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AI for Essay Writing — Exploring Top 10 Essay Writers

Sumalatha G

Table of Contents

Let’s admit it — essay writing is quite a challenging task for students. Especially with the stringent deadlines, conducting research, writing , editing, and addressing to-and-fro reviews — consumes a whole lot of time and often becomes stressful. Therefore, students are always on the lookout for tools that speed up the essay writing process.

And that’s when AI writing tools make their debut! Using the best AI for essay writing makes the lives of students much easier by automatically generating the essay for them.

The rise in the popularity of artificial intelligence technology and deep learning has paved the way for the numerous AI writer tools available today. To help you understand the different types of AI tools and their benefits, we’ve uncovered the features of the top 10 AI essay generators in this article.

Let’s explore the tools and learn how they are transforming the tedious task of essay writing!

What is essay writing?

Essay writing is a part of academic writing that emphasizes formulating an idea or argument. The main objective of academic essay writing is to present a well-reasoned argument or idea. Evidence, analysis, and interpretation are the three major components of essay writing . It should have a logical structure to support the argument or idea of the essay so that it communicates clearly and concisely.

What is an AI essay writer?

AI essay writers is a tool that is designed to help students generate essays using machine learning techniques. They can be used to generate a full essay or generate a few parts of the essay, for example, essay titles, introduction, conclusion, etc.

Why should researchers use AI essay generators?

There are infinite benefits to using AI tools for writing unique essays, especially for researchers or students. Here are a few of them —

1. Saves time

Using best AI for essay writing has its own benefits. Students can take care of the research process while these AI tools write the essays for them. Be it an essay topic or a full-length essay generation, it saves a bunch of students' time.

2. Boosts productivity

Writing is a tedious task especially when you want to write an essay about a novel topic, that writer’s block starts haunting and your productivity gets affected. But, with AI, it’s the other way around and increases productivity by quickly generating the essays for you.

3. Enhances writing skills — Vocabulary and Style

Adopting the best AI essay writing AI tool not only help with creating essays but also help us hone our writing skills by giving proper suggestions about grammar, sentence structure, tone, style, and word choice.

4. Reduces stress

Students often undergo a lot of pressure and stress because of deadlines and submissions. With the best AI essay generator, they help you write essays smarter thereby reducing stress and fear in no time.

5. Facilitates multidisciplinary research

AI essay writing tools foster interdisciplinary study through their ability to scan and combine knowledge from multiple domains. That way, it helps us quickly get a grasp of new subjects or topics without a heavy-lifting process.

6. Cost-effective

Most of the AI essay writing tools have lower pricing and also allow certain discounts for students. So, it is also a cost-effective approach to use AI writing tools.

The Top AI Essay Writing Tools and Their Features

Several AI essay writers are available based on the types of essays one would want to generate. Now, let's quickly understand the top 10 AI writing tools that generate essays within just a few minutes.

1. PerfectEssayWriter.ai

Perfect-Essay-Writer-AI

It is one of the best AI for essay writing that not only creates an essay but also comes up with advanced features including plagiarism detection, auto-referencing, and contextual analysis. As a result, it generates coherent essays that are well-researched and properly cited. It is best recommended for creating academic essays and essay outlines.

How does PerfectEssayWriter work?

  • Pick the right tool for your purpose — Go with an essay writer if you want to generate a full essay or choose the essay outliner if you want to create just the outline of the essay.
  • Enter your specific conditions and preferences. Add essay topic, academic level, essay type, number of pages, and special instructions, if any.
  • Click on “generate” and wait for the result
  • Once you have the essay generated, you can review, edit, or refine it and then download it.
  • Generates a large chunk of data up to 2000 words
  • Output is provided within 90 seconds
  • Provides a plethora of other tools like Citation generator, grammar checker, thesis statement generator, and more
  • Comes with 10+ essay writing templates
  • Subscription-based and not a free tool
  • Human review is a mandate

2. Essaybot - Personalized AI writing

Essaybot

Essaybot is the product of a reputed online essay-writing service, MyPerfectWords. It is meant to enhance academic essay writing and streamline the tasks of students. Its user friendly website makes it an instant and hassle-free essay generation saving a lot of time and effort for students.

How does Essaybot work?

  • Enter the essay title or topic
  • Click on “start writing” and wait for it to generate a well-reasoned essay.
  • The tools come for free
  • No sign-up is required
  • 100% unique and High-quality output
  • Very limited features that lack advanced functionalities

3. FreeEssayWriter.net

FreeEssayWriter.net

FreeEssayWriter is an organization that provides essay-writing services to students worldwide. It has an AI essay typer tool — that helps you generate essays instantly. What sets this essay typer apart is its initiative to help students with their free essay writer providing the students with a 2-page free essay.

How does FreeEssayWriter.net work?

It works similarly to Essaybot, input the title or the topic of your essay and wait for it to generate the essay. They also have an option to edit and download a free version of the generated essay instantly.

  • Provides high-quality essays and is considered to be one of the reliable and trusted sources of information
  • Students can improve their writing skills and learn more about essays by referring to their free essay database or sources
  • Priority customer support is available 24*7
  • The site is not optimized for mobile devices
  • The quality of the essay output could still be improved

4. MyEssayWriter

MyEssayWriter

This AI essay writing tool is no exception in terms of generating a high-quality essay. You can generate essays for various topics depending on the background of your research study. Be it academic or non-academic essay writing, this tool comes in handy.

How does MyEssay Writer work?

Add your preferences and then click on generate. It will give you a high-quality and 100% unique essay crafted based on your requirements.

  • The tool comes for free — no subscription is required
  • Knows for its consistency in the quality and the tone of the essay output
  • Also has a paid custom writing service that provides human-written essays
  • Might not provide quality output for complex and technical-based keywords or topic

5. College Essay AI

College-Essay-AI

College essay AI stands unique as an ai writing tool as it not only uses an AI-based algorithm to generate essays but it also backs up the output as it is reviewed and approved by a team of professional experts. It is the best AI essay writing tool for college and graduate students where the output adheres to the graduate students' essay writing guidelines.

How does the College Essay AI generator work?

  • Input the required information — essay topic, academic level, number of pages, sources, and specific instructions, if any.
  • Click on “generate essay” and wait for the output
  • Conduct plagiarism and grammar check
  • Download the essay
  • High-level output for academic essay writing
  • Pocket-friendly premium plans
  • Doesn’t provide multiple sets of templates
  • Not quite suitable for non-academic essay writing

6. Jasper AI

Jasper-AI

Jasper AI has been the oldest player in the game of AI content writing. Fast forward to now, its features have been magnified with the inception of natural language processing algorithms and that’s how they are helping students write their essays as well. However, Jasper is the best AI tool for non-academic writing projects like content writing or creative writing.

How does Jasper AI work?

  • Choose a template — if you are about to write an essay, go with the “document”
  • Add your preferences
  • Click “compose” and get the output
  • Generates the essays instantly
  • Provides well-structured output according to the tone and style of your preferences
  • Not quite suitable for academic writing essays

7. Textero AI

Textero-AI

Textero AI provides a few writing tools for students that facilitate their various academic papers and writing projects. Its essay generator helps you generate ideas for a full-length essay based on the topic and also suggests new topic ideas or thesis statement ideas for your academic assignments.

How does Textero AI work?

  • Click on “Essay Generator” located on the LHS (Left-hand Side)
  • Input the title and description based on which you want to generate the essay
  • Pick the right citation style
  • Click “generate” and wait for the output
  • It also provides other tools like an outline generator, and summary generator and has an AI research assistant that answers all your questions relevant to the research
  • The output is 100% unique and plagiarism and error-free
  • Might fail to provide an essay focussed on complex or technical topics

8. Quillbot

Quillbot

Though Quillbot is essentially built for paraphrasing and summarizing tasks. It comes as a rescue when you have to revamp, improvise, or refine your already-composed essay. Its co-writer helps you transform your thoughts and ideas and make them more coherent by rephrasing them. You can easily customize your text based on the customization options available.

How does Quillbot Paraphraser work?

  • Import or copy the content
  • Click on “Paraphrase” “Summarize” or “Suggest text” based on your requirement
  • Make the required customizations and save the document.
  • Offers a plethora of tools required for students
  • Both free and premium plans are available
  • Enhances vocabulary and language skills
  • Limited customization options with the free plan
  • Only supports the English language

9. SciSpace Paraphraser

SciSpace-Paraphraser

SciSpace is the best AI tool that helps you fine-tune your essay. If you feel your essay writing needs AI suggestions to improve the language, vocabulary, writing styles, and tone of your essay, SciSpace is at your rescue. It has more customized options than Quillbot and improves your essay by rephrasing it according to the required or preferred writing style, and tone. This is a very good alternative to Quillbot.

How does SciSpace Paraphrasing work?

  • Simply paste the content to the screen
  • Choose the length and variation properly
  • Select the language
  • Click “Paraphrase”
  • Has 22 custom tones and all of them are available even on the free plan
  • Supports 75+ languages
  • Comes with an AI-detection report for English paraphrase output
  • Delay in the output

10. ChatGPT

ChatGPT

It would be unfair if we talk about AI tools and do not enlist ChatGPT. When it comes to automated essay writing tasks, ChatGPT is not trivial. With proper prompts, you can automate the essay writing process and generate a well-crafted and coherent essay. However, the quality and the accuracy cannot be trusted as the model hallucinates and doesn’t include sources.

How does ChatGPT work?

  • Create a prompt based on your requirement
  • Ask ChatGPT to write an essay about your topic, specify conditions and preferences
  • Click enter and wait for the essay
  • Comes for free
  • Cannot rely on the output as the model hallucinates
  • Lacks the upgraded features that other essay-writing tools have

Concluding!

Writing essays can be a real struggle. But, the inception of the best AI essay-generation tools makes the entire writing process a lot easier and smoother. However, you should be extra vigilant while relying on these tools and consciously use them only as a technological aid. Because over-reliance on these AI tools could diminish student's writing skills and the user can become more gripped by the tools. So, use it wisely without affecting your knowledge and skills.

You can explore the above tools whenever you need any help with essay writing, and reap the benefits of them without compromising on the quality of your writing.

And! If you're stuck exploring multiple research papers or want to conduct a comprehensive literature review , you know which tool to use? Yes, it's SciSpace Literature Review, our AI-powered workspace, which is meant to make your research workflow easier. Plus, it also comes with SciSpace Copilot , our AI research assistant that answers any question that you may have about the research paper.

If you haven't used it yet, you can use it here !

Choosing the best AI for writing long-form essays depends on your requirements. Here are the top 5 tools that help you create long-form and college essays —

1. Free Essay Writer AI

2. College Essay AI

3. My Essay Writer

4. Textero AI

5. Perfect Essay Writer

The Perfect Essay Writer AI and Textero AI are the two best AI essay generators that help you write the best essays.

ChatGPT is not specifically built to assist you with essay writing, however, you can use the tool to create college essays and long-form essays. It’s important to review, fact-check the essay, and refer to the sources properly.

Essaybot is a free AI essay generator tool that helps you create a well-reasoned essay with just a click.

Unless your university permits it, using AI essay generators or writing tools to write your essay can be considered as plagiarism.

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AI Chatbot - Nova 17+

Powered by chatgpt & gpt-4o, scaleup yazilim hizmetleri, designed for ipad.

  • #23 in Productivity
  • 4.7 • 62.9K Ratings
  • Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

Nova is a revolutionary AI chatbot and personal AI Assistant, powered by ChatGPT & GPT-4o and Google Gemini. Nova Chatbot uses advanced AI powered technology such as Chat GPT that understands your questions and generates human-like responses, making you feel like you are chatting with a knowledgeable friend. Nova Chatbot & AI Assistant can even recommend a book to read or a movie to watch! Nova AI Chatbot is the #1 cross-compatible Chat GPT chatbot, making the latest AI chat technology from OpenAI accessible in the most user-friendly way. It is the only cross-platform ChatGPT & Google Gemini powered application with industry-first features. Key Features: Latest Chat GPT technology from OpenAI Use GPT-4o to get answers from the Internet AI Assistant to serve your needs Unlimited questions and answers Multi-language support (140+ languages) Cross-compatible device support (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and web) Nova Chatbot has the ability to have dialogs with the AI chatbot (AI remembers full chat history) 【 YOUR AI WRITING ASSISTANT 】 With Nova AI Chatbot, you have access to a personal ai assistant for all types of writing projects, whether it is , social media posts, essays or poems. Basically, the ChatGPT backed AI Assistant can assist with any task, such as crafting a unique and unforgettable pickup line or even creating an original song. That's right! This Chat GPT AI helper is not only smart but also creative. Let your AI Assistant do the things you imagine! AI copywriter: Nova Chatbot has a built-in Chat GPT backed AI writer generator which is useful for writing anything from ads and descriptions to sales pitches and video scripts. AI content writer: use the Nova chatbot tool powered by GPT-4o for your content marketing (blog posts, articles, social media posts). 【 A METICULOUS PROOFREADER 】 Backed by ChatGPT and GPT 4, Nova Chatbot's AI powered proofreader is top-of-the-line. Your AI Assistant can analyze your written work and offer suggestions to help you create professional-grade documents. With ChatGPT & GPT-4, you can ensure that your texts are polished and mistake-free AI proofreading: The Nova AI Chat Bot powered by ChatGPT & GPT-4 API makes it easy to express yourself in any style and tone while making sure your grammar, punctuation, and spelling are correct. 【 A RELIABLE CHAT PARTNER 】 Whether you're seeking some amusement, advice, or simply in need of someone to talk to, Nova AI is always available for you. This Chat GPT AI powered companion is capable of producing human-like responses, making you feel as though you're conversing with a close friend. It can even recommend a book to read or a movie to watch! Download the AI app now and have your ChatGPT & GPT-4 powered virtual assistant always at hand. AI uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 API, but we are not associated with Open AI. We only use their official GPT-4 API for our app. Nova AI is not affiliated with any government or political entity. The information provided in AI is for informational purposes only and should not be considered official or authoritative. UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ALL FEATURES You can subscribe for unlimited access to ChatGPT AI features. Subscriptions are billed automatically at the rate depending on the selected subscription plan. By using the app, you confirm that you acknowledge and accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: Privacy Policy: https://novaapp.ai/privacy Terms of Service: https://novaapp.ai/terms Do you have a question for us? [email protected]

Version 3.1.2

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Ratings and Reviews

62.9K Ratings

Paid version worked fine after a hiccup in high traffic.

Update—I’m updating the review below because I wrote it too hastily after I signed up for the paid version and worries that I had been scammed. It seemed almost immediately after signing up for the paid version I could t use the app because they said there was too much traffic. However that only happened the foster day and everything has been smooth since. Below is my original review but I acknowledge that it is not a reflection of my experience and I wrote the review too hastily. Hours after I buy the bullet and signed up for the paid version I could no longer get it to process information as I kept getting a message telling me their experiencing too much traffic. That’s been going on for 24 hours now. It seems as though they let the free users play with the app as much as they want to make them think it works seamlessly. But the second you pay them they basically disable the service so you can’t use it anymore.

Developer Response ,

Hello, thanks for taking your time and leaving us a review. However, what you're saying is not true. We do not disable the service after payment to give a false illusion of seamless experience to free users. We're sorry for the bad experience, both ChatGPT and Nova gets overwhelmed with requests from time to time. During these times, we do our best and work extremely hard to increase the capacity. You can always reach out to us from [email protected] or from inside the app, our customer team is always there for you.
I used the app for literally like 5 minutes and I’m crying. The response are so well put and detailed it’s just beautiful. It’s also very helpful with ur feelings, makes u think ur talking to a real person. I love it I really do. Now this is just coming from someone who’s only had it for like 5 minutes and haven’t explored everything yet so take that in mind. For example of a response Nova said this when I asked how to respond to a texting saying “I feel like nobody likes me or understands me” “I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way. It's not uncommon to feel lonely or misunderstood at times. It's important to remember that everyone has their own unique experiences and struggles, so it can be hard to find someone who truly understands everything you're going through. However, there are people out there who care about you and want to support you. You could consider reaching out to friends, family, or even seeking professional help like a therapist or counselor to talk through your feelings and find ways to cope. Remember, you are not alone in how you feel and there are resources available that can help.” Edited: after further use I have come to find out you only have a certain amount of free chats until it tells you, you have to pay for premium. Would love if it didn’t have that because unless you are able to pay you cannot use the chats.

Not worth it

I am shocked at all the positive reviews for this app. It’s features are very basic, and anything you can do in this app you can do for free with other alternatives. This app advertises that it uses the ChatGPT v4 model. It does not. It uses the v3.5 model (don’t believe me? Just ask the chatbot what AI model it uses, any chatbot will tell you accurately which model it operates with). You’re much better off just using the ChatGPT mobile app for free which also uses the v3.5 model. For image generation, this app is extremely lackluster. It only generates two poor quality images per prompt, which is below the standard four images per prompt set by Midjourney and DALLE. Want an accurate image generated based off your prompt? That’s not what you’ll experience with this app. It generates two prompts based off the prompt you give it, and generates two images based off the prompts it creates. For example, if I give the prompt “Super Mario playing slots at a casino”, it won’t generate an image for that prompt. It will create a prompt using the prompt I gave, such as “Super Mario playing roulette with Wario at a casino”. That is not the image that I asked for. You’re way better off using DALLE for free, or getting a Midjourney subscription. I highly recommend NOT downloading and subscribing to this app.
Hello, thanks for taking your time and leaving us a review. We are constantly upgrading our systems and the app so that you can have a seamless experience. Thanks for supporting us along this journey! We will make sure to work harder for you! In the meantime, please reach out to us at [email protected], we would love to hear your further feedback.

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The developer, SCALEUP YAZILIM HIZMETLERI , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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George Clooney argues in new op-ed that Democratic Party needs a new nominee

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WASHINGTON - American actor George Clooney, a high-profile supporter of President Joe Biden, argued in an op-ed that the Democratic party needs a new nominee.

“We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate,” wrote Clooney in a New York Times piece published Wednesday. 

“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.” he added. 

Clooney, a self-described lifelong Democrat, was among a group of A-list celebrities that co-hosted a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser last month for Biden’s campaign that brought in $30 million.

But in his op-ed, Clooney said Biden was not the same person at the fundraiser in Los Angeles that he’s known for years, writing that the one battle Biden can’t win is the “fight against time.”

"It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “ big F-ing deal ” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney wrote.

Actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner wrote on X, formerly Twitter , that Clooney "has clearly expressed what many of us have been saying."

"We love and respect Joe Biden. We acknowledge all he has done for our country. But Democracy is facing an existential threat. We need someone younger to fight back. Joe Biden must step aside," he wrote.

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Getting College Essay Help: Important Do's and Don’ts

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College Essays

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

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

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

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

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

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Help Brainstorm Topics

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

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

Help Revise Your Drafts

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

Revision questions should point out:

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

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

Want to write the perfect college application essay?   We can help.   Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges.   Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

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

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the Importance of Editing

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

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

On the Value of Proofreading

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

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

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

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

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

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

Parents or Close Relatives

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

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

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

Teachers or Tutors

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

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

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

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

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

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

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

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

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

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

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

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

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

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

Introduction Questions

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

Essay Body Questions

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

Reader Response Questions

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

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Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

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

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

When to Consider a Paid Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

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

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

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

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

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

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

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

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 them for free now:

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

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‘Family Guy’ Writer Gary Janetti Talks Hating Flip Flops on Planes, His Love of ‘Below Deck’ and Why He Won’t See the ‘Starlight Express’ Revival

The essayist chronicles his travels in the new book "We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay"

By Marc Malkin

Marc Malkin

Senior Editor, Culture and Events

  • ‘Mother Couch’ Director Niclas Larsson on Casting Lara Flynn Boyle, Ellen Burstyn’s ‘F—ing Crazy’ Wig and Wanting to Direct a ’13 Going on 30′ Remake 8 hours ago
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  • ‘Twisters’: Glen Powell and Lee Isaac Chung Break Down That ‘Impressionistic’ Wet T-Shirt Scene 2 days ago

We Are experiencing a slight delay Book

Gary Janetti really wants air travel attire to step it up.

The television veteran — he’s a longtime writer and producer of “Family Guy” and did the same on “Will & Grace,” “Vicious” and “The Prince” — chronicles his own travel in his new and third collection of essays, “We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay.”

Popular on Variety

Related stories, how gen ai will change 16 film & tv production jobs: vip+/harrisx survey data, all seasons of mind-bending series 'lost' are on netflix again.

In the new book, Janetti recalls taking many cruises when he was a child because his father was a salesman for Cunard, hosting a charity event on the Orient Express to Venice with his celebrity stylist husband Brad Goreski , an unforgettable dinner with Maggie Smith in London and much more.

I talked to Janetti while he was – what else? — traveling to promote the book before vacationing in Italy.

You have a rule that no matter how long the trip is, you usually only bring a carry-on. You never check luggage.

I have one carry-on with me right now and I’m gone for three weeks. One carry-on and a backpack.

What kind of carry-on do you use?

It’s actually the one on the book cover. It’s an old Louis Vuitton bag from about 20 years ago. It’s soft and I know how to pack it. I can pack in about 15 minutes.

Did Brad get to read the book before it was off to the printers?

Nobody’s reading it. Even my editor didn’t read it until it was done. Brad didn’t read it until very recently. I don’t like to share things. I don’t want anybody else’s voice in my head. It allows me to be as honest and as direct as possible.

Does Brad ever ask you not to write about something?

Never, not once.

Is there something you will never write about?

When are you going to write a TV series that takes place on a cruise ship?

I did. I wrote a pilot many years ago about cruise ship entertainers called “The Big Splash.” It didn’t go anywhere.

Do you watch “Below Deck?”

We love “Below Deck.” I always identify with people working on the boat. I worked in the service industry for so many years so I’m always identifying with the crew – never a passenger. I identify with the crew and their struggles and dealing with the passengers.

In one essay you write about your first trip to London when you were enrolled in an acting program in college. On the first night, everyone went to see a production of “Richard III” but you opted for “Starlight Express.”

I was 19 and it was my first time traveling by myself. I was in England for the first time. Everyone was like, “We’re going to see Richard III,” and I was like, “I want to see this big splashy spectacle of a musical called ‘Starlight Express.’” But it was it was kind of not the experience that I should have been having that night.

Will you go see the new “Starlight Express” revival?

I’m not a fan, so I don’t anticipate it. But I did see Nicole Scherzinger in “Sunset Boulevard” in London and she was brilliant. I love Andrew Lloyd Weber but “Starlight Express” again? No.

Have you ventured into writing for Broadway?

I have not yet, but I would love to write the book to a musical. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.

I have to ask you to weigh in on Donald Trump once having a crush on Debra Messing while you were making “Will & Grace.”

[Laughs] I thought that was…odd. But I think I’ll leave it at that.

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How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay with Example

How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay with Example

Are you a high school student preparing for the AP Language and Composition exam? Or perhaps you are a teacher looking to help your students with the skills to ace the synthesis essay? Either way, you’ve landed in the right place. This blog will serve as your comprehensive guide to mastering this challenging yet rewarding component of the AP Language exam.

We’ll dig into what a synthesis essay entails and its structure, and we’ll furnish you with actionable strategies to approach the task with confidence. We’ll also provide insights into selecting and integrating sources effectively, constructing a compelling argument, and polishing your writing to perfection.

Table of Contents

Overview of AP Language and Composition

AP English Language and Composition , widely known as AP Lang, is a popular and engaging Advanced Placement course taken by over half a million high school students each year. The course is designed to hone essential skills such as analyzing written works, synthesizing information, constructing rhetorical essays, and writing compelling arguments. While the course presents a rigorous challenge, with just over 60% of students achieving a passing score of three or higher on the AP exam, the rewards of mastering these skills are significant.

The AP Lang exam is a comprehensive assessment consisting of two distinct sections. The first section, a one-hour multiple-choice segment, assesses your ability to analyze written passages and answer questions based solely on the provided text. This section comprises approximately 45% of the total exam score. The second section is a two-hour and fifteen-minute free-response segment. It evaluates your writing skills through three distinct essays. This section accounts for the remaining 55% of the exam score.

The three essays within the free-response section target specific writing skills. The synthesis essay challenges you to develop an argument by incorporating information from multiple provided sources. The rhetorical analysis essay requires you to dissect how an author uses language to convey meaning and achieve specific effects. Finally, the argumentative essay prompts you to take a stance on a debatable issue and construct a persuasive argument based on evidence.

What is the AP Lang Synthesis Essay?

The AP Language and Composition exam’s first free-response task is the synthesis essay. It is a one-hour exercise during which you read six to seven sources on a specific topic and compose a well-developed essay. These sources include a mix of print texts, approximately 500 words each, and visual elements like graphs or charts. You are advised to allocate 15 minutes to reading and analyzing these sources, followed by 40 minutes for writing and 5 minutes for review, but the time distribution can be adjusted as needed.

The synthesis essay prompt comprises three paragraphs: a brief introduction to the topic, a claim about the topic, and instructions for the essay. The claim is often broad and open to interpretation, requiring you to take a stance—either agreeing or disagreeing—and support your position by synthesizing information from at least three of the provided sources.

According to the College Board, a successful synthesis essay should “ combine different perspectives from sources to form a support of a coherent position. ” This means you must clearly state your claim, establish connections between sources to reinforce your argument, and provide specific evidence to validate your points.

The synthesis essay contributes six points to the overall AP Lang exam score. A holistic rubric evaluates the essay based on the thesis statement (0–1 point), evidence and commentary (0–4 points), and sophistication of thought and complexity of understanding (0–1 point).

Here’s an example prompt and essay provided by the College Board :


Urban rewilding is an effort to restore natural ecological processes and habitats in city environments. Many cities around the world have embraced rewilding as part of larger movements to promote ecological conservation and environmentally friendly design. Now, a movement to promote urban rewilding is beginning to take shape in the United States as well.



Refer to the sources as Source A, Source B, etc.; titles are included for your convenience.
Source A (infographic from Fastnacht)
Source B (Jepson and Schepers policy brief)
Source C (NRPA article)
Source D (Garland article)
Source E (graph from McDonald et al.)
Source F (Chatterton book excerpt)

In your response, you should do the following:
1. Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position.
2. Select and use evidence from at least three of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning.
3. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sources may be cited as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the description in parentheses.
4. Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
5. Use appropriate grammar and punctuation when communicating your argument.

Rewilding is a term that not many people have heard of or even pay attention to. That doesn’t mean it’s not important, either. Rewilding is a good thing for the planet; it’s good for plants and the environment. The world needs to start caring, and children, especially, are the future.

Rewilding is good for our environment and for the future of preserving our world. In source C, “If people don’t spend any time outside, why are they going to care about their local places, let alone the national parks in the distance?” Going outside isn’t just good for the planet; it is also good for yourself. Nature isn’t really welcome in big cities, but reintroducing new plants can make it feel like it is welcome. Kids need to start caring about nature and not just about phones and video games. It gives you a different way to see our planet and care about what happens to it.

In addition, rewilding is valuable for our society to learn as a whole. In source B, “Rewilding is exciting, engaging, and challenging; it is promoting debate and deliberation on what is natural and the natures we collectively wish to conserve and shape.” It’s important for kids to understand, and a challenge can be what a lot of children need. Also in source A, “More than 70% of projected extinctions of plants and animals would be counteracted by restoring only 30% of priority areas.” That can be such a good thing, and that’s why rewilding, especially for our country, is important. If we don’t, we could lose 70% of plants and animals, which would send the ecosystem into whack.

Overall, rewilding should be focused on more; we have a lot to lose. Putting in the time and effort in our cities and urban settings is what we need to do. If you don’t care now, start caring. Kids especially need to focus.

Read also: Write an ap lang argument essay

How to Write a Synthesis Essay for the AP Language Exam

Step 1: analyze the prompt.

Begin by carefully reading and analyzing the prompt. Underline or highlight key terms to identify the central question and your task. Remember that you don’t need to decide your stance immediately; understanding the prompt is the priority here.

Step 2: Read and annotate the sources

Although you’ll only use three sources in your essay, read them all. This provides a broader understanding of the topic and helps you choose the most relevant evidence. As you read, actively annotate by highlighting key points, noting connections, and jotting down potential arguments.

After each source, briefly assess whether it supports, opposes, or nuances your emerging thesis. If you finish reading early, use the remaining time to start outlining your essay.

Step 3: Write a strong thesis statement

Your thesis statement should clearly state your position on the prompt’s claim. You can choose to defend the claim (argue it’s correct), challenge it (argue it’s incorrect), or qualify it (agree with some aspects and disagree with others). A strong thesis avoids summarizing the issue or restating the prompt; it establishes a clear line of reasoning.

Step 4: Outline your essay

Though it may seem counter intuitive when time is limited, outlining is essential. Your outline should include your thesis statement, three main points (one for each body paragraph), and the supporting evidence you’ll use from the sources. Briefly note how this evidence connects back to your thesis.

Step 5: Write your essay

With your annotated sources and outline in hand, writing your essay should be smoother. Begin with a focus on providing insightful commentary that explains how your evidence supports or refutes the prompt’s claim.

When referencing sources, use simple in-text citations like “Source 1,” “Source 2,” etc. Be sure to double-check your citations for accuracy. Before moving on, quickly proofread your essay for any errors.

Read also: How Long Should Your College Essay Be?

AP Lang Synthesis Essay Score Evaluation

The AP Language Synthesis Essay accounts for six points of the total exam score. Your essay will be evaluated on several key components. Primarily, a clear and defensible thesis statement that directly responds to the exam prompt can earn you up to one point. The majority of your score (up to four points) depends on how well you incorporate evidence from at least three sources and explain how that evidence supports your reasoning. Each piece of evidence should be explicitly linked to your argument, demonstrating a clear and consistent line of thought.

To earn the final point, your essay must show sophistication of thought. This can be achieved by writing a nuanced argument that acknowledges the complexities and tensions within the sources, situating your argument within a broader context to reveal its implications, or explaining the limitations of your or others’ arguments. Additionally, employing effective rhetorical devices and maintaining a vivid and persuasive writing style can further strengthen your essay.

Read also: Personal Statement Essay Examples

5 Tips to Ace the Synthesis Essay for the AP Language Exam

1. understand the prompt.

Begin by meticulously analyzing the prompt. Identify the central issue being discussed and the specific task you’re asked to perform (argue, evaluate, analyze, etc.). Underline key terms and phrases to ensure you fully grasp the expectations.

2. Engage actively with the sources

Don’t just skim through the sources; actively read and annotate the provided sources. Identify the main idea and supporting evidence in each. Note the source’s perspective and any potential biases. Highlight quotes or data you might use in your essay. Aim to understand how the sources relate to each other and the prompt.

3. Write a nuanced thesis

Your thesis should be a clear, concise statement of your position on the issue presented in the prompt. It should be specific and incorporate the nuances you’ve gleaned from the sources. Avoid merely restating the prompt; instead, offer an insightful perspective that you’ll support with evidence throughout your essay.

4. Construct a cohesive argument

Your essay should be a well-structured argument, not a mere summary of the sources. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Use evidence from the sources to back up your claims, and provide your analysis and interpretation of that evidence. Connect your paragraphs with clear transitions to create a logical flow.

5. Leave time for revision

After writing your essay, take a few minutes to review it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, and clarity issues. Ensure that your argument is well-developed and your evidence is effectively integrated. A polished essay shows your command of language and strengthens your overall argument.

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From the Desk of Yocket

Writing a good AP Language synthesis essay requires a balanced approach of critical thinking, careful analysis, and persuasive writing. You should begin by thoroughly understanding the prompt and identifying the central issue and the required task. Then, dig into the provided sources, extracting key points, perspectives, and evidence that relate to your developing stance.

A strong thesis is the backbone of your essay. It should clearly state your position on the issue and provide a roadmap for the reader, outlining the key points you’ll explore. As you bring together evidence from multiple sources, remember to provide insightful commentary, explaining how each piece of evidence bolsters your argument. Try to avoid simply dropping quotes or paraphrasing; instead, analyze the significance of each piece, showing a nuanced understanding of the issue and the sources.

You should conclude your essay by revisiting your thesis and summarizing your key arguments. You can also offer a thoughtful extension, such as suggesting implications for your argument, addressing potential counterarguments, or proposing future directions for research. Throughout your essay, prioritize clarity, coherence, and sophistication in your language and structure. This will show your ability to analyze complex texts and synthesize information into a compelling argument. Remember to maintain a strong connection with your audience, ensuring your writing on Yocket remains engaging and relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synthesis essay on the ap language exam.

A synthesis essay requires you to develop a position on a given topic by incorporating and citing evidence from multiple sources. You’ll need to evaluate, select, and synthesize information from these sources to create a cohesive argument.

How many sources are typically provided for the synthesis essay?

The AP Language exam usually provides 6–7 sources for the synthesis essay, including texts and visual elements like graphs or charts.

What is the time allotted for writing the synthesis essay?

The entire free-response section of the AP Language exam, which includes the synthesis essay, rhetorical analysis, and argumentative essay, is 2 hours and 15 minutes. You may budget roughly 40 minutes to read the sources and plan your essay, leaving 40 minutes to write.

How is the synthesis essay scored?

The synthesis essay is scored on a 0–9 scale, with 9 being the highest. Points are awarded for a clear thesis, effective use of evidence and commentary, sophisticated analysis, and overall coherence.

Do I have to agree with the sources to use in my synthesis essay?

No, you can use sources to support a counterargument or provide alternative perspectives. The key is to engage with the sources critically and use them to build your argument.

How should I cite sources in my synthesis essay?

You can use parenthetical citations (author’s last name or source letter) to indicate where you’ve used information from the sources. It’s essential to avoid plagiarism by accurately attributing all borrowed ideas and language.

What are some common mistakes to avoid in the synthesis essay?

Try to avoid merely summarizing the sources without adding your analysis. Ensure your thesis clearly states your position and is supported by evidence throughout the essay. You should refrain from relying too heavily on one source and aim for a balanced incorporation of multiple perspectives.

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Whoever the Democratic Candidate Is, Americans Have Already Lost

A black and white photograph of the Capitol dome and the Peace monument.

By Tressie McMillan Cottom

Opinion Columnist

I watched the debate from a pub in Ireland. A man sitting next to me pegged me for a Yank. “Sorry about all that — screwed, no matter what you do,” he said before the final minutes of the debate. I nodded, accepting his sympathies for my condition as an American during a week when it was hard to be an American.

It is only when I am not in America that I feel my Americanness. From the moment that blue passport cover places me in a different line at customs, my citizenship speaks louder than my race, gender or religion. Maybe I had to watch that debate from outside the U.S. to fully appreciate what was happening to us Americans.

A survey of the political commentariat shows a consensus forming: President Biden is fighting the final rounds of a match that the refs won’t call but probably should. Usually, after reading all of the news and polls, I turn to the everyday political discourse, which often diverges from that of the professional political watchers. What should scare Biden loyalists is that this time, the two agree. Even the most die-hard Democratic voters can see Biden’s decline for what it is: an opening for Donald Trump to win his second presidential term.

A few days after that disastrous debate , the Supreme Court finally weighed in on presidential immunity. There is no other way to read its decision than as a signal that whoever owns the Republican Party also owns the power to break the law. Whether he wins or loses, Trump owns the G.O.P., lock, stock and barrel. I’m not sure the country has fully accepted what that means.

When the Supreme Court decision was announced, I had moved on to Greece. Again, it felt like a portentous place to be as the United States moved closer to an autocracy than it had been since perhaps Reconstruction. Greece prides itself as the birthplace of deliberative democracy. As you walk through the ancient ruins, the biggest ideas to transform human society don’t look very big. The buildings where they were debated are crumbling. Modern development dwarfs what were once massive structures to Western ideology. Despite standing for more than 2,000 years, these relics of early democracy feel fragile.

Americans don’t build monuments as well made as the ancient Greeks built. The idea has always been that our democratic ideas are the real monuments. The statues and artifice of political memory should never be stronger than those ideas. Sometimes we have made our monuments cheaply , as if to say that having perfected the means of democracy — if not its platonic ideal — we don’t need to bother with strong foundations and materials.

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