
2.  How does X work?
3.  What does X mean?
4.  How are X and Y similar? Different?
5.  What’s the connection between X and Y?
6.  What is the history of X?
7.  How has X evolved?
8.  How do you do X?
9.  What causes X?
10.  What are the effects of X?

So, for example, you might create one of the following corresponding expository topics:

1.  Down and Dirty in the White House: The Clinton Sex Scandal
2.  How Urban Legends Are Born
3.  Honey on the Brink: What Bee Extinction Means for the World
4.  Why the Internet Turns Everyone Into a Nosey Neighbor
5.  Why Cops and Donuts Go Together Like Bread and Butter
6.  Wall Street Swindlers: How the Pyramid Scheme Got Started
7.  The Evolution of Donald Trump’s Hair
8.  How to See Invisible People: Making Introverts Feel Welcome
9.  Why a Butterfly Sneezing in Guatemala Might Mean Higher Prices at the Pump
10.  Binge or Purge? Effects of Social Media on Daily Life

What makes for a particularly good expository essay?

A good expository essay sticks to the facts, follows a logical pattern, and teaches readers something they didn’t know—whether it’s how to fix anything with duct tape and WD-40 or learning about dog shaming. You should assume your reader has no background knowledge of the topic unless it’s super common knowledge.

For example, if you’re comparing and contrasting the superpowers and feats of Batman and Captain America, don’t assume your readers know what each superhero’s powers are or how each has (in theory) saved the world from extinction and utter annihilation.

Instead, inform readers about the powers and major feats, use facts to investigate how those powers were used, and evaluate how the use of the powers saved the world. Most importantly, stick to facts you can (and do) prove by using appropriate resources. 

What makes for a particularly bad expository essay?

If I read your expository essay and you’ve taught me nothing or the information you’ve provided is all subjective and biased, that’s bad—bad like Donald Trump’s wayward (alleged) toupee.

Using superheroes again, a bad essay would provide only subjective support. Since your goal is simply to inform, you don’t need to convince someone why Batman or Captain America is the best superhero in the galaxy. So avoid writing subjective information like “Batman is way better than Captain America.”

Assumptions also create a particularly bad expository essay. Assume nothing, and describe every step or element. If you’re explaining a process—how to shame your dog online, for example—don’t assume readers know what takes place. You will need to explain what “dog shaming” is, that they should write a note about their dog’s bad behavior and take a photo of the dog proudly showcasing the note, and where to submit the picture of their unapologetic pooch.

What are three simple steps that a writer can do to write a better expository essay?

Step #1: Choose an appropriate organizational pattern before outlining.

While creating an outline is essential to keep your essay focused, you first need to know how you intend to organize the information. With expository writing, you can organize your information in a variety of essay patterns—comparison/contrast, sequential, spatial, problem/solution, topical, chronological. These are just a few examples.

Each pattern has certain characteristics, so a strong thesis will guide you to the appropriate organizational patterns for expository essays. For example, an essay on how gas prices are affected by various events—big and small—throughout the world (cue the sneezing butterflies in Guatemala) is best organized in a topical structure that details what influences gas prices, organized by type of events/occurrences. So you might have three main topics/sets of examples: natural disasters, political unrest, and the seemingly inconsequential.

Step #2: Understand the power of everyday language.

Don’t fall into the trap of trying too hard to make your essay sound “academic.” Words are powerful because of how you use them, not because of the words themselves. Your writing should be clear, concise, and—gasp—simple. Your facts and support can be huge in theory, but the words themselves should be common language. One of my favorite Kibin blog posts is How to Become a Better Writer: Don’t Use Words That Sound Smart. If you haven’t read it, you should! It imparts delightful morsels of simple-wording goodness. For more advice on word choice, check out this handout from the UNC Writing Center.

Step #3: Learn to love reverse outlining.

While you’re probably familiar with outlining before you write, reverse outlining can benefit the relevancy and strength of your essay. It’s exactly what it sounds like—you outline your written draft to examine how well you stay on topic and write to your thesis.

If you’re unsure about how to reverse outline, you can read a brief resource, watch a video or complete a reverse-outline worksheet for a few ideas. However you approach it, a reverse outline helps you ensure you wrote about what you set out to write about and that you do it effectively.

What is your biggest writing pet peeve?

That’s an easy one—it drives me crazy when people use the words “reason,” “why,” and “because” in the same sentence to explain something. I often see “the reason why” and “the reason why is because.” These constructions are redundant. “Reason,” “why,” and “because” all have very similar meanings—they are used to explain—so only one should appear in an explanatory sentence.

Committing this redundancy is fairly easy in expository writing, so being aware of it can help you write stronger sentences.

Good: “The reasons for gas price hikes can include natural disasters that affect distribution channels, political unrest in or near oil-producing countries, and seemingly mundane non-events like butterflies sneezing in Guatemala.”

Bad: “The reasons why gas prices increase can include natural disasters…”

Even Worse: “The reasons why gas prices increase are because of natural disasters….”

About Crystal

Crystal W. is one of Kibin’s most seasoned editors. She’s edited over 3 million words at Kibin (and counting), and this includes her fair share of expository essays. Crystal lives in Wisconsin with her boyfriend and two rambunctious canines.

• Favorite food: pickles
• Favorite animal: gorrillas
• Favorite vacation spot: Camping in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest
• Favorite book: Anna Karenina

Stuck on Your Expository Essay?

Check out these example expository essays.

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