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Essay Paper UPSC 2023 (Mains) Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on September 27, 2023 by ClearIAS Team

UPSC conducted the Civil Service Mains exam for essay paper on 15 September 2023.

The CSE mains essay paper comprises two sections. Each section contains 4 essay topics. Out of which 2 topics of choice from each section need to be picked.

Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000-1200 words for each essay.

Table of Contents

UPSC CSE Essay Paper 2023 Instructions

General instructions mentioned on the essay paper, that need to be followed by every aspirant are provided here.

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Essay Question Paper: UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2023

The question paper of the UPSC CSE mains essay paper is provided here.

Write  two  essays, choosing  one  topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each:

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1: Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.

2: Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.

3: Not all who wander are lost.

4: Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.

5: Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands- two equally harmful disciplines.

6: Mathematics is the music of reasons.

7: A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.

8: Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

UPSC Mains Essay Paper 2023: Exam Analysis

The essay topics for the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam in 2023 were intellectually demanding and philosophical in nature.

They required candidates to engage in deep critical thinking and present their thoughts logically.

All the questions in this year’s paper aimed at assessing the candidates’ ability to handle abstract concepts and express their ideas effectively in a structured manner.

This year’s essay topics look like that UPSC has taken inspiration from a wide range of sources, including philosophical and literary works.

Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team

This topic seems to revolve around the idea that critical thinking often emerges in response to opposing viewpoints or challenges.

Candidates may have been asked to explore how the clash of ideas leads to innovation and progress.

Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.

This famous saying belongs to Paul O’Brien.

This statement likely prompted candidates to discuss the balance between intuition and rationality in making important decisions.

It encourages a reflection on the role of both factors in effective leadership and problem-solving

Not all who wander are lost

This saying belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien,  The Fellowship of the Ring.

The topic expected from candidates to think about how exploring and being spontaneous in life’s journey can be really good.

It’s a deep topic that can be understood in many different ways.

Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane

This essay topic appears to emphasize the idea that creativity is not limited to rare moments of inspiration but can be found in everyday experiences.

It probably asked people to think about where creativity comes from and how we can express it in our daily lives.

Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands- two equally harmful disciplines

This is the saying of Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir was a prominent French existentialist philosopher and feminist thinker. She made significant contributions to feminist philosophy through her work, including “The Second Sex,” where she discussed the concept of “The Other” and examined the role of societal expectations in shaping women’s lives.

The quote by Simone de Beauvoir presented the idea that both girls and boys or individuals of different genders, often face distinct but equally harmful forms of societal pressures and constraints.

It suggests that expectations placed on girls (referred to as “restrictions”) and boys (referred to as “demands”) can be damaging and limit their potential.

Mathematics is the music of reasons

The complete saying of James Joseph Sylvester is that mathematics is the music of reason. May not music be described as the mathematics of the sense, mathematics as music of the reason? The musician feels mathematics, the mathematician thinks music: music the dream, mathematics the working life.”

This statement suggests a poetic connection between mathematics and music. Candidates likely had to discuss the beauty and logic inherent in mathematics and its role in shaping our understanding of the world.

A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity

This topic seems to touch upon the ideas of social justice and charity, which have been discussed by philosophers like John Rawls and the concept of the “veil of ignorance.”

Candidates may have been asked to explore the relationship between justice, equality, and philanthropy in society.

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school –  Albert Einstein .

This essay topic likely demands from candidates to reflect on the value of education beyond rote memorization.

It may have expect discussion on the practical application of knowledge and lifelong learning.

What Should Aspirants Preparing for UPSC CSE for Next Year do for an essay paper?

Taking the essay paper in the UPSC exam seriously is important. This paper requires you to write 10-12 pages about abstract or philosophical topics, which can be challenging if you’re not well-prepared.

To succeed in this exam and perform well in the essay paper, you should work on improving your comprehension and analytical skills. To get additional guidance you can join the ClearIAS essay writing program as well.

One helpful way to prepare is by reading various types of essays, especially philosophical ones. Pay special attention to the ideas of famous philosophers like Immanuel Kant, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and others.

Practice writing essays based on famous quotes, as this is a common format in UPSC exams.

Additionally, be ready to write essays on a wide range of topics, including society, politics, the economy, and technology. UPSC asks such types of questions too.

Keep in mind that there isn’t a fixed pattern for UPSC questions. Analyze previous year’s question papers to get valuable insight. So, focus on understanding the way UPSC frames questions rather than expecting a consistent trend.

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• Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
• Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
• Not all who wander are lost.
• Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
• Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines.
• Mathematics is the music of reason.
• A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
• Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

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7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023

7-minute read

• 28th December 2022

Essay contests are not only a great way to exercise your essay-writing skills but also an awesome way to win cash prizes, scholarships, and internship or program opportunities. They also look wonderful on college applications as awards and achievements.

In this article, you’ll learn about 7 essay writing contests to enter in 2023. Watch the video below, or keep reading to learn more.

1. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 

Deadline: Now–April 30, 3023

Who may enter:

This is an international contest for people of all ages (except for residents of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions).

Contest description:

●  The contest is organized by Winning Writers, located in MA, USA.

●  They accept stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. This contest defines a story as any short work of fiction and an essay as any short work of nonfiction.

●  Your stories and essays must be submitted in English.

●  You may submit published or unpublished work.

Entry fee: USD 22 per entry

●  Story: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  Essay: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  10 Honorable Mentions will receive USD 300 each (any category).

●  The top 12 entries will be published online.

Official website

Please visit the competition’s official website for more information on judges and submissions.

2. 2023 Calibre Essay Prize 

Deadline: Now–January 15, 2023, 11:59 pm

Who may enter: All ages and any nationality or residency are accepted.

●  This contest is hosted by the Australian Book Review.

●  Your essay must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

●  You may submit nonfiction essays of all kinds, e.g., personal, political, literary, or speculative.

●  You may enter multiple essays but will need to pay separate fees for each one.

●  Your essay must be unpublished.

Entry fee: AU 30 for non-members

Prize: AU 7,500

Official website:

For more information on this contest, please visit its official website.

3. John Locke Institute Essay Competition 

Deadline: June 30, 2023

●  Students from any country.

●  Students aged 15 to 18 years by the competition deadline.

●  Students aged 14 years or younger by the competition deadline are eligible for the Junior prize.

●  The contest is organized by the John Locke Institute.

●  Your essay cannot exceed 2,000 words.

●  There are seven subjects or categories for essay submissions: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

Entry fee: Free to enter

●  The best overall essay winner receives an honorary John Locke Fellowship, which comes with a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools or gap year courses.

●  There is also a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category and the Junior category is a scholarship worth USD 2,000 toward the cost of a summer program.

●  All winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.

For more information about this competition and the John Locke Institute, please visit the official website . Also, be sure to check out our article on all you need to know about this contest.

4. The American Foreign Service Association 2023 Essay Competition 

Deadline: April 3, 2023

●  Students in grades 9–12 in any of the 50 states, DC, the US territories, or if they are US citizens or lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

●  Students attending a public, private, or parochial school.

●  Home-schooled students.

●  Your essay should be 1,000–1,500 words.

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●  You will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country or region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

●  Your essay should follow MLA guidelines.

●  Your essay should use a variety of sources.

●  The first-place winner receives USD 2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and their parents, and an all-expense-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

●  The runner-up receives USD 1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Please visit the American Foreign Service website for more information.

5. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) 2023 Essay Contest 

Deadline: Mid-February 2023–June 1, 2023

Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide.

●  The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals.

●  High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works.

●  Undergraduate and graduate students should discuss at least two Austen novels of their choice.

●  Your essay must be in MLA format and 6 to 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page).

●  Your essay must be written in English.

●  First place wins a USD 1,000 scholarship.

●  Second place wins a USD 500 scholarship.

●  Third place wins a USD 250 scholarship.

●  Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit JASNA’s official website .

6. 2023 Writing Contest: Better Great Achievements by EngineerGirl

Deadline: February 1, 2023

●  Students in Grades 3–12. If international or homeschooled, please select your grade level based on if you were attending a public school in the U.S.

●  This contest is organized by EngineerGirl.

●  Students should write a piece that shows how female or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements.

●  You should choose one of the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century as a topic and explore the technologies developed in the last century and the new ones being developed today. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines for your grade level.

●  Essays should be 650–750 words based on your grade level.

●  Please visit the contest’s website to see specific requirements based on your grade.

Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:

●  First-place winners will be awarded USD 500.

●  Second-place entries will be awarded USD 250 .

●  Third-place entries will be awarded USD 100 .

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit the official website .

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Who may enter: Students enrolled in Grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools and home-study programs worldwide.

●  Your essay must address the following issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

●  Your essay should be 1,000 words.

Prizes: USD 500

For more information and submission requirements, please visit the contest’s official website.

Essay contests are a great way to expand your writing skills, discuss a topic that is important to you, and earn prize money and opportunities that will be great for you in the long term. Check out our articles on writing thesis statements, essay organization, and argumentative writing strategies to ensure you take first place every time.

If you need help with your essays and would like to make sure that every comma is in place, we will proofread your first 500 words for free !

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Top 25 Essay Topics for 2024

Wow, 2023, was another challenging year for many parts of the world, but let’s all put our optimistic goggles on for 2024 and explore some great topics to write about for an essay sure to engage and inspire your students.

Writing an essay can be a daunting task for both teachers and students in terms of creating and crafting a high-quality essay,  and finally editing and grading them.

It seems as though we may have overlooked one of the toughest steps in writing an essay and that is actually selecting appropriate interesting essay topics for your students.

Thankfully we have compiled a list of 25 fun essay topics for 2024 that might just make that process a little easier.  Enjoy.  And remember to add any other great suggestions in the comment section below.

If you are still struggling with the essay writing process and need further guidance be sure to check out our definitive guide to writing a great essay. 

FREE interesting essay topics FOR STUDENTS

FOR STUDENTS NEEDING A VISUAL PROMPT TO WRITE A GREAT ESSAY

ESSAY TOPICS YOUR STUDENTS WILL LOVE TO WRITE ABOUT

• Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but not poor alternatives to a natural environment. Discuss some of the arguments for and/or against keeping animals in zoos.
• Imagine that your teacher wants to teach a new subject for the next few weeks. Your teacher will take suggestions, and then let the students vote on the new subject. What subject should your class choose? Write an essay to support your choice and to persuade the other students to vote for your choice.
• Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
• Should teachers have to wear uniforms or have a dress code?
• Since the invention of nuclear weapons we have had a long period of GLOBAL peace and stability. Are nuclear weapons global peacemakers or killing devices?
• Should boys and girls be in separate classes?
• Is the death penalty effective?
• To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?
• What age is appropriate for dating?
• Pretend you woke up one day and there were no rules. People could suddenly do whatever they wanted! Explain what the world would be like. Use your imagination!
• Should student’s textbooks be replaced by notebook computers?
• Should students be allowed to have cell phones in elementary and high schools?
• Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations?
• Should money be spent on space exploration?
• Is fashion important?
• Are we too dependent on computers?
• If you had the opportunity to bring any person — past or present, fictional or nonfictional — to a place that is special to you (your hometown or country, a favorite location, etc.), who would you bring and why? Tell us what you would share with that person
• Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?
• Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
• In your opinion what factors contribute to a good movie?
• The destruction of the world’s forests is inevitable as our need for land and food grows. Do you agree?
• Many parents give their children certain chores or tasks to do at home. Should children have to do chores or tasks at home? Be sure to explain why you think it is a good idea or a bad idea. Include examples to support your reasons.
• Should the voting age be lowered to thirteen?
• Should the government place a tax on junk food and fatty snacks?
• Should more be done to protect and preserve endangered animals?

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES ABOUT ESSAY WRITING

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

How to write a perfect 5 Paragraph Essay

Top 5 Essay Writing Tips

Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

How to Write Excellent Expository Essays

How to Write Perfect Persuasive Essays in 5 Simple Steps

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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

• What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
• Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
• Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
• What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

• Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

• What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
• What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
• How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
• What gives meaning to your life?
• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
• If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

• What does it mean to you to be educated?
• What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
• Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
• Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
• Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
• Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
• What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

• You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

• Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
• If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
• If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
• Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
• If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
• My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
• If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
• What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
• Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

• Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
• If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
• What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

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UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Analysis, Check PDF Download Link

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has administered the CSE Mains 2023 Essay Paper on September 15. Download PDF and Check the UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Analysis of question here.

Table of Contents

UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Analysis

The UPSC Essay Paper is an important component that evaluates candidates’ knowledge as well as their ability to clearly and simply express concepts. This analysis explores the subtleties of this exam section, revealing trends, approaches, and ideas for future civil employees. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the IAS Mains 2023 Essay Paper on September 15, 2023. Check here UPSC Essay Paper 2023 detailed analysis below with proper model answers.

UPSC Essay Paper 2023 PDF

The Essay Paper of UPSC Mains 2023 is available in PDF format. The exam was successfully administered by UPSC at Forenoon on September 15, 2023. 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, session. The UPSC Essay Paper is of  250 Marks. Candidates can check the UPSC Essay Paper 2023 PDF Link below

UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Questions

The questions asked in the UPSC Essay paper 2023 have been mentioned below:

• Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
• Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
• Not all who wander are lost
• Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane
• Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines
• Mathematics is the music of reason
• A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity
• Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in the school

UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Section A

Check here 4 questions of a UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Section A.

UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Section B

Check here 4 questions of a UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Section B.

UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Detailed Discussion Question-wise

Check the Question-Wise detailed discussion on UPSC Essay Paper 2023 below:

1. Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.

Approach : 

• Thinking as a human nature.
• Features of thinking as a GAME – connecting thinking to a game.
• Game is based on competition. 
• Various dimensions to connect

Thesis – Thinking (like a game)  begins with a competition (it can be opposite views, adversary conditions/Challenges.

Philosophical basis : Hegels idea of dialectics.

Meaning/Context:  

• Thinking  in simple terms is  a  problem-solving activity.
•  pondering or reflecting on something. 
• Analysing and evaluating options
• Goal-directed behaviour. 
• From choosing a dress to wear to solving a mathematical problem, all activities involve thinking.

Historical Examples:

• Ancient : To protect from animal attacks and other dangers , humans started to live in bands–thats the basis of community/society.
• Modern: Masses of Indian -sub-continent as a united against the oppressive policies of the British in the National Movement.

Examples from Different Dimensions

• Individual : In day to day life of individual, its the competition that drives our thinking from simple decisions like chosing a dress to major decisions like deciding on the careers.
• Societal : Ex: Social reforms in Hindu society were initiated through Arya Samaj due to the fear of westernisation and threat of conversions.
• Political : Fear of opposition from rival political parties  in the Parliament checks the misuse of  power by the incumbent government. (or) Presence of multiple political parties and their debates during the election campaigns ignites the thinking of the common man towards the major issues.
• Ex: Presence of multiple competitors in the telecom sector resulted in faster adoption of 4g technology in India.
• Governance : Competitive fedaralism by NITI Aayog giving best outputs,
• Environmental : Modern Environmentalism started due to the opposition to industrial revolution.
• International Relations :   Countries’ goal to  become superpower makes them to adher to the principles of peace.
• Other examples – Covid, globalization 

Anti-Thesis : Thinking does not always require Competition to begin.

• Thinking can also happen by chance without any goal –For ex: it can happen through curiosity–Example: Newtons’ discovery of gravity, Human discovery of fire etc.
• Destructive thinking: Hitler

2. Visionary decision making happen at the intersection of intuition and logic

• Decision making in everyday life – basis of human survival. E.g. Evolution of Humans from apes and role of decision making
• Role of Intuition in decision making ( Navigating Ambiguity, Intuition is a source of creativity, as are innovation,​​ Making social and interpersonal decisions, Risk assessment: Personal Values and Ethics )
• Logic as assistance in decision making ( Identifying Relevant Information, Analyzing Options, Consistency, Problem Solving)
• Requirement of both intuition and logic for visionary decision.
• How to develop intuition and logic and balance them for visionary decision making. 

Thesis: Visionary decision possible at intersection. 

Examples and Arguments: 

• Innovation and creativity – Steve Jobs’ visionary choice to create the iPhone –  result of his creative vision and intuition about what consumers needed.
• Financial innovations in the form of UPI – logic made it difficult as financial transactions were already happening, but intuitive ness about its adoption was the major factor for its success.
• Risk-taking: Elon Musk’s visionary choice to use SpaceX – intuition about the significance of extraterrestrial colonisation drove him to take the risk despite logic’s assertions to the contrary.
• Long-Term Perspective: Mahatma Gandhi had a brilliant idea to use nonviolent resistance – while logic might have suggested a more combative strategy, his gut feeling about the long-term advantages of nonviolence and unity resulted in a historic change.
• Human and societal factors: requires knowledge of societal dynamics, human behaviour, and values. E.g. A doctor may have logical medical data but also needs to consider the patient’s emotional state and unique circumstances .
• Transcending Conventions: Visionary choices go against accepted beliefs and norms. Nelson Mandela’s visionary choice to seek out forgiveness and reconciliation in South Africa after the end of apartheid.

More examples –

• Watson and Crick’s Discovery of DNA’s Structure.
• Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin.
• Alfred Wegener’s intuition about continents drifting led to the plate tectonics theory and logic through dscoveries of fossils.
• Charles Darwin’s intuition about natural selection and the evolution of species led to his groundbreaking work, “On the Origin of Species.”
• Franklin D. Roosevelt – The New Deal: FDR’s intuition led him to understand the desperation and suffering caused by the Great Depression. The New Deal was a well-thought-out set of policies aimed at reviving the economy through public works projects, banking reforms, and social programs.

Anti Thesis: Why intuition and logic alone are not sufficient to achieve it.

Challenges and Pitfalls: Potential challenges of relying too heavily on intuition or logic in visionary decision making.

• Over Reliance on logic: Nokia’s Missed Smartphone Revolution – Over Reliance on logic can lead to a reluctance to embrace disruptive innovations. Fall of Kodak cameras.
• Over Reliance on intuition: Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, had a vision to revolutionize blood testing. Holmes ignored red flags and critical feedback, ultimately undermining the company’s credibility . Also – 2008 economic crisis, NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 was partially attributed to a decision made based on intuition  
• Importance of self-awareness in decision-makers: Balancing intuition and logic is crucial in visionary decision-making. Self-awareness is the key to achieving this balance.

How to develop intuition and logic and balancing them for visionary decision making:

• Cultivate Intuition: Self-Reflection, Trust Your Gut, Embrace Creativity, Mindfulness and Meditation etc.
• Develop Logical Thinking: Analytical Exercises, Data Analysis, Scenario Planning
• Balancing Intuition and Logic: Collaborate, Feedback Loops, Continuous Learning

Conclusion: Visionary decision-making resulted from the harmonious interplay of intuition and logic. Intuition provided the overarching purpose and direction, while logic offered the means to translate those visionary goals into practical, achievable outcomes. – “Intuition alone can be a powerful guiding force, but logic is the tool that transforms vision into reality.”

3. Not all who wander are lost

• Introduction with anecdote
• Arguments on essence of wandering – Integrating examples
• Counter viewpoints
• Pre-conclusion – Administrative dimension – Need of balancing wandering with clarity of purpose

Introduction – Story of Siddhartha Gautama/ Columbus’ quest of exploring the unknown

The topic reflects the idea that those who may appear lost or aimless may, in fact, be on a heroic quest . This perspective challenges preconceived notions and encourages us to look beyond appearances.

Essence of Wandering 

• Leads to exploration – Societal level, Individual introspection (Linking this with introductory story of Gautam Buddha)
• Personal growth and self-discovery (Introspection leads to critical thinking, we understand why one behaves in a certain way). Example – Philosophy of Tao 
• Quest for knowledge (Such deep wandering into the psyche of oneself and others may lead to gaining significant knowledge). Ex – Ferdinand Magellan discovery of the nature of Earth surface. 
• Creativity and innovation (Insights and knowledge acquired through wandering may lead to creativity and innovation) Thomas Alva Edison
• Breaking free from conformity (Innovation/Creativity will challenge deep seated stereotypes and prejudices and in turn lead to breaking the conformity bias) 
• Struggling for change/reform –  Cuba cost effective health care and education despite being wandering with revolutions and system of government 

Embracing uncertainty/Resisting the fear of unknown

It suggests that not having a fixed destination can be liberating, allowing us to adapt to the unexpected and be open to new experiences. This is particularly relevant in a rapidly changing world where flexibility and adaptability are highly valued.

Movements for social justice – LGBTQIA+, Environment, Women Empowerment, Caste equality movements.

Counter viewpoint  

Survivorship bias

• Bias for those who do not get lost after wandering – but what about those who have / will lose after wandering?

Potential for Wasted Time :

• Wandering without a purpose or goal can lead to a significant amount of time and resources being spent without tangible results. 
• In certain contexts, such as education or career planning, meandering aimlessly may result in missed opportunities or delayed achievements.

Risk of Disconnection

Individuals who prioritise aimless exploration over obligations to family, work, or community may find themselves isolated or struggling to meet their obligations.

Pre conclusion remarks – Linkage with Indian administration – 

How wandering in the realm of bureaucratic rigidities led to the loss of purpose (welfare state). However, the decision to explore the path of “Digital world” has made governance citizen-centric. Balancing the wandering/exploration with clarity of purpose is paramount to achieve the dreams of AMRIT KAAL.

“Not all who wander are lost” invites us to navigate the complexities of life with an open heart and a curious mind, to embrace uncertainty and spontaneity, and to recognize that even those who appear to be wandering aimlessly may be on profound journeys of self-discovery and growth. It is an intellectual call to balance the pursuit of goals and the pursuit of wisdom, acknowledging that both are valuable and, at times, intertwined in the tapestry of human existence.

4. Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane

• Idea of creativity and basis for inspiration
• Creativity thrives when we uncover the extraordinary within the ordinary—finding magic in the mundane.
• This drives innovation across art, science, and technology, spurring personal growth, solving everyday problems, and shaping history.
• It serves as a catalyst for progress and enriches the human experience.

Anecdote for Introduction

Walking on the sand – taking a stroll on a beach, same sand – Silicon – semiconductors , Uranium – nuclear weapons/energy.

Thesis: Creativity is the spark that ignites our imagination, enabling us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.  What fuels this inexhaustible well of creativity?

It is the ability to see the extraordinary within the ordinary, to find the magical in the mundane. 

It reminds us that the world is full of wonder waiting to be discovered, even in the most ordinary of circumstances.

Dimensions:

• Art and Aesthetics

Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” 

Artists take commonplace objects, scenes, and emotions and elevate them to the realm of the extraordinary. 

• Startups and small businesses
• Companies like Uber and Airbnb turned everyday tasks like transportation and lodging into magical, on-demand experiences, revolutionizing their respective sectors.
• The “Dabbawalas” of Mumbai , who efficiently deliver home-cooked lunches to workers across the city.
• Science and Innovation
• Think of Isaac Newton’s observation of an apple falling from a tree, which led to his groundbreaking insights into gravity.
• Consider Iphones ( Steve Jobs) , initially designed for communication but now integral to our lives, connecting us to an expansive digital world.
• Economy/Finance
• UPI Payments – brining financial revolution – from McDonalds to Street vendors
• Energy Security
• Renewable energy – like Solar – tapping the potential of Sun 
• Biofuels – driving vehicles with cleaner, simple fuels 
• Administrative Innovation : Bureaucrats using simple /mundane solutions for fixing societal issues.
• Armstrong Palme – People’s Road
• Operation Sulaimani – Prashant Nair – ‘’Compassionate Kozhikode’ – hunger and food security
• Problem Solving/ Challenges

Consider a chef in a bustling restaurant kitchen. They take ordinary ingredients—flour, water, and yeast—and transform them into the magical delight of freshly baked bread.

• On a personal level, seeking the magical in the mundane is a pathway to self-discovery and personal growth. The daily routines and tasks of life may seem routine, but they can be opportunities for mindfulness and reflection. 

Antithesis /Alternate Perspective

• AI usage – killing creativity – only some will use AI for creativity but for the majority, creativity will get killed.
• Specific class of intellectuals – Gramsci’s Manufacturing Consent 
• Circumstances for thinking – societal norms controlling mind – reducing innovation

Conclusion:

• Embracing the idea that inspiration can be found in everyday experiences is crucial for fostering innovation and ensuring a brighter, more imaginative future. 
• As we navigate the complexities of our ever-changing world, let us remember that even the most ordinary of things can hold the spark of creativity and the potential for magic.
• The magic is not just out there; it’s within us, waiting to be uncovered in the world around us.

5. Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines

Introduction

• Breaking down the first part- Girls are weighed down by restrictions
• Breaking down the second part – Boys are weighed down with demands
• Why such a scenario
• Multidimensional Impact of these harmful disciplines – Family level, society, nation, Political, economical, etc.
• Are these two disciplines equally harmful?

Countering these harmful disciplines

• India, a nation heralded for its rich cultural heritage and a history spanning millennia , is also a place where gender disparities have endured for generations. 
• The intricate web of expectations placed upon girls, often characterised by social, familial, and cultural restrictions, can inhibit their aspirations, education, and personal freedoms. 
• Simultaneously, boys face the weight of societal demands that prescribe specific notions of masculinity, often emphasising stoicism, competitiveness, and emotional restraint

Girls are weighed down by restrictions

• Traditional gender roles and expectations may dictate that girls should prioritise domestic responsibilities over personal aspirations, conform to rigid standards of beauty and behaviour , and shy away from traditionally male-dominated fields. 
• Emotional: Cannot express anger /aggressiveness–only love, empathy, care etc. are acceptable. 
• Family and Marriage:   Patriarchy; Restrictions on choosing life partner; child birth  etc.
• Career: Restrictions on  taking up professions like Mechanical Engineering , Combat role in Army etc. ( Gender ceiling ; Pink collared jobs etc.)
• Economy: Restrictions/ non-inclusion /no independence  in major  financial decisions.
• Consequences : These restrictions can stifle their ambitions, self-expression, and personal growth.

Boys with demands

• Boys often grapple with societal demands that pressure them to conform to notions of masculinity that may not align with their authentic selves. 
• Emotional : Boys are not supposed to cry even in bitter conditions.
• Clothes : Colours and style as set up the society Ex: Pink is almost not acceptable
• Physical : Physical Strength
• Relationship :  Not to show equality towards spouse
• Marriage: Taking Dowry 
• Career :  Towards  Engineering, Army, Police etc.
• Economy: To bear the financial burden of the entire family
• Culture: To carry out the legacy of family
• Consequences : These demands may include suppressing emotions, pursuing aggressive behaviours, and demonstrating dominance. The pressure to meet these demands can lead to emotional repression, mental health issues, and a perpetuation of harmful stereotypes about masculinity.

Why? – Social norms, Perpetuation of stereotypes through social interactions, misinterpretation of religious texts, popular culture, cinema, etc.

Impact of these two harmful disciplines: 

• Limiting Personal Growth
• Impeding social progress – Not conducive for national development
• Non inclusive society

Are the two disciplines equally harmful or not? 

• Arguments in favour
• Reinforces Gender stereotypes – limits individual freedom and self expression 
• Adversely impacts emotional well being .
• Perpetuates gender inequality and disturbs social peace–Men Vs. Women debate will continue.
• Limits life choices thereby repressing personal autonomy and Individual freedom 
• Arguments against
• Biological limitations:  Physical strength is a natural fact. Therefore, such limitations may not be harmful for certain segments.
• Cultural limitations:  To preserve the culture to bind together the families through division of work and responsibilities.
• Societal Limitations: Society is not yet matured enough to accept breaking the gender roles and stereotypes.
• Infrastructural Limitations: Ex:  Lack of Toilets and other necessary infrastructure for women is an issue to recruit women in combat roles in the army.
• More harmful to girls than boys as boys through demands at least get opportunities. However such opportunities are denied to girls due to restrictions.

Breaking barriers and building the nation – Countering the two harmful disciplines.

Conclusion: 

• There are examples of women breaking their restrictions. Ex- Kiran Bedi
• Matrelinial societies build on breaking restrictions.
• Husbands also contributing in breaking limitations. Ex – division of house work.

6. Mathematics is the ‘music of reason’

• Similarity between Maths and Music 
• Linkage between Maths and Reason 
• Why Maths is considered as the ‘Music of Reason’
• Way Ahead – Steps which can be taken to build Passion for Maths among young people

Similarity between Maths and Music

Similar to Music, to do mathematics is to engage in an act of

• Discovery of Pythagorous 
• Ex Srinivisa Ramanujan contribution to pure mathematics, without any formal knowledge, which led to many discoveries. 
• His last notebooks just before his death caused excitement among Mathmaticians 
• Aryabhatta discovery of zero
• to be in a state of confusion— Do not know what your creation can lead to
• Newton contributions in calculus, technology of telescope etc and how it helped in Modern Physics
• Recent research, in which Math models were used to gain new insight on how breast cancer metastasizes.
• to be frustrated as an artist; 
• to be awed and overwhelmed by an almost painful beauty; to be alive, damn it.”

Linkage b/w Maths and Reason

• Mathematics is often described as a discipline rooted in pure reason. While it is influenced by empirical observations and practical applications, it is ultimately built on a foundation of abstract reasoning and logical deduction.

Reason why Mathematics is considered the ‘Music of Reason’

Requires Passion 

Continuous pursuit of Knowledge

Can lead to collaborations for greater good 

Inculcates logical Thinking and Reason 

Results in creation which stand the test of time

• Provides Harmony in patterns – music of reason because it emphasized beauty of patterns, symmetry and harmony. 
• Mathematical concepts underpin various technological advancement.  
• Mathematical equation and concepts reveal the inherent order in the Universe. 
• Transcends cultural and linguistic barriers → Universal language Understood by scientist, engineering and Finance
• International collaboration in the above field takes place. 
• Cultivates Problem solving skills and logical thinking → Helps tackle real world problems. 
• Cultivates Reason → Valuable in decision making 
• Forms the basis of artificial intelligence, cryptography and data science etc.
• Ancient times – Jantar Mantar, 
• Add examples – 
• Economic Significance → Role played by Maths in economics finance, resource allocation etc. 
• for example calculus is used to determine the rate of speed required for the spaceship to successfully reach space from the Earth. 
• India’s achievements in space exploration, especially Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), Chandrayaan 3 mission which was celebrated for its cost-effectiveness and precision in trajectory calculations, demonstrating the role of mathematics in space endeavours.
• Educational and Skill development  → Provides Individuals with analytical skills and problem solving → example of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will help develop future professionals. 
• Interdisciplinary Connections: Intersects with various other disciplines such as Computer Science, economics and Social Science. Thus, helps with Interdisciplinary research to provide Innovative solutions to the problems 

Way Ahead – Change in culture to make Maths be seen as an artistic pursuit

• Talk about why Maths should be taken as an intellectually engaged, artistic pursuits. 
• Take Maths as a a tool for collaboration (Similar to Music where artists collaborate example of collaboration in field of Space), persistence (similar to music work towards persistently finding new algorithms etc.), growth mindset (offer praise, nurturing the passion for Maths among student), Make students love Maths (stop the culture of hating Maths etc.) 

7. A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity

• Meaning/Context  : A just society is one that strives to eliminate the root causes of inequality and suffering , thereby reducing the need for charitable assistance.
• Idea of Justice
• Historical dimension
• Interplay of Justice and Charity through multiple layers of society
• Significance of charity in today’s society

Historical Dimension 

• Concept of charity started when social justice took a backseat with caste and gender divisions–charity in fact shows the inequalities in society (where rich are able to donate to poor).

Different Dimensions of Society

• Ex: Stephen Hawking’s disability did not let him to depend on charity.
• Community :  Historically Disadvantaged sections of Indian society like SC/STs- were ensured with  social justice through affirmative action in the constitution.
• Subnational level : Hilly and tribal regions are provided with special provisions  in the constitution. (Fifth and Six Schedule )
• Social Justice has no room for freebies in elections , farm loan waivers etc. 
• World :   Inclusion of African Union to G20–African nations need no charity but chances for opportunities for growth.

Significance of  Charity in Current Times 

• Historical injustices have perpetuated inequalities in the society in the form of caste class, gender , religion etc.— constitution ensures social justice to these sections– but it will take a long time to correct these (even though progress has been significant) -hence charity (from individuals. Corporates and institutions) provide support to the desired sections of population to a certain extent.
• Global North vs Global South
• Impact of Climate Change – Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) 
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – balancing profits with the social needs.

Conclusion : The ultimate goal of society is to reduce  the need for charity.

8. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in the school

• Meaning of Education and significance for humans.
• Role of learning: Learning is a process which results in a more or less permanent modification of behaviour as a result of practice or experience.
• Distinguish between education and schooling/learning → Only positive or desirable learning contributes to the process of education while negative or undesirable learning is not considered a part of education.
• The Importance of Lifelong Learning and how education inculcates this.

Meaning/Context 

• Education has different contextual meaning – the economist would see education as a commodity in which it is profitable for the community to invest. Sociologists would tell people that education is a socializing force, Education as a Spiritual Pursuit: According to the Upanishads, “Education is that whose end product is salvation”
• Nevertheless, education is there in all of the above and each one is linked to the process of education, yet it lies above all these.
• It is believed that education should prepare individuals for active participation in a democratic society.

Historical Dimension

• Education is derived from  – “Educare”, which refers to “to bring up’ or “to nourish”.
• In India, the concept of education is traced back to the “Gurukula Parampara” which developed in ancient times.

Distinguish between education and schooling/learning

• Value system/ wisdom comes from experience while learning teaches academic knowledge and information. Example –  only after seeing pain, death and suffering  Siddhartha became Buddha.  
• True education extends beyond memorization and tests, leaving a lasting imprint on an individual’s character, values, and ability to navigate the complexities of life. E.g. NEP fosters foundational learning away from rote learning.
• Education exposes individuals to diverse cultures, histories, and perspectives, nurturing cultural and social awareness. This understanding promotes tolerance, inclusivity, and the ability to thrive in a globalized world. 

The success of renowned entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, who dropped out of college, highlights how the problem-solving skills and innovative thinking acquired in their educational journey laid the foundation for their groundbreaking careers.

The Importance of Lifelong Learning and how education inculcates this?

• Adaptation to Change : In a rapidly changing world.
• Personal Growth : Lifelong learning fosters personal growth and self-improvement.
• Career Advancement : Lifelong learners are often more competitive in the job market. 
• Problem Solving : Lifelong learning enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Cognitive Health : Continuous learning helps maintain cognitive health and may delay cognitive decline associated with aging. 
• Increased Confidence : Acquiring new knowledge and skills boosts self-confidence and self-esteem. 
• Enhanced Communication : Lifelong learning can improve communication skills, including written and verbal communication.
• Social Engagement : Lifelong learners often engage in social activities related to their interests, fostering connections and a sense of belonging within communities of learners.
• Innovation and Creativity : Exposure to diverse ideas and experiences through lifelong learning can inspire innovation and creativity.

Way Forward: John Dewey’s 7 principles: Experiential Learning, Child-Centered Education , Learning by Doing, Integration of Subjects, Democratic Education, Continuous Learning, Problem-Centered Curriculum, Social Interaction.

Conclusion: Aristotle advocated for a balanced education that included the cultivation of moral virtues, intellectual virtues, and practical skills.  In essence, education endures as a beacon that guides individuals throughout their lives, illuminating the path toward personal growth, societal progress, and the betterment of humanity as a whole.

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UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Analysis FAQs

What are the rules for writing essay in upsc.

Candidates have to select a topic from each section and write about it in 1,000 to 2,000 words within the given time of three hours.

How to score good marks in essay UPSC?

Here are a few tips to help you achieve this score: - Understand the essay topic: Read the topic carefully and analyze its various dimensions. Develop a clear understanding of what the essay demands. - Plan your essay: Spend some time brainstorming and organizing your thoughts before you start writing.

Do essay questions repeat in UPSC?

Yes, UPSC does repeat its previous year's questions in the Prelims exam.

Can essay be written in bullet points?

Yes. There is no hard and fast rule; that being said, if this is for a course assignment, I would be careful about it. Some instructors might consider bullet points too informal for an essay.

What is a decent score in essay UPSC?

As the essay paper is out of 250, marks which are above 50% can be considered good, ie. 125. Marks between 110-125 is considered as average.

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• Sep 27, 2023

New Essay Topics for 2023—and How to Approach Them

After years of relative consistency in their essay prompts, US colleges began shaking up their essay prompts in 2020—and this year, that trend has continued, with many schools introducing brand-new essay prompts for 2023. We’ve noticed a few trends in how colleges are changing their essay prompts; here’s our take on the new developments.

Diversity and Flexibility

This year’s essay changes tend to boil down to three themes: flexibility, diversity, and community engagement. Colleges are showing a greater interest than ever in how students’ life experiences have shaped what they’ll contribute to the class—and in the interest of learning that, they’re offering broader essay prompts that allow more room for creative topics. 

Princeton is a great case study for this. This year, they’ve removed their essay prompt about difficult conversations and replaced it with this one:

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (500 words or fewer)

Provided the student frames their story correctly and pays attention to the second half of the prompt (what classmates will learn from them), there are very few topics that cannot be discussed for this question. We love that it gives students the freedom to share their favorite life experience or elaborate on the community they grew up in—and to do so in 500 words of detail. Choosing your best life experience (that you didn’t write about in the Common App personal statement) means you can draw on material from other applications, expanding your best essay from another school rather than writing a new one from scratch. This means the question may require less time to answer than its predecessor, even though the word count is longer. 

Many other schools have introduced shorter versions of this prompt: For instance, UVA has added:

What about your background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? (300 words)

While these prompts are shorter than Princeton’s, they are fundamentally similar. You have a lot of freedom to tell your best story to admission officers, but you should also explicitly discuss how other students will benefit when you share your experience with them. 

Community Engagement

Another popular new essay topic is community engagement: Colleges seem particularly interested in students who are active in their communities and seek not just to succeed personally, but make a broader impact on society. This has been true for years, but many schools are now introducing essays on this topic (some mandatory). Here are some examples:

Tell us about a community that you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better. (Emory) 

Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it? (Boston University)

We recommend approaching this topic with a personal touch. Reflect on community issues that have touched you or someone close to you—for example, issues facing particular racial and cultural communities, genders, or sexual orientations. This gives you an opportunity to not just recap a service or activism activity, but also share a bit about your personal life outside of school and extracurriculars. 

Don’t be afraid to define “social or community issue” broadly. Many students will focus on communities related to racial, cultural, or sexual identities, but workplaces, school clubs, religious congregations, towns, geographic regions, and families are also communities. You can also think bigger—issues like environmental sustainability affect the entire global community, and this is also a valid way to approach a community prompt. Having a story that’s interesting, original, and deeply reflective is the key to succeeding on these prompts—and that’s possible with any community.

With so many schools changing their requirements, this is a tumultuous year for college admissions, with many unknowns. However, one thing is certain: Essays will be more important than ever as schools stop looking at factors like SAT scores, race, and legacy status.

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The Best American Essays 2023

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For any essay lover , a highlight of the literary calendar is the publication of the year’s Best American Essays volume. The 2023 edition is the thirty-eighth in the series, and it matches the standard of excellence set by its predecessors. While every year’s selection is different, the organizing principle behind each one remains the same. Series editor Robert Atwan scans the periodical literature for what he describes as “a selection of the year’s outstanding essays.” He’s looking for “works of literary achievement that show an awareness of craft and a forcefulness of thought.” A list of around one hundred possibilities is then passed on to a guest editor, who decides what should be included in the volume. 

Vivian Gornick, 2023’s guest editor, is the most recent in a long line of distinguished literary figures who have taken on this role. As well as making their selections, guest editors contribute an introduction that says something about how they handled their assignment, and their take on the mercurial genre with which the series is concerned. In fact, it would be hard to find a better introduction to the art of the essay than what is provided in the guest editors’ introductions (and the series editor’s forewords) over the course of the years. Cumulatively, they cast a great deal of light on the nature of the essay form.

To say what an essay is “about” always undersells it. Yes, in one sense, The Best American Essays 2023 contains essays that are about addiction, adoption, aging, anorexia, Bambi, bereavement, concision, gender, Los Alamos, marriage, mental illness, prison life, racism, sex, and writing. Although giving such a raw listing of subject matter may indicate the volume’s pleasingly diverse spread of material, it also risks creating a kind of Procrustean bed—where the idea of an essay is stretched or trimmed to fit a topic, with the expectation that it will address it in the manner of an article. That essays, whatever they are (and they are notoriously hard to define), are not articles becomes quickly evident when you read good ones, like the selection offered here.

In the preface to what remains a key reference book for the genre—the Encyclopedia of the Essay , edited by Tracy Chevalier—Graham Good suggests that “at heart, the essay is the voice of the individual.” That catches something important about the nature of this kind of writing. It is the individuality—and authenticity—of the voices speaking to us, the particular personal perspectives they offer on whatever it is their speakers are concerned with, that gives the twenty-one essays in The Best American Essays 2023 their power, rather than their topics per se. Echoing Good’s point, Vivian Gornick ends her introduction by assuring readers that the selection she has chosen is full of voices, “ real voices.” Listening to them is like being invited to share in a whole range of conversations. The turns they take are enlightening, amusing, unexpected, and sometimes shocking. The talk is easy and informal, always clear, often lyrical—a world away from the specialized jargon of a scholarly article. The authors are from all sorts of backgrounds. They represent a very varied range of interests and insights. But they share one vital characteristic: they know what they’re talking about and have the ability to share it in an engaging and accessible manner. Without exception, these are voices worth listening to.

Robert Atwan notes in his foreword that “literary magazines form the foundation of our creative writing.” In addition to showcasing twenty-one fine pieces of prose, The Best American Essays 2023 , like its sister volumes, provides readers with a stimulating sampler from the many literary magazines that flourish in North America. The twenty-one essays selected for reprinting in the volume are drawn from eighteen different magazines (with two essays apiece coming from the Chicago Quarterly Review , New England Review , and Sewanee Review ). The selection of the year’s “Notable Essays and Literary Fiction,” compiled by Robert Atwan and occupying the final pages of the book, identifies many more of the magazines that play such an important role in fostering good essay writing. World Literature Today is, unsurprisingly, among the publications listed.

After initiating the series in 1986 and overseeing its publication every year since then, Robert Atwan is finally stepping down. The 2024 volume will see Kim Dana Kupperman taking over as the new series editor. To have guided the series so successfully over so many years is an impressive literary achievement. One hopes that retirement from his editorial role may allow Mr. Atwan time to write more on a form that’s obviously close to his heart and about which he has unrivaled knowledge.

Looking back to the first volume in the series, The Best American Essays 1986 , Elizabeth Hardwick—the inaugural guest editor—made the point that the word “best” in the book’s title should be thought of as “some of the best.” The same point is echoed by the present guest editor, who is pleasingly open about the fact that the essays chosen “are simply the ones that gave me great pleasure, or moved me for reasons I can’t readily articulate, or were so indisputably well written I had no choice but to include them.” Vivian Gornick surely speaks for any of the series’ thirty-eight guest editors when she stresses that “another editor might, with equal justification, have chosen an entirely different set of selections that would have been as satisfying as this one.” This, she says, is because we’re fortunate to be living at a time when “there is an abundance of superior essay writing being done.” 

Robert Atwan can, I think, take some of the credit for fostering this abundance and, through the pages of this splendid series, bringing it to the attention of a wider audience.

Chris Arthur St. Andrews, Scotland

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With a cover illustration by Edel Rodriguez,  “Writing the Polycrisis”  headlines the March/April 2024 issue of  World Literature Today , showcasing contributions by nine writers, mainly from the Global South. Additional highlights include interviews, creative nonfiction, booklists, essays, and more! Plus a book review section brimming with the latest must-reads also enliven the issue, making it your latest passport to the best new reading from around the world.

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Table of Contents

Writing the polycrisis: dispatches from a calamitous planet, in every issue, creative nonfiction, book reviews.

First-year essay prompts

Common App has announced the 2024-2025 essay prompts.

Solutions center for first-year students

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Extracurriculars.

How to Write the University of California Essays 2024-2025

The University of California (UC) school system is the most prestigious state university system in the United States and includes nine undergraduate universities: UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Merced, and UC Irvine.

The University of California system has its own application portal, as well as its own deadline of November 30th—a full month before the Common Application is due. All nine universities use one application, so it is easy to apply to multiple UCs at the same time. 

The application requires you to answer four of eight personal insight questions, with a 350-word limit on each prompt. This may seem daunting at first, but we provide this guide to make the prompts more approachable and to help you effectively tackle them! 

University of California Application Essay Prompts

Note: There is only one application for all the UC schools, so your responses will be sent to every University of California school that you apply to. You should avoid making essays school-specific (unless you are applying to only one school).

You might want to start by deciding which four of the eight prompts you plan on answering. The eight prompts are:

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

2. every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. describe how you express your creative side., 3. what would you say is your greatest talent or skill how have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time, 4. describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced., 5. describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. how has this challenge affected your academic achievement, 6. think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom., 7. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place, 8. beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the university of california.

As you begin selecting prompts, keep the purpose of college essays at the forefront of your mind. College essays are the place to humanize yourself and transform your test scores, GPA, and extracurriculars into a living, breathing human with values, ambitions, and a backstory. If a specific prompt will allow you to show a part of who you are that is not showcased in the rest of your application, start there. 

If nothing immediately jumps out at you, try dividing the prompts into three categories: “definites,” “possibilities,” and “avoids at all costs.” “Definites” will be prompts that quickly spark up a specific idea in you. “Possibilities” might elicit a few loose concepts, anecdotes, or structures. And “avoids” are prompts where you honestly cannot see yourself writing a convincing essay. Next, take your “definites” and “possibilities” and jot down your initial thoughts about them. Finally, look at all of your ideas together and decide which combination would produce the most well-rounded essay profile that shows who you are as an individual.

Of course, this is just one way to approach choosing prompts if you are stuck. Some students might prefer writing out a list of their values, identifying the most important ones in their life, then figuring out how to showcase those through the prompts. Other students select prompts based on what they are excited by or through freewriting on every prompt first. Do not feel constrained by any one method. Just remember:

• Do not rush into prompts at first glance (though trial writing can be very valuable!).
• Make sure that you consider potential ideas for many prompts before making final decisions, and ultimately write about the one with the most substance.
• The prompts you select should allow you to highlight what is most important to you.

Check out our video to learn more about how to write the UC essays!

The 8 UC Personal Insight Questions

“Leadership Experience” is often a subheading on student resumes, but that is not what admissions officers are asking about here. They are asking for you to tell them a specific story of a time when your leadership truly mattered. This could include discussing the policies you enacted as president of a school club or the social ties you helped establish as captain of a sports team, but this prompt also gives you the freedom to go past that.

Leaders are individuals with strong values, who mentor, inspire, correct, and assist those around them. If you don’t feel like you’ve ever been a leader, consider the following questions:

• Have you ever mentored anyone? Is there anyone younger than you who would not be the person they are today without you?
• Have you ever taken the initiative? When and why did it matter?
• Have you ever been fundamental to positive change in the world—whether it be on the small scale of positively impacting a family member’s life or on the large scale of trying to change the status of specific communities/identities in this world?
• Have you ever stood up for what’s right or what you believe in?

Leadership is a concept that can be stretched, bent, and played with, but at the end of the day, the central theme of your essay must be leadership. Keeping this in mind, after your first draft, it can be helpful to identify the definition of leadership that you are working with, to keep your essay cohesive. This definition doesn’t need to appear within the essay (though, if you take on a more reflective structure, it might). Some examples of this include “being a positive role model as leadership,” “encouraging others to take risks as leadership,” and “embracing my identities as leadership.”

Here are some examples of how a leadership essay might look:

• You’ve always loved learning and challenging yourself, but when you got to high school it was clear that only a certain type of student was recommended to take AP classes and you didn’t fit into that type. You presented a strong case to the school counselors that you were just as prepared for AP classes as anyone else, enrolled in your desired classes, and excelled. Since then, AP classes have become more diversified at your school and there has even been a new inclusion training introduced for your district’s school counselors. 
• When you were working as a camp counselor, the art teacher brought you two of your campers who were refusing to get along. To mediate the conflict, you spent long hours before bed talking to them individually, learning about their personal lives and family situation. By understanding where each camper came from, you were better equipped to help them reach a compromise and became a role model for both campers.
• As a member of your school’s Chinese organization, you were driven by your ethnic heritage to devote your lunch breaks to ensuring the smooth presentation of the Chinese culture show. You coordinated the performers, prepared refreshments, and collected tickets. You got through a great performance, even though a performer didn’t show and some of the food was delivered late. You weren’t on the leadership board or anything, but exhibited serious leadership, as both nights of the culture show sold out and hundreds of both Chinese and non-Chinese people were able to come together and celebrate your culture.

Like the last prompt, this prompt asks about a specific topic—creativity—but gives you wiggle room to expand your definition of that topic. By defining creativity as problem-solving, novel thinking, and artistic expression, this prompt basically says “get creative in how you define creativity!” 

Additionally, this broad conception of creativity lets you choose if you want to write about your personal life or your academic life. A robotics student could write about their love of baking on the weekends or their quick thinking during a technical interview. A dance student could write about their love of adapting choreography from famous ballets or their innovative solution to their dance team’s lack of funds for their showcase. You have space to do what you want!

That said, because this prompt is so open, it is important to establish a focus early on. Try thinking about what is missing from your application. If you are worried that your application makes you seem hyper-academic, use this prompt to show how you have fun. If you are worried that you might be appearing like one of those students who just gets good grades because they have a good memory, use this prompt to show off your problem-solving skills.

Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to describe any skill in creative pursuits as you answer this prompt. The prompt asks you how you express your “creative side,” alluding to creative instinct, not creative talent. You could write about how you use painting to let out your emotions—but your paintings aren’t very good. You could write about dancing in the shower to get excited for your day—but one time you slipped and fell and hurt your elbow. Experiences like these could make for a great reflective essay, where you explore the human drive towards creative expression and your acceptance that you personally don’t have to be creatively inclined to let out creative energy.

Some examples:

• A math student writing about a time they devised a non-textbook method to proving theorems 
• A creative writer describing how they close-read the ups-and-downs of classical music as an attempt to combat writers’ block and think of emotional trajectories for new stories
• An engineering student writing about cooking as a creative release where numbers don’t matter and intuition supersedes reason
• A psychology student writing about the limitations of quantitative data and describing a future approach to psychology that merges humanism and empiricism.

This is the kind of prompt where an answer either pops into your head or it doesn’t. The good news is that you can write a convincing essay either way. We all have great talents and skills—you just might have to dig a bit to identify the name of the talent/skill and figure out how to best describe it.

Some students have more obvious talents and skills than others. For example, if you are intending to be a college athlete, it makes sense to see your skill at your sport as your greatest talent or skill. Similarly, if you are being accepted into a highly-selective fine arts program, painting might feel like your greatest talent. These are completely reasonable to write about because, while obvious, they are also authentic! 

The key to writing a convincing essay about an obvious skill is to use that skill to explore your personality, values, motivations, and ambitions. Start by considering what first drew you to your specialization. Was there a specific person? Something your life was missing that painting, hockey, or film satisfied? Were you brought up playing your sport or doing your craft because your parents wanted you to and you had to learn to love it? Or choose to love it? What was that process like? What do these experiences say about you? Next, consider how your relationship with your talent has evolved. Have you doubted your devotion at times? Have you wondered if you are good enough? Why do you keep going? On the other hand, is your talent your solace? The stable element in your life? Why do you need that?

The key is to elucidate why this activity is worth putting all your time into, and how your personality strengths are exhibited through your relationship to the activity. 

Do not be put off by this prompt if you have not won any big awards or shown immense talent in something specific. All the prompt asks for is what you think is your greatest talent or skill. Some avenues of consideration for other students include:

• Think about aspects of your personality that might be considered a talent or skill. This might include being a peacemaker, being able to make people laugh during hard times, or having organization skills.
• Think about unique skills that you have developed through unique situations. These would be things like being really good at reading out loud because you spend summers with your grandfather who can no longer read, knowing traffic patterns because you volunteer as a crossing guard at the elementary school across the street that starts 45 minutes before the high school, or making really good pierogi because your babysitter as a child was Polish.
• Think about lessons you have learned through life experiences. A military baby might have a great skill for making new friends at new schools, a child of divorce might reflect on their ability to establish boundaries in what they are willing to communicate about with different people, and a student who has had to have multiple jobs in high school might be talented at multitasking and scheduling. 

Make sure to also address how you have developed and demonstrated your selected talent. Do you put in small amounts of practice every day, or strenuous hours for a couple of short periods each year? Did a specific period of your life lead to the development of your talent or are you still developing it daily? 

The purpose of college essays is to show your values and personality to admissions officers, which often includes exploring your past and how it informs your present and future. With a bit of creativity in how you define a “talent or skill,” this prompt can provide a great avenue for that exploration. 

This prompt offers you two potential paths—discussing an educational opportunity or barrier. It is important that you limit yourself to one of these paths of exploration to keep your essay focused and cohesive. 

Starting with the first option, you should think of an educational opportunity as anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for life and your career. Some examples could include:

• participation in an honors program
• enrollment in an academy geared toward your future profession
• a particularly enlightening conversation with a professional or teacher
• joining a cultural- or interest-based student coalition
• plenty of other opportunities

The phrasing “taken advantage of” implies the admissions committee’s desire for students who take the initiative. Admissions officers are more interested in students who sought out opportunities and who fought to engage with opportunities than students who were handed things. For example, a student who joined a career-advancement afterschool program in middle school could write about why they were initially interested in the program—perhaps they were struggling in a specific subject and didn’t want to fall behind because they had their sights set on getting into National Junior Honor Society, or their friend mentioned that the program facilitated internship opportunities and they thought they wanted to explore therapy as a potential career path.

On the other hand, if an opportunity was handed to you through family connections or a fortuitous introduction, explore what you did with that opportunity. For example, if a family member introduced you to an important producer because they knew you were interested in film, you could write about the notes you took during that meeting and how you have revisited the producer’s advice and used it since the meeting to find cheap equipment rentals and practice your craft.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you have faced, consider the personal characteristics and skills you called upon to overcome the challenge. How did the process of overcoming your educational barrier shape you as a person? What did you learn about yourself or the world? An added plus would be talking about passing it forward and helping those in your purview obtain the knowledge you did from your experiences.

Some examples of educational barriers could include:

• limited access to resources, materials, technology, or classes
• lacking educational role models
• struggles with deciding on a passion or career path
• financial struggles

One example of an interesting essay about educational barriers:

As a student at a school that did not offer any honors classes, you enrolled in online lectures to learn the subject you were passionate about — Human Geography. Afterward, you spoke to your school administrators about high-achieving students needing higher-level courses, and they agreed to talk to the local community college to start a pipeline for students like you.

Either way that you take this prompt, it can be used to position yourself as motivated and driven—exactly the type of student admissions officers are looking for!

This prompt is three-pronged. You must 1) identify a challenge 2) describe the steps you have taken to overcome the challenge and 3) connect the challenge to your academic achievement.

When approaching this prompt, it is best to consider these first and third aspects together so that you identify a challenge that connects to your academic life. If you simply pick any challenge you have experienced, when you get to the third part of the prompt, you may have to stretch your essay in ways that are unconvincing or feel inauthentic.

That said, remember that “academic achievement” reaches far beyond grades and exams. It can include things like:

• Deciding your career goals
• Balancing homework, jobs, and social/familial relationships
• Having enough time to devote to self-care
• Figuring out how you study/learn best
• Feeling comfortable asking for help when you need it

You should begin brainstorming challenges and hardships that you have experienced and overcome. These could include financial hardships, familial circumstances, personal illness, or learning disabilities. Challenges could also be less structural—things like feeling like you are living in a sibling’s shadow, struggles with body image, or insecurity. While it is important that your challenge was significant, it matters much more that you discuss your challenge with thoughtful reflection and maturity.

Some ways to take this prompt include:

• Writing about how overcoming a challenge taught you a skill that led to academic success — for example, a high-achieving student who struggles with anxiety was forced to take time off from school after an anxiety attack and learned the importance of giving oneself a break
• Writing about a challenge that temporarily hindered your academic success and reflecting on it — for example, a student who experienced a death in the family could have had a semester where they almost failed English because reading led to negative thought spirals instead of plot retention
• Writing about how a challenge humbled you and gave you a new perspective on your academics — for example, a student with a part-time job who helps support her family missed a shift because she was studying for a test and realized that she needed to ask her teachers for help and explain her home situation

As you describe the steps you have taken to overcome your selected challenge, you will want to include both tangible and intangible steps. This means that you will need to discuss your emotions, growth, and development, as well as what you learned through overcoming the challenge. Was your challenge easy to overcome or did it take a few tries? Do you feel you have fully overcome your challenge or is it a work in progress? If you have fully overcome the challenge, what do you do differently now? Or do you just see things differently now? If you were to experience the same challenge again, what would you have learned from before?

Here are some detailed examples:

• Your parents underwent a bitter, drawn-out divorce that deeply scarred you and your siblings, especially your little brother who was attending elementary school at the time. He was constantly distraught and melancholy and seemed to be falling further and further behind in his schoolwork. You took care of him, but at the cost of your grades plummeting. However, through this trial, you committed yourself to protecting your family at all costs. You focused on computer science in high school, hoping to major in it and save up enough money for his college tuition by the time he applies. Through this mission, your resolve strengthened and reflected in your more efficient and excellent performance in class later on.
• Your race was the most significant challenge you faced growing up. In school, teachers did not value your opinion nor did they believe in you, as evidenced by their preferential treatment of students of other races. To fight back against this discrimination, you talked to other students of the same race and established an association, pooling together resources and providing a supportive network of people to others in need of counseling regarding this issue.

The first step for approaching this prompt is fun and easy—think about an academic subject that inspires you. This part of the essay is about emotional resonance, so go with your gut and don’t overthink it. What is your favorite subject? What subject do you engage with in the media in your free time? What subject seeps into your conversations with friends and family on the weekends?

Keep in mind that high school subjects are often rather limited. The span of “academic subjects” at the university level is much less limited. Some examples of academic subjects include eighteenth-century literature, political diplomacy, astronomy, Italian film and television, botany, Jewish culture and history, mobile robotics, musical theater, race and class in urban environments, gender and sexuality, and much more.

Once you’ve decided what subject you are most interested in and inspired by, think about a tangible example of how you have furthered your interest in the subject. Some common ways students further their interests include:

• Reading about your interest
• Engaging with media (television, film, social media) about your interest
• Volunteering with organizations related to your interest
• Founding organizations related to your interest
• Reaching out to professionals with your academic interest
• Using your interest in interdisciplinary ways
• Research in your field of interest
• Internships in your field of interest

While you should include these kinds of tangible examples, do not forget to explain how your love for the subject drives the work you do, because, with an essay like this, the why can easily get lost in describing the what . Admissions officers need both.

A few examples:

• You found your US government class fascinatingly complex, so you decided to campaign for a Congressional candidate who was challenging the incumbent in your district. You canvassed in your local community, worked at the campaign headquarters, and gathered voter data whilst performing various administrative duties. Though the work was difficult, you enjoyed a sense of fulfillment that came from being part of history.
• Last year you fell in love with the play Suddenly Last Summer and decided to see what career paths were available for dramatic writing. You reached out to the contact on your local theater’s website, were invited to start attending their guest lecturer series, and introduced yourself to a lecturer one week who ended up helping you score a spot in a Young Dramatic Writers group downtown.
• The regenerative power of cells amazed you, so you decided to take AP Biology to learn more. Eventually, you mustered up the courage to email a cohort of biology professors at your local university. One professor responded, and agreed to let you assist his research for the next few months on the microorganism C. Elegans.
• You continued to develop apps and games even after AP Computer Science concluded for the year. Eventually, you became good enough to land an internship at a local startup due to your self-taught knowledge of various programming languages.

With regards to structure, you might try thinking about this essay in a past/present/future manner where you consider your past engagement with your interest and how it will affect your future at a UC school or as an adult in society. This essay could also become an anecdotal/narrative essay that centers around the story of you discovering your academic interest, or a reflective essay that dives deep into the details of why you are drawn to your particular academic subject.

Whatever way you take it, try to make your essay unique—either through your subject matter, your structure, or your writing style!

College essay prompts often engage with the word “community.” As an essay writer, it is important to recognize that your community can be as large, small, formal, or informal as you want it to be. Your school is obviously a community you belong to, but your local grocery store, the nearby pet adoption center you volunteer at, your apartment building, or an internet group can also be communities. Even larger social groups that you are a part of, like your country or your ethnicity, can be a community. 

The important part of your response here is not the community you identify with but rather the way you describe your role in that community. What do you bring to your community that is special? What would be missing without you?

Some responses could include describing how you serve as a role model in your community, how you advocate for change in your community, how you are a support system for other community members, or how you correct the community when it is veering away from its values and principles.

Here are some fleshed-out examples of how this essay could take shape, using the earlier referenced communities:

• A student writes about the local grocery store in his neighborhood. Each Sunday, he picks up his family’s groceries and then goes to the pharmacy in the back to get his grandmother’s medication. The pharmacist was a close friend of his grandmother’s when she was young, so the student routinely gives the pharmacist a detailed update about his grandmother’s life. The student recognizes the value in his serving as a link to connect these two individuals who, due to aging, cannot be together physically.
• An animal-loving student volunteers one Saturday each month at the pet adoption center in their city’s downtown district. They have always been an extremely compassionate person and view the young kittens as a community that deserves to be cared for. This caring instinct also contributes to their interactions with their peers and their desire to make large-scale positive social change in the world.

Your response to this prompt will be convincing if you discuss your underlying motives for the service you have done, and in turn, demonstrate the positive influence you have made. That said, do not be afraid to talk about your actions even if they did not produce a sweeping change; as long as the effort was genuine, change is change, no matter the scale. This essay is more about values and reflection than it is about the effects of your efforts.

Lastly, if you are discussing a specific service you did for your community, you might want to touch on what you learned through your service action or initiative, and how you will continue to learn in the future. Here are a few examples:

• Passionate about classical music, you created a club that taught classical and instrumental music at local elementary schools. You knew that the kids did not have access to such resources, so you wanted to broaden their exposure as a high school senior had done for you when you were in middle school. You encouraged these elementary schoolers to fiddle with the instruments and lobbied for a music program to be implemented at the school. Whether the proposal gets approved or not, the kids have now known something they might never have known otherwise.
• Working at your local library was mundane at times, but in the long run, you realized that you were facilitating the exchange of knowledge and protecting the intellectual property of eminent scholars. Over time, you found ways to liven up the spirit of the library by leading arts and crafts time and booking puppet shows for little kids whose parents were still at work. The deep relationships you forged with the kids eventually blossomed into a bond of mentorship and mutual respect.

Be authentic and humble in your response to this essay! Make sure it feels like you made your community a better place because community is a value of yours, not just so that you could write about it in a college essay.

This is the most open-ended any question can get. You have the freedom to write about anything you want! That said, make sure that, no matter what you do with this prompt, your focus can be summarized into two sentences that describe the uniqueness of your candidacy.

The process we recommend for responding to open-ended prompts with clarity involves the following steps:

1. On a blank piece of paper, jot down any and every idea — feelings, phrases, and keywords — that pop into your head after reading this prompt. Why are you unique?

2. Narrow your ideas down to one topic. The two examples we will use are a student writing about how her habit of pausing at least five seconds before she responds to someone else’s opinion is emblematic of her thoughtfulness and a student whose interest in researching the history of colonialism in the Caribbean is emblematic of their commitment to justice.

3. Outline the structure of your essay, and plan out content for an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

4. Before you start writing your essay, write one or two sentences that summarize how you would like the admissions officers to perceive you based on this essay. These sentences will not be in your final product, but will help you to maintain a focus. For our examples, this would be something like “Natalie’s habit of gathering her thoughts before responding to other people’s opinions allows her to avoid undesired complications and miscommunications in her social interactions. This has not only helped her maintain strong relationships with all the staff members of the clubs she leads, but will also help her navigate the social environments that she will face in the professional world.” A summary for the student writing about their interest in the history of colonialism could be “Jonathan has always been highly compassionate and sympathetic by nature. When they found out about the historical injustices of colonialism in the Caribbean through the book The Black Jacobins , they realized that compassion is what is missing from politics. Now, they are inspired to pursue a political science degree to ultimately have a political career guided by compassion.”

5. Finally, write an essay dedicated to constructing the image you devised in step 4. This can be achieved through a number of different structures! For example, Natalie could use an anecdote of a time when she spoke too soon and caused someone else pain, then could reflect on how she learned the lesson to take at least five seconds before responding and how that decision has affected her life. Jonathan could create an image of the future where they are enacting local policies based on compassion. It is important to keep in mind that you do not want to be repetitive, but you must stay on topic so that admissions officers do not get distracted and forget the image that you are attempting to convey.

As exemplified by the examples we provided, a good way to approach this prompt is to think of a quality, value, or personality trait of yours that is fundamental to who you are and appealing to admissions officers, then connect it to a specific activity, habit, pet peeve, anecdote, or another tangible example that you can use to ground your essay in reality. Use the tangible to describe the abstract, and convince admissions officers that you would be a valuable asset to their UC school!

Where to Get Your UC Essays Edited

With hundreds of thousands of applicants each year, many receiving top scores and grades, getting into top UC schools is no small feat. This is why excelling in the personal-insight questions is key to presenting yourself as a worthwhile candidate. Answering these prompts can be difficult, but ultimately very rewarding, and CollegeVine is committed to helping you along that journey. Check out these UC essay examples for more writing inspiration.

If you want to get your essays edited, we also have free peer essay review , where you can get feedback from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by editing other students’ essays.

You can also receive expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with an expert to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers. Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Advisors on CollegeVine also offer  expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

10 Essays To Read Again in 2023

A list of our staff’s favorite essays from the past year.

Hello, New Lines readers,

We hope you’re enjoying a much-needed holiday break. We have a lot in store for 2023, particularly the launch of our print edition. In the meantime, as has become tradition, we wanted to share with you a list of our staff’s favorite essays from the past year. We hope you’ll find something of interest in this eclectic collection of stories.

Wishing you a Happy New Year from the New Lines team!

The Day My Wartime Cat Went Missing, by Rasha Elass

Riada asimovic akyol, strategic initiatives editor.

Many of my close friends tell me that, despite my irrational fear of cats, I’d be a perfect “cat person,” once I dared to confront those fears. I’ve acknowledged the joy and glow in their eyes, when my friends speak of their pets. I’ve observed such bonds curiously and in a more mindful way in the last few years, especially after becoming a mother, responsible for someone else’s life. 

The essay “The Day My Wartime Cat Went Missing” was published early in 2022, and was an instant classic. Our Editorial Director, Rasha Elass, writes masterfully about her adventures with adopted cats Pumpkin and Gremlin, whom she first met in Abu Dhabi. She beautifully depicts how they survived a tough war, and the different challenges they’ve been through in the Middle East and the United States. She shares her genuine love and nurturing care, as well as her dread at the possibility of losing them, whether in peacetime or war. 

The essay is a gorgeous reminder of the bonds that matter. Check it out for yourself.

How I Survived a Syrian Gulag, by Jaber Baker

Rasha al aqeedi, middle east deputy editor.

The terms “dictatorship,” “fascism,” “authoritarianism” and “totalitarianism” are thrown around today to describe various ruling systems in the world to such an extent that they have lost their actual meaning. Inconveniences such as losing access to a social media platform are compared to the conditions that led to the Holocaust, while wearing a pandemic-imposed mask is akin to living in a gulag. 

The Syrian author Jaber Baker takes us on a dark journey through his time in an actual gulag run by Bashar al-Assad’s Baath Party. For me personally, the essay is a masterclass in storytelling and struck more chords and triggered more memories of my childhood and adolescence in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq than I wish it had. The true experiences and traumas of dictatorship face the threat of being drowned out by the noises of victimhood culture. While no one has a monopoly on trauma, Syrians have the right to tell the stories of their torture and suffering. It is a reminder that not all injustices are created equal. 

The Last of the Bougainvillea Years, by Zeina Hashem Beck

Erin clare brown, north africa editor.

When faced with an impending move to Paris from Dubai in search of more stability for her family, poet Zeina Hashem Beck is suddenly filled with the pangs of loss — not for the Emirates, where she’d lived since 2006, but for her home in Lebanon. She explores this abstract sense of displacement and longing in her gorgeously crafted essay, written in a pitch-perfect prose that carries the music of poetry through her attempts to sort her belongings, prepare her children, and reassure herself that the displacement is the right call. Through it all Hashem Beck mourns the impending loss of her bougainvillea vines, whose clouds of pink blossoms and wicked thorns come to symbolize in turns her beloved hometown, her Mediterranean identity and in ways, the author herself. 

It’s a beautiful meditation on loss and longing, displacement and belonging that reminds us that when we are the right amount of thirsty, we blossom.

What Ukraine Means for Lithuanians Haunted by Soviet Past, by Inga Rudzinskaite-Colman

Amie ferris-rotman, global news editor.

When reading this essay, one feels that an entire generation of Eastern Europeans is speaking, in a single, defiant voice, suddenly with renewed urgency. The globe is so focused on Russia’s horrific assault on Ukraine, and the grim atrocities the Russian military commits practically every day, that we often forget, or perhaps do not realize, the impact the war has on Moscow’s previous victims. In this essay, the analyst Inga Rudzinskaite-Colman, who was born and raised in Vilnius, dives into complicated issues like collective trauma and self-identity. She tells us, in poignant detail, how she and her fellow countrymen and women strived for decades to disassociate themselves from Russia and their Soviet past. But belonging to the Western “club” has also meant uncomfortable compromises, like being “Russiasplained” to. Read this beautifully written essay to peer into the new realities facing the Baltics, Poland and other countries once in Russia’s orbit, who are now finding themselves united by survival. 

Rushdie Is India’s Forgotten Child of Midnight, by Pratik Kanjilal

Surbhi gupta, south asia editor.

Earlier this year, when Salman Rushdie was attacked before his talk in western New York, his supposed safe haven, much of the discussion in the media and reports in the news cycle focused on the politics of that infamous fatwa by the Ayatollah Khomeini calling for the writer’s death and its repercussions on the Muslim world. Yet, despite the fact Rushdie has roots in India and the subcontinent has been a constant source of inspiration for his writing, I could find no essay that delved into this relationship and work with South Asia — before this one.

While many were focused on the backlash against Rushdie’s novel, “The Satanic Verses,” the South Asian connection in the story was being overlooked. The first protests against the book happened not in Iran but in Pakistan, and this prompted the Indian government to ban its import from the U.K. It was, indeed, in a review in an Indian magazine that the Ayatollah is said to have first learned of the book. That’s why I loved this essay by Pratik Kanjilal, a veteran journalist and books editor in India, who has followed Rushdie’s journey closely through the years and was the best person to write it. He packs a lot into this essay: He writes about Rushdie, critiques his work, discusses what his Booker Prize wins meant for English writing in India, his relationship with India and Pakistan, and the irony of the attack, coinciding as it did with the 75th Independence Day celebrations in India. 

Faith and Vengeance: the Islamic State’s War in Afghanistan, by Fazelminallah Qazizai and Chris Sands

Tam hussein, associate editor.

This piece tells the story of the rise of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), and its fall and rebirth, told through the character of Abu Omar Khorasani, “the most feared and despised prisoner in Directorate 40.” It takes you on a journey from the Afghan Jihad in the 1980s all the way to the present. I love deep dives and investigations. This particular piece is very original and will no doubt populate the citations of many books on the topic for years to come. To produce an essay of such quality requires a supportive editorial team and journalists willing to follow the story all the way. For me, that is embodied in this investigation. When I read it, I can almost see the legwork and local knowledge put in by Fazelminallah Qazizai. I see the crisp writing style of Qazizai’s co-author Chris Sands, the beautiful artwork of Joanna Andreasson and the background work that the editorial team puts in months before publication. And so it’s not just an enjoyable and interesting read, it’s what our managing editor Ola Salem says the best essays are — a work of art.

When Uganda Expelled Its Asian Population in 1972, Britain Tried to Exclude Them, by Saima Nasar

Kwangu liwewe, africa editor.

When I read this essay, it reminded me of the writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Danger of a Single Story. For five decades, the narrative about the expulsion of Uganda’s Asians has been that they went to Britain, were welcomed there and lived as refugees, then successfully assimilated into society and have contributed to all spheres of British life.

This essay puts the spotlight on how the narrative changed from unwanted Asian immigrants to one of a humanitarian response, when the plight of Asians became international news and Britain feared a backlash. The writer Saima Nasar lifts the lid on this narrative and tells the story of how, in actual fact, the Asians were British passport holders and were initially not welcome in Britain.

Nasar writes, “While Ugandan Asians have no doubt shaped Britain’s economic, political and socio-cultural landscapes, it is important to avoid celebratory narratives that overlook histories of struggle and discrimination.” 

It is an important essay that challenges society to re-examine historical narratives.

A Film Critic Reflects on the Artistic Journeys and Vision of the Late French Director Jean-Luc Godard, by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Danny postel, politics editor.

When I saw the news on Sept. 13 that the legendary filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard had died, I immediately called Jonathan Rosenbaum, the longtime film critic for my local alt-weekly newspaper, the Chicago Reader, and the author of multiple books on world cinema. Rosenbaum had written extensively about Godard’s films over the years and had interviewed the grand poobah of French cinema’s New Wave movement on more than one occasion. I was thrilled that Rosenbaum agreed to write for us, despite being unfamiliar with New Lines (he later informed me that Sight and Sound, the magazine of the British Film Institute, also asked him to write something on Godard but we got to him first). 

In the essay, he discusses several of Godard’s films — “Breathless” (1960), “Alphaville” (1965), “Tout Va Bien” (1972), “Every Man for Himself” (1980), “Passion” (1982), “Nouvelle Vague” (1990) and “Histoire(s) du Cinéma,” an eight-part experimental video series made between 1988 and 1998 — but it’s far from a survey of the late director’s filmography. Instead, it’s a deeply personal meditation on his poetic vision and colossal global influence, and on the relationship between art and commercial success and failure. “Marketplace value has little or nothing to do with the love of art,” Rosenbaum writes, and “there’s no way of gauging the latter via the former, especially insofar as the intensity of the love and the qualities of the audience experiencing and expressing it aren’t even remotely quantifiable.” Godard once said to Rosenbaum: “I like to think of myself as an airplane, not an airport.” Reflecting on that quip, Rosenbaum writes that “vehicles that take us places, and the destinations of those who make them don’t have to be the same as the destinations of those who climb into those vehicles.”

Between Two Rivers, Between Two Myths, by Sophus Helle

Lydia wilson, culture editor.

I wanted to choose a history essay for two reasons: It’s one of the genres that we do particularly well and, second, this type of long-form history is not given much space in other outlets. Our history essays are always deep-dive explorations of stories from the past from experts on the subject, showing us something new about the world, whether a new perspective on a familiar topic or a previously hidden gem. 

“Between Two Rivers,” by the Mesopotamian scholar Sophus Helle, exemplifies what we’re trying to do. It is based on deep expertise, exploring the identities of societies going back millennia in the territory now called Iraq. Helle looks at the labels these cultures gave themselves and were given by later invaders or historians. But it does not only tell the story of the historical material. Crucially, it explains why these facts, controversies and debates about old identities are relevant today, and the obfuscation of the past realities on the ground in Iraq does not serve its present inhabitants. History matters, and this essay brings that home. 

An Exile Returns to Find Syria Changed Forever, by Nizar Kinaan

Faisal al yafai, international editor.

It’s been a year of war — as too many of the past few years have been — this time dominated in Europe by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the magazine, we’ve certainly published a lot about the Ukraine war, but we’ve also kept a close eye on other conflicts.

This essay by Nizar Kinaan, a pseudonym for obvious reasons, is one of those, revisiting the still-simmering Syrian conflict. The author returned to the coastal city of Latakia after years away and found a city, and country, drastically changed by the war. We called the essay “No Country for Young Men” because of the profound changes in gender roles wrought by the war.

“‘Where are the young men?’ I asked my friends in the cafe bar we were drinking in. ‘They are dead, in the army or they left like I should have done.’”

“The taboos against women working in certain specific jobs have definitely been broken,” wrote Kinaan, quoting a Syrian woman who said, “I am not saying all taboos have been completely shattered … but things have definitely shifted. Now women can work in most jobs, stay out late, and be a little bit more independent.”

Many will applaud that change, but the reasons that brought it about have destabilized the entire society. This is what makes Kinaan’s encounter with Latakia so interesting; he doesn’t judge what has happened by any moral standard except that of Syria itself. He doesn’t applaud changes in isolation without understanding what it took to make them change.

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CSS English Essay Past Paper 2023

• February 1, 2023
• CSS Past Papers 2023

Here, you will find the CSS English Essay Past Paper 2023. You can view or download this CSS CSS English Essay Paper 2023 . The English Essay paper of CSS was held on 01-02-2023.

See the CSS English Essays and Topics here.

Get CSS English Essay Paper 2023

Following Essay Topics are given in this CSS 2023 Essay Exam.

Q1. Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone.

Q2. The one who uses force is afraid of reasoning.

Q3. Not all recycling projects are cost-effective.

Q4. The fool speaks, and the wise listen.

Q5. A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.

Q6. Online learning is not only convenient but often more effective than traditional classroom instruction.

Q7. To encourage healthy eating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and junk food.

Q8. People have become overly dependent on technology.

Q9. Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child.

Q10. Boys will be boys.

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New Times, New Thinking.

The best New Statesman Ideas essays of 2023

Our pick of the finest writing from the past year.

By New Statesman

The rise of the new tech right Quinn Slobodian A cult – one that worships a genetically determined meritocracy has Silicon Valley in a chokehold. Slobodian unpacks the racial science of IQ, and the growing far-right threat of a future shaped by high-tech-hierarchy.

The new politics of time Hettie O’Brien Jenny Odell’s  Saving Time  is concerned with bewildering disjunctions. A recursive, impressionistic discussion of clocks, capitalism and the climate crisis, her book is composed of anecdotes, cut-and-pasted histories and cultural criticism. How should we spend our hours in the age of burnout? Arguably not by reading Odell’s frustrating new book, Saving Time .

What it means to be Jewish now Various Writers With anti-Semitism rising and divisions on the left over the Hamas-Israel war, 17 writers reflect on being Jewish now.

Settling scores with God: Leszek Kolakowski at the end of history Madoc Cairns An orphan. A Marxist. A Catholic-conservative. Leszek Kolakowski holds a 50-year-career as one of Europe’s leading, and most controversial public intellectuals. In conversation, he unpacks a troubled history: of paradox, of collapse, and of transcendence; of finding belonging in belief, and being haunted by the absolute.

The realists were right about the war in Ukraine Lily Lynch Far from the flashy, hope filled “David vs Goliath” narratives of resistance and reclamation of its first months, the Ukraine-Russia war has slowed to a drivel – and alongside it domestic morale, foreign support and US funding. Initially ignored warnings of Ukrainian “false hope” were not so incorrect, Lynch suggests, as she questions what version (if any) of Ukraine’s future is actually attainable.

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Going Native Oliver Eagleton People who study cults sometimes end up joining them. Has this fate befallen Matthew Goodwin, one of Britain’s most visible scholars of the hard right? Eagleton looks at how Goodwin became part of the right-populist movement he once sought to explain.

Who is afraid of Martin Heidegger? Lyndsey Stonebridge In the rootless world of the 1920s, Heidegger’s ideas about Being (with a capital B, signifying the full meaning of human existence) ripped up the ground of philosophy. The truth exists only in our Being. “Being-there” – “ Dasein ”, in Heidegger’s distinctive terminology – is what matters; there in history, gliding on nothingness, with no other certain knowledge than that of our own death. There is no plot to follow, save the “hidden primordiality” of Being itself. This essay looks at why the most radioactive philosopher of the 20th century still speaks to us.

The New Age of Tragedy Robert D Kaplan, John Gray and Helen Thompson For this wide-ranging exchange, we asked Kaplan, the  Cambridge  political economist Helen Thompson and the philosopher John Gray to explore what we are calling this new age of tragedy, and how societies might navigate and endure the gathering storms.

Gramsci in Florida Alberto Toscano While talk of a “Gramscian vanguard” is largely a conspiratorial fabrication of the right, it could also serve as a spur for a somewhat rudderless left to reflect on what hegemony might look like today, on what it would take to become the threat to capitalism, patriarchy and white nationalism that the right already takes it to be.

Arno J Mayer’s 20th Century Enzo Traverso The American historian Arno J Mayer belongs to an extraordinary generation of German-speaking Jewish scholars – George L Mosse, Raul Hilberg, Peter Gay and Fritz Stern among others – who were born in Europe between the end of the First World War and Hitler’s rise to power, reaching their maturity during the Second World War. The cataclysms of the 20th century forged their mental  habitus  and gave them a sharp sense of  history . Mayer helped transform the writing of history – and with it our understanding of the modern world.

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

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New IELTS Essay Topics for 2023

Below are new IELTS essay topics in 2023 for Writing Task 2. I’ve also included useful ideas for each topic so that you can prepare for your test more quickly.

The majority of essay questions you will get in IELTS writing task 2 will be recycled topics from previous years. This is because there are so many common topics to choose from. However, occasionally new topics are introduced which reflect our changing world and new current issues in society. I haven’t put the precise wording for the essay questions as IELTS often rephrase their essay questions using different wording.

To prepare fully for your test, you must also prepare ALL common essay questions. Please click here: 100 IELTS Essay Questions

In addition, please note that all the topics below can also appear in the speaking test as well (part 3).

2023 New IELTS Essay Topics with Useful Ideas 

These essay questions could appear in both the IELTS Academic and GT writing task 2 test. Please remember, these are topics with ideas so that you can use them and adapt them to the question in the test because questions will usually be paraphrased and tasks will vary from test to test.

• Essay Topic: Poor concentration due to social media
• Short attention spans can affect us by not focusing on detail and poor performance at school or work
• Pop up ads are intrusive and interrupt our focus
• Temptation to chat on social media cuts into people’s concentration
• Social media encourages a shorter attention spam with short punchy media, such as on TikTok and Instagram
• Note: I’ll post a page with useful language for the topic of concentration in a few weeks as this topic is very common in the speaking test. 

2. Essay Topic: Children learn how to grow vegetables or farming

• Growing vegetables and caring for livestock is part of essential life skills for a healthy future
• As a species we should never forget our basic life skills for future survival
• Homegrown vegetables have more nutrition which children should learn about
• Vegetables can be grown on balconies as well as patios
• It allows children to reconnect to nature which is important in a world where they are so focused on gadgets
• This might encourage children to also take an interest in cooking, which is another essential life skill

3. Essay Topic: Taking risks in personal and professional life

• “to keep people on their toes” – idiom – keep people alert and prepared for potential problems (an idiom suitable for WT2)
• + Risks help us grow and learn new skills
• + Life is always changing and full of risks so people should embrace this aspect of life rather than try to avoid it
• – Risk can lead to negative consequences for individuals and families
• – It is better to be safe than sorry
• (note: this topic is very similar to the topic about “people who like change vs people who do not like change in their life” – that topic has been used for years by IELTS

4. Essay Topic: Streaming Films Online vs cinema

• Streaming online is cheaper and more accessible
• Streaming online is more enjoyable at home
• Streaming online offers a wider choice of options
• Cinema has better sound systems and bigger screens
• Cinema allows you to share emotional responses with an audience
• Cinema is a special experience for groups and couples

5.  Essay Topic: Children & active or passive leisure activities

• Active activities: sport, photography, hiking, camping
• These activities help children get fresh air, build physical health, learn new skills and engage in socialising with others face to face.
• Passive activities: reading, watching TV, social media
• These activities help children gain insight, can be educational or inspirational, help children develop creativity and technological skills.

6. Essay Topic: Men’s and women’s sports shown on TV and social media

• Traditionally most sports were male based so audiences are historically more attracted to male sports
• Women’s sports are just as exciting as male sports
• Women’s sports don’t often get the same amount of sponsoring from companies which impacts their sport
• Women’s football already has large followings on social media

7. Essay Topic: Truth in people’s communication is most important

• + Truth helps people develop honest, meaningful relationships
• + Truth develops open communication instead of repressed relationships
• + Without truth, there is only deceit which is toxic to relationships and erodes trust
• + Truth leads to trust
• – Social media encourages people to present a version of truth rather than the whole truth in order to impress others and create a particular impression – this can lead to misconception and lead others in the wrong direction
• – Sometimes the truth can be hurtful and needs to be approached step by step rather than directly
• – Some people are not ready to hear the whole truth
• – Truth may be something that needs time to emerge in cases such as abuse or where someone may be at risk
• – Truth sometimes has to be edited for children

8. Essay Topic: Sense of Community

• + People used to know their neighbours well and have a sense of community
• + Community meant that people took care of each other and looked out for one another
• +/- Doctors and teachers used to live in the community and become leaders of the community but now they often live in other areas and play little part in the community as a whole
• – Social media does not encourage relationships with neighbours but rather between people at a distance
• Note: a similar essay topic is one such as “adults should be required to do obligatory community service for a period of time”. That essay leans towards the benefits of community service vs time and obligation.

9. Essay topic: Graffiti on city walls

• + Freedom of expression
• + Some graffiti can be a work of art
• + It creates a colourful environment in a drab urban setting (drab = dreary, dull, lifeless)
• + Graffiti can stimulate creativity in others
• + Graffiti can be cultural which benefits society
• – It is often unregulated art
• – Graffiti could contain indecent or violent images or words
• – It could incite racism, hatred or political unrest

10. Vaping and Children (Predicted Topic)

• Vaping was originally introduced to help smokers quit, but now vaping is becoming popular amongst people who never previously smoked.
• Vaping can be addictive and their use has grown dramatically in the last five years, particularly in high school children
• E-cigarettes are less harmful than normal cigarettes, but they do still contain harmful ingredients such as nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals
• Vaping could lead to increase in asthma
• While this is only a predicted topic, it is something you can easily introduce into essays or into your speaking test as it is a current world issue

11. Organised Tours to Remote Places (Tourism)

• + Travellers get to see places that are largely untouched by the modern world
• + Remote places are steeped in culture and interest
• + Remote places can benefit from a boost in their economy
• – The culture in such places will be altered by so many tourists
• – Such tourism can have a negative impact on the local eco system
• With tourism comes the threat of pollution

12. Museums should focus on local works of art

• + Focusing on local art exhibits means local artists are supported and encouraged
• + Part of the task of a museum is conserving local history and culture so this should be their primary goal
• + This is a way of promoting local culture and history to tourists which could benefit the economy of the country
• – Many museums have international collections of art that people travel from around the world to see
• – The history of some countries is interconnected with other countries and other cultures – history is not always confined within a boarder
• – We now live in a global world and museums should reflect that

13. Values from family and parents play a greater role in future success than skills and knowledge from schools

• + from parents we can learn discipline and the meaning of hard work which are vital for future success
• + from family we can learn the value of determination and never giving up
• – schools provide the building blocks of knowledge upon which our future hangs, such as reading, writing, comprehension, maths etc
• – without education, most people would be reduced to menial work and success would be much harder to attain
• – some careers require specific education and training without which success would be impossible

Useful Links:

Click Below:

Writing Task 2 Model Essays and Tips

Writing Task 1: Model Answers and Tips

Note: IELTS do not use topics based on religion or politics because IELTS is non-political and non-religious . IELTS tests tend to aim for topics that reflect the world we live in by focusing on social issues and everyday issues that are more familiar and less emotional for people to write or speak about. So, please pay attention to which resources you use online when you prepare for your test and make sure you aren’t wasting your time preparing for topics that definitely won’t appear.

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Hi, Liz I am so glad to tell you I have got 6.5 in writing even though it’s not a high score…

about the writing , i’d like to share some contents below.

writing 1 it is a line graph talking about air pollutants in the UK from 1995 to 2005 there are three lines, including the total one, households, industry, transport.

writing 2 some people think it is a waste of time to read newspaper and watch tv news, to what extent do you agree or disagree?

But I want to say that is mainly thanks to your website, I have actually only learned about writing part in this website at about 4 month. Thank you so much!!! your kindness and learning skills you shared really help us so much!!! Big thanks!!

Well done with your score! And thanks for sharing your topics 🙂

I had posted a comment regarding GT Writing Task2, few minutes back. Earlier it was mentioned that it is awaiting moderation. But now, I don’t see it at all. Has it been unapproved? If yes, can you please explain why?

To explain why your comment was waiting in moderation: 1) your first comment arrived at 6.30am UK time. I would be asleep. 2) your second comment arrived at 8am. I still hadn’t started work. As I work part time, I work alone and I’m sick, I don’t work every day. On top of that there are over 26,000 comments waiting in moderation, it is not humanly possible for a sick person or even a healthy person to read and answer them all. I do by best to help people for free, but I am not superwoman – I’m just a teacher who tries her best with the time I have.

You asked about personal experiences for an IELTS essay. This isn’t about you, your family or friends because those examples are generally informal and IELTS essays are formal in tone and content. It’s about your experience of the world and your opinions. This means you don’t refer to “a person I know does not own a car”, you write “although most people are car owners, a number of people still do not own cars”. That is how you phrase your knowledge and experience.

Regarding addressing parts of the essay question and ideas, part of your preparation is to prepare ideas for topics. This is the reason I created an e-book called Ideas for IELTS Essay Topics. The more topics you prepare for, the better. There is a list of over 100 essay topics on the main writing task 2 page of this website and I also published a list of potential topics for 2024 which you should also use for your preparation. Look through the lists and find the ones you know nothing about, then educate yourself. Obviously my e-books helps a lot with that process because it contains ideas and vocabulary for over 150 common essay topics. But the rest of the work, you must do yourself.

One of the marking criterion for writing task 2 is Task Response, which counts for 25% of your marks for writing task 2. This is your ability to address everything in the essay question, have a highly focused essay, have relevant ideas that are well developed and understand the issues given. So, if you haven’t prepared enough and you fail to address part of the essay question, or if part of your essay is irrelevant because you misunderstood it, then your score in Task Response will be lower. The band score descriptors published by IELTS for your benefit show that for a band score 5 in TR, “the main parts of the prompts are not addressed”. So, to fail in addressing the issues or including irrelevant information will hold you at around band 5 or band 6 depending at how poorly you do at this. For that reason, you need to prepare ideas for topics and also ensure that you are following current world issues, such as global warming, early education, international aid etc etc. All this information is explained on various pages of my website. This website is extensive and contains well over 200 pages of advice, tips, topics, examples, information and model answers. It is your task to use all the free information I have already provided to learn.

Thank you for providing such a comprehensive reply. Kudos to you !

You’re welcome

Hello Liz, Greetings from India. Hope you are doing well now. Thank you for uploading such wonderful material. I was hoping if you could help with the “include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience” part in GT Writing Part2. What phrases are suitable for mentioning personal experience in a formal essay? Moreover, if a topic is such that I don’t have any relevant experiences or ideas, then is it okay to skip over this part of the essay?

could you please rate my Essay and give me tips how to improve? I have sat the IELTS twice but always fail to achieve Bandscore 8.0. I always end up with Bandscore 7,5 in writing, but need a 8. My next test is in a few weeks and I am getting anxious now. I am having issues with developing paragraphs well as I should not write much more than 300 words, but I do not know how to fully develop an argument in just 250 words (or a bit more). Thank you in Advance, Cheers, Tara

There is a lot of pressure on young people today to succeed academically. As a result, some people believe that non-academic subjects, such as physical education and cookery, should be removed from the school syllabus so that children can concentrate on academic work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people argue, that non-vital subjects such as sports or cooking lessons should be banned from the curriculum in order to facilitate students to focus on exam relevant courses. Personally, I support the idea of maintaining extracurricular activities in school as it benefits childrens health and supports them in developing life skills.

First and foremost, students who undergo physical training during school hours and learn how to cook meals from scratch are best equipped for life. To be more precise, even though such classes seem to be irrelevant at first sight, they prove to be essential to teach pupils how to keep themselves fit, how to nourish and nurture their bodies and overall how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Students who regularly attend sports classes do not only gain muscles, accelerate their endurance and develop their stamina. They also improve on skills to succeed in academic life and in everyday’s life, such as motivation, resilience, persistence, agility, strength and motivation

Furthermore, they develop core skills such as self-awareness and confidence, which may in turn not only help strengthen their mental health but also to gain invaluable skills, such as for presenting in front of an audience.

However, there might be some students who do not lead a healthy lifestyle at all and are in favour of getting low-nutritional meal options at the next available food stall, in order to gain more time to focus on their studies. Alternatively, they would rather buy take-away meals or frozen food in the supermarket, that they can simply reheat or prepare at home in a short period of time.

To conclude, I strongly support the idea of keeping subjects such as physical training and cookery courses in the curriculum, in order to allow students to develop an understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle, which in turn raises their chance to succeed academically as well.

It looks like you haven’t read the band score descriptors. If your body paragraphs are not equally developed, you won’t get a high score in Coherence and Cohesion. It’s a very simple thing to learn and to do, but so many people don’t pay attention to it and it costs them a good band score. You’ve also got two body paragraphs where you don’t even mention the school curriculum or subjects. If your sentences are not fully written and fully connected to the topic given, you will get a lower score. Just because you’ve connected the points in your head, doesn’t mean it works in IELTS essays. For example, your second body paragraph is about awareness and confidence – who are you referring to? which subject are you referring to? how does this connect to the school curriculum and the balance of subjects? Not one single mention is given to explain anything in that body paragraph. You do a similar thing in the third body paragraph. In your introduction, you also completely change the essay topic by writing about extra-curricular activities. This topic is not about such activities, it’s about subjects such as cookery and physical education which form part of the curriculum – they are each a valid subject. Each time you paraphrase be very careful because if you paraphrase incorrectly or use the wrong words, you might completely go off topic. And that’s what you’ve done here. Finally, you’ve completely ignored the fact that the essay topic is about comparing these subjects with academic subjects (such as science, maths, literature etc) – you’ve failed to tackle that in your essay. I see many issues with the way you are writing and forming your essay. Even though your level of English is strong, Task Response and Coherence & Cohesion together form 50% of your marks and you are struggling with them both. You need to know what to aim at otherwise your score will be unpredictable. I suggest you get my advanced lessons and also my Grammar E-book which also contains information about linking, referring and much more: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . An IELTS essay is not just an essay. It an IELTS essay with specific requirements for higher band scores and you need to know what it’s all about.

Thanks,your informations are very useful )))

Hello Dear Liz. I wrote my test yesterday on the 30th. Waiting task 1 I wrote more than 150 words and the task 2 I wrote more than 250 words. Would that affect my score?

What a strange question to ask. Your task is to write more than 150 words in task 1 and to write more than 250 words in task 2. Did you get confused about the task? The word count task has remained the same for many years.

Hi Liz, this essay topic is a bit confusing. How do you advise to handle this? Many people think that more money will make them happier. How important is money for happiness?

You need to decide if money can make people happier or if there is anything else that can. If you think there are other things that can make people happy, you write one paragraph about how money affects people and then one or two other body paragraphs about the other factors of happiness.

Liz! My scores are in S8 L8.5 R9.0 W7. 5. We did it!!!

Excellent!! Very well done to you 🙂

The cultures of many countries around the world becomes more similar than they used to be. What are the reasons for this trend? Is it positive or negative? Hey Liz! How do I answer a double question essay

You would give a direct answer in your thesis statement in the introduction to both questions. Then, each body paragraph would tackle one question with a clear main point and explanation. Always remember to keep the organisation of your essay very logical for a high score.

Hello Liz, Thank you so much for providing us with a treasure store for IELTS preparation materials. I tried to pay for some e-books from the website, but it didn’t work. I have booked my exam on November 19, so I thought it would be beneficial to buy those books.

Could you please guide me?

All the payments at the moment for my advanced lessons and e-books go through paypal. Some countries can’t use paypal unfortunately, but you can always ask a friend to make the payments for you. If you use paypal, but you struggle to make a payment, check your paypal settings – you might need to ensure that they are set to allow for international payments. To purchase something, go to my store, click on the item you wish to purchase (CLICK HERE) and then click (BUY NOW). Contact me if you continue to have problems: [email protected] and this is a link to my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

DEAR LIZ Where can we get information of updated writing topics of september and october 2023

The writing topics and questions are changed with each test – there is not one set of topics for certain months.

I just went for the exam last week. Academic sample October 2023 Writing task 1- table on male and female of 6 different sectors for 3 different period. Writing task 2 – more people are moving into mega-cities: with 20 billion population, is this a negative or positive development?

For task 1 – I panicked and could not summarized as well I would normally do. For task 2 – completed but locked out no time to check.

I got my score for my compute based and got 6.5 for writing, i need to re sit for writing alone. Feeling demotivated,

Sorry to hear of your struggle. Tables can be challenging because there is so much information in them. You need to spend a lot of time just looking at tables and writing overviews. Once you have mastered the overview, you then need to look at lots of tables and simply decide what information to group together in which body paragraphs. It’s all about learning to select information. For writing task 2, planning should only take 5 mins and the introduction should be written very quickly because all introductions are similar – paraphrase and then state your position/main points. Only the body paragraphs take time to write, but you can only succeed in the body paragraphs if you have done enough planning before you start writing. All your sentences (information for each sentence) should have been planned before you start writing. Think carefully about how you prepare. You need to develop skills and strategies for both task 1 and task 2. I’m sure you can nail this. Just see it as another challenge that you will succeed in. Never let your emotions deter you. Your brain is a powerful tool and I have faith in you!! Good luck next time!!

Thank you Liz, will try again and re-sit soon with this strategies in mind.

hi mam, i am Nitharshini from srilanka. i am going to write exam coming December. so can you tell what are the topics expecting? please tell some tips and technic for eassy writing

The essay topics vary with each test. They are not seasonal. So, just stick with all the topics above and my 100 essay questions which cover a large range of topics that appear most years and can easily appear this year and next year: https://ieltsliz.com/100-ielts-essay-questions/

People’s shopping habits depend more on the age group that they belong to then other factors. To what extent do you agree or disagree? I was asked this on my test yesterday. Good luck for your exam!

It’s an interesting essay question. Thanks for sharing. Hope your test went well 🙂

Hi, Liz! Voraciously consuming your page in preparation for my 2nd attempt. Thank you for the easy-to-follow IELTS content. Indeed, very helpful! Would like to share the question I got last week on Task 2:

Nowadays public transport prices are rapidly increasing. Why do you think it is happening? How can this problem be solved?

For the first question, it does require an opinion, right? I mistook the question as only asking for causes and solutions and failed to express/give my opinion. In retrospect, I regretted not analyzing the question very carefully before answering. Hoping to get my desired band next time.

Your task asks you for causes and solutions. You could easily say “I think the main reason that X is happening is because …” or you could write “The main reason X is happening is because …”. Both are fine. In this case it doesn’t matter. You’ve chosen your ideas and presented them. The problem with IELTS essays only comes when you are asked to choose and to present a clear position, but you fail to give any position at all. Failure to choose when you are asked to choose is the problem. So, don’t worry with cause solution essays – present them as you wish.

Thank you, Liz! I reviewed your tips carefully and focused on writing task 2 essays for a week before trying out again. From 6.5 on my 1st attempt to 7.5 on my next. The next topic I got was about children’s freedom nowadays, whether it is a positive or negative development. Thank you very much! I will keep recommending your page to my friends who will take IELTS.

I pray that just as we’ve claimed victory over IELTS, you will emerge victorious in your fight against your disease. May God heal you and bless you!

Great to hear your news!! It’s wonderful to see someone push their writing score up like that. Very well done 🙂 And thanks for your support in my fight to win my health back – much appreciated.

Hello Liz , Thank you so much for sharing the new topic for IELTS. Hope , it Will help us. Get well Soon.

Glad it’s useful. Thanks 🙂

Hey liz, my task 2 qn was: constructing bigger roads may help to prevent traffic problems. what is your opinion?

May i know what type of qn is this..i approached this as agree/ disagree type. In my answer i made it clear that even though i consider constructing bigger roads help to tackle the issue , people should be encouraged to use public transport. Is this the correct strategy.

unfortunately, my writing score decreased from 7 to 6.5 this time. I don’t know the reason but i was sure that i wrote it better than my 1st attempt by following most of your suggestions.

It is an Opinion Essay. An opinion essay is the same as an agree disagree essay. Don’t get confused by the way teachers name essays. An opinion essay is one where IELTS present you with an opinion such as “some people think that constructing bigger roads may help to prevent traffic problems”. Your task is to decide if you agree, disagree or partially agree with the opinion given. You might have your own specific opinion. If you partially agree as you did, you would have one paragraph explaining the benefits of constructing bigger roads. Then you would have another paragraph explaining that bigger roads is only one solution and more public transport is needed as well. Both ideas would need a separate paragraph and full explanation. IELTS essays are not just about what ideas you have, they are also about how you present them, how you connect them and how you explain them. Another possible issue with your essay is your choice of ideas. If bigger roads will reduce traffic congestion, encouraging people to use public transport probably isn’t of vital importance because you no longer have congestion. This doesn’t mean you can’t use this idea, but it does mean you need to address this. Having ideas isn’t enough for a high score. You need to think your ideas through and address them in a way that makes sense. So, you might want to address the point that even widening roads won’t be effective enough and needs to be in conjunction with improving public transport, and encouraging people to use it. The higher the band score, the more you have properly thought through your ideas. I’ll post a model answer for this essay shortly so you can compare it to your own. And don’t forget that your overall writing score also includes task 1 which is one of the main reasons people struggle to push their score above band 7. Many people think that because task 1 is only 33% of their marks, they won’t focus on it. But 33% can actually have a huge effect on your overall score.

Huge thanks Liz for your reply and effort to put a model answer for the qn.

I got a letter qn asking to address the manager of the company to tell him about the how the employees felt about the foreign language course given by the company to them. Also asked to request for more such classes and suggest the available time to join them. In a rush i concluded it with the designation yours sincerely (bcz my salutation was Dear Mr, Robert Peterson). I thought that i addressed the manager by name then it could be considered as an informal letter. Should i have written yours faithfully instead? I worry it might affected my band score bcz i have framed my essay structure as that you have stated above.

You used the correct sign off. We use “Yours sincerely” when we know the name of the person we are writing to, for example “Dear Mr Smith”. We use “Yours faithfully” when we don’t know they name and in which case we might start “Dear Sir”. An informal letter is usually to a friend. We might start “Dear John” or “Hi John” and sign off “All the best” or “Take care” – something friendly and informal. Just because you knew the manager’s name “Mr Robert” does not mean it is informal. He is your manager, not your friend. It is a work related letter, not a letter related to a social party. So, relax, you did it right. Here’s a link for others to my essential tips for letter writing for IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-letter-writing-essential-tips/ Good luck with your results!

Extremely I’m grateful to you.I hope i’ld be able to get my desired band score in the next attempt.

Really praying for your health and happiness. Be blessed ❤️

I’m really pleased for you. Well done 🙂

Thank you so much

Madam,You are the best mentor i have ever seen Despite being ill ,you are keen on helping students .I appreciate your dedication and mentor .Get well soon.Love from India 🇮🇳.

You’re welcome 🙂

Dear Liz Today I had IELTS general training test, so I would like to share topic of writing task 2 for your useful website, if possible please post a sample answer for the below topic

Fast food is a part of life in many place. Some people think this has bad effects in lifestyle and diet. Do you agree or disagree?

Hi Liz, Thank you for the topics and the outline. You really make writing task 2 seem easy.

Thanks for sharing 🙂 Hope your test went well 🙂

Just now wrote this; please liz guide me on this. As I am going have my GT Ielts on coming weekend, InshAllah. Many modern societies have normalized the concept of fast food. Mostly, people eat fast food as their routine diet. In this essay I will write my view point regarding negative impact of fast food in lifestyle and diet.

I strongly believe that fast food is a reason of bad eating habit. As it is instantly ordered or cooked food with unmeasurable quantity of unhealthy ingredients, people usually don’t need to hustle or think before eating. This results in nonserious behavior towards the healthy eating style.

Secondly, fast food also influences the unwell way of living. For instant, if an irregular food is being eaten on a frequent basis will consequently result in illness and suffering. Therefore, people tend to end up in hospitals and so their lifestyle gets disturbed and miserable.

On the contrast, many people argue that fast food is good and easy to eat. They think like eating fast food is a part of modern era and brings them a social status. As far as I am concerned, I think they are unaware that this easiness and modernization will ultimately cause them illness and laziness. Because, they have become so much habitual of eating such type of edibles that they cannot think or realize further.

In conclusion, fast food makes a person unhealthy and ruins their lifestyle. In a way that people start to possess wrong eating choices and start to have health conditions after eating swiftly made food. In my opinion awareness of balanced diet should be encouraged across the globe.

Please review all my free lessons and tips for writing task 2 on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . If you need training in each type of essay, get my advanced lessons which you can find in my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Make sure you aim for between 270-290 words more or less. Try not to write such short essays and please review your paragraphing and linking words.

Are these the ways that Essays are sent in IELTS exams ,the bullet points under the main topic are we to use them to develop points that is paraphrasing them?

These are essay topics, not questions. If you go to the links I provided to the 100 essay questions, you’ll see examples of questions for most topics. Essay questions are great to practice with at home: https://ieltsliz.com/100-ielts-essay-questions/ . But you can’t possibly practice so many essay questions in full. Instead, you practice with as many questions as you can and the rest you tackle as just topics by preparing useful ideas you can use. Above, I have provided some of the new topics that have appeared in the test this year and provided you with ideas you can use in your essays. You will adapt those ideas depending on how the essay question is rephrased and depending on the task given. As I explained on the page, IELTS like to change the task and change the wording which is why your preparation needs to be flexible. If you wish to see model essays for different types of tasks for writing task 2, see this page for model essays and more tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi liz , can we write “a survey conducted by the department the UK depicted that 45 % of people fo not respect their elders ” in task 2 of writing module

The examiner has no interest in data or numbers in writing task 2 essays and no interest in studies or research. None of that will boost your score. Instead, explain your points and illustrate them using a range of good language: “the majority of younger people nowadays seem to lack respect for their elders compared to previous generations”. “the majority” is better English than “75%”. Alternatively, “almost half of all young people” is better English than “45%”. Writing task 1 is about data in the academic test, but task 2 is not. Also expand your sentence by adding comparatives to previous generations to show the examiner more language skills.

thank you so much dear

Grateful to you 🙏 appreciate your efforts 😊 bless you dear ❣️

Hello, Thank you for your lesson. I would like to learn the vocabulary that you published (very useful material, for me) concerning crimes, punishments, etc .. but the page is protected. If it’s possible, please, to give me the permission to copy that page? For free or with a paiement? Thank you very much for your answer! Best regards, Andreia ,

Sorry, my website doesn’t allow coping. The act of making notes is part of language learning. The more you use the language both in writing and speaking, the quicker you will learn it.

Thank you very much mam . Your lessons have inspired and encouraged me to take the IELTS test . But I have a problem, I can’t really figure out how to create a link in task 2 general writing.

I don’t understand what you mean by create a link. Do you mean using linking words? You can find linking words for task 2 on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/linking-words-for-writing/

Such a wonderful topics, thank you so much dear Liz

I got my IELTS GT score today, and I wanted to thank you. I am so grateful for your website. While I had practiced Listening and Reading tests before, I ended up havinvg barely 1 day to prepare for the Writing (including familiarising myself with the format for GT) and Speaking owing to my sudden work demands. Your platform was instrumental in supporting me, especially with the Writing. During Speaking, I became a tad nervous, and I thought that had messed up, but that was just the post-exam fear.

My IELTS GT result: Overall 8.5 (L8.5, R8.5, W8.0 and S8.5). I had taken IELTS Academic back in 2019 but my Writing and Speaking bands back then were lower (Overall 8 with L9, D9, W7 and S7.5).

I currently reside in Australia, and I wanted to add the topics I had in my writing in case they may help someone else. – Task 1 was a formal letter to a teacher asking for reference. Prompts included why I’m writing to this particular teacher, the details of the job and why I think I’m fit for the role. -Task 2 was a two-question essay. It suggested that nowadays different generations in a family spend less time doing activities together. What is/are the reason(s)? Is this a positive or negative development?

Your tips on introduction paragraph writing and paragraph structuring helped me immensely. I established technology as the reason and took my stance on this gap causing a negative impact. In paragraph 1, I talked about how technology causes this from the older generations perspective. In paragraph 2, I used smart phones and social media as the technology advancements to suggest how gaps arise from the younger generations’ side. In paragraph 3, I establish how it negatively affects the development families and the community as a whole. Finished it up with the conclusion starting with “to conclude” just like you’ve recommended. If I hadn’t watched your content, I would’ve tried to be unnecessarily fancy, and lost points.

Again, I am truly grateful for your website, and all the work you’ve put into it.

Great results!! And I’m so pleased to see how you’ve improved. I’m glad you kept your essay focused – this is what IELTS writing task 2 is all about – focused and relevant sentences, each one serving a purpose. Thanks for sharing your writing tasks, it’s always useful to keep up-to-date. Wishing you all the best in your future 🙂

Hi Akash , I’m about to take my IELTS GT test please it would be of great help to me if you could help me with some questions and guidance

Thank you Liz,ur teachings are more easier and understandable 🙏

I’m glad it’s all useful 🙂

it seems that these topics do not have the task

Tasks can be altered in the same way that essay questions can be recorded. Don’t expect questions and task to appear the same in the test. This is the reason you need to prepare ideas for topics which you then adapt to the question and task.

Thank you mam for helping us ,from my bottom of heart your lessons give me more confidence to prepare my ielts exam…

welcome back Liz. Hope you are feeling much better now. Happy to see you back again. waiting for more videos . ❤️❤️😍

Thanks. I’m still struggling but I’m going to try and post up posts more regularly if possible. Fingers crossed 🙂 It’ll take me longer to make videos though.

helpful website

Thank you very much Liz. for those topics. I hope you are fine and strong again.

Thank you Liz,this email is so helpful.

Thank you very much.

Hi Liz , could you make video on music , history and comedy movie topics for IELTS speaking test ( part 2) ? How to tackle these topics ? Thanks Shazia

Sure, I’ll add them to my list of videos to make but as I’m still sick, it’ll be a while before I can make videos again. I do intend to get back to video making whenever I can.

Hi liz, Am very happy to be one of your student.May God bless you and your family for the good heart.Thanks Thanks

Much appreciated Liz. Your ideas are really helpful in opening up one’s mind

just thank thankful to you

Madam you are hope and inspiration of many of us.

Thank u madam

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Looking at the year’s notable video essays, many grapple with issues at the heart of contemporary media itself. There are dissections of video-playing tools, exposés of how corporations restrict access, contrasts between tropes and reality, and thorough investigations of trends in plagiarism and/or fabrication. As the essay landscape refines, it seems to peer inward as much as out.

On the making of this list: I’ve been trying to stay up to date on video essays for a while, and have been contributing to lists and/or voting in polls about the best videos made each year since 2018. Over this time, doing these kinds of roundups has gotten exponentially more difficult. As YouTube has grown to become a mega-business hosting powerful creators (part of the general trend of social media video sites becoming the new primary forum for cultural influence), I’ve seen essayists I once thought of as niche accrue follower counts in the millions. It’s been surreal. For this year’s list, I tried to shake things up by keeping the essayists who have appeared in previous editions to a minimum, along with the usual considerations about incorporating a diversity of creator backgrounds and video style. Once again, the videos are presented simply in order of publishing date.

[Also, I’m going to preface this with a mega mea culpa: It was absolute malpractice of me to not include Platformer Toolkit by Game Maker’s Toolkit in the best video essays of 2022 list . I don’t have a good excuse, either; I just straight up missed the essay at the time it came out, and then overlooked it during my catch-up phase at the end of the year. But an essay about game design that instructs you on its ideas by letting you actively engage with them through interactivity feels like a breakthrough in the form.]

Practices of Viewing by Johannes Binotto

Johannes Binotto is a Swiss researcher and lecturer who has been adding to his “Practices of Viewing” series for several years now, and every installment preceding 2023’s videos, “Ending” and “Description,” is well worth checking out. With each essay, Binotto examines a specific element of the media viewing interface, and how they affect an audience’s engagement with it. Some subjects, like fast-forwarding, pausing, or muting, may seem like obvious touchstones, while others, like sleep, are more out-there approaches to the conversation.

A History of the World According to Getty Images by Richard Misek

This technically debuted last year, making the rounds at film festivals, but it was made available online this past spring, so I’m including it here. A History of the World According to Getty Images is a great example of a work embedding its own ethos into its construction. Misek, another academic, is scrutinizing how for-profit companies (specifically Getty Images) mediate information that’s supposed to be available for all. In practice, a great deal of visual material that’s technically in the public domain can only be accessed in decent quality by paying an archive like Getty. Misek circumvents this by paying the fee to use select footage in this essay and then making this essay itself available for anyone to cite and clip from, putting that footage out into the world for real.

The Faces of Black Conservatism by F.D Signifier

I feel that video essays that consist mainly of the creator talking directly into a camera stretch the definition of the term – to me, the best cinematic and argumentative potential of the form lies in the power of editing. F.D Signifier’s contrast between fictional depictions of Black conservatives and the reality of how they appear across media exemplifies is what sets him apart in this genre: not just the depth of his thought (though it is considerable), but also the playful ways in which he presents the objects of his discussion. The running gag here in which he films himself holding hairstyling tools over the heads of various people on his screen had me laughing harder with each appearance.

Games That Don’t Fake the Space by Jacob Geller/Why We Can’t Stop Mapping Elden Ring by Ren or Raven

I don’t actually think this is the best essay Jacob Geller released this year (that would be either “Games that Aren’t Games” or “How Can We Bear to Throw Anything Away?” ), but it pairs so incredibly well with Renata Price’s essay (an impressive video debut building on her experience as a games critic) that it felt more appropriate to present them as a double feature. Both videos are sharp examinations of the ways that video games conjure physical space. Geller illuminates the shortcuts and tricks games often employ through examples of ones that, as the title suggests, don’t use such devices, while Price analyzes the impulses beneath what one could call the “cartographic instinct” in open-world games.

Why Do Brands Keep Doing These Crazy Influencer Trips?? by Mina Le

It’s been encouraging in recent years to see Le grow more confident in her mixing of media in her videos on fashion and film/television. You might remember the controversy around Shein granting influencers a limited hangout in a clothing factory this past summer. Le contextualizes this story by delving into the wider, supremely odd world of sponsored tours. If you watch this on your phone, the transitions between Le speaking to the camera and the clips of TikToks and other videos and photos flow together in a manner not unlike how one would scroll a social media feed, creating queasy resonance between message and medium.

Feeling Cynical About Barbie by Broey Deschanel / The Plastic Feminism of Barbie by Verilybitchie

I present these two videos not as a contrarian attack on Barbie (a film I enjoyed), but to highlight the important role of considered critical voices that dissent against prevailing opinions. Both Maia Wyman and Verity Ritchie unpack the issues with a heavily corporate product attempting to capitalize on feminist sentiment. Ritchie emphasizes the history of Barbie the brand and how the movie fits into it, while Wyman reads more into the specifics of the film’s plot. Together these videos do a good job of elaborating on legendary critic Amy Taubin’s Barbie reaction : “It’s about a fucking doll !’”

TikTok Gave Me Autism: The Politics of Self Diagnosis by Alexander Avila

There’s a lot of social media discourse over who can and can’t — and should or shouldn’t — claim the label of “autistic.” As someone who’s struggled with both the logistics and appropriateness of sussing out whether I’m on the spectrum, this video hit me hard. There are parts that feel like they veer so far into philosophical query that they threaten to obfuscate rather than elucidate the subject, but the essay as a whole is undeniably compelling. Avila’s own confessed stake in the question of self-diagnosis is itself affecting. This is the most searingly personal video on this list, uniting self-inquiry with rigorous research.

Chaste/Unchaste by Maryam Tafakory

This years shortest entry is a deceptively simple interrogation of the concept of “chastity” as defined by Iranian censorship standards. Takafory is a veteran of the academic essay scene, and I’m delighted by the opportunity to present her work to a wider audience. The video’s text is minimal, and its visuals are simply a montage of clips from Iranian films, but the implicit question of propriety grips the viewer with each cut.

Journey to Epcot Center: A Symphonic History by Defunctland

This is the most boundary-pushing essay on this year’s list. Completely lacking commentary, it instead emphasizes visuals and reenactment in telling the story of how Disney’s Epcot park went from concept to realization over the decades. Kevin Perjurer also provides a detailed set of notes that are meant to be read along with watching the video, further demanding one’s full attention. This is a direct acknowledgement of how we use the internet, the windowed experience of browsing and watching videos. I don’t think everything works; many of the reenactments, while impressively professional, feel somewhat redundant. But I’d prefer a creator take big swings that result in a few flaws rather than play it safe, and I hope both Perjurer and others continue in such an experimental vein.

Plagiarism and You(Tube) by Hbomberguy

Harry Brewis is popular enough that he doesn’t need any boost, but even in the very brief period since this video’s release as of the time of writing, Plagiarism and You(Tube) has made seismic impact on the YouTuber scene . Does it need to be almost four hours long? Maybe not. Yet the sheer volume of evidence it pulls together to support various accusations of plagiarism does seem vital. The main focus of the piece, James Somerton, went into lockdown over the fairly comprehensive evidence presented against him (and has since attempted to apologize ). I’m seeing conversations flourish around the endemic problem of plagiarism on the internet and what is to be done about it, and a surge of creators recognizing and calling out others who have taken their work without credit. There’s a deeper issue at play here, which is that the growth of YouTube entertainment has come with a truly daunting mountain of crap content that nonetheless attracts views (and thus dollars).

On the subject of low quality standards on YouTube, beyond plagiarism, Todd in the Shadows’ recent exhaustive effort to fact-check various false claims Somerton has made in his work is a useful supplement to this video.

Polygon’s Best of the Year 2023

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Harvard University Supplemental Essay 2023-24 Prompt Guide

If Harvard is one of your top-choice schools, you may be wondering how you can make your application stand out to the admissions committee. This is where your college essays come in. If done well, they can set you above other applicants. However, these essay prompts require short, creative answers, which is not an easy task. Keep reading to learn more about Harvard’s supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle and how to craft them.    

How Important Are the Harvard Supplemental Essays?

Writing a compelling personal essay as part of the Common Application or Coalition Application is one way for Harvard to get to know you. However, the additional prompts provided by Harvard University are meant for the admissions committee  to learn even more about who you are, what you hope to get out of Harvard, and what contributions you can make to the campus community both personally and academically.

Most admissions committees, including Harvard’s, review applications holistically, which is why college essays matter . While academic performance is important, the other parts of your application, such as your essays and activities list, are what differentiate you from other students who submit comparable transcripts and test scores.

How Many Essays Does Harvard Require in 2023?

Students applying for admission to Harvard College — the undergraduate college at Harvard University — during the 2023-24 admissions cycle are required to respond to five supplemental essays. This is a change from previous years when applicants had three optional essay prompts: one open-ended, and two short. This change is due to the Supreme Court’s gutting of race-based affirmative action in college admissions decisions earlier this year. These required prompts are being used to gain a more complete picture of each student’s experience.

Each response should be no more than 200 words, so the challenge is to write a brief essay that tells a compelling story about you. Just keep in mind that each response should convey something new and interesting about you that isn’t mentioned elsewhere in your application.

How Hard Is It to Get into Harvard in 2023?

Harvard is one of the most selective schools in the U.S. The acceptance rate for Harvard College was only 3.41% for the class of 2027, with similarly low admissions rates the previous few years. Understanding how to get into Harvard can help you prepare for the highly competitive admissions process. Ensuring you meet all the academic requirements and getting a head start on your essays can be crucial to your success.

When Should I Apply for Harvard in 2023?

Harvard offers both Restrictive Early Action (REA) and Regular Decision options. While applying early to college can sometimes help your chances of admission, you should only do so if you can submit a strong application. Many students opt to wait for the Regular Decision deadline to give themselves time to submit stronger grades and test scores.

The Harvard application deadlines are:

Learn more about the different types of Early Action and whether applying early is right for you.

Harvard Supplemental Essays 2023-24

These supplemental essays give you a good idea of what Harvard values, such as personal development, intellectual activities, and the positive impact you have made on your community. Your responses should demonstrate how your experiences, passions, and responsibilities have shaped you and influenced your view of the world. Let’s look at each prompt and how you might respond.

Supplemental Essay Prompt #1 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? (200 words)

Like many other colleges and universities, Harvard responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action by adding an additional prompt that will allow students to discuss aspects of their background that may not be considered elsewhere in their application — like race, for example. Your response to this essay should connect your experiences and life lessons with the ways you plan to contribute to the diverse campus community. Diversity can take many forms: religion, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, way of thinking, etc. If you don’t feel like you fall into any of these categories personally, then write about how your experiences with diverse individuals and groups impacted you. The example below may help you think about ways to answer this prompt.    

Growing up in a multicultural household, I’ve been fortunate to experience a blend of traditions, perspectives, and languages. These early experiences laid the foundation for my commitment to inclusivity.

Throughout high school, I immersed myself in initiatives that promote understanding and unity. I co-founded a cultural exchange club, providing a platform for students to share their unique backgrounds. This experience taught me the power of dialogue in breaking down barriers and fostering empathy.

My involvement in community service programs exposed me to the challenges faced by marginalized populations. I sought opportunities to address these issues, advocating for equitable access to education and resources. This hands-on engagement has deepened my understanding of the complexities surrounding diversity.

At Harvard, I’m eager to contribute to this vibrant tapestry of experiences. I want to amplify underrepresented voices, promoting an environment where all perspectives are valued. Whether through campus organizations, classroom discussions, or community outreach, I’m committed to nurturing an inclusive space where every student feels heard and supported. I look forward to learning from my peers and, together, creating a campus culture that celebrates the richness of every individual.

Supplemental Essay Prompt #2

Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you. (200 words)

As an Ivy League school, Harvard obviously values intellectual curiosity. This is your opportunity to demonstrate how motivated and passionate you are intellectually. As you respond to this essay prompt, it’s important to connect your intellectual experience to your academic goals at Harvard. In the example below, the student explains specifically how their research internship ignited their passion for environmental science and advocacy, which just happens to align with Harvard’s interdisciplinary concentration in environmental science and public policy.

One of my most pivotal intellectual experiences occurred during a summer research internship at a local university as I worked alongside a team of oceanographers studying climate change and its impact on marine ecosystems. As a high school student, I was initially intimidated by the complex scientific concepts and advanced research methods. However, my mentors recognized my enthusiasm and patiently guided me through the process. I delved into data analysis, conducted experiments, and participated in discussions that challenged my understanding of environmental science.

What made this experience truly significant was witnessing the tangible real-world implications of our research. It was eye-opening to see how the data we collected could inform conservation efforts and policy decisions. This connection between scientific inquiry and its potential to drive positive change ignited my passion for environmental science and advocacy, which I hope to pursue with a concentration in Environmental Science and Public Policy at Harvard.

This intellectual journey taught me the value of perseverance, collaboration, and the profound impact of scientific inquiry. It solidified my desire to pursue a career in environmental science, where I hope to contribute to our understanding of our planet’s complex systems and work towards a more sustainable future.

Supplemental Essay Prompt #3

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (200 words)

This is an opportunity to expand on an activity or experience that had a profound effect on you, especially if it best represents what you’re passionate about and how you can contribute to the Harvard community. This prompt presents another opportunity to talk about your background. For example, students from low-income families might write about how they took a job to help contribute to the household. 

You are likely to see similar supplemental essay questions for other schools, so this is an ideal one for recycling. However, make sure you tailor your response each time to make it specific to the school — and avoid the common mistake of naming the wrong school in your response! The following example can give you an idea of how you might approach this essay.    

Growing up in a family deeply committed to community service, I’ve been actively engaged in volunteering throughout high school. My involvement with a local animal rescue organization has been particularly transformative.

As a volunteer, I’ve not only cared for abandoned and abused animals but also organized adoption events, fundraisers, and educational workshops for the community. This experience has instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility and empathy. I’ve learned to approach challenges with resilience, whether it’s nursing an injured animal back to health or convincing others to support our cause.

Furthermore, my work with the organization has connected me with diverse individuals who share a common passion for animal welfare. These interactions have broadened my perspective and taught me the importance of collaboration and effective communication.

My extracurricular involvement has shaped me into a more compassionate and determined individual, emphasizing the significance of service in my life. I aspire to continue channeling my dedication to causes I’m passionate about at Harvard, where I can contribute to the community and work with others who share my commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

Supplemental Essay Prompt #4

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future? (200 words)

Your response to this prompt will require some research about academic programs, faculty, and opportunities at Harvard. It may be challenging to imagine how you’ll apply your college education to the real world, so think about your current goals and the learning outcomes for your program(s) of interest. How are they relevant to your future career and/or in everyday life? The example below demonstrates why the student wants to major in history and how they plan to apply what they learn as an educator.

Driven by a deep passion for understanding the past and its impact on the present and future, I envision leveraging my Harvard education to pursue a career in historical research, education, and advocacy. History is a powerful tool for social change, and I hope to challenge prevailing narratives, promote inclusivity, and inspire critical thinking.

I aim to become a historian who uncovers untold narratives and sheds light on marginalized voices. As a Venezuelan, I would have loved to learn more about our history with the U.S., since it’s rife with important trade and investment. Before the U.S. sanctions, Venezuela was a major supplier of U.S. oil, but this is so rarely discussed in history classes, let alone how the U.S. has impacted the Venezuelan economy. 

Additionally, I see myself as an educator, both within and beyond academia, sharing my enthusiasm for history with future generations and encouraging students to explore the complexities of our world’s past. I plan to use my Harvard education to engage in public history projects, working with museums, archives, and community organizations to make history accessible and relevant to a wider audience. Ultimately, my Harvard education will equip me with the knowledge, skills, and resources to contribute to the preservation and understanding of our collective past. 

Supplemental Essay Prompt #5

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. (200 words)

This is an opportunity to be a little less formal in your response — just remember that the admissions committee is reading this. What do you want them to know about you in terms of your personality, daily habits, passion projects, hobbies, etc.? This is an opportunity to share things that aren’t mentioned anywhere else on your application so the committee can get a little more insight into who you are and what makes you tick. Check out this example for a little inspiration.  

The first thing my roommates might like to know about me is that I approach life with a sense of curiosity and a willingness to embrace new experiences. Whether it’s trying different cuisines, picking up a new instrument, or engaging in thought-provoking discussions, I’m always eager to learn and grow from every encounter.

Secondly, I am a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and well-being. I firmly believe in the importance of creating a supportive and nurturing living environment. My roommates can count on me to be a compassionate listener, a source of encouragement, and someone who values their mental and emotional health. I am committed to fostering a positive and empathetic atmosphere in our shared space.

Lastly, my roommates might appreciate knowing that I have a deep love for the arts, particularly music. I enjoy playing various musical instruments, and I’m always up for impromptu jam sessions or attending concerts. Music has been a source of solace and joy in my life, and I’m excited to share that passion with my roommates and perhaps even collaborate on creative projects together.

I look forward to building meaningful connections and creating a harmonious and supportive living environment with my future roommates at Harvard.

If writer’s block is keeping you from responding to your essay prompts, get personalized help from a professional college counselor . IvyWise College Admissions Counselors have served as Directors and Deans of Admissions at some of the most elite colleges in the world, so they know how to craft essays that make you stand out.

Related Topics

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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 133 scholarships that match your search.

How to Write a Novel Scholarships

We now offer fully-funded tuition for our 101-day How to Write a Novel course to promising writers with financial need. Writers are invited to submit a 1,000-word writing sample along with a 300-word personal statement explaining their interest in a scholarship. NOTE: The current application period has now been extended to July 29th, midnight EST. Click through for more details.

Categories: Novel Writing

Organization: Reedsy

Deadline: July 22, 2024

Recipients: 3

Top award: $1,250

Apply now →

The Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing

LearnCurious is proud to introduce the annual competition for the Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing. In 3,000 words or fewer, applicants must respond to one of three creative prompts. Entrants must be high school juniors or seniors to win.

Categories: Personal Essay and Short Fiction

Organization: Learn Curious

Deadline: July 23, 2024

Additional awards: 2 runner-up prizes of $50 each

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

​​​​​​​Feldman Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Journalism

The National Press Club is proud to offer this fellowship for graduate students in journalism. The Fellowship is named for Dennis Feldman, a club member who had a long career as a journalist and public relations adviser after putting himself through grad school at night. Winners will receive a one-time stipend of $5,000 to help defray post-graduate tuition costs.

Categories: Journalism

Organization: National Press Club

Deadline: July 28, 2024

Top award: $5,000

Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship

The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is named for a long-time National Press Club member who died in 2008 and endowed a scholarship in aid of high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in journalism. Recipients receive a one-time award of $5,000.

Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo

The National Press Club, the leading professional organization for journalists, wants to recruit promising future journalists who will bring diversity to American journalism. The scholarship consists of a $2,000 one-year scholarship, which can be renewed for up to three years at $2,500 per year. The first-year scholarship includes an additional $500 book stipend.

Additional awards: Renewable for up to three years

Top award: $2,500

Austin AWM Scholarship

AWM Austin is proud to award scholarships to college students studying media (or a related field) at a university in the Austin area. Each applicant must include a personal statement stating their area of study and how this scholarship will further their career and educational goals.

Organization: Alliance for Women in Media

Marine Corps Essay Contest

The Marine Corps Essay Contest advances new thinking about how the U.S. Marine Corps will tackle the diverse and difficult security challenges of the 21st century. Dare to write about the toughest and most difficult issues; the topics that everyone knows need addressing, but some are hesitant to acknowledge. Essays should be 2,500 words maximum and this contest is open to all contributors.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: U.S. Naval Institute

Deadline: July 31, 2024

Additional awards: $2,500 for second place, $1,500 for third place

Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship will be open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. Students must provide a selection of their work, at least one letter of reference by their instructor(s), and a description of their goals with an education plan for use of the stipend. The recipient will have 2 years to utilize the funds.

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing

Organization: Horror Writers Association

Deadline: August 01, 2024

Additional awards: Horror author JG Faherty will mentor the winner for 6 months.

Top award: $500

Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Non-fiction Writing

The HWA offers the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for non-fiction Writing, an endowed fund providing grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The Fund will provide grants annually (the amount is flexible).

Categories: Research

Horror Writers Association Scholarship

The Horror Writers Association Scholarship will be open to all horror writers (HWA membership is not a requirement). Scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of horror writers.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship

It is clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. This scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it.

Dark Poetry Scholarship

The Dark Poetry scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. This scholarship is worth $1250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

Bill Walsh Scholarship

The Walsh scholarship honors Bill Walsh, author, blogger, and longtime copy editor at the Washington Post. The Walsh scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who demonstrates the talent and passion for language that Bill had, and who aspires to pursue the craft of editing the news.

Organization: ACES: The Society for Editing

Deadline: August 15, 2024

Additional awards: Financial aid to attend the annual ACES conference

Top award: $3,000

ACES Aubespin Scholarship

The Aubespin scholarship honors Merv Aubespin, a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists who greatly helped inspire the creation of ACES. Applicants should have a commitment to a career in the editing of written materials.

Additional awards: 4 runner-up prizes of $1,500 each

Clubs of America Scholarship Program

To apply for this scholarship, write an essay of at least 600 words about your career aspirations and how your current studies will help you achieve success in your career. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Thinking outside the box is encouraged! Any current college student of an accredited U.S. college or university in good academic standing (3.0 or higher) is eligible.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Clubs of America

Deadline: August 31, 2024

What are writing scholarships?

Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.

The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.

1. Personal essay scholarships

Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.

Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!

2. Critical essay scholarships

Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider  “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).

Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.

3. Short fiction scholarships

Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)

4. Journalism scholarships

Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…

5. Portfolio scholarships 

Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!

If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.

Why apply to writing scholarships?

Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.

Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.

Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.

Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.

Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)

Resources to strengthen your writing skills

• 20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today. Click here to view
• How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine. Click here to enroll
• What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More! Check it out
• How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps. Read more
• How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps. Find out more
• How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro. Enroll here
• 700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You. Click here to view
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors. Learn more

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The two winning essays are available on the  Law Society’s website . Participants in this year’s contest were asked to write an essay on the greatest threat to the rule of law and the steps they can take to defend it. The winner and runner-up were awarded $1,000 and $500 respectively and both attended the Benchers’ meeting on July 5 to be recognized for their achievements. The Law Society launched the annual essay contest in 2015 to enhance students’ knowledge of the importance of the rule of law and to encourage participation in civic life. The 2024-2025 essay contest and topic will be revealed in the fall. Advanced Search GEEF: : A neural network model for automatic essay feedback generation by integrating writing skills assessment New citation alert added. This alert has been successfully added and will be sent to: You will be notified whenever a record that you have chosen has been cited. To manage your alert preferences, click on the button below. New Citation Alert! Please log in to your account Information & Contributors Bibliometrics & citations, view options, recommendations, an elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm enhanced with a neural network applied to the multi-objective optimization of a polysiloxane synthesis process. This paper presents an original software implementation of the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) applied and adapted to the multi-objective optimization of a polysiloxane synthesis process. An optimized feed-forward neural ... Segmentation of touching characters using an MLP In this paper, we propose a method of character extraction from documents in which both Hangul (Korean characters) and alphanumeric characters are written. In order to ensure accurate segmentation of touching characters, character segmentation and ... Combination of the assembly neural network with a perceptron for recognition of handwritten digits arranged in numeral strings The purpose of the paper is to design and test neural network structures and mechanisms for making use of the information that is contained in the character strings for more correct recognition of the characters constituting these strings. Two neural ... Information Published in. Pergamon Press, Inc. United States Publication History Author tags. Essay feedback generation Student essay grading Neural network Seq2seq models Research-article Contributors Other metrics, bibliometrics, article metrics. 0 Total Citations 0 Total Downloads Downloads (Last 12 months) 0 Downloads (Last 6 weeks) 0 View options Login options. Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article. Full Access Share this publication link. Copying failed. Share on social media Affiliations, export citations. Please download or close your previous search result export first before starting a new bulk export. Preview is not available. By clicking download, a status dialog will open to start the export process. The process may take a few minutes but once it finishes a file will be downloadable from your browser. You may continue to browse the DL while the export process is in progress. Download Download citation Copy citation We are preparing your search results for download ... We will inform you here when the file is ready. Your file of search results citations is now ready. Your search export query has expired. Please try again. Feasting, drinking and blowing things up: The history of US Independence Day Nice weather, family barbeques, parades, fireworks and red, white and blue everything ­­­– Americans are preparing to celebrate Independence Day this weekend with time-honored and beloved traditions. Known now as a day of patriotism and enjoying time off from work, the Fourth of July began the journey to becoming a quintessential American holiday in 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Though 12 of the 13 American colonies had already approved the resolution by July 2, 1776, even prompting John Adams to write his daughter with predictions of future July Second festivities, the document declaring independence from Britain wasn’t officially adopted until July 4. Some Americans began celebrating the very same year, though the practice wouldn’t become widespread until the aftermath of the War of 1812. Congress finally passed a bill making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. In 1941, the law was amended to make it a paid holiday for federal employees. Though some traditions associated with the Fourth of July have changed or disappeared over time – hosting mock funerals for the king of England, for example – many have remained true to their roots in the almost 250 years since the declaration was signed. If you’ve ever wondered why we associate exploding colors in the sky and feasting on outdoor meals with celebrating America’s independence, read on to learn about the origins of our favorite July Fourth festivities.   Ultimate Fourth of July playlist: Your guide to the ultimate Fourth of July music playlist, from 'God Bless America' to 'Firework' Fireworks displays are perhaps the most iconic of all Fourth of July revelries. The first celebration came in earnest on July 4, 1777, described on July 5 in the Pennsylvania Evening Post as a demonstration of “joy and festivities.” Ships “dressed in the gayest manner, with the colors of the United States and streamers displayed” approached the city and fired off 13 cannon shots, one for each colony-turned-state. Later in the evening, 13 fireworks were set off in the city commons in Philadelphia and Boston, which the Evening Post described as a “grand exhibition of fireworks … and the city was beautifully illuminated.” According to Dr. Tyler Putman , senior manager of gallery interpretation at the Museum of the American Revolution , fireworks had been used in the colonies before 1776, but not in such grand fashion. “You would have seen fireworks at a lot of festivities, celebrations, anniversaries, you know, things like the king's birthday or big events, but they often were not enormous, launched-in-the-sky fireworks,” he told USA TODAY. “People would build these kind of structures and frameworks that would then catch on fire, or parts of them would launch off, and often they would be in certain shapes, like a bunch of stars or a dancing person … kind of like a Burning Man sort of thing.” It wasn’t until the 18 th century, said Putman, that fireworks were perfected and began to resemble the explosive rockets we know today. Fireworks divide Americans: America's right to bear fireworks continues to make American Independence Day divisive Visit any city or town on the U.S. map on the Fourth of July and you could find a parade of some sort making its way through Main Street. Mentions of parades, another tradition that harks closely back to Revolution-era origins, can be found in the earliest correspondences about the newly minted but still unofficial holiday. In a letter John Adams wrote to his daughter , Abigail Adams, on July 2, 1776, he described what would later be known as Independence Day, predicting it would become “the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. − I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.” Though Adams mistakenly asserted the holiday would be commemorated on the second of the month as opposed to the fourth, he was correct in his predictions of the merrymaking to follow. “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more,” he wrote. What's open on July 4th? Starbucks, McDonald's, Target, Walmart open; Costco closed Back then, parades looked markedly different from the ones we attend today. During the Revolutionary War, parades were generally reserved for the military, with armies marching the streets to reach their destinations. It wasn’t until years after the war, in the late 1700s to early 1800s, said Putman, that parades began to look more like what we would recognize today. When parades began to appear as part of annual celebrations as opposed to one-off events, they didn’t yet feature the marching bands and firetrucks we’re familiar with but instead were full of groups of normal people from town. The city’s butchers, for example, would walk together as one group, and shipbuilders would construct massive floats to be pulled down the street by horses. “Sometimes you read about parades where, like, in Philadelphia, tens of thousands of people are in the parade and you kind of wonder who is left to watch the parade,” Putman said. “There are so many people, if all the shipwright and the shoemakers and the grocers are all already marching the parade, it's mostly just kids, probably, who are like, ‘Well, I guess I'll wait as this 10,000-person parade goes by.’” Barbeques and picnics Independence Day falling in early July is probably reason enough to enjoy a meal outside to take advantage of the warm summer weather. The urge to fire up the grill and lay a picnic blanket out on the grass, however, can also be tied back to original holiday celebrations. “The really interesting thing about the Fourth of July is that it then spawned all of these semi-public or private celebrations," Putman said. "So, you might go watch the parade and then you have your family barbecue. In the late 1700s, 1800s, people might go out for a big public event, like a giant picnic or parade, but then they'll go back to taverns or family homes.” Drinking was certainly a prominent component for many Americans, some of whom would go to the local pub and propose toasts in the name of things like independence, the Constitution and the president. George Washington himself even issued double rations of rum to his soldiers on the 1778 and 1781 anniversaries in observation of the day. Grilling tips: Grilling your burgers wrong could be risky. Here's how to do it right Because what we now know as barbeque food began as a form of cooking brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, it had not yet become a staple of the national diet. Instead, revelers of the day probably would have attended a pig roast or seafood boil. It wasn’t until about 100 years after independence that barbeque went from being a food for poor, enslaved people to being popularized on a national scale, Putman said. Feasting and drinking "was true of really elite people but also really poor, common, even enslaved people, not just on the Fourth of July, but other holidays would use this as a chance to kind of build community and think about what it meant to be an American.”  Red, white and blue everything Walk into a grocery store in July today and you will be bombarded by red, white and blue plastered on everything from cocktail napkins to beach towels. In the early days of American independence, however, the colors were not yet representative of a flag that was recognized as universally and uniquely American. In fact, it wasn't until June 1777 that Congress even approved the first official iteration of the flag , which changed many times between inception and the final design created in 1960. “During the Revolutionary War, flags were something that had kind of a functional purpose: They fly above a fort or they're on the top mast of a ship,” Putman said. “It's really not until the American Civil War, the 1860s, that most people started to use the flag in more personal ways.” Before then, you would never see the average person, for example, hanging a flag in front of their house, he said. The tensions of the Civil War prompted people to begin adopting iconography of flags, which not only delineated opposing sides of the war but stood as a symbol of different things for individual Americans, like emancipation for Black Americans. During this era, the flag began to appear in places other than flying in front of government buildings, such as on shirts. This use of the flag’s colors on everyday items grew in popularity in the 1900s, said Putman, and has become even more common in the past few decades. The 50-star flag we now recognize was not unveiled until 1960, after Hawaii and Alaska joined the union in 1959. More on the Fourth Looking for more ways to celebrate the Fourth? Check out our guides on some of the best holiday deals , tips for keeping everyone in the family safe and tricks to make the most of the day . Subscriber Login Since 1900, the Christian Century has published reporting, commentary, poetry, and essays on the role of faith in a pluralistic society. © 2023 The Christian Century. Contact Us     Privacy Policy July 14, Ordinary 15B ( Mark 6:14–29) Who knows what took place in herod’s guilty heart after john’s death. Mark enables us to see Herod not simply as an agent of evil but as a weak human being who has given way to temptation. But the consequences of his capitulation reverberate widely. Because he is in a position of power, his weakness, cowardice, pride, and shortsightedness have very public and lasting consequences. His predicament is not unlike that of Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, who cries in agonized confession after murdering his brother, “Oh, my offense is rank!” Or like Macbeth, riddled with depression and guilt and emotionally alienated from his vicious, avaricious wife after ordering assassins to kill Duncan. Portraits of weak, lustful, corruptible political leaders are plentiful in history and literature, some of them quite contemporary. Evil makes for enticing headlines and compelling page-turners, but ultimately it is less interesting, nuanced, or satisfying to hear about than goodness and grace. John’s is a story of goodness and grace, though not one—from what we see in the gospel’s limited portrayal—of softheartedness or camaraderie. John’s life begins as a miracle, in the body of a woman too old to expect to bear a child. His name is given by God. His first act is to celebrate the coming of the Messiah, leaping for joy in his mother’s womb while Jesus is still being knit together in Mary’s. He lives an exuberantly countercultural life of radical trust, confidence, and contentment, sustained by little but the bounty of the earth and the guidance of God. His public ministry draws grateful crowds to repentance, healing, and hope. What would you do if you knew you had killed—even symbolically—the only one who would speak truth to you? It’s not a question only for the powerful or the politically entangled; it’s for any of us who find the call to repentance inconvenient or embarrassing and who let that embarrassment lead us to self-betrayal. We need John still: we need the voice of the undomesticated prophet who won’t be silenced but who breaks through our defenses to direct our vision toward the one who not only speaks the truth but embodies it, the one who will help us in our fear and our unbelief.  Marilyn McEntyre Marilyn McEntyre is the author of several books on language and faith. Her latest book is  The Mindful Grandparent: The Art of Loving Our Children’s Children (coauthored with Shirley Showalter). We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this article by writing a letter to the editors . Most Recent Oncomouse and me, judge rules against texas attorney general paxton in campaign against migrant shelters, consensus is hard (2 samuel 5:1-5, 9-10). by Marilyn McEntyre A church politics of nondomination Most popular. Moltmann the teacher July 7, ordinary 14b ( mark 6:1–13). Praying the hours with W. H. Auden Jerry falwell’s toxic legacy. Expert-approved picks from Walmart’s ‘largest deals event ever’ — up to 89% off Share this — Watch Full Episodes Read With Jenna Inspirational Relationships TODAY Table Newsletters Start TODAY Shop TODAY Awards Citi Concert Series Listen All Day Follow today More Brands On The Show TODAY Plaza Jill Martin undergoes breast reconstruction, her last scheduled cancer surgery: 'The next phase' The last time Jill Martin Brooks , 48, spoke to her oncologist, Dr. Eric Winer, he gave her strict instructions — to get her life back. And “that’s exactly what (I’ve) been doing,” the TODAY contributor tells TODAY.com. It’s been a little more than a year since Jill was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer soon after learning she had a BRCA2 mutation, an inherited genetic mutation that increases one’s chance of developing several cancers, including breast and ovarian, according to the National Cancer Institute . Jill’s doctors “threw the kitchen sink” at her cancer, she says. Over the last year, Jill had a double mastectomy with the removal of 17 lymph nodes and underwent “one of the toughest chemo regimens ,” which included the red devil , the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin known for its bright red color. Following chemotherapy, Jill completed 16 straight weekdays of radiation and a subsequent preventative surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Now, she’s taking two oral chemotherapy pills; she’ll take one for the next year, and the second one she’ll need for the next seven to 10 years. Despite the tumultuous year, Jill possesses an overwhelming feeling of appreciation. “I feel very grateful actually,” she says, adding that she still feels like “the luckiest person in the world.” Despite being given something “horrific,” Jill hopes to raise awareness so that other people might avoid “the hell” her family has been through, she says. “(I’m) switching the narrative (about) chemo and the pills,” Jill explains, recalling how her surgeon, Dr. Elisa Port, told her that she should thank her pills every morning for fighting for her and helping her — not hurting her. The latest treatment Jill is facing is breast reconstruction surgery on July 9. She hopes it will be her last procedure for now.  “This is the last (scheduled) surgery,” Jill says. “But cancer doesn’t like it when you say, ‘Oh this is the last thing.’ (So) I’m referring to it as the next phase.” Jill candidly disclosed her cancer diagnosis to raise awareness of BRCA gene mutations and to encourage people at risk to get tested for it. Her outspokenness worked, and she’s heard from thousands of people who’ve said they were tested after hearing her story.   Jill feels extremely grateful to hear that her advocacy has had a profound impact on so many, but it’s especially significant that is has helped so many people she knows, including her college housemate Melissa. After hearing Jill’s story, Melissa underwent testing and learned she had a BRCA2 mutation. She’s had a mastectomy and her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in an effort to prevent her from developing breast or ovarian cancer.  In a text to Jill after first finding out, Melissa said, “I needed to thank you for hopefully saving my life.” While Jill feels empowered that she has been able to help so many people, having cancer, she says, has changed her. She feels like a disco ball, she explains — “a lot of pieces somehow put back together in a new and beautiful way.”  Jill still sees her old self, but her life is different now. She has a lot to unpack from her experience with breast cancer but knows there have been many silver linings, too. Having the support of loved ones and colleagues helped Jill cope, and she was able to rest as she needed. “You’re definitely traumatized and need time away,” she says. “It’s important to acknowledge that.” She realizes that “being a cancer survivor is forever with you as part of your fabric for better or worse.” While there were tough times, Jill continued working throughout treatment, sharing Steals & Deals on TODAY . She’s focused on a new business, which she’s excited to share more about in the fall. After needing to “stay in one place” for cancer treatments, Jill says she’s “looking forward to more adventures,” including travel. Receiving kindness from viewers and fans helped Jill throughout her diagnosis and treatment. “I did this publicly, and it almost made it easier because people were so compassionate,” she says, adding that she’s grateful for the love she and her family have received from friends, as well as perfect strangers.  Meghan Holohan is a digital health reporter for TODAY.com and covers patient-centered stories, women’s health, disability and rare diseases. Maine's 104-year-old 'Lobster Lady' shares simple tips for a long life Women's health. 102-year-old woman who still works shares simple tips for a long life I lost part of my eyesight in medical school. Searching for answers made me a better doctor This common ingredient in menopause supplements is dangerous for many women 5 things I never do to protect my bone health as a woman and rheumatologist Woman, 39, driven crazy when mystery whooshing noise suddenly starts in her ear Bride, 102, marries groom, 100. They may be the world's oldest living married couple 6 things I never do to protect my heart health as a woman and cardiologist Former WWE wrestler Brandi Rhodes diagnosed with endometriosis 3 years after doctors dismissed symptoms I blamed myself for my ectopic pregnancy. Here’s what helped me get through it English Language English Literature English Language and Literature First-Year English Teacher Education Preparation – Minor Opportunities Advising and FAQ Master’s Program PhD Program Publications Networks & Projects Land Acknowledgement Job Opportunities Announcing 2023/2024 UBC EL&L Undergraduate Awards Winners July 8, 2024 Each year, The UBC Department of English Language & Literatures recognizes student academic achievements with awards based on academic merit and outstanding essays. Please join us in congratulating the 2023/2024 awards winners! 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UBC English Language & Literatures Welcomes New Department Head Dr. Alice Te Punga Somerville Professor Emeritus Tony Dawson, 1941 – 2024 118 IMAGES English Essay Paper CSS 2023 class 12th English important essay 2023|| 5 most important essay Analysis of English Essay Paper CSS 2023 English Essay CSS 2023 Past Paper CSS English Essay Past Paper 2023 Argumentative Essay 2023 VIDEO UPSC ESSAY 2023 EXPLANATION. #uppcs #bpsc #upsc #essay Top online essays I The best essay Navratri Essay in English || Navratri Essay For Students || Navratri Essay 2023 Essay on an interesting PSL-8 Match How to attempt a literary essay for CSS||structure of Essay||Boys will be Boys outline Stanford 2023-24 Prompts Guide COMMENTS Essay Paper UPSC 2023 (Mains) Question Paper and Analysis UPSC conducted the Civil Service Mains exam for essay paper on 15 September 2023. The CSE mains essay paper comprises two sections. Each section contains 4 essay topics. Out of which 2 topics of choice from each section need to be picked. Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000-1200 words for each essay. ESSAY QUESTION PAPER : UPSC Civil Services IAS Exam MAINS 2023 ESSAY QUESTION PAPER - UPSC Civil Services IAS Mains - 2023 . DOWNLOAD ESSAY QUESTION PAPER : UPSC CSE MAINS 2023 [here] Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. 7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023 Deadline: Mid-February 2023-June 1, 2023. Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide. Contest description: The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals. High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works. How to Write the Common Application Essays 2023-2024 ... 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