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• How to Write Better Essays: 5 Practical Tips

For many such students, each essay brings with it the challenge of making it that little bit better than the last one. The problem is that when you write essays regularly, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of repeating the same formula each time – particularly when you already receive good feedback from the teachers who read them. So how do you take your essays to the next level and go from great to brilliant? Here are some practical tips and techniques that will help you write consistently impressive essays, especially if you’re considering attending an Oxford summer school .

1. Read other people’s essays

Just as the books you read subconsciously help mould your own writing style , so reading other people’s essays can help you develop and build on your own essay-writing style. Try to read a range of other essays, including those of your peers and of academics. Read essays on a wide variety of subjects, not necessarily just those that you’re studying; different disciplines might apply different kinds of arguments or styles, so the wider you read, the more possible techniques there are for you to pick up and use in essays of your own. As you read other people’s essays, don’t just take them at face value. Be critical: what do you like about them? What don’t you like about them? How persuasive do you think they are? Is the argument a balanced one, with points adequately supported with evidence? Has the writer used any techniques you’ve not seen before? Another good source of essays is the broadsheet newspapers . Read the opinion pieces and dissect how the writer has supported their points with evidence, and again, be critical; note where they’ve left things out to try to persuade you to a particular opinion. Essays should be balanced, so you can learn from the best of these writers and pick up some techniques to help you shape a balanced piece.

2. Build your vocabulary and use it properly

A good vocabulary will allow you to express exactly what you mean, as clearly and concisely as possible. Economy with words is a characteristic of all good essays, because readers (and essay-markers) don’t like having their time wasted with long, rambling points that could have been expressed in half the number of words. One way of ensuring that you can communicate clearly and to the point is through accurate and effective use of advanced vocabulary. A good essay writer should never rest on their laurels when it comes to vocabulary; it’s something you should be working on continually, as there are always new words to learn that could help convey a point more effectively. What’s more, deploying a good vocabulary displays intelligence and allows you to be more persuasive in your essay-writing. Here are some ways in which you can build your vocabulary: – Subscribe to a ‘word a day’ email (such as this one from Merriam-Webster). Create a folder in your email account for new word emails, so that you can file each email away and have them all in one place ready to flick through and learn from in an idle moment. – Read widely, and refer to a dictionary for words you don’t know as you go along; this way, you’ll learn the new word as well as seeing it in context so you know how to use it properly. Read different genres of fiction, and non-fiction covering a range of topics, and you’ll have the added bonus of widening your general knowledge as well as your vocabulary. – Use a thesaurus – if you find yourself using the same words over and over again, add variety to your language by looking up those words in a thesaurus and finding other words that mean the same thing. A word of warning: words you find in a thesaurus can’t always be used interchangeably; even words with similar meanings can differ subtly in a way that makes them inappropriate in certain contexts, so find examples of a word used correctly before you use a new word for the first time. – Learn prefixes, suffixes and roots – it sounds boring, but this shortcut will help you learn a great many more words. Many roots come from Latin and Greek words, such as “bene” in Latin, meaning “good”, which gives rise to words such as “benefactor”, “benevolent” and “benefit”. It’s often possible to deduce the meaning of a new word if you know its root and read it in context. Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change the meaning, such as “semi” or “ante”, while suffixes are added to the end, such as “-able” or “-ance”. – Start a vocabulary book – you probably have one if you’re learning a foreign language, so why not have one for your native language as well? Buy yourself a nice notepad and use it to collect new words and their meanings. The act of writing down the definition will help you remember it, and you could include an example of how the word is used to increase your chances of memorising it for use in essays. It may help to have different sections for words on particular themes; you could have a general section, and then further parts of the notebook could be dedicated to words of use in history essays, science essays and so on.

3. Elevator pitching your essays

We’ve probably all had it hammered into us that we should write an essay plan before we start writing, but before you even do that, you need to know what the argument you’re going to make actually is. Only then can you start writing the structure for an essay that builds up to your overall conclusion. To condense what you’re trying to say into a short, snappy summary for you to work from, try making an ‘Elevator Pitch’ style summary of what you intend to write and why readers should be interested in it. The Elevator Pitch is a technique used by salespeople when condensing the arguments for buying a product into the shortest possible summary of why a customer should consider a purchase. The salesperson is told to imagine themselves in a lift; in the time it takes for that lift to reach the desired floor, they should have given a compelling argument in favour of that product that would result in the customer buying it, or at least wanting to know more. Your Elevator Pitch for your essay should sell the idea of it to a reader, leaving them wanting to read the essay in question. This is quite a tough exercise, as it forces you to be ruthlessly concise in your thinking and choice of words; but you can use this summary to help you write your introduction, and it’ll help you achieve clarity in what you’re trying to say.

4. Tell the reader what other people say

We’ve mentioned this on a previous article on essay writing, but it seems pertinent to mention it here too. Essays are a chance for you to show off how widely read you are, so make sure you quote other people’s opinions, and original sources , on what you’re writing about. For example, if you were to write a history essay on early religious practices in Britain, you could quote original texts on that topic (such as Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People) and also mention what a range of modern scholars have to say about the topic. Contrasting views should be sought; it’s unlikely that everyone agrees on the topic, so show you’ve looked at all the possible angles. For each of the subjects you’re studying, start a page in a notebook for important people in that field, with a summary of when they lived and what their views are. That way, you’ll have something to refer to when you’re writing an essay and want to consult appropriate scholars or other writers whose opinions you might wish to include. Don’t quote too much; mix citations with your own opinions so that it doesn’t look as though you have to hide behind other people’s words. It’s fine to disagree with a scholar you quote, provided you can give evidence and reasoning for doing so. This shows that you have thought about it and made your own mind up, rather than blindly accepting what that scholar has said; this demonstrates strong critical reasoning skills, one of the hallmarks of brilliant students.

5. Syntax, punctuation and tone of voice

You may not consciously realise it when you’re reading, but sophisticated sentence structures make the world of difference to how intelligent you sound. As we’ve already said, the most important consideration when you’re writing is making yourself easy for readers to understand; but you can still do this and utilise a range of interesting syntax at the same time. Employ a variety of sentence structures, long and short, but don’t let your sentences become too long and rambling, or they become difficult to read. Effective punctuation is vital in conveying your arguments persuasively; the last thing a teacher or lecturer wants to read is an essay riddled with poor grammar. What’s more, the reader shouldn’t have to read a sentence more than once to understand it. You probably already have a tone of voice you use for writing essays, but is it interesting and engaging? Read through some of your old essays and ask yourself honestly whether you find them absorbing. If they’re not, it could well be because you’ve not established the right tone of voice. Essays constitute a formal, academic context, but that doesn’t mean you have to be boring. A confident tone of voice will help show the reader that you know what you’re talking about and reassure them that they’re in safe hands. Writing in the active rather than the passive voice is a well-known trick of the trade that writers use to give their writing a sense of immediacy and make it more compelling; you too can deploy this technique in your essays by steering clear of the passive voice (for example, rather than writing “Much work is being done to…”, say “Scholars are putting a great deal of effort into…”). Over the course of an entire essay, you’d be surprised what a difference this makes to your tone.

We hope you’ve found these tips and techniques useful and that they help you take your essay-writing to new heights. If you would like to improve your writing skills even further, then why not sign up to our Creative Writing summer school .

If you have any tips you’d like to share with us, do let us know by leaving a comment below!

Images: sleeping student , dictionary .

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Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

• Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

• Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
• Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
• Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
• Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
• Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

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10 Tips to Write an Essay and Actually Enjoy It

by Joe Bunting | 41 comments

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Writing an essay may not be easy. It may not come to you naturally. After all, writing is a skill, and skills take practice, whether it's playing a sport, performing an instrument, or playing video games.

But writing an essay   can be fun,  if  you have the right attitude.

With that in mind, here's an infographic with ten tips to write an essay without hating every moment of the process.

Click the image below to see a larger view:

Click here to view an enlarged version of this infographic .

To make it through high school and college, you're going to have to write essays, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the time you write them.

The secret is to stop trying to write a good essay. Instead, write an  interesting  essay, write an essay you think is fascinating.

In other words, start by writing what you think is interesting about the topic you're assigned. Then, when you’re finished, go back and edit with your teacher or professor in mind.

How about you? Do you like writing essays? Do you hate writing essays? Let me know in the comments section .

Use tip #3 and ask yourself, “What surprises me about this topic?”

Then, spend fifteen minutes writing an answer to that topic (here's a handy tool to help you keep track of your time ). Just write whatever comes to mind. Write for you, not for your teacher or professor.

When your time is up, share your answer in the comments section as a way to get feedback encourage others to have fun writing essays, too.

Happy writing!

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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41 Comments

This is excellent! I’ve been struggling with my essay for two days and I already know that this is going to help me tremendously! Thank you so much, for writing this at the perfect time:)

Awesome! Good luck!

These are great tips, not only for those writing essays, but also for bloggers too. Thank you!

Very true, Em. Thanks for reading!

You’re welcome Joe. Thank YOU!

Although the article is geared toward school essays, I found some good tips to use in my personal essay. Thanks.

Great! Glad you found it helpful, Jayne.

This came at the perfect time! I’ve been putting off writing an essay for a week now since I dread writing them. This post helped me have a new perspective; I can’t wait to try these tips out on my work. 🙂

That’s so great, Dara. What’s the essay about?

This essay is about the power of silence. It filters through our culture being so “noisy” that many of us don’t have time for quiet or solitude anymore.

Those 10 tips are great and they all say writing is for fun and relaxation so stop stressing and I guarantee you will bring that inner you to the top and your reader will be dazzled and amazed at the mind-blowing and interesting essay you have developed.

My hardest goal in writing an essay is I can do the research as a matter of fact I love the research, but until I have determined by target audience, I can’t seem to put a word on paper and I decided that my professor and his colleagues are not my target audience.

That’s a great point, Parker. It’s much harder to write when your target reader is your teacher/professor.

I love essay writing! I have always done all of the tips you mentioned naturally. To me it is a way to organize what I know about a subject. Essays are usually done because they are required for some reason, but when you relax and start organizing your thoughts they(essays) can be very enjoyable.

That’s so cool! I’m glad these principles are working for you (also, I wish I had this perspective when I was writing essays!).

I love making my 13 year-old write them. They are pretty funny.

Um, can you please post one of them!

I had never thought of essay writing in the way you have described. Many thanks. These are really helpful!

Great! Thanks for reading!

This couldn’t have come at a better time! I have a rough draft of a surprise paper due Monday about Rhetoric in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and that is literally all we have discussed for three weeks. Pathos, Ethos, Logos, Fallacies… ugh. I’ll give the out-of-order method a try and see how it goes.

Ha, I hear you Laren. Just remember all those Latic words are just code for intense and emotional situations and ideas. People like to dress them up in serious sounding words, but they’re the same emotions you see in your own life and on TV. Don’t take them too seriously.

Okay, here’s my essay:

Inspired by a young man’s account of being thrown out of work in 1930 and surviving through the Great Depression, I started studying that history and the facts behind the Stock Market Crash in October 1929.

I was intrigued by the similarity between conditions leading up to the 1929 Crash and conditions leading up to the economic recession the US went through in the 1990s. I guess what surprised me most is how little we seem to learn from history. Even some of the greatest man-made tragedies get repeated.

Historians tell us that in the “roaring Twenties” the stock market was booming. Share prices were rising and everyone and his pup wanted in on the action. The market seemed so secure that banks began making collateral-free loans to individuals wanting to buy stocks. So many people with money to buy drove the demand and the price of stocks through the roof. Then the building collapsed.

In the 1980s the builders unions started putting pressure on US banks to make home mortgages more readily available, even to home buyers with no collateral. This was to boost home sales and stimulate building. Great idea in theory. Bank loans officers started handing out “no-down payment” mortgages. People started buying houses on spec. But when these mortgages came up for renewal, reality hit home. Owners tossed their keys on the bankers’ desks and walked away.

Collateral-free loans didn’t work for long in the 1920s and they didn’t work for long in the 1990s either. Were there not a few historians saying, “Wait a minute here”?

There are other events of those years that we would do well to remember. Sometimes I fear we lack the connection to history that would spare us further grief. Maybe It’s time we delve into our past again so we can avoid repeating bad history?

A couple of friends (who remains “friends” despite reading my most private documents without permission or even a good excuse) have described my journal entries as “like little snippets of David Foster Wallace’s essays, except not quite as good” (which to me is still a great compliment, apart from, you know, the total rape of my privacy and peace of mind). If that’s the case, I find essay-writing cathartic, rather than painful (and probably ought to write an essay on encryption, in the interest of finding a better way to store my files).

When you think as much as I do—and, that probably sounds like boasting, but it’s not; I should say, when you *ruminate* as much as I do—trying to put your inchoate, rambling, chaotic thoughts into a more-or-less coherent and cohesive form, without the impetus for perfection attendant to publication, imparts a certain freedom to just *riff* … and riff, and riff, and riff, occasionally for hours at a time, talking at length about nothing, or something, or something ex nothing. Trying to explain this sort of Vesuvian vernacular vehemency to a normal, functional human being is an exercise in vanity; people don’t care, and aren’t interested in being convinced to care. It’s easy for me, with sedulous attention to detail and a few shots to loosen the nerves, to make basically anything interesting, if you can get into it—my trouble lies in getting people into it. I’m bad at marketing. It’s not that I think it’s not important, mind; I just suck at it. As easily as I understand how people work in my absence, I’m totally incapable of comprehending their behavior before my own work.

The biggest surprise, that being the point of this little exercise, comes in the ease of writing it: being a complete narcissist, I can make absolutely anything about myself, which makes anything easy to write about. It’s probably the ultimate source of Gonzo journalism; when you like talking about yourself too much not to include yourself in the content of your writing. When your head races a mile a minute, the trick is not in coming up with things to write about something, but in figuring out what *not* to write, and trying to find ways to include all the little prosodical gems you uncover in the course of your excursus—there’s a million different little ways to impress people, which is, ultimately, the point, far and above convincing anyone of anything.

And that, in itself, reveals so much about the process: at this point, in the blither[^1]-saturated internet media, the subject of the essay becomes a secondary concern, at best; in the traditional fashion of celebrity culture, the author of the essay is the paramount concern; the validity of the opinions therein are of, at best, second concern—everything now revolving around the self, the informative nature of the essay falls short of the opinions and personal anecdotes conveyed thereby. It isn’t that people don’t care about facts or perspectives or reality, it’s merely that it is no longer possible to discern truth from fiction, or reality from fantasy, at least not without a Ph.D. in the subject matter: maybe an M.D. could tell the difference between a legit article in the Lancet or the NEJM, but I sure can’t, and it’s true across all professions, even scientists between disciplines—a molecular biologist is no more apt to descry the falsities of any essays or articles written on the Alcubierre drive than I am, and the same holds true for pretty much anyone, across any field.

Personality has supplanted information; entertainment has supplanted enlightenment. The spin doctors of the nineties and early 2000s got smart—verisimilitude is the key to belief, and with everyone believing everything they write (and they write it because they believe it), the truth is, at best, an abstract principle. It’s a philosophical issue, one totally unrelated to the vagaries and vicissitudes and batshit insanity of modern living.

And but the point of all this remains unknown to me—somehow it related to essay-writing, and the attempt to convey opinions or state of mind (cf. actual facts, which are few and far between), but the relation thereof to the subject of today’s practice—whatever the hell it is—remains elusive, or illusory, or something, and I don’t know where I stand anymore. I think that’s the end point of most supposedly illuminating pieces, anyway.

[1]: Here synonymous with “information.”

It’s probably hard to believe I wrote that in fifteen minutes but I promise I did; I was (am) drunk and not really thinking about it and I type like 150 wpm and etc. This will probably be a total embarrassment tomorrow morning.

I could never figure out the difference between an essay and an opinion piece. I’ve hesitated before submitting to publications that welcome essays but say things like “please, no opinion pieces.” I thought an essay was, basically, an opinion piece, in which you try to convince the reader that your way of interpreting or evaluating an event or series of events or life or whatever is the most objectively correct or least painful interpretation.

I guess essay-writing could be hard if you’re being forced to write about things you could care less about. I think the solution, there, is to find a way to be unboreable. If you can make yourself interested in anything, you will thrive no matter where you are or what ringers they put you through.

Since my pet peeve is fiction writing, I never thought about essay writing yet now that I’m reading about it, it makes sense that I need to keep in mind a few basic tips. I like journal writing, and to an extent, I can say it’s similar to essay writing since I make it a short writing on a particular subject, not just random thoughts.

What surprises me about this subject is that some people might actually hate the process, especially in a writing group. Perhaps someone does not like it, or realises that it’s not their strong suit . These ten tips are simple and useful, and of course, I am going to use Wikipedia, who wouldn’t?

But I if I were to boil it to one tip would be tip number seven. Whatever I write, I want it to be best in class.

Super cool info graphic! Good tips too. I actually love writing essays too (as long as I’m interested in the topic) but I’ll keep your graphic in my downloads to help me out sense it’s got some great, well organized advice.

Being a writer I’ve loved these tips, because they not only for those writing essays. I’m a contributor to many websites and I’m finding helpful this infographic for me.

Joe, thank you.

Yeah post it here!

I’m so glad to see you used Wikipedia as source tool. As someone that is more of a technical writer, research scientist/business person and who sells his work in the form of technical reports and occasional publications – I am a huge proponent of Wikipedia.

There is no better way for the average person to research a subject (and that is a fact, see below).

I am always saddened when I run into some severely handicapped and uninformed soul who thinks that Wikipedia is not a valid source because it isn’t on paper. Few people take the time to read the comparison studies that have been done regarding the accuracy of Wikipedia and other encyclopedic sources, none of which are 100% accurate and or unbiased. The first of such comparisons was done by Nature in 2005:

“For its study, Nature chose articles from both sites in a wide range of topics and sent them to what it called “relevant” field experts for peer review. The experts then compared the competing articles–one from each site on a given topic–side by side, but were not told which article came from which site. Nature got back 42 usable reviews from its field of experts. In the end, the journal found just eight serious errors, such as general misunderstandings of vital concepts, in the articles. Of those, four came from each site. They did, however, discover a series of factual errors, omissions or misleading statements. All told, Wikipedia had 162 such problems, while Britannica had 123.”

Since 2005 there have been several other comparisons and Wikipedia fairs very well in all. One article I found in Forbes also reveals a curious phenomenon, conservative personality types tend to have a general bias against Wikipedia – and are also uninformed as to accuracy. Not unlike conservative college professors who have biases against even high quality online courses. Never underestimate the limitations of the conservative personality type. Here are some the references I’ve found regarding Wikipedia accuracy:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7084/full/440582b.html

http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/08/02/seven-years-after-nature-pilot-study-compares-wikipedia-favorably-to-other-encyclopedias-in-three-languages/

Conservative bias and Wikipedia

http://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2015/01/20/wikipedia-or-encyclopaedia-britannica-which-has-more-bias/

Thanks so much for this. I teach 12th grade English and will share this info-graphic with them tomorrow. They have an essay coming up and I’m always looking for new ways to push the idea that essays really aren’t so evil. I completely agree with you that they can be fun.

I would’ve loved to see you add an example of an essay you’ve written or one you find to be a well-written piece as well.

Thanks again for the great post!

I’m on Facebook a lot, but Facebook can be a true learning experience. For instance, I learned something truly amazing. The universe began at midday on the 23rd of October 4004 BC. I never knew that. That makes the universe, that’s the universe mind you, all those millions and millions of stars you see on a dark and starry night, are only a maximum of 6,000 years old. It seems that in 1650 Archbishop James Ussher conducted his own literalistic exegesis of all those begets and begots in the book of Genesis, and determined that time and date.

So close all those science books, put away all those instruments of measurement because the Holy Bible says they ain’t so. Really? Absolutely and positively it tain’t possible for the center of the galaxy to be 25,000 light years away, ‘cuz da Bilbe say da universe be only 10,000 years old. The Andromeda spiral galaxy cannot possibly be 2.1 million light years away because the universe tain’t old enough for the light to get here. ‘Cuz da Bible says it’s so. Einstein was WRONG. The speed of light cannot possibly be a constant, ‘cuz da Bible says da universe is only 6,000 years old and if Andromeda appears to be 2.1 million light years away dat means light had to move ever so much faster to get here long long ago. Why did it slow down. I dunno, da Bible don’t say.

See there, Facebook can be such a front, or is that fount of information.

Wow, impressive infographic and great tips, Joe! Practice part is also awesome, I like the way you advice to think about. Truly, it’s so simple – write about your thoughts on this topic without trying to adapt them to your professor.

In your infographic, you mentioned some words and phrases which are highly desirable to avoid. Adding clichés is not a good choice for making your essay more wordy. Everyone is sick of them already, and – foremost – teachers and professors. Reading similar and not pure writing daily could simply lead to educators’ contempt of all students. Besides, one of modern problems in writing is lack of originality. It’s easy to google and find some short reviews of any more or less well-known book. Some ignorant people without any slight doubt could use that material. Or articles from Wikipedia. Or some other resources on the web, without any citations or with incomplete quotations. It is called plagiarism. For discernable reasons, being part of such situations, it’s extremely undesirable both for the students and for any creative person – writer, blogger, content creator. Because easiness of taking credit of the other’s person proceedings transforms into the complexity of getting out of this situation. Sometimes, plagiarism problems could even destroy a starting writing or academic career.

Moreover, occasionally students face with unintentional plagiarism – when they have non proper citation – they didn’t intend to commit plagiarism, but it happened. What are the best ways to prevent such situations? Do more deep research, learn how to make proper quotations, use plagiarism detection tools. These tools could be free of charge (as PlagTracker) and those you have to pay for (as Unplag plagiarism checker). If you have career connected with writing is more rational to choose a more proficient tool. Or use both, if they had a different working algorithm. Personally, I prefer software for a fee, because using it, I could be sure that the team of professionals is working for me

Love the tips! I never liked writing essays. But, I have grown to learn my own tricks to make sure I do it right the first time. Thanks for the tips! Just in time to work on my second essay!!

I write plenty of essays for school, all the time. I have actually learned to enjoy them. The best thing about an essay is that although you have a question and a style in which it likely has to be written, the approach you take to it is all yours. And I have fun being creative and inventive with the way in which I approach the subject and support my opinion.

Not even sure if this is an essay, but neither is it fiction. After listening to the webinar I had to get up out of bed zzz to check out The Write Practice… so, if this is an essay or not, here’s 593 words: Morning Musings. Christmas your way.

So beautiful, sitting here in the half dark of early morning, fire already lit, candles and lamps making puddles of yellow light in corners and on floors and against walls.

Feels like Christmas.

Christmas. When beauty hangs in the house, it having been decorated in seasonal favourites speaking of all those other years, leaning back into the comfortable familiarity of my children’s childhoods, when the world was often tired, frequently stretched, sometimes stressed but always simpler. And full of the joy of children emerging, little people growing into their next surprising iterations.

Christmas at home – not the manic version on the city streets. This Christmas, the one you make yourself within your four walls, be they big or small, literal or metaphorical. Be they the walls you want, or the walls you don’t. Within them: its yours to make. Even if that means starting in your own head.

This Christmas, the one you make yourself. When the air seeps with good will and we can set aside the conflicts and irritations and it seems easier, somehow, to have grace for everyone’s shortcomings. When you steal precious moments away from the distractions and sit in the candlelight and with the lamps throwing yellow puddles on the floor. When forgiveness comes easier and peace, as Yeats so famously said, comes dropping slow.

And when, despite the financing of it all which could darn near break the bank if you weren’t wise, at least somewhat planned and decidedly restrained, there is the joy of plotting and finding something just right for someone and anticipating their face when they get it.

A joy for every sorrow. Other times, it seems there is a sorrow for every joy, that every good thing is marred with a disappointment or a difficulty. What’s the difference? What my eyes see? Both are there. How come sometimes I see only one, and other times I see the other?

What if we were to live life with eyes wide open, knowing that sorrow abides in every corner, pain is rife out there and often in here, and difficulty or trouble is just the nature of everyday stuff. LIke men of old might say, it is a fallen world. And then, then look for the joy, look at, look for, the childhood that’s emerging not the exhaustion of accompanying it. Look for the grace to overlook the shortcoming, not the fact of the shortcoming being there. (Of course its there, duh!). Look for the potential in the problem. Looking for, creating, enjoying, the mastery of managing the budget – despite the pain and strain and limitation of the budget.

I have a premise and its this. If we quit (if I quit) moaning about the problem and start being grateful for what’s good about it, we will (I will ) actually become more able to actually tackle the darn problem in the first place. The real problem… is that my problem with the problem binds me to it… rendering me unable to tackle it: therein lies its power. The problem is definitely a problem in the first place. Giving it power by not accepting it enough to actually tackle it constructively… not that just takes the biscuit.

Givin’ that up this year! Gonna make this Christmas my Christmas. The one with the joy for every sorrow and the lift for every drag – the one full of wonder and people and loving them and ourselves and loving life and the beauty nestling hidden within it… however we are able to.

Thanks, Joe. I will keep this handy to share with my students! Peace, Sherrie

Awesome tips, Joe. But I’m just curious about the number 8 – if you write about too many things, won’t your essay be messy? For example, if you check this discrimination essay out, you’ll see there are many points and nothing concrete about either of them. But if the author wanted to go more deeply into each and every of them, he may have ended up with a research paper. Besides, when it comes to editing, lots of things are crossed out because 90% have nothing to do with the topic. So, I guess this tip may be good for those who are writing big papers but if you have to write a one or two page essay, isn’t it better to stick to the topic?

Nice tips. Hope they can help me to write better.

It was very informative when any student ask or would like to know about the do’s and don’ts about a great essay. To improvise a proper structure in essays it would be wise enough for any writer to take advantage from these aforementioned tips and rules. There are multiple essay writing service that are presenting available services for the students who are just learning to build an informative and detailed essay. Top essay writing services UK are also available online for assistance for UK students that deals with essay writing tips for competitive exams UK.

A 500 word essay is a common assignment for high school and college students. Many students ask how long is this kind of an essay? It is approximately 2 pages. Preparing a 500-word essay for college often means that you will need to conduct preliminary research in order to have useful materials and prepare a good topic for your paper. Once you complete your research, you will need to prepare an outline before starting to write the first drafts. Do not forget about proofreading, i.e. fixing grammar and spelling errors. In order to conduct research, you may visit numerous libraries and search for the books which cover the topic of your paper. Make sure you take notes on the cards. This will help you remember some very important facts related to the topic of your research.

We work with doctoral and masters’ hopefuls, helping you get from a plan to an endorsed proposition and onto a complete theory or paper. We give reasonable, tweaked administration to enable you to conquer obstacles, meet your doctoral level college’s prerequisites, pass your graduation on time, and push forward with the profession and life. Thesis Dissertation Assignment Help is sought after by all students seeking after Thesis Dissertation Assignment examines. It is one of the ways that Thesis Dissertation students need to apply things what they are realizing. For more, you can visit papernow.org

Excellent tips! Many students have a hard time finding the right words to express their thoughts and feelings in writing. Online tutors from platforms like Sweetstudy or Homeworkmarket can help with this. A tutor will work with you on your specific needs and goals in order to help you achieve them. They’ll work with you to form a plan for success that is tailored specifically for your needs as a learner. Tutors can also be a great resource for those who are looking to improve their writing skills or build confidence in this area of academic study. They’re trained professionals who have been through the process of learning how to write effectively themselves! This means they have experience guiding other learners through this process as well as knowledge about what works best when it comes time for students to submit their work online.

Great Post, Keep it up always.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 13 best college essay tips to craft a stellar application.

College Essays

In many ways, the most labor-intensive part of your college application process is the essay. It’s not just about forwarding transcripts or entering a list of extracurricular activities—you have to craft something personal and compelling to show the admissions committee who you are beyond your resume.

In this article, we’ll go over our 13 best tips for writing college essays. We’ll give tips for every step of the process including planning, writing, and editing your essay, as well as some quick and easy tips to boost any essays you already have written! With these college essay tips, you’ll be that much closer to the best admissions essay ever!

5 Tips for College Essay Planning

Doing a good job planning makes the college essay process that much easier. These five college essay tips will help you get started and pave the way for a great final product.

#1: Make a Plan of Attack for Your Essays

The first thing you’ll need to do is identify all the essays you’ll need to write and their deadlines. It may help you to make a spreadsheet with the essay guidelines for each school, the word count, the prompts, the due date, and any special instructions. This will help you figure out:

How many essays you’ll need to write, and how long those essays need to be.

Whether you can reuse any essays: In general, you can reuse essays for prompts that are about your life, broadly similar in theme, and have a similar word count. You probably can’t reuse essays that are very specific to the college, like “Why This College” essays .

Which essay you should write first: You’ll probably want to start first on the essay with the earliest application deadline. Alternatively, if you have plenty of time or the deadlines are close together, you could start with the longest essay (which will take the most time) or the essay that will be used for the most schools (like a Common Application essay). Do what you feel most comfortable with.

With all this information gathered, you’ll be able to make a plan of attack for your essays and make sure nothing gets lost in the application shuffle. (In fact, I actually advise keeping track of all necessary components of your application in a spreadsheet for the same reason).

#2: Start Early

You want to start writing way before the deadline. If possible, give yourself at least two months, and maybe even more time if you can. This will make sure that you have enough time to adequately plan your essay, draft it, and edit it.  

And, of course, the more essays you have to write, the earlier you should start!

#3: Choose the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic has two facets: first, choosing the right prompt (if there’s a choice) and second, choosing the right topic to write about for that prompt.

The Right Prompt

If there’s a choice of prompts, you may want to actually start by brainstorming the specific topic or thing in your life that you want to write about, and then reverse-engineer back to the most appropriate prompt. Most college essay prompts are pretty vague, so a broad range of topics and issues can be applied.

You can also use prompts to help you brainstorm if you’re having a hard time figuring out what to write about. Think about the prompt that seems most appealing to you at first. What intrigues you about it? What do you think you could communicate about yourself through that question?

Here’s some tailored guidance on some of the most common college essay prompt types . And if you’re writing a Common Application essay, here’s advice on how to choose the right Common App prompt for you .

The Right Topic

When you’re trying to choose something about your life to write about, consider the following:

What are you excited to write about? A good college essay can be about a wide variety of topics, but it should show that you’re passionate about something. This could be anything from a hobby you have to your favorite book or even your most beloved stuffed animal, just so long as you can make it memorable and positive. Also, your writing will be a lot better if you are writing about something you care about and are interested in!

Whatever you write about should be primarily about you. You should be the focal point. Even if you’re writing about someone who has influenced you, for example, you need to relate it back to yourself. What does this tell admission officers about you?

What makes you stand out? This should be something that goes beyond what’s in the rest of your application. Your test scores and GPA are already there. What really shows something unique about you?

Choose a topic you can be honest about . If you’re not being genuine, it will end up coming through in your writing. So don’t write about how much your membership in Youth Group meant to you if you only went to make your mom happy and you actually didn’t care that much.

In general, you should avoid topics that are overly controversial, like things that are politically charged, doing things that are illegal, or anything involving graphic descriptions of any bodily function. So if you’re going to write about recovering from hip surgery, probably leave out the gory details of you being constipated and your oozy scars.

Check out our 35 brainstorming techniques for college essays for even more help coming up with a topic!

If you’re really stumped, consider asking your friends and family what they think could be good topics. They may help you figure out something memorable and interesting. But also, don’t feel like you have to write about a topic just because someone else thinks it would be great. You need to be genuinely interested in what you’re writing about to write an engaging essay!

#4: Decide on Your Approach

In general, there are two main approaches you might take to write your essay. It might primarily take a narrative format, or it might take a thematic format.

In a narrative format, you’ll be relating a particular anecdote or experience and what it means to you. In a thematic format, you’ll present a particular theme—say, your love of parakeets or your secret talent for balancing books on your head—and expound on that theme in a descriptive way to reveal more about you and your personality.

Sometimes your approach will be determined by the prompt or topic that you choose. For example, if a prompt says to relate a particular event or anecdote, you’ll probably use a narrative approach. By contrast, if you want to write about how your favorite book changed your life, that will probably be a thematic essay.

#5: Write an Outline

Doing a little bit of outlining before you put fingertips to keyboard to write your essay is always a good idea. You don’t necessarily need to make a super-detailed plan before you starting writing, but a general idea of where you are going and the points you want to make will be very helpful when you start drafting. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending a lot of time staring at a blank Word document.

Yes, good, very detailed essay plan. 

4 Top College Essay Writing Tips

Here are four tips for writing college essays and making sure your work  stands out in a good way:

#6: Use Specific Details

The more details you use, the more your writing will come alive. Try to use words that are vivid and specific, instead of ones that are vague like “nice,” “good,” and so on. This will really flesh out the scene and help the reader picture what’s going on.

So take something like this:

One of my biggest accomplishments in life was teaching my little brother to ride a bicycle. I encouraged him to keep going when he fell down. Now he’s a great cyclist!

To something more like this:

One of my biggest accomplishments in life was teaching my eight-year-old brother to ride the racy red bicycle he got for his birthday. He wanted to give up when he took a tumble and skidded across the sidewalk. But while I bandaged up his knees with Batman band-aids, I convinced him to give it another try. I told him to think about how he would be able to bike all around the neighborhood exploring. Now I smile whenever I see him zooming down our street—wearing his helmet, of course!

See the difference? Wouldn’t you rather read the second one?

#7: Be Genuine

It’s important to get beyond the superficial in your personal statement. You should be writing about something that’s genuinely important or significant to you, so try to get beyond the surface. Instead of writing vague platitudes about how you really like the violin but it’s hard, really get at the meat: did you ever think about quitting? What’s frustrated you the most? What really keeps you going?

This means you shouldn’t try to write about things where it’s too painful to be honest. So if your parents got a divorce last year, it may be too raw to write about, which is perfectly fine. If, however, they got divorced when you were 5 and you can honestly reflect on how it changed your life, go for it.

Of course, you want to be honest in a reasonable and appropriate way. If you overshare, it will make it seem like you have bad judgment or don’t understand social norms—not good impressions to give the admissions committee. So probably don’t write about how much you despise your mother and think she is evil since she had an affair with your school librarian. It’s fine to feel how you feel, but there are some things that are a little too charged to write in your college essay.

#8: Be Unique, but Not Bizarre

You definitely want your writing to set you apart—but you want it to set you apart in a good way. This means you want high-quality writing about unique experiences and qualities you bring to the table that aren’t covered elsewhere in your application.

This does not mean you should get really avant-garde with your essay formatting. Don’t send in a piece of art instead of an essay, or make a video, or write a poem instead of an essay, unless those things are explicitly allowed.

Similarly, while your essay doesn’t have to be 100% deadly serious in tone, you should be careful with humor. This doesn’t mean absolutely no jokes or tongue-in-cheek moments or that your essay should read like an 18th-century book of sermons. But if your essay relies too much on humor, you’ve got a lot riding on whether or not the person reading your essay “gets” it. They may well be annoyed. So deploy humor carefully and selectively.

#9: Avoid Cliches and Platitudes

The more cliches you use in your writing, the more boring and less insightful your essay will be. Cliches are phrases that are so overused that they are essentially meaningless, and they are likely to make any reader roll their eyes. Phrases like “a dime a dozen,” “outside the box,” “cold as ice,” “dirt cheap,” “flash in the pan,” and so on are frequently deployed in conversation because they convey a common idea quickly. But you don’t want your essay to be common, so avoid cliches. Try to think about how you can communicate the same idea in a more specific and interesting way.

Here’s a list of over 600 cliches . But for the most part, you won’t need a list; you’ll know something is a cliche because you will have heard it a million times already.

You should also avoid platitudes or sweeping generalizations about life. These are statements that are so broad and far-reaching as to be both obvious and completely uninsightful.

So avoid making statements like “And that’s how I learned that hard work pays off,” or “There’s no ‘I’ in team.” You may think you sound sage or wise, but the truth is, platitudes are going to sound immature and poorly-formed to the reader. Similarly, don’t say things that sound like they could come from an inspirational quote account on Instagram. (See, ahem, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take,” “Shoot for the moon,” and so on.)

How do you avoid the platitude problem? Try to keep what you’re saying specific to you. So instead of saying “And that’s how I learned that hard work pays off,” try, “This experience helped me to realize that when I put concentrated effort into something that’s important to me, I can accomplish it even when there are roadblocks.” Keep the focus on what you can and will do in your own life.

Avoid  trite sayings like this one.

2 Tips for Editing Your College Essay

You may think that once you’ve gotten a draft done that you’re good to go. Not so! Editing is one of the most important parts of writing the best college essay possible, and here are two essential college essay tips for editing.

Tip #10: Ask for Help

It’s always wise to get another set of eyes on your college essays. In fact, several sets of eyes is even better! Other people can help you make sure your essay flows, you have enough detail, that everything is relevant, and that you sound as engaging and interesting as you really are! They can also help you catch typos and other minor errors—although you’ll want to double and triple-check for that yourself before submitting.

Here’s advice on how to ask for help with all parts of the college essay process , including editing.

Tip #11: Be Prepared to Cut a Lot

Brace yourself for cutting up your initial draft into tiny little ribbons and rearranging the remaining pieces Frankenstein-style. A first draft is really just a starting place to get your ideas down before you revamp the entire thing into a more streamlined, better organized, highly polished version. So you have to be ready to let go of pieces of your essay, no matter how much you love a particular turn of phrase or analogy. The ultimate goal is to turn the rough stone of your first draft into a polished and clear piece of writing—and that’s going to take a lot of chipping and sanding!

2 Final Tips for College Essay Success

Here are two quick but essential college essay tips you can implement easily.

Tip #12: Have a Standout First Sentence

One thing you can do to give any essay a boost is to make sure that your first sentence is attention-grabbing. If you can pique the interest of the admissions counselor right away, you’ll help keep their attention throughout your essay.

Here’s our guide to getting that perfect first sentence!

Tip #13: Triple-check for Typos and Errors

The most important quick thing you can do for your essay is to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. It will make your essay look sloppy and unfinished, and that’s the last thing you want! College admissions officers expect a polished product, and there’s nothing less polished than misspelled words and comma splices.

13 College Essay Tips: Key Takeaways for a Great College Essay

To recap, here’s our 13 tips for the best college essay ever:

College Essay Planning Tips:

• Create a plan of attack for all of your essays so you can keep track of everything.
• Start early—at least two months before the due date, if not more.
• Choose the right prompt and topic for you.
• Decide between a narrative or a thematic approach to the topic.
• Outline before you start writing!

College Essay Writing Tips:

• Use vivid, specific details.
• Be genuine—get beyond the superficial.
• Be unique, but not bizarre.
• Avoid cliches and platitudes; they are boring and unimaginative.

College Essay Editing Tips:

• Get other people to look at your essay.
• Be prepared to change, cut, and rearrange a lot!

Final Tips for College Essays:

• Make sure your first sentence is stellar.
• Triple check for typos and grammatical errors!

What’s Next?

You’ve read our tips for success—now see 10 college essay mistakes to avoid .

Looking for some college essay examples? See 133 essay examples and expert analysis here , along with 11 more places to find great college essay examples .  

Check out our complete guides to ApplyTexas essays , UC Personal Insight questions , and the Common Application essay !

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?  We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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8 Best Essay Writing Services According to Reddit and Quora

Today, legitimate essay paper writing is a regular part of every student’s college education. In fact, the college experience often comes with students being overwhelmed by the number of assignments that can be assigned at any given time.

The average US college student spends around 14-16 hours per week studying, doing homework, working on assignments, and writing essays and research papers. When you look at the hours spent, it often leads to a traumatic and overwhelming work/life balance.

Considering these facts, it becomes evident that written assignments can grow to be pretty stressful. This is why so many students opt for essay writing services online.

Whether you’re struggling with a tight deadline or you just need to make sure your essay is written with professional help, university essay writing services can be very valuable. Over the years, they have actually become very popular.

The best essay writing and editing services are available to any student, and they are not just specific to literature and arts majors. Finding a reliable college essay writing service is also helpful for common homework or assignments.

According to a review and analysis of Reddit essay writing companies, it turned out that some of them manipulate the voting system and use Reddit as a way to promote their sites. These companies create multiple accounts and use them to upvote and comment on their own posts.

Of course, the tough part is to wade through the spam and find authentic responses.

On the brighter side, we have done the hard work for you and narrowed down the best paper writing services among students. Writing an essay may be a real problem if you’re pressed for time, and trying to find a trustworthy essay site is not any easier. Students who juggle work and school will understand.

If you are trying to impress your professor, you can find your essay writer on one of these well-known educational sites.

Need the Best Essay Writers? Look No Further!

When looking for the top essay writing services, we went over multiple sites and did face some fraud and poor customer service.

But this is exactly why we decided to embark on this journey in the first place – to make sure you don’t have to struggle when looking for the best essay writer for you.

To find the best college essay writing service we ordered a paper from every platform that we reviewed and we made all the orders absolutely the same to then see the differences in execution. This has given us a lot to think about, though.

There were multiple sites that tried to make the most money by providing a service of poor quality. Although it is understandable that these online companies are hard to trace, hence, they can do whatever they want.

But if you really want to make a name for yourself and earn a lot, why not work with integrity and provide good quality service?

So, we took our time, did some research, and looked for truly the best writing services on the internet. The ones that do their job well, really look into your instructions, care to ask questions if anything is unclear, and submit papers in time.

What’s even more important, though, is that we checked all the final papers for plagiarism and only those with minimal percentages have made it to this list. This is how you know you can trust the following services.

1. Coursework Writing Service

In the matter of finding essay services for students, the trick to find a site that can offer you original work for affordable prices.

In that regard and more, Coursework Writing Service has managed to tick off the right boxes according to popular opinion. Their prices start at $10 for a unique and non-plagiarized paper that will meet any challenging requirements of your curriculum.

Apart from essays, students can also use their services for research papers, theses, reviews, and reviews.

Besides, it is also possible to hire someone to edit and proofread your article as well. The best part is that you do not have to pay anything extra for any revisions.

2. EssayService

EssayService has made its way into almost every essay service list recommended by students on Quora.

The platform works with professional freelance writers who have established their expertise in their respective writing domains.

Even before preparing for the SAT and ACT tests, you can find writers who graduated from top universities in the US, and the US, who is familiar with the academic expectations of your lecturer.

Regardless of whether you are pursuing your Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree, if you need to write or rewrite an essay you will find a writer who can offer you insight and provide a commendable assignment to ace your exam. These guys really have your convenience as their top priority.

3. EssayPro

As one of the longstanding custom writing services online, EssayPro has built a wealth of positive reviews from users.

This essay writing service will help you tackle any complex topic of your course with the help of an expert essay writer in the field.

An undergraduate can get some quick help to meet the course requirements of the next lecture – and a Master’s student can find a researcher to help with their final research semester.

In addition, you also get to choose your writer based on customer reviews and their educational background. As you can correspond with your writer, it is also easy to discuss your assignment as it progresses.

Overall, EssayPro’s fame seems to be fairly justified based on what they have to offer.

4. Write Paper

WritePaper.com approaches each essay from a unique standpoint, ensuring that every assignment they receive and each written research paper is tailor-made to the student and their specific requirements.

The system is efficient, allowing you to process your order fast and any guidelines you have for writers. In fact, you can even avail of their services to receive your paper as quickly as 6 hours.

Write Paper also guarantees 100% anonymity for your order, as well as your personal information.

Students can benefit from their insight on any semester assignment, coursework, or help with research to help them prepare to pass an exam.

Free essay writing tools seem to be another favorite among Reddit and Quora users among reliable essay writing services.

Studyfy is a one-stop shop for students. The platform provides a lot of useful content for students of different levels: from literature study guides, writing guides, helpful tools, essay samples, to money blog – with useful tips, general information about ACT and SAT standardized tests, professional student help services. It’s a perfect place to address in case you are totally confused with your home assignment and have questions. They can do it all: proofreading, editing, homework help, tutoring, and a lot more. The website is growing quickly and adds more and more useful information.

While placing an order, you have the ability to specify your academic level, from high school to Ph.D. This way, you will get a paper that will match the requirements to your education level in terms of vocabulary and the depth of research. There are also writers who specialize in theses and dissertation writing.

In case the final result doesn’t match your expectations, Studyfy also offers three revisions. Send your comments back to the writer to make sure the end result is just right.

Every paper provided by Studyfy also comes with the guarantee of originality , it is said to pass any plagiarism detector, like Turnitin and SafeAssign.

6. Paper Writer

Another one of the leading providers of academic essay writing services is Paper Writer .

You can order a paper with a deadline from 3 hours to a fortnight, so you can leave ample time for the writers in case it is a detailed project or thesis.

All writers have proven academic backgrounds and relevant experience in writing as well.

The site also gives you free formatting, including the title page, bibliography, and a citing style while using their services.

And for those who are on tighter budgets , you can even find installment payment options on the site, which is indeed a convenient tool for students.

7. DoMyEssay

Reddit reviews seem highly supportive of DoMyEssay. Some commentator said: ‘This is one of the best places to do my assignment .’ There are multiple customer reports of receiving satisfactory papers from the service at reasonable prices.

DoMyEssay offers you custom-written papers, created from scratch based on each customer’s individual guidelines. This allows you to customize your essay based on the outlines provided by your lecturer.

With over a decade of experience in the educational industry, Essay Reviews has built quite a reputation and a team of outstanding writers. Customers can also avail of unlimited revisions, or their editing services if you already have your draft completed.

8. EssayHub

With a strict selection policy, EssayHub has hired brilliant writers with expertise in almost every academic niche. When it comes to “ write my essay for money ” services, this one is in the top-10.

If you are struggling to comply with your deadlines or seem to need some help with a complex topic, EssayHub can easily connect you to a professional writer in the relevant field.

You can also attach any notes, textbook copies, or your research data while placing an order. This will help the writer to personalize the paper to your writing style.

One good thing about EssayHub is that the payment is taken only after the job is completed. This ensures that you get a chance to check the completed work and release the funds only when you are fully satisfied.

Essay Writing Service Reviews Based On Experience

Here at Essay-Reviews , we take our job of finding the best paper writing services seriously. And we want to hold those who don’t accountable.

While looking through all the writing services to review we really wanted to do a good job and to make sure you only end up with a list of the most reliable and helpful services.

This is why we took our time and spent several weeks just on research alone.

Apart from reading up on the websites presented here, we placed orders with each of them. The instructions and requirements were the same for each order to have a clear and unbiased trial.

In addition, we searched the internet for essay writing service reviews to see what other people think about the services that we’ve chosen as the best ones.

Since we place integrity at the top of our priority list, we wanted to review every aspect of the service to ensure that the best ones are the best all-around.

Although having a cheap essay writing service on standby is important, you also need to get your papers in time and have them be original. This is why it’s so vital to analyze every single side of the service and not just papers’ quality.

We wanted to make sure that if we recommend a site to you, we are certain that the essays provided by it are original, are submitted in time, and follow all your instructions.

And since the writers are the backbone of every academic help website, we took our time to talk to each one of them, making sure they are trained on proper customer service.

Talking to a writer before getting your essay is also a good way to see if they are a native English speaker and if they are familiar with your topic.

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• Top services
• MyAdmissionsEssay
• GradeMiners
• EssayService

Top 7 Essay Writing Services: Reviews of the Best College Paper Sites

Need help writing a resume or essay? We have unbiased reviews of the highest-rated writing services in 2023! Check them out!

We will compare the prices and features of some top essay writing services in the US. These websites are the most dependable and well-known for hiring professional essay writers. However, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Penning essays appears effortless until you have to craft one yourself. As you already know, academic writing encompasses many complexities, including various types of essays with specific purposes and lengths.

Additionally, many students lack the time to write essays. Fortunately, professional essay writing service are available to ease your workload by handling general academic writing for you. We will evaluate some top paper writing services in the US, comparing their prices and features. These websites are the most dependable and well-known sources for hiring professional essay writers. However, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Here are the 7 best online essay writing services:

EssayPro – Good Essay Writing Service!

Highly Skilled Writers

Pricing Transparency

Free Plagiarism Report

You Stay Anonymous

Your Payments Are Safe

ExtraEssay – Affordable service at the best price!

Plagiarism-free papers

Loyalty discounts

Free revisions

Safe & Secure payments

24/7 support

PaperHelp – A great place to buy dissertations and research papers!

Individualized writing approach

Timely delivery from just 3 hours

Degreed writers

Money-back guarantee

Loyalty Program goodies

GradeMiners – Personal statements at their best!

Information about customers is confidential and never disclosed to third parties.

We complete all papers from scratch. You can get a plagiarism report.

No missed deadlines – 97% of assignments are complete in time.

At GradeMiners, you can communicate directly with your writer on a no-name basis.

Your personal details remain confidential and won’t be disclosed to the writer or other parties.

Studdit - Website for essay writing in the U.S. that has the best overall ratings!

Our deadlines start at just 3 hours.

Each writer has either MB or PhD diploma and writing certificates.

We write from scratch and keep all your information a secret.

Get alerts to know about order statuses change on the go.

Discuss details with your writer on the order page in real time.

Email, call, or chat with our managers day-and-night.

MyAdmissionsEssays – Discounts on first orders!

Budget-friendly prices

Fast, timely delivery

Writing from scratch

Discounts & freebies

Personalized approach

EssayService – For quick delivery, there is no better choice!

Student Friendly Pricing & Refund Policy

High-Quality Academic Writing

Plagiarism-Free Papers Guaranteed

Punctuality and Reliability

Complete Confidentiality

We are ranked Studdit as the best essay writing service in the U.S. overall

Studdit is our top pick for the best essay writing company in the US, offering an impressive combination of benefits.

When searching for an online paper writer, certain elements are crucial and Stddit excels in most of these areas, including high-quality writing, fast turnaround time, and reasonable prices for top-notch services.

Essays come in various forms with unique requirements. While all papers require some research, many essays require extensive research.

If you are short on time, consider using a professional essay writing service that specializes in complex papers such as dissertations. Studdit has higher pricing compared to other websites, but it also provides superior services.

The company also provides originality and editorial check reports for all essays, but has a lengthy registration process and a somewhat cumbersome website, which may inconvenience customers with tight deadlines.

Any deadline & subject

Email & SMS alerts

Certified writers

Interaction with a writer

Original & confidential

24/7 online support

High school from 10$ / page

Undergraduate from 13$ / page

Undergraduate from 19$ / page

Undergraduate from 21$ / page

Other benefits Studdit include good communication with the support team and a discount on your papers.

PaperHepl – Research Papers and Dissertations at the Best Price

PaperHelp offers exceptional research, personalized approach, and a specialization in writing dissertations. Dissertations can often become lengthy, leading to a potential decrease in content quality. PaperHelp ensures consistent quality throughout by paying attention to every detail.

PaperHelp stands at the forefront of quality essay services in the US, with a team of carefully selected, expert academic writers – many of whom are non-native English speakers with proficiency comparable to native writers. Their comprehensive research process, along with editing, proofreading, and formatting, make PaperHelp a premier choice for essay writing service.

Furthermore, PaperHelp is student-friendly, offering substantial discounts and a loyalty program tailored for students. The company provides the best college paper writing services to meet the academic standards for different levels, including high school and college-level essays.

Turnaround time is quick

User-friendly for students

Guarantee of money back

Positive reviews and a solid reputation

Academic writing from 10$ \ page

Editing & Proofreading from 6$ \ page

While PaperHelp is renowned for delivering high-quality essays, it also remains a leading provider of research papers and dissertations.

ExtraEssay – Affordable Service with Best Value for Money

With numerous positive reviews in the US, its writers are carefully selected for their professional and knowledgeable essay writing abilities.

ExtraEssay is known for its fast turnaround time and speedy delivery, as the name suggests. You can hire a reasonably priced essay writer and receive a decent paper on time. While its content quality may not match other affordable essay writing services, ExtraEssay compensates with prompt delivery and exceptional customer service. With numerous positive reviews in the US, its writers are carefully selected for their professional and knowledgeable essay writing abilities.

With a wide range of expertise, you have a high chance of finding a suitable writer for your essays, even with tight deadlines. SpeedyPaper pays close attention to detail, despite its speed, and prioritizes confidentiality and privacy through its data policy and privacy protection.

Reliable with deadlines

User-friendly website

Good customer support

Cheap essay writing service, affordable pricing

Minimum $9 per page

Other ExtraEssay benefits include good communication with the support team and a discount on your papers.

EssayPro – Having the best online reputation

EssayPro is a great option for college essay help, with a streamlined process for customers to find the perfect writer for their needs. These factors make EssayPro one of the most reliable and trustworthy essay services available.

Are you hesitant to hire a college essay writing service due to trust concerns? EssayPro is here to provide the assistance you need. With so many unreliable companies, it’s important to choose wisely.

As a student, time is often limited, especially when it comes to critical essays with tight deadlines. Delays, low-quality content, and scams are the last things you want to worry about.

The reputation of a custom essay writing service is crucial, especially with the risks of plagiarism and improper source citation.

Writer bidding

Fast turnaround time of as little as 6 hours

Fair pricing

Good pricing

The minimum price per page is $11.40 (275 words, college level, two-week deadline)

EssayPro offers a flexible process for both writers and clients, making it a cost-effective option for students on a budget. You can choose a professional writer based on your needs and budget and select from three main paper types: high school, university, and doctorate. You can also quickly review professional writers’ qualifications before hiring.

MyAdmissionsEssay – The Biggest First-Order Discount

MyAdmissionEssay is a recommended option for those seeking a college paper writing service in the U.S. with fast turnaround and affordable prices.

MyAdmissionEssay is a top choice for a college essay writing service in the U.S. offering quick turnaround at an affordable price. Although it may not be the best option for high-quality college-grade essays, it is suitable for simpler essays and tight deadlines.

With consistent discounts for both new and returning customers, MyAdmissionEssay provides a fast and low-priced option compared to other paper writing services. Despite mainly having ESL writers, they are carefully selected to have skills comparable to native English speakers.

Good reputation

Fast response and support

Quality work for the price

Minimum $10 per page

(275 words, college level, two-week deadline)

MyAdmissionEssay also offers a money-back guarantee, showing their confidence in the quality, customer service, and integrity of their service.

GradeMiners – Personal statements at their best

GradeMiners may not have top-notch essay writers, but it has been improving its services over the past few years. As a result, it has become one of the most sought-after online essay writing services in the US. Its quick turnaround time appeals to customers with tight deadlines.

The essays from GradeMiners require minimal editing due to its vast pool of knowledgeable and experienced writers. They are able to handle various writing projects, including bulk orders, while still maintaining their fast turnaround time.

Not only does GradeMiners offer writing services, but it also assists students of various academic levels with homework, such as problem-solving, making it the ideal essay writing service for high school and college students.

With fast turnaround times to meet pressing deadlines, GradeMiners is a great option for students in demanding courses with multiple projects and limited time. Its experienced writers provide high-quality essays that meet assignment requirements.

Exemplary customer support

Fast turnaround time

Flexible revision and report policies

Discounts for new and returning customers

Minimum $17 per page (275 words, college level, two-week deadline)

The professional paper writers on the site are mostly non-native English speakers, available to hire at student-friendly rates. They cater to a wide range of academic papers, including essays, theses, and issertations.

EssayService – The Fastest Essay Writing Service

There are various essay types with varying specifications and requirements, some of which are more complex and require specialized skills. Personal statement essays are one such example.

Unfortunately, not all essay services in the US can provide top-quality personal statements. However, EssayService is a trustworthy option. EssayService ensures quality by assigning writers who have a degree in the relevant field or a related field to write personal statements.

Personal statements are customized to your needs. This essay writing service has over 300 professional college essay writers who can produce top-notch personal statements. All essays are original and undergo multiple checks to eliminate plagiarism. At EssayService, you can have your paper completed in under 8 hours with minimal editing required.

In addition, EssayService offers free services such as formatting, referencing, and revisions that comply with its revision policy.

Free add-on features

Top-notch personal statement writeups

Progress tracking

Flexible revision policy

Minimum $11 per page for an admission essay / personal statement (275 words, college level, two-week deadline)

Moreover, the tracking feature of EssayService sets it apart from others, allowing you to monitor the progress of your paper in real-time. EssayService can handle virtually any subject within any time frame.

How long does it take a writer to write my essay for me?

The time it takes to complete an essay varies, as different types of essays have different requirements and deadlines. Custom specifications often accompany assignments, particularly for important documents like personal statements for scholarships and applications, or for academic writing like research papers and dissertations. Thus, providing a definite time frame without considering all the details can be difficult. The type of essay affects the time required to complete it. However, some reputable essay writing services are willing to go above and beyond to deliver high-quality essays even under tight deadlines. Some websites offer a turnaround time as short as 3-8 hours, but it’s important to note that these companies may not be the most affordable options. They charge a premium fee to deliver within the specified short time frame. However, even for essays with tight deadlines, essay writing services typically still process orders quickly and efficiently.

Does a professional writer write my essay?

Reputable and trustworthy academic writing companies recognize the importance of producing high-quality essays, and as a result, only hire experienced and knowledgeable experts to handle their writing projects. These writers, who are either native English speakers or skilled English as a Second Language (ESL) specialists, possess skills comparable to those of native speakers. Some essay writing services allow you to choose who will work on your project, providing you with the opportunity to review writers’ credentials and select the one best suited for your essay. Other paper writing websites are transparent about their writer screening and selection process, ensuring customers are aware of the measures the company takes to guarantee the quality of its services. While not all essay writing companies in the U.S. require a degree, many do. This means that professionals with degrees in the relevant field or a related field often write your essay, ensuring a high level of expertise.

Is buying essays online a secure and confidential process?

Buying anything online comes with a risk as there is no guarantee. The online space is prone to scams, so it’s important to be cautious. However, there are many trustworthy companies available, you just need to know where to look. Reputable companies prioritize their customer service as it reflects on their reputation. The reliability and reputation of a paper writing service speaks to its confidentiality and safety for purchasing essays. Look for websites that place high importance on confidentiality and privacy. To find a trustworthy service, read independent reviews from reputable agencies and avoid the reviews on a company’s official site, as negative feedback is unlikely to be posted there. When choosing a legitimate essay writing service, consider its policies, offerings, and core values, as well as the emphasis they place on confidentiality, originality, and privacy.

Are essay writing services legit?

Using a paid essay writing service is both legitimate and safe. It is legal to pay someone to write essays for you, as long as you don’t turn in a plagiarized paper. Reputable companies focus on originality and run multiple plagiarism checks, ensuring you have nothing to worry about in terms of authenticity. However, it’s important to review the website’s Terms and Conditions before hiring an online essay writer. Some services allow you to use the work as your own, while others are intended solely for research and as examples and cannot be submitted as your own work. In this case, you may face legal issues. When searching for a reliable essay writing service, thoroughly review their policies and ask questions about your specific purpose and rights to use the essay.

Can I request a revision if I am not satisfied with my paper?

These writing websites design their services to minimize customer dissatisfaction with their work. They often include free revisions as a value-add to ensure customer satisfaction. These revisions provide an opportunity for the writer to address any concerns and make necessary changes to the paper. However, in the unlikely event of dissatisfaction, it is important to review the company’s policies and guarantees before making a payment. Some services offer limited revisions, and any changes must comply with their policy. Meanwhile, others offer a money-back guarantee in case of customer dissatisfaction. To ensure a positive experience, it is best to avoid low-priced writing services with unclear policies regarding revisions and satisfaction.

Which are the main drawbacks of essay writing sites?

There are potential downsides to hiring an essay ghostwriter, especially if you don’t choose a reputable one. One issue is receiving a paper filled with errors, typos, and grammar mistakes. Not all essay writing companies thoroughly screen and select their writers, which can lead to subpar work. Research and data accuracy are also important factors in essay writing and can pose risks if not done properly. Organization and flow are also crucial in essays, but some companies may divide the work among multiple writers to meet tight deadlines, leading to a disjointed essay. Plagiarism is a common concern in the essay writing industry, but most reputable companies have measures in place to prevent it. This is often reflected in their pricing.

When selecting an essay writing service for your college papers, certain crucial factors should not be overlooked, such as turnaround time, originality, revisions, customer service, pricing, and content quality.

On our list of the best companies, we have Studdit as the overall best essay writing service. Considering its quality writing, quick turnaround time, and fair pricing, it is the most popular and versatile option.

Studdit’s solid research process, editing, proofreading, and formatting make it a top-tier choice. If you are also looking for specific services like personal statement writing and high school homework help, we also cover that in this list.

In Idaho, don’t say ‘abortion’? A state law limits teachers at public universities, they say

Idaho's public university professors say a law barring state employees from ‘promoting’ or ‘counseling in favor of’ abortion limits their ability to teach..

This story was published in partnership with the Center for Public Integrity , a newsroom that investigates inequality.

University of Idaho student Bergen Kludt-Painter started school in August 2022, a few months after a U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down Roe v. Wade. Soon after, abortion was banned in Idaho in almost all instances.

The political science major was eager to discuss the precedent-shattering case in class, but, she said, “we talked about everything except for abortion.”

During a political science course on how to write a research paper, her professor said he could not give her feedback on her chosen topic — abortion. The issue didn’t come up in her other political science classes either, even as state after state changed their abortion laws. Nor did abortion get mentioned in her Introduction to Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies course.

“It wasn’t discussed,” she said, “which I found odd, personally, because it feels like something that would be relevant to talk about in a class like that.”

But few, if any, public university professors in Idaho are talking about or assigning readings on abortion these days. That’s due to a 2021 law that makes it illegal for state employees to “promote abortion” or “counsel in favor of abortion.” Professors have said those two phrases put them at risk of violating the law, known as the No Public Funds for Abortion Act , just for discussing abortion in class. The possible penalties include significant fines and even prison time.

Six named University of Idaho professors and two faculty unions filed a lawsuit against the state in August for violating their First Amendment right to free speech and academic freedom and their 14 th Amendment right to a clearly worded law. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union are representing the professors.

“The more I heard about it, the more worried I was that I really can't teach my class in a responsible way without putting myself at risk,” said Aleta Quinn, an associate professor of philosophy for the University of Idaho and a plaintiff in the case.

Quinn teaches a course in biomedical ethics that typically features readings and class discussions about abortion. When she saw that the highest penalty for breaking the law was 14 years in prison, “I decided I would not — I couldn't — teach the subject of abortion.”

The bulk of the arguments in the case center on the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, which the Supreme Court has interpreted to mean that a statute “so vague that men of common intelligence must necessarily guess at its meaning” violates a person’s right to fair treatment under the law. 

The case also raises an important First Amendment question about protections for academic freedom in America: Are public university professors exempt from laws that could otherwise govern the speech of state employees?

Supreme Court precedent suggests the government has significant leeway to regulate the speech of the people it employs while they are performing their professional duties.

Still, the most recent court opinion on the issue left open the question of how much that speech could be regulated for one key group: public university professors. 

“We need not, and for that reason do not, decide whether the analysis we conduct today would apply in the same manner to a case involving speech related to scholarship or teaching,” then Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the 2006 majority opinion in Garcetti v. Ceballos .

The Supreme Court has not yet returned to that decision. 

“So establishing that legal principle, in and of itself, is an important endeavor for those [Idaho] professors,” said Helen Norton, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Colorado who is not involved in the case.

Interestingly, none of the professors suing in the Idaho case are nursing instructors or even biology professors. They aren’t teaching anyone about the physical nature of abortion. Their concerns, as scholars of subjects like philosophy, political science, gender studies and English, are focused on whether they can speak about abortion as an ethical, political and historical issue.  

For example, a sworn statement by an English professor named in the case explained that he used to assign Sallie Tisdale’s 1987 Harper’s Magazine essay, “We Do Abortions Here,” in one of his classes. The essay about her work as a nurse in an abortion clinic explores the complicated morality of helping women end their pregnancies. It’s also considered to be an example of powerful writing. He has now removed it from his syllabus.

Lawyers for the state of Idaho agree that professors fall under a different regulatory framework than other public employees when it comes to what they are permitted to say in the course of their duties. In their motion to dismiss the lawsuit, the state’s attorneys concede that settled law establishes protections for academics’ speech.

A month after the case was filed, Idaho’s attorney general, a defendant in the case, issued a non-binding opinion that the law does not apply to the “teaching or scholarship” of public university professors. If it did, Raul Labrador wrote, “the prohibition would likely be unconstitutional.”

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office declined to respond to repeated requests for an interview.

Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug, the sponsor of the No Public Funds for Abortion Act, later introduced legislation to create a specific protection for classroom discussion of abortion, but it failed to pass. Skaug did not respond to requests for an interview.

Rather than arguing about the First Amendment claim, lawyers for the state focused on the professors’ assertion that the law is unconstitutionally vague under the 14th Amendment.

“Plaintiffs have alleged that there is a law that prohibits them from teaching college courses concerning abortion, producing scholarship in favor of abortion, and grading papers concerning abortion,” the state’s lawyers write in the November motion to dismiss. “There is no such law in the state of Idaho.”

The state’s attorneys argue that any reasonable reader of the law would see that the statute refers only to the act of advising a specific person to have an abortion. As written, they argue the law could not be interpreted as a prohibition on, say, giving a strong grade on a writing assignment where the student had chosen to make an ethical argument in favor of abortion. 

Because of the attorney general’s opinion and the “plain language” in the law, the state’s lawyers say the professors are imagining themselves to be at risk of prosecution when, in reality, no such risk exists.  

Lawyers for the plaintiffs disagree. Federal courts have issued rulings with varied interpretations of the word “promote.” And the lawsuit offers numerous hypothetical situations in which a professor could be prosecuted for promoting abortion even if that were not their intent.

Norton, the University of Colorado law professor, said it was reasonable for the professors to question the law’s language.

“That’s shown so far to be the focus of the dispute — what does ‘promoting’ or ‘counseling’ mean?” she said. “And it seems like that’s an important thing to nail down.”

Because there’s no definition of the terms in the law, she said, “there’s absolutely room for folks to argue about whether or not we should be quick or slow to interpret broadly or narrowly.”

The current case challenging Idaho’s No Public Funds for Abortion Act does not directly include the state’s many other public employees, like social workers and school counselors, who are unlikely to qualify for any special First Amendment protections. 

Public school teachers in the K-12 system do not have the same level of academic freedom protections as professors, either. But a high school history teacher could face the same concerns that speaking about abortion in class could be construed as either promoting or counseling in favor of it. 

However, those employees would no longer have their speech curtailed if the professors prevail and a court strikes the law down.

That matters because Idaho’s restrictions surrounding abortion are so tight at this point that nearly every other action connected to encouraging abortion has been outlawed some other way. At this point, regulating how public employees speak about abortion is arguably the only thing the No Public Funds law still does. Opponents of the law have questioned why the state is fighting to uphold it, if not to limit speech about abortion.

Wendy Heipt, a reproductive rights attorney with Legal Voice who is working on a challenge to Idaho’s ban on helping minors travel to receive abortions without parental consent, calls the state Legislature “extremist.” She worries that the state has become a “testing ground” for the far right.

“You would notice [these laws] in Texas,” where more than 30 million people live, she said, “not Idaho,” home to less than 2 million.

Indeed, copycat travel ban bills restricting the movement of minors seeking an abortion were introduced in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Oklahoma this session, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.

No one interviewed for this story had heard about a copycat law that raised the same combination of First and 14th Amendment concerns as Idaho’s No Public Funds measure.

A judge heard the professors’ case in Idaho District Court in April. His decision on whether the preliminary injunction they’ve asked for will be granted is expected soon. The judge could also decide to dismiss the case, as the attorney general’s office has proposed. If the judge doesn’t dismiss the case, he will likely ask both parties to reconvene for another hearing before a final resolution.

In the meantime, professors are continuing to stay quiet about abortion in class. 

For someone dedicated to the free exchange of ideas like Quinn, that silence feels wrong. When she started teaching, her goal was to make the world a slightly better place by helping young people learn how to think, not what to think. She feels like she’s not fulfilling her duty to her students by ignoring an ethical debate as relevant to daily life as abortion.

“Philosophy is thinking critically about ideas and concepts and arguments, and considering which arguments are stronger and which are weaker and how they apply and all their implications,” Quinn said. “My goal is to enable people to have the skills to evaluate positions on their own.”

Kludt-Painter, the University of Idaho student, is the president of the Young Democrats. But her issues with the No Public Funds law weren’t about the politics of abortion. It’s an education she wants and feels she is being at least partially denied.

“It's a form of censorship,” she said. “College students should be able to handle hearing about these difficult topics. And educators should be able to discuss them and have a free exchange of ideas without being worried about getting fired or having criminal charges be brought against them.”

Hayden Cassinelli, the vice president of the College Republicans at the University of Idaho, said the topic of abortion came up in one of his classes recently but was "quickly avoided" when a teaching assistant told students he couldn’t discuss it. 

Despite Cassinelli’s opposition to abortion, the sophomore education major believes the topic should be discussed in class. He doesn’t think the No Public Funds law prevents such discussions. But he supported his university’s decision to issue guidance to professors in fall 2022, urging them to be cautious when talking about abortion.

"Given many professors' thoughts on abortion — including the fact that some of them may advocate for it and [encourage] a student to commit a crime — a temporary hold on any abortion-related discussion until legal clarity is established is a sound decision," Cassinelli wrote in an email.

Kludt-Painter thinks professors are just trying to protect their jobs when they avoid discussing abortion in class, but she wishes they didn’t feel that way. 

“It takes away from the whole academic freedom thing that post-secondary education is supposed to be about,” she said.