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There’s No One Like You. We’ll Help You Prove It.

Our 1-on-1 application and essay coaching will make your applications impossible to ignore. 98% of Prompt students get into one or more of their top-choice colleges.

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Prompt is the highest rated and most recommended application and essay coaching company.

Half of Prompt students are applying to one or more Ivy or Ivy-equivalent colleges.
Half of Prompt students are applying to every other college - selective privates, competitive publics and everywhere else.
Gifted writers and struggling writers.
Highly motivated and unmotivated.
Go-getters and procrastinators.
English learners. International. LGBTQ+. Learning disabilities.
Athletes. Musicians. Thespians. Makers. Debaters.

Prompt students apply to and are accepted at every college every year. Below are a list of common colleges for Prompt students.

Ivy-equivalent colleges, selective private colleges, competitive public colleges, selective liberal arts colleges, selective international colleges, every other college.

Our one-on-one coaching will help make your essays stand out and your application impossible to ignore. 98% of our students get into one or more of their top choice colleges.

Admitted to at least one top choice college (reach or target)

Students we've coached

High schools recommend Prompt

Let’s make your application impossible to ignore.

Your essays – what you say and how you say it – will set you apart from the tens of thousands of academically similar applicants, increasing your admissions chances by 10x. See the data.

Your student's academics are not enough. Your student needs an Application and Essay Coach .

We have the perfect writing coach for your student., meet a few of our 150+ coaches..

We hire the top 2% of coaches.

Our coaches go through a rigorous training and evaluation process. Only 2% make it through to become coaches – i.e., it's far more difficult to become a Prompt Coach than to get accepted at any college.
Our coaches are Prompt employees, each spending 100s of hours coaching students on college applications and essays every year.
Every coach is trained on and follows the Prompt coaching method, proven to get your student accepted at their top choice colleges.
Our coaches operate as a team. They often communicate with each other to further improve their coaching skills and discuss specific essays.
Every coach has completed their undergraduate degree, and many have master's degrees, such as a Master of Fine Arts. Many attended top programs, such as Ivy and Ivy-equivalent colleges.
Our coaches have varying backgrounds, such as playwrights, freelance writers, journalists, authors, educators, and researchers.
We match your student to a coach by considering how your student's college list, personality, and ambitions match with the coach's interests, background, and personality.

Don't expect free resources to get your student accepted to their top choice colleges.

Internet advice is often inaccurate or difficult to interpret, leading to ineffective essays.
Friends and family aren't college application experts, often offering ineffective and inaccurate advice
High school counselors and teachers can't devote substantial 1-on-1 time to your student
Stop worrying . Prompt helps your student have applications you and they are confident in.
Stop stressing. Prompt ensures your student finishes their applications well before the deadlines
Save time and reduce conflict. You won't be fighting over essays or providing feedback on your student's drafts. We guide your student through the entire application process.

Prompt gets your student accepted to their top choice colleges.

More than proofreading.

Plan your writing with video calls
Receive detailed feedback, nearly an hour of a coach's time per review
Ensure your writing is compelling, engaging, and well-structured

One-on-one coaching from top college admissions experts- for a quarter of the price.

Strong essays increase your chances of acceptance up to 10 times as compared with others with a similar academic profile..

Coaching options

Multiple video coaching calls.
Multiple reviews of each draft.
Personal Writing Coach.
Help on every part of the application (e.g., Common App Essay, Activities List, supplements).
Application management (e.g., creating a personalized timeline to fit your needs). ‍

From $599.00

Individual reviews.

Get a detailed review of any personal statement (e.g., Common App), school supplement, or Activities List.
One of our Coaches will help you improve your essay's content, structure, and clarity. ‍

Our essay feedback is more than proofreading

Enjoy your summer for real, and take the stress of college essays off your plate., as much help as you need in our one-on-one college admissions process., how do we choose our coaches.

Meet some of our coaches

BA: Princeton University, High Honors MFA in Fiction: Brooklyn College

BA: Stanford, Honors PhD/Presidential Fellow: Brown

BA: University of King's College MFA in Playwriting: Columbia

BA: Dartmouth College M.A.: Dartmouth College

Comprehensive college essay support trusted by 30,000+ families, starting at $599

People ask, "what's the biggest value prompt provides" compelling content. clear writing. accountability., 1. developing your personal brand..

We help you tie your most compelling content into a cohesive narrative that relates to the 5 Traits Colleges Look For in Applicants: drive, intellectual curiosity, initiative, contribution, and diversity of experiences.

2. Identifying what to write about for every part of the application.

We help you brainstorm compelling content, match content to each part of each application (essays, activities lists, additional information, portfolios), and outline your writing for each part.

3. Making your ideas concise and compelling.

We help you identify how to shorten your writing (usually by 40-60%). Word count is at a premium. And being concise will help you fit in more content, providing a clearer picture of why you are extraordinary.

4. Making your writing clear.

We help you structure your essays and write in ways that admissions officers will easily understand. Admissions officers only spend an average of 8 minutes per application. So being clear and easy to read is critical.

5. Holding you accountable.

Procrastination is the #1 cause of not being accepted. Over 90% of students scramble to complete their essays, submitting their applications within 48 hours of the deadline. Prompt holds you accountable to the timeline you agreed upon.

We make completing your applications and essays simple and low-stress.

You agree on a timeline with your Student Success Manager, who keeps you on track to finish your applications early.
You work with your Writing Coach, who provides expert support through video calls and written feedback as you plan, write, revise, and complete every written part of your applications.
You submit your applications early and with confidence.

Here’s what Prompt looks like for a typical student.

Below is what the Prompt process looks like for a typical student.

Step 1 - discuss your goals with your success manager..

We’ll align on your goals and create a timeline for getting everything done.
We select the perfect Writing Coach for you based on your college list, personality, and ambitions. Then we schedule your first call with your Coach.

Step 2 - Identify what you'll write about.

You’ll use Prompt’s application planning tool to learn what colleges are looking for and brainstorm content colleges will find compelling.
You’ll have a video call with your Coach to complete your brainstorming and decide on your most compelling content – which you'll cover on every application.
We’ll discuss other things you can do now to make your content more compelling.

Step 3 - Write your Common App Essay first draft.

You’ll use the Prompt platform and a call with your Coach to create an outline and start writing your introduction.
You’ll complete your first draft and submit it to your Coach for feedback.

Step 4 - Revise and finalize your Common App Essay

Your Coach provides detailed feedback on how to improve the content, structure, readability, and grammar of each draft.
You’ll revise your essay after each draft and submit it for more feedback – until you and your Coach are satisfied with the result (typically 3 to 4 drafts).

Step 5 - Complete your first application.

You’ll do a video call with your Coach to match your content to each part of the application (e.g., supplements, activities list, additional information) and create an outline for each part.
You’ll complete your first drafts for each part and submit them to your Coach for feedback.
You’ll revise your writing after each draft and submit it for more feedback – until you and your Coach are satisfied with the result for each part of the application (typically 2 to 3 drafts each).

Step 6 - Complete the rest of your applications.

You’ll do a video call with your Coach to match your content (e.g., previously written essays) to the next 1-2 applications you’ll complete.
You’ll go through the draft and revision process for each essay.
After a couple of applications, you’ll get the hang of matching the content yourself. And you’ll see how to best reuse essays (or portions of essays) across applications. But your Coach and Manager will still be there to guide, support, and provide feedback to you for each application.

Step 7: Relax and wait for the acceptance emails to enter your inbox :)

Prompt guides your student from starting to completing their applications., together, we'll make your story shine..

Prompt Satisfaction Guarantee

1-on-1 essay coaching, what you get with our 1-on-1 coaching.

Your own support team: Student Success Manager and Writing Coach
Access to Prompt’s platform to simplify the process
A personalized timeline to fit your schedule
Coaching on every written part of your applications
Get as many video calls and reviews as you need to feel confident

Coaching options based on your needs

Common app bootcamp.

Group sessions for the Common App.

Two 90-minute sessions for planning and writing your Common App Essay or personal statement.
Two rounds of written feedback on your drafts.

Not sure which coaching option to select?

Personal Application Advisor and Writing Coach
As many video calls and reviews as you need to feel confident
Options for just one essay (e.g., Common App Essay) or Complete Application Support (every essay + more) for 3, 6, or all of your applications

Starting at $599

Small group bootcamps.

Two 90-minute live sessions for planning and writing (up to 8 students per group)
Individualized attention on your topic, outline, and as you start writing
Two rounds of written feedback on your drafts
Options for the Common Application Essay or University of California Personal Insight Questions

Starting at $299

What our 10,000s of students and parents have to say.

Prove no one is like you.

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Get college essay feedback from top writing coaches in 48 hours

Essays are more than words. they're thinking. they're content. starting now helps you identify content gaps, while there’s still time to fill them., prompt is the world's most respected and fastest-growing college essay coaching and feedback company. sign up for coaching or use our free resources., strong essays increase your chances of acceptance up to 10 times as compared with others with a similar academic profile..

Essay coaching options

We offer all-inclusive packages, individual reviews, and free resources.

Multiple video coaching calls
Multiple reviews of each draft
Personal Writing Coach
Help on every essay (e.g., Common App Essay, supplements)
Personalized timing and nudges to ensure you finish early
Get a detailed review of any personal statement (e.g., Common App) or school supplement
One of our Coaches will help you improve your essay's content, structure, and clarity

More than proofreading

A Prompt coach can help you plan your essay and provide written feedback.

Plan your writing with video calls
Receive detailed feedback, nearly an hour of a coach's time per review
Ensure your writing is compelling, engaging, and well-structured

What families think about Prompt

Prompt is the largest and fastest-growing college essay coaching company in the world. work with us., how many essays do you need to write.

Select the types of schools you're applying to, and we'll give you an estimate based on our work with tens of thousands of families.

Who are our Writing Coaches?

An exclusive team of playwrights, journalists, educators, and authors! All of our Coaches have an undergrad degree and the majority have an advanced degree from a competitive university.

Our acceptance rate is less than 2%. You are more than twice as likely to be accepted to your top school than to join our writing team.

Coaches go through our proprietary training and evaluation process based on our collective experience reviewing more than 100,000 essays.

DraftSparks ✨

✍️ Writing prompts you’ll love.

No more dread from the blank page or fear of the blinking cursor.

With DraftSparks lighting your way, you can begin your writing journey a little faster.

Unlock endless writing potential. Venture deeper. Write bolder. Let your creativity blaze and your narratives mesmerize.

Every day is a grand opportunity to tell a new story.

Begin your next writing adventure.

🏔 Explore. 🪄 Create. ✨ Ignite.

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Latest Writing Prompts

Essence extraction.

Imagine a procedure to extract the essence of a person before they become a zombie, to be reinserted once a cure is found. Explore This Prompt Further →

Cure Conundrum

Research an experimental cure for the zombie virus that reactivates portions of the brain. Explore This Prompt Further →

Phantom Memories

Write a tale about a zombie experiencing “phantom memories”, echoes from their past. Explore This Prompt Further →

Homo Necrosis

Imagine a world where the outbreak never happened, but a virus still transforms the human brain, turning people into “zombies”. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Consciousness

Explore the possibility of a conscious existence within the mind of a zombie. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Hive Mind

Consider a zombie world where there isn’t a singular leader, but a collective zombie consciousness or hive mind. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Matriarch

Envision a zombie apocalypse ruled by a nurturing but potent “Mother” zombie. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Corporation

Consider a more business-structure hierarchy where there is a CEO-like zombie making decisions, with various tiers of zombies beneath them. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Alpha Zombie

Write about a “survival-of-the-fittest” zombie society, driven by an Alpha zombie who leads and dictates the zombies’ actions. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Monarchy

Explore the possibility of a royal monarchy, complete with a king, queen, and court, within a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Solitary Walker

Sketch a monologue from the viewpoint of a zombie, trying to recollect fragments of forgotten human life. Explore This Prompt Further →

Descent into Despair

Write a diary entry of someone who is bitten and is transforming into a zombie. Explore This Prompt Further →

Last Humanity Stand

Create a monologue that captures the moment a leader rouses their jaded group to make a stand against the zombie horde. Explore This Prompt Further →

Chronicles of Survival

Write a series of journal entries from the perspective of a survivalist in a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

Z-Day Confessionals

Craft a monologue spoken by a character who has a harrowing secret connected to the zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

Forgotten Knowledge

Create a character who uses forgotten or overlooked skills to survive after the apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

Last Day on the Job

Imagine a survivor who experienced the breakout on their last day of work. Explore This Prompt Further →

Fractured Bonds

Write about a character whose relationships undergo drastic changes due to the zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

From Comfort to Chaos

Create a backstory for a survivor who had everything before the apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Unlikely Hero

Write about a character that is an unlikely survivor in a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

Religious Zombies

Envision zombies retaining their religious beliefs, essentially becoming religious zombies. Explore This Prompt Further →

Miraculous Transformation

Write about a character who prayed fervently during the apocalypse and was subsequently immune to the zombie virus. Explore This Prompt Further →

Heavenly Battleground

Consider a world where religious texts predicted the zombie apocalypse and provided ways to combat them. Explore This Prompt Further →

Divine Wrath or Injustice

Suppose that people believe a zombie apocalypse is a divine punishment or a test of their faith. Explore This Prompt Further →

Sacred Survival

Write a piece where a religious leader takes charge to guide and protect their community during a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Old Human vs The New Human

Imagine a world where the surviving humans evolve, giving birth to a new species while the ‘old’ humans struggle to survive without these new abilities. Explore This Prompt Further →

Unexpected Symbiosis

Envision a scenario where the parasite responsible for the zombie outbreak forms a symbiotic relationship with its human host. Explore This Prompt Further →

Apex Predators

Write about humans evolving a new set of skills to hunt and kill the zombies, now that they are the apex predators. Explore This Prompt Further →

Terrifying Evolution

Imagine a world where the zombie virus has evolved to the point where zombies can think, feel, plan and co-operate. Explore This Prompt Further →

Survival Adaptation

Write a story about a group of survivors who develop unique physical mutations to survive a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Diary of a Zombie

Write a diary entry from the perspective of a self-aware zombie. Explore This Prompt Further →

Love Among the Ruins

Detail a romantic relationship that blooms amidst a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

Facing The Horde

Narrate a scenario where you have to confront a group of zombies to save your post-apocalyptic community. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Betrayed Leader

Write about a leader who is a secret zombie sympathizer during a zombie apocalypse. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Utopia

Imagine that the zombie apocalypse led not to a dismal dystopia, but to a surprising utopia. Explore This Prompt Further →

Yearning for the Past

Narrate the sentiment of longing for the lost civilization through the perspective of a character. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Forgotten Arts

Write about the revival of forgotten skills or arts in the face of a collapsed civilization. Explore This Prompt Further →

A Leader Rises

Imagine a new form of leadership that emerges in the chaotic post-apocalypse world. Explore This Prompt Further →

Last Standing Structures

Depict the known landmarks or monuments and how they still stand in your narrated post-apocalypse world. Explore This Prompt Further →

Collapse Chronicles

Illustrate what life is like after the fall of civilization, focusing on day-to-day survival and emotions. Explore This Prompt Further →

Question of Justice

Write about a zombie standing trial for their actions while they were under the influence of zombification. Explore This Prompt Further →

Write a story about a group of enlightened zombies creating their own utopian community post human extinction. Explore This Prompt Further →

Unearthing Forgotten Loves

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, write about a zombie who stumbles upon his/her/their old diary, reviving forgotten feelings and memories. Explore This Prompt Further →

Zombie Savior

Construct a narrative where zombies are not the antagonists, but the heroes who save mankind. Explore This Prompt Further →

Reviving the Heartbeat

Write about a zombie, who, after years of being lifeless is suddenly back with a beating heart. Explore This Prompt Further →

A Day In Toy’s Life

Write a story from your toy’s perspective about a regular day with you. Explore This Prompt Further →

Bond of Love

Write a heartfelt letter to your favorite toy expressing how much it means to you. Explore This Prompt Further →

Toy Interview

Suppose you could interview your favorite toy. What kind of questions would you ask and how would it respond? Explore This Prompt Further →

Magic Transformation

What if your favorite toy magically turned into a real creature or person? Write a story about it. Explore This Prompt Further →

Toy’s Adventure

Imagine your favorite toy going on an epic adventure. Where would they go? What would they do? Explore This Prompt Further →

Winning the Podrace

Write about the thrilling and dangerous experience of Anakin winning the high-speed and adrenaline-packed podracing. Explore This Prompt Further →

Touched by the Force

Narrate about Anakin discovering he has special powers of the Force and how he learned to use them. Explore This Prompt Further →

A Glimpse of Hope

Describe the moment when Anakin first sees Jedi and dreams of becoming one. Explore This Prompt Further →

Friendship with Droids

Imagine being young Anakin and having your best friend as a droid, how would that friendship influence his feelings towards machines. Explore This Prompt Further →

Living the Space Slave Life

Write a story from the perspective of a young Anakin Skywalker, detailing the hardships and occasional joys of living as a space slave. Explore This Prompt Further →

5. From Ordinary to Executive

Overnight, your high school protagonist finds themselves promoted to a high-stakes executive position. Explore This Prompt Further →

4. Creature Chronicles

Your protagonist discovers that they can see and communicate with mythical creatures no one else can. Describe their experiences. Explore This Prompt Further →

3. Reversing the Curse

Your protagonist is living under a curse they desperately want to reverse. What is the curse, and how does it affect their daily life? Explore This Prompt Further →

2. A World Divided

Craft a story around a dystopian world where society has changed drastically. Your protagonist is a teenager trying to navigate this world. Explore This Prompt Further →

1. The Day Everything Changed

Describe a momentous day in your character’s life when the ordinary became extraordinary and everything they thought they knew was turned on its head. Explore This Prompt Further →

Double Identity Crisis

A teenager leads a double life – one as an ordinary student, and another as a talented secret agent. Explore This Prompt Further →

Post-Apocalyptic Survivor

In a world ravaged by an apocalypse, a young adult must use their ingenuity and strength to survive and find other survivors. Explore This Prompt Further →

New Planet Chronicles

A group of teenagers are the first humans to grow up on a newly colonized planet. Explore This Prompt Further →

Haunted Past

A teen discovers that their new home is haunted by a ghost. Rather than being afraid, they become best friends. Explore This Prompt Further →

High School Reimagined

Imagine a high school where all the typical stereotypes are reversed. Explore This Prompt Further →

Redeemed by Friendship

Write about a villain who reforms due to the positive influence of a friend. Explore This Prompt Further →

Unlikely Allies

Imagine a scenario where your villain has to team up with a hero for a common cause. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Betrayed Villain

Write a scene in which your villain is betrayed by their most trusted friend. Explore This Prompt Further →

Bonding in Their Badness

Craft a scenario where two villains find a common ground and form an alliance. Explore This Prompt Further →

Friends in Low Places

Write a backstory for your villain where they form a treasured friendship that influences their nefarious behavior. Explore This Prompt Further →

Friendships’ Album

Reflect on the dynamics and value of your friendships over the past year. Explore This Prompt Further →

Stepping Stone

Reflect on how your experiences this school year have prepared you for your future. Explore This Prompt Further →

Last Year’s Letter

Imagine you found a letter you wrote to yourself at the beginning of this school year. What would it say, and how would you respond now? Explore This Prompt Further →

The Person I’ve Become

Considering the challenges and triumphs of the past year, write a descriptive piece about the person you have evolved into. Explore This Prompt Further →

Year in Review

Write an essay reflecting on the past school year, highlighting achievements, struggles, and self-improvement. Explore This Prompt Further →

Peering Through The Fear

Describe a time when you were terrified, the outcome, and how you dealt with fear afterwards. Explore This Prompt Further →

Unsaid Goodbye

Write a heartfelt goodbye letter to someone you never had the chance to say farewell to. Explore This Prompt Further →

Journal of Gratitude

Write a daily entry listing three things you’re grateful for and why. Explore This Prompt Further →

Empathy Exercise

Choose a person you struggle to understand or get along with, and write a narrative from their perspective. Explore This Prompt Further →

Mapping Emotional Landscapes

Visualize an emotional journey you’ve had in life and write about it as if it were a physical trip. Explore This Prompt Further →

Wolf in Disguise

Construct a fairytale where a friendly wolf is misunderstood because of its appearance. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Magical Object

Write a story about a magical object that grants wishes, but with unexpected consequences. Explore This Prompt Further →

Once Upon A Dream

Craft a fairytale that begins with the main character waking up from an unusual dream. Explore This Prompt Further →

Journey of the Lost Crown

Imagine you are a prince or princess who has lost their crown and embark on a journey to get it back. Explore This Prompt Further →

Enchanted Forest Adventure

Create a story about a day in an enchanted forest filled with magical creatures. Explore This Prompt Further →

First Vigilante Act

Write about your superhero’s first step into crime-fighting, and their emotions during this crucial phase. Explore This Prompt Further →

Costume Designing Day

Tell the story of your superhero’s decision to create a costume, and describe its significance. Explore This Prompt Further →

Superhero Origin Story

Your superhero isn’t born a hero. Write about the pivotal event that transforms them from an ordinary individual to a savior. Explore This Prompt Further →

Unveiling the Power

Describe the moment your superhero first discovers their superpower. Explore This Prompt Further →

Finding the Name

Write about your superhero discovering their superhero name. Explore This Prompt Further →

Leap Year Chronicle

Pen a short story about an extraordinary event that only happens on the 29th of February. Explore This Prompt Further →

Frozen Fantasy

Describe an encounter with a mythical creature in a February snowstorm. Explore This Prompt Further →

Global Celebration Canvas

Explore a global festival celebrated in February and imagine creating an artistic masterpiece inspired by it. Explore This Prompt Further →

February the Optimist

Create a personification of February and narrate a day in its life. Explore This Prompt Further →

Valentines Voyager

Compose an imaginative piece where you are a love letter written by a secret admirer, journeying to your recipient. Explore This Prompt Further →

Unraveling the Benevolent

Craft a narrative where a revered hero slowly transforms into a villain. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Reluctant Evil

Write about a villain who didn’t choose the path of evil, but had it thrust upon them. Explore This Prompt Further →

Malleable Morality

Script a situation where the villain believes they are the hero. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Unseen Nemesis

Dive into the mind of a villain who is an invisible presence, exerting influence from the shadows. Explore This Prompt Further →

The Sympathetic Villain

Create a fantasy villain with a backstory that evokes sympathy. Explore This Prompt Further →

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Putting the Pieces Together: Tips for Writing Prompts

Writing prompts: the instructions.

A writing prompt in WRIT will ask you to consider the same set of questions each week. The prompt instructions remind you that there are three very important components that should be included in your response for optimal success. Below is the standard prompt instructions that you’ll see each week in WRIT:

Write a multi-paragraph response (in essay format: introduction, body, conclusion) to the article below.

Your response should accurately summarize the author’s main argument AND critically respond to it.

You may choose to agree with the author’s argument, to disagree with it, or to partially agree/disagree with it.

Your essay should also consider at least one objection a reader might have to your argument. You may respond to this objection in different ways. For example, you may argue against the objection, or you may acknowledge that the objection is a good point and incorporate it into your argument. It’s your choice.

Failing to address each of these goals will significantly reduce your ability to respond appropriately and completely to the prompt. Don’t worry, though! In WRIT, you’ll learn how to respond to each of the requirements listed in the instructions above; it will just take a bit of time and practice.

Prompt Writing Guide

When you study a writing prompt closely and use it as the basis for your outline, you will be better equipped to address the goals of your own response. It’s important to do the following when reading and responding to a prompt:

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Prompting is an art. An art that requires not only technical know-how but also an understanding of the language, culture and psychology behind it. Writing AI prompts is a different process than writing for humans, in that you must take into consideration not only the content but how the AI should interpret it.

You need to ensure that the AI generator that you're working with understands the intent of your prompts. This means talking in the language of the AI and using keywords that it understands. For example, Midjourney requires you to give it attributes using "--" characters. Similarly, there's a negative prompt box in Stable Diffusion that requires you to enter attributes that you don't want associated with your prompts.

But all this can be made easy using an AI prompt generator that is pre-trained with a list of keywords that the AI can use to interpret your prompts. This allows you to create more effective prompts by ensuring the AI understands and interprets them correctly.

But for those who're new to prompting, here's a guide to help you write AI prompts that are more effective.

What Is AI Prompting?

AI prompting is a process by which you provide generic textual input to an AI generator, which then uses this input to generate a unique output (text, image, sound, video, or other media). Typically, this is done with the use of keywords and phrases that help the AI understand what kind of output it should create.. By using various Natural Language Processing techniques, the AI generator can interpret and reformat your input to create something that is not only unique but also more meaningful.

Steps For Writing Effective AI Prompts

Learning to write AI Prompts is similar to learning any new language. It requires that you understand the syntax, structure, and intent of your input in order for it to be interpreted correctly. To help you out, here are some steps that will ensure your prompts are more effective:

Read the AI generator's documentation and familiarise yourself with the interface and terminology.
Brainstorm words, phrases, and ideas related to what you want your AI generator to produce.
Group these words into themes or topics that are appropriate for the AI generator's output.
Use keywords in combination with natural language to create your prompts, making sure they include actions and context that the AI generator can interpret.
Test your prompts on the AI generator to see how they are interpreted and adjust accordingly.

Tips For Writing Effective AI Prompts

When it comes to writing effective AI prompts, there are a few tips that you should keep in mind. Here are some of the best practices to help ensure your prompts generate the desired outcome:

Be concise and specific with your prompts. The more detailed and precise your input is, the more accurate the output will be. But ensure you do not overcomplicate the prompt, either.
Use keywords that the AI generator will recognise. This will help the AI understand the intent behind your prompts and improve its accuracy. For example, text-to-image AI generators like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney prefer when you mention the artist or photographer style you want to use in your output.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different wording, syntax, and keywords to see how they are interpreted by the AI generator and make adjustments accordingly.
Test your prompts before using them in production. Testing helps you identify any issues with your prompts and make necessary changes before deploying them.

Remember, the success of your AI generator depends on the quality of your input. So take your time to craft each prompt carefully and test it thoroughly.

How To Use An AI Prompt Generator?

An AI prompt generator is a pre-trained system that helps you quickly generate effective prompts for AI generators. It uses a list of pre-defined phrases and keywords to generate meaningful prompts that your AI generator can interpret accurately.

For example, if you're looking to generate ChatGPT Prompts, you can use the ChatGPT Prompt Generator to quickly generate prompts that will be understood by the AI generator. Similarly, for Midjourney, you can use the Midjourney Prompt generator to easily generate prompts in its specific language.

And don't just use the AI prompt generator to generate prompts. You can even use these generated prompts to learn more about the syntax and language of the AI generator. This will help you craft better prompts in the future.

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What is a Prompt in Writing an Essay

Table of contents

Essay prompts are typically a trigger for ideas regarding a topic or issue. It is something professors give students to get them to respond by writing an essay paper.

They are usually made up of 1 to 3 sentences giving some background on the topic, followed by a question. But the truth is that there are no rules or formats to a writing prompt, and it can be made up of anything.

It can be a single word or even an image, and it is all up to the student’s interpretation of what they should write about. However, students are still expected to give well-formulated opinions supported by logical reasoning and facts from texts.

After all, the reason behind a college-level essay prompt is to test a student’s writing, reasoning, and critical thinking skills. That’s why to get an excellent score for your essay; you need to start by understanding the essay prompt.

How Do you Analyze a Writing Prompt

While great writing skills depend on time and practice to develop, how to analyze your writing prompt is an easy skill you can learn by the end of this guide.

All too often, good students receive a poor writing grades because they misunderstood the task and cannot successfully respond to the essay prompt.

Knowing what to write is not just a matter of comprehension but instead of dissecting the prompt quickly to formulate the answer needed to address the question.

X Questions to Ask Yourself while Reading

1. what is the purpose of the prompt.

Why are you writing? When reading through your prompt, it’s essential to understand your subject and overall goal . Does the prompt want you to take a stand on an issue, or does it require you to compare two concepts?

Only after you’ve identified the purpose of the prompt do you start brainstorming what kind of details or arguments your essay needs and the points that would make a strong paragraph.

2. Highlight important keywords

Sometimes your prompt may have more than one requirement. When reading your prompt, highlight directive words in the statement like analyze, describe, argue, etc.

Each of these keywords has a different meaning and calls for writing different types of essays.

For example, if your prompt asks you to analyze. Then, the idea is to write an analytical essay where you will need to break down the topic into its component parts and discuss each element and its relationship.

In fact, here are some of the most common keywords you should watch out for:

Argue - Present facts and reasonings that support your opinion;
Compare - Identify the similarities and differences between two or more ideas;
Contrast - Show the differences between two or more ideas;
Criticize - Make judgments and evaluations with analytical support;
Define - Give meaning to a specific concept or subject (may provide multiple definitions or an explanation of how it differs from others in the same category);
Describe - Give a detailed account of an event or characteristics of a specific person, place, or item (include sensory details to make it more engaging);
Discuss - Explain the various aspects of a topic or issue, and come to a conclusion;
Explain - Show cause and effect relationship by providing relevant details;
Prove - Show the truth of a statement using logic or experimentation;
Predict - Tell what you think will happen in the future with supporting evidence.

There are many more, and you can see more directive keywords and their explanations here.

Besides, there are times when the assignment does not explicitly state the task or use these keywords. In such cases, you need to look at the overall prompt to find the intention.

Take this essay prompt, for example:

Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton have differing views on the study of social systems. Discuss.

Here, instead of just explaining the various aspects of Parsons and Merton’s views, the word differing would also suggest the need to compare their two views.

3. Who is the audience of the essay

Who will read your writing? Some prompts will identify a specific audience , like asking you to write an essay for a parenting magazine or pretend you are telling the story to your friend.

When addressing a specific audience, always keep them in mind to inform your writing tone and style. In the scenario where a prompt does not identify an audience, assume that you are writing to your professor.

4. Are there any limits in the prompt

When analyzing your essay prompt, watch out for any limiting words that keep you focused on a particular aspect.

Some essay questions may give you special instructions, like asking you to discuss how the pandemic is affecting people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Follow these restrictions when formulating your arguments and evidence.

In some instances, you may even want to create your own limits. Because let’s say if you were to write an essay on the state of gender equality in Southeast Asia. It may be better to focus on one country, given that the situation can be very different between two countries like Singapore and Indonesia.

How to Answer an Essay Prompt

After you have analyzed your prompt, it’s time to brainstorm and plan for your essay writing.

First, develop a thesis statement to answer the overall question . Your thesis statement is your stance on the topic and should be the central idea of your whole essay.

Next, develop simple topic sentences to other aspects of your essay prompt, like reasons and examples, to make sure you cover all the requirements. Now organize them into an outline, and add facts, elaborations, and evidence to support your opinion to build a more substantial essay.

Once you are done, you can expand your writing and connect each sentence and paragraph with smooth transitions . Make sure you use an engaging hook in your introductory paragraph and summarize your ideas and thesis statement as a conclusion.

A quick tip if you are writing a timed essay --- you can practice writing against time by regularly answering different essay prompts. It will hone your analytical and writing skills while getting you comfortable with completing an essay within the time limit.

Often, essay questions are inspired by current events. So keeping up with mainstream news and happenings will let you know what is going around in the world and give you better ideas to discuss in your essay.

3 Examples of Writing Prompts

To truly help you understand what a prompt is in writing an essay, here’re some quick examples of college essay topics and how you should tackle them:

1. Identity is a set of qualities, beliefs, and expressions that make a person or group. Describe a facet of your identity, background, or story that is essential to who you are.

For this essay, you need to approach it with a combination of expository and narrative writing. While the only directive keyword here is “describe”, the essay prompt also has a statement talking about the concept of identity.

So set forth to explore the meaning of both personal and group identity. Use your personal narrative to investigate the concept of identity and explain clearly how qualities, beliefs, and expressions have shaped an essential part of who you are.

2. Recreational marijuana should be legal in all 50 states.

For this essay prompt, you need to take a stand. Do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana nationwide, or do you think it should be up to the state jurisdiction?

Whether you are for or against the cause, you need to build the strongest argument possible to win your readers over. Do some research on the topic and try to understand both sides of the issue. Because while you want to showcase your specific passions and reasonings behind your stance, a good persuasive essay shows why the writer’s opinion is correct and the problem with the opposing view.

3. Describe a problem you’ve solved in the past. It can be a challenging event, an ethical dilemma, or anything of personal importance. Explain its significance to you and what are the steps you took to identify a solution.

For college application essays, the goal is to show admission officers who you are apart from your grades and test score. That’s why your answer to this question should focus on standing out from the crowd .

While choosing your challenging event may be a defining factor, it is never about how big a problem you overcame. Instead, colleges are looking at how the situation has shaped you. So demonstrate introspection and reflection in your college essay ; show the thought process of how you realize the problem and find a solution to solve it.

If there is one takeaway, you should always start by analyzing your writing prompt before you begin writing.

And with that, we hope you have a better understanding of what a prompt is in writing an essay and the proper ways to analyze and answer them.

Next, let’s move on to learning about how to write a good introduction.

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How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

Make a claim
Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
Cite data to support your claim
Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
Highlight the problems with this position
Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

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

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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8 Ways to Create AI-Proof Writing Prompts

C reating 100 percent AI-proof writing prompts can often be impossible but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies that can limit the efficacy of AI work. These techniques can also help ensure more of the writing submitted in your classroom is human-generated.

I started seeing a big uptick in AI-generated work submitted in my classes over the last year and that has continued. As a result, I’ve gotten much better at recognizing AI work , but I’ve also gotten better at creating writing prompts that are less AI-friendly.

Essentially, I like to use the public health Swiss cheese analogy when thinking about AI prevention: All these strategies on their own have holes but when you layer the cheese together, you create a barrier that’s hard to get through.

The eight strategies here may not prevent students from submitting AI work, but I find these can incentivize human writing and make sure that any work submitted via AI will not really meet the requirements of the assignment.

1. Writing AI-Proof Prompts: Put Your Prompt Into Popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Bard

Putting your writing prompt into an AI tools will give you an immediate idea of how most AI tools will handle your prompt. If the various AI chatbots do a good, or at least adequate, job immediately, it might be wise to tweak the prompt.

One of my classes asks students to write about a prized possession. When you put this prompt into an AI chatbot, it frequently returns an essay about a family member's finely crafted watch. Obviously, I now watch out for any essays about watches.

2. Forbid Cliché Use

Probably the quickest and easiest way to cut back on some AI use is to come down hard on cliché use in writing assignments. AI tools are essentially cliché machines, so banning these can prevent a lot of AI use.

Equally as important, this practice will help your students become better writers. As any good writer knows, clichés should be avoided like the plague.

3. Incorporate Recent Events

The free version of ChatGPT only has access to events up to 2022. While there are plugins to allow it to search the internet and other internet-capable AI tools, some students won’t get further than ChatGPT.

More importantly, in my experience, all AI tools struggle to incorporate recent events as effectively as historic ones. So connecting class material and assignments to events such as a recent State of Union speech or the Academy Awards will make any AI writing use less effective.

4. Require Quotes

AI tools can incorporate direct quotations but most are not very good at doing so. The quotes used tend to be very short and not as well-placed within essays.

Asking an AI tool for recent quotes also can be particularly problematic for today’s robot writers. For instance, I asked Microsoft's Copilot to summarize the recent Academy Awards using quotes, and specifically asked it to quote from Oppenheimer's director Christopher Nolan’s acceptance speech. It quoted something Nolan had previously said instead. Copilot also quoted from Wes Anderson’s acceptance speech, an obvious error since Anderson wasn’t at the awards .

5. Make Assignments Personal

Having students reflect on material in their own lives can be a good way to prevent AI writing. In-person teachers can get to know their students well enough to know when these types of personal details are fabricated.

I teach online but still find it easier to tell when a more personalized prompt was written by AI. For example, one student submitted a paper about how much she loved skateboarding that was so non-specific it screamed AI written. Another submitted a post about a pair of sneakers that was also clearly written by a "sole-less" AI (I could tell because of the clichés and other reasons).

6. Make Primary or Scholarly Sources Mandatory

Requiring sources that are not easily accessible on the internet can stop AI writing in its tracks. I like to have students find historic newspapers for certain assignments. The AI tools I am familiar with can’t incorporate these.

For instance, I asked Copilot to compare coverage of the first Academy Awards in the media to the most recent awards show and to include quotes from historic newspaper coverage. The comparison was not well done and there were no quotes from historical newspaper coverage.

AI tools also struggle to incorporate journal articles. Encouraging your students to include these types of sources ensures the work they produce is deeper than something that can be revealed by a quick Google search, which not only makes it harder for AI to write but also can raise the overall quality.

7. Require Interviews, Field Trips, Etc.

Building on primary and scholarly sources, you can have your students conduct interviews or go on field trips to historic sites, museums, etc.

AI is still, thankfully, incapable of engaging in these types of behavior. This requires too much work for every assignment but it is the most effective way to truly ensure your work is human- not computer-written.

If you’re still worried about AI use, you can even go a step further by asking your students to include photos of them with their interview subjects or from the field trips. Yes, AI art generators are getting better as well, but remember the Swiss cheese analogy? Every layer of prevention can help.

8. Have Students Write During Class

As I said to start, none of the methods discussed are foolproof. Many ways around these safeguards already exist and there will be more ways to bypass these in the future. So if you’re really, really worried about AI use you may want to choose what I call the “nuclear option.” If you teach in person you can require students to write essays in person.

This approach definitely works for preventing AI and is okay for short pieces, but for longer pieces, it has a lot of downsides. I would have trouble writing a long piece in this setting and imagine many students will as well. Additionally, this requirement could create an accusatory class atmosphere that is more focused on preventing AI use than actually teaching. It’s also not practical for online teaching.

That all being said, given how common AI writing has become in education, I understand why some teachers will turn to this method. Hopefully, suggestions 1-7 will work but if AI-generated papers are still out of hand in your classroom, this is a blunt-force method that can work temporarily.

Good luck and may your assignments be free of AI writing!

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How to Create a Writing Prompt: Step-by-Step

Learn how to create a writing prompt that works using step-by-step in our guide.

Writer’s block can be a serious problem for many writers. Even the best writing has to come from somewhere, and when you are struggling to get started, you will feel frustrated. Learning how to create a writing prompt will help you get your creative writing ideas flowing, so you can get past your writer’s block and start writing engaging, effective content.

If you find it challenging to start writing while staring at a blank page, this guide will teach you how to create a writing prompt that will help. Whether you’re writing an essay or a short story, use these steps to generate creative writing prompts .

Step 1: Try Free Writing

Step 2: expand on an idea, step 3: change the point of view, step 4: start with a quote, step 5: explore your favorite place, step 6: use images or objects, step 7: choose a generic writing prompt, step 8: use your writing prompt.

If you’re stuck, consider some free writing. Grab a piece of paper and write down anything that comes to your mind. As you brainstorm, you will see your creative juices start flowing.

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is a funny story about a family member from last Christmas, or maybe it’s an expository essay you just read on a political topic. Just write it down and write down as many thoughts on that topic as you can, and you might pull a writing prompt from the mix. Don’t know how to copyright your book? Check out our guide on how to copyright a book . You can also check out our other how-to articles by typing “how to” in our search bar.

After brainstorming, look at your list. Does any particular idea stand out? Ask questions about that idea to expand on it.

One of the best ways to do this is to ask “what if” questions. With your idea, ask “what if” something happened a different way. This will help you generate your own writing prompts just from the ideas already in your head. Stuck? Read our list of brainstorming tips .

If you have a writing idea from a particular fairy tale or book, consider changing the point of view. Could you tell the story of Sleeping Beauty but from the evil queen’s point of view?

This writing exercise works for middle school and high school students and adults, and it often comes up with some interesting finished products. By changing the point of view, you can look at a well-known story in a completely different light. Learn more about first versus third person

Maybe you don’t have a fleshed-out idea to use. Instead, take a favorite quote and use it as the first line of your essay or story. Let your writing skills shine as you take that quote and turn it into something interesting.

This option can be a great way to create persuasive writing prompts. Grab a list of quotes designed to persuade, and transform them into something great. Check out our quotes about writing .

If you are still stuck, consider writing about your favorite place or a place you go regularly, like the grocery store. Use all of your sensory words to describe this place. Talk about what you hear, see, smell, feel and even taste while you walk through it.

This type of real-life writing can be very powerful, and it can be a great story starter. Give the writer the prompt to explore their favorite place, then write a narrative or expository essay that involves that place. The opportunities for creativity are endless. If you are just starting your writing career you might find our guide on how to write a personal essay helpful to kickstart your journey! You can also check out our other how-to articles by typing “how to” in our search bar.

Instead of using words, consider making a writing prompt out of an image or even an object. Collect images, old postcards or physical objects, and present these as the prompt.

The key to this type of writing is to create a story or essay about that object. It requires imaginative thinking to determine where the object came from and what it might have meant. You can take this a step further by blindfolding the writers and asking them to experience the object using their other senses, then put the object away and let them write.

Sometimes, a one-line, generic writing prompt is all you need to start generating ideas. Some thoughts include:

I want to…
I know that…
What I fail to notice is…
I wonder…
I am looking for…

These options are great for personal writing, as they ask the writer to dig into their own ideas and thoughts.

Now that you’ve explored some ideas, you are ready to start creating the prompt . Keep it short, simple, and open-ended. The goal is to provide yourself or a writing group with an idea they can expand on for their writing time.

The length of a good prompt varies. You can keep it very short, one sentence or opening phrase, or provide the foundation for a story that the writer expounds upon. The key is to leave enough to the imagination that the writer can express themselves more easily.

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT isn't the only one worth trying

Since the launch of ChatGPT , AI chatbots have been all of the rave because of their ability to do such a wide range of tasks which can help you with both your personal and work life. At your command, AI chatbots can write code , compose emails, draft a report, generate art , write Excel formulas for you , and much more.

However, because ChatGPT reached worldwide recognition , competitors were motivated to make their own versions, and, as a result, there are so many options on the market to choose from with different strengths, use cases, difficulty levels, and other nuances.

Also: The best AI image generators: Tested and reviewed

For the last year and a half, I have taken a deep dive into the world of AI, testing as many AI tools as I could get my hands on--including dozens of AI chatbots. Using my findings, as well as those of other ZDNET AI experts, I put together a list of the best AI chatbots and AI writers on the market.

The list details everything you need to know before choosing your next AI assistant, including what it's best for, pros, cons, cost, its large language model (LLM), and more. So whether you are entirely new to AI chatbots, or have used plenty before, this list should help you discover a new chatbot you haven't used before.

What is the best AI chatbot right now?

Thanks to its sourcing abilities, free internet access, and advanced LLM model, Microsoft Copilot is my first choice for the best AI chatbot. Keep reading to see how its features compare to others like ChatGPT, You.com, and more.

The best AI chatbots of 2024

Microsoft copilot, best ai chatbot overall.

Access to the internet
Links back to sources
Uses OpenAI's most advanced LLM
Grounded in Bing

Copilot f eatures: OpenAI's most advanced LLM, GPT-4 Turbo | Has access to the internet | Works like a search engine with information on current events | Free

In February last year, Microsoft unveiled a new AI-improved Bing, now known as Copilot, which runs on GPT-4 Turbo, the newest version of OpenAI's language model systems. As of May 4 of last year, Copilot moved from limited preview to open preview, meaning that now everyone can access it for free.

Also: What is Copilot (formerly Bing Chat)? Here's everything you need to know

When I use a chatbot, I typically reach for Copilot because I found that it solved two major issues with ChatGPT, including access to current events and linking back to the sources it retrieved its answer for free. It is also the only way to access OpenAI's most advanced LLM--GPT-4 Turbo--for free.

Copilot is free to use and offers a series of other features that make it an attractive alternative, including multi-modal inputs, image generation within the chatbot, and a standalone app.

Best original AI chatbot

Writing skills
STEM knowledge
Conversational
Not always available
Not connected to the internet

ChatGPT features: Uses OpenAI's GPT-3.5 or GPT-4 (if subscribed) | Can generate text, solve math problems, and code | Impressive conversation capabilities | Free to the public right now

ChatGPT is a conversational AI chatbot by OpenAI that can produce text for you based on any prompt you input, generating emails, essays, poems, grocery lists, letters, and much more.

In addition to writing for you, ChatGPT can chat with you about simple or complex topics such as "What are colors?" or "What is the meaning of life?" If you want other technical assistance, ChatGPT is also proficient in STEM and can write and debug code , and even solve complex math equations.

Also: How to use ChatGPT

ChatGPT was released November 2022, and because of its massive success , it became the blueprint for many other chatbots to enter the scene, with many being found on the list now. Therefore, if you are interested in AI chatbots, you'll likely want to try the original that began the craze -- ChatGPT.

The downsides of the chatbot include that it is sometimes at capacity due to its immense popularity, doesn't have access to the internet, and has a knowledge cutoff.

I still reach for ChatGPT as, despite its limitations, it is an incredibly capable chatbot. However, when I do, I make sure that my queries do not rely on the most recent information to be accurate. For example, some good use cases to use ChatGPT for are brainstorming text or coding.

Anthrophic's Claude

Best ai chatbot for summarizing documents.

Upload document support
Chat controls
Light and dark mode
Unclear usage cap
Knowledge cutoff

Claude features: Powered by Claude 3 model family | Accepts document uploads | Trained with information up to early 2023 | Free

Anthropic launched its first AI assistant, Claude, in February 2023, and in less than a year, it has secured a spot as one of the best chatbots in the space. Like the other leading competitors, Anthropic can conversationally answer prompts with anything you need assistance with, including coding, math, writing, research, and more.

Also: 4 things Claude AI can do that ChatGPT can't

Personally, the biggest advantage of this chatbot is that it can accept document uploads to help read, analyze, and summarize uploaded files. To upload a file, all I had to do was click on the paper clip icon next to the text box and click on the document I wanted to upload. Then, I was able to conversationally ask for the help I wanted with the document, including document summaries or clarifications on specific topics found within the document.

Also: This free tool from Anthropic helps you create better prompts for your AI chatbot

Claude is in free open beta, and, as a result, has context window and daily message limits which can vary based on demand, so if you are looking to use the chatbot regularly, upgrading to Claude Pro may be a better option, as it offers at least five times the usage limits compared to the free version for $20 a month.

Perplexity.ai

The best ai chatbot for prompt ideation.

Links to sources
Access to internet
Paid subscription required for GPT-4 access
some irrelevant suggestions

Perplexity AI features: OpenAI GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 for subscribers | Has access to the internet and current events | Provides prompt suggestions to get chats started | Free

Perplexity AI is a free AI chatbot that is connected to the internet, provides sources, and has a very enjoyable UI. As soon as you visit the site , using the chatbot is straightforward. All you have to do is type your prompt into the "ask anything" box to get started. The first time I ever visited this chatbot, I was able to get started within seconds.

On top of the text box, the chatbot states, "Where knowledge begins," and the title could not be more fitting.

Also: ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?

As soon as you click on the textbox, it has a series of suggested prompts which are all mostly rooted in news. It also has suggested prompts underneath the box on a variety of evergreen topics. All you have to do is click on any of the suggestions to learn more about the topic and chat about it. Additionally, Perplexity provides related topic questions you can click on to keep the conversation going.

Because of the extensive prompts it gives users to try, this is a great chatbot for taking deep dives into topics that you wouldn't have necessarily thought of before, encouraging discovery and experimentation. I personally deep dove into a couple of random topics myself, including the history of birthday cakes, and I enjoyed every second of it.

Other perks include that there is an app for both iOS and Android, allowing you to also tinker with the chatbot while you're on the go, footnotes are provided after every answer with sources you can visit and the answers nearly always include photos and graphics.

Best AI chatbot for businesses and marketers

50 different writing templates
Copyediting features
Plagiarism checker
Need a subscription to try

Jasper features: Uses different LLMs, including GPT-4 | Summarizes texts and generates paragraphs and product descriptions | Checks for plagiarism and grammar | Starts at $39 per month with an annual subscription

Jasper is a tool exclusively meant for users who are looking to incorporate an AI chatbot into their workflow because there is no free plan, and you can't access the chatbot otherwise. For example, when I tried using it myself, I was met with dead ends unless I subscribed. The least expensive option, the Creator plan, is geared towards freelancers and solo-preneurs and is $49 a month. However, if you rely on an AI chatbot to generate copy for your business, the investment may be worth it.

Also: ChatGPT vs. Copilot: Which AI chatbot is better for you?

With Jasper, you can input a prompt for what you want to be written, and it will write it for you, just like ChatGPT would. The major difference with Jasper is that it has an extensive amount of tools to produce better copy. Jasper can check for grammar and plagiarism and write in over 50 different templates, including blog posts, Twitter threads, video scripts, and more. It also offers SEO insights and can even remember your brand voice, facilitating the creation of copy.

Whether you are an individual, small team, or larger business looking into optimizing your workflow, before you take the plunge, you can access a trial or demo.

Best AI chatbot that functions as a search engine

Readily available
Source Citing
Some answers stronger than others
Subscription required for GPT-4 access

You.com features: GPT-4 with subscription | Lists sources for the text it generates | Unlike most other Chatbots, uses Google sources | Free

You.com (previously known as YouChat) is an AI assistant that functions similarly to the way a search engine would. Like Google, you can enter any question, or topic you'd like to learn information on, and immediately be met with real-time web results, in addition to a conversational response.

For example, when I asked, "Can you share some pictures of adorable dog breeds?" the chatbot provided six different web links, as well as the seven different pictures it pulled from the web, a conversational answer and related news, as seen in the photo.

The chatbot can also provide technical assistance, with answers to anything you input, including math, coding, translating, and writing prompts. A huge pro for this chatbot is that, because it lacks popularity, you can hop on at any time and ask away.

Chatsonic by Writesonic

Best ai chatbot for article writers.

Variety of use cases
Need to sign-in
A bit of a lag

Chatsonic features: Powered by GPT-3.5. or GPT-4 depending on subscription | Aware of current events, whereas ChatGPT is trained up to 2021 | Extensive feature suite, including voice dictation and image generation | Starts at $12 per month

Chatsonic is a dependable AI chatbot, with a function as an AI writing tool. It functions much like ChatGPT, allowing users to input prompts for assistance on a variety of tasks. However, it includes the ability to web search, generate images, and access PDF assistance, which ChatGPT lacks.

The Writesonic platform offers tools that are specifically meant to help generate stories, including Instant Article Writer, which generates an article from a single click; Article Rewriter, which rephrases existing content; and Article Writer 5, which generates articles using ranking competitors.

Other tools that facilitate the creation of articles include SEO Checker and Optimizer, AI Editor, Content Rephraser, Paragraph Writer, and more. There is a free version, which gets you access to some of the features; however, there is a 50 generations per day limit. The monthly cost starts at $12 per month but goes all the way up to $250 per month depending on the number of words and amount of users needed.

Gemini (formerly Google Bard)

Best ai chatbot if you're a loyal google user.

Access to Google
Good text editing skills
Can't help much with code

Gemini features: Powered by a finetuned version of Gemini Pro | Includes a "Google it" feature | Generates clear text and images quickly | Free

Gemini is Google's conversational AI chatbot that functions the most similarly to Copilot, sourcing its answers from the web, providing footnotes, and even generating images within its chatbot. Since its initial release in March 2023, the chatbot has undergone several upgrades, with the latest version being the most optimized it has ever been.

Also: What is Google's Gemini AI tool (formerly Bard)? Everything you need to know

The highlight of this chatbot is that it is rooted in Google technology, search engines, and applications, and if you are a loyal Google user, you will feel familiar with the chatbot's UI and its offerings. For example, unlike most of the chatbots on this list, Google does not use an LLM in the GPT series but instead uses a model made by Google.

"Gemini is slowly becoming a full Google experience thanks to Extensions folding the wide range of Google applications into Gemini," said ZDNET writer Maria Diaz when reviewing the chatbot. "Gemini users can add extensions for Google Workspace, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Flights, and Google Hotels, giving them a more personalized and extensive experience."

If you subscribe to Google's new 'AI Premium Plan,' you not only get access to the most advanced Google models in Gemini, such as Ultra 1.0, but you also get access to Gemini for Workspace, previously known as Duet AI, which infuses Google's AI assistance throughout its productivity apps, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet.

Socratic by Google

Best ai chatbot for kids and students.

Educational
Easy to use
Doesn't write text
No desktop version

Socratic features: From Google | Type in any question to generate a response | Includes fun graphics | Supports scanning worksheets to get a specially curated answer | Free

If you want your child to also take advantage of AI to lighten their workload, but still have some limits, Socratic is for you. With Socratic, children can type in any question they may have about what they are learning in school, and Socratic will generate a conversational, human-like response with fun, unique graphics to help break down the concept.

"It's a powerful studying tool that could help students double-check their homework, or get across the last hurdle if a question or formula just isn't making sense. And using the app is as easy as using Snapchat or talking to Siri," said former ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani, when reviewing the app.

The app, available on the App Store and the Google App Store, also has a feature that lets your kid scan their worksheet to get a specially curated answer. The app does have some limitations; for example, it will not just write an essay or story when prompted. However, this could be a positive thing because it curbs your child's temptation to get a chatbot, like ChatGPT, to write their essay for them.

HuggingChat

Best open-source chatbot.

Cutomizable
Intermediate/advanced skills requires
Required to create an account

Socratic features: Clean, Chat-GPT inspired interface | entirely customizable | great for developers or AI fanatics | secure alternative | Free

As seen by the list above, plenty of great chatbot options are on the market. However, if you are on the search for a chatbot that serves your use case specifically, you can always build an entirely customizable new one. HuggingChat is an open-source chatbot developed by Hugging Face that can be used as a regular chatbot or customized for your needs.

Also : Want to build your own AI chatbot? Say hello to open-source HuggingChat

As ZDNET's David Gewirtz unpacked in his hands-on article , you may not want to depend on HuggingChat as your go-to primary chatbot. However, it is a good interface to build your own chatbot on. As Gewirtz said himself: "If you want something that you control, you can use HuggingChat to build a chatbot where you have visibility into every aspect of its functioning. You can choose to make that chatbot available online to other users and provide transparency to all users."

What is the best AI chatbot?

The best overall AI chatbot is Copilot due to its exceptional performance, versatility, and free availability. It uses OpenAI's cutting-edge GPT-4 language model, making it highly proficient in various language tasks, including writing, summarization, translation, and conversation. Moreover, it works like a search engine with information on current events.

Another advantage of Copilot is its availability to the public at no cost. Despite its immense popularity, Copilot remains free, making it an incredible resource for students, writers, and professionals who need a reliable and free AI chatbot.

Although there are occasional capacity blocks, OpenAI is working on releasing a professional version of ChatGPT that will be quicker and always accessible at a monthly cost.

Which AI chatbot is right for you?

While Copliot is my personal favorite, your use case may be hyper-specific or have certain demands. If you need a constant, reliable AI chatbot, other alternatives might be better suited for you. If you just want an AI chatbot that produces clean, reliable, business-ready copy, for example, then Jasper is for you. If you want to play around with an AI chatbot that isn't always at capacity, YouChat might be the best option.

Lastly, if there is a child in your life, Socratic might be worth checking out. See our breakdown below:

Factors to consider when choosing a chatbot

Since there are so many chatbots on the market, picking the right one can get confusing. Some factors to consider to help narrow down those options are:

Large Language Model (LLM)
Knowledge cutoff
Access to the internet
Linking to sources
Best use cases

How did I choose these AI chatbots?

In order to curate the list of best AI chatbots and AI writers, I looked at the capabilities of each individual program including the individual uses each program would excel at. As an AI reporter, I was also sure to test each one myself. Other factors I looked at were reliability, availability, and cost.

Individual use case: AI chatbots have many use cases, often acting as a tool for productivity and easier workflow. I included a variety that can serve as ideation, education, and content creation tools.
Reliability: I kept information accuracy a priority during my testing.
Availability : ChatGPT is popular, but not always available. I selected alternatives that don't have a user limit and are available at all times.
Cost: Many of these AI programs are free, but some require monthly memberships. I included a mix of both, keeping budget-friendliness in mind.

What is an AI chatbot?

An AI chatbot (also called AI writer) refers to a type of artificial intelligence-powered program that is capable of generating written content from a user's input prompt. AI chatbots are capable of writing anything from a rap song to an essay upon a user's request. The extent of what each chatbot is specifically able to write about depends on its individual capabilities including whether it is connected to a search engine or not.

How do AI chatbots work?

AI chatbots use language models to train the AI to produce human-like responses. Some are connected to the web and that is how they have up-to-date information, while others depend solely on the information they are trained with.

How much do AI chatbots cost?

AI chatbot programs vary in cost with some being entirely free and others costing as much as $600 a month. Many like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and YouChat are entirely free to use.

What is the difference between an AI chatbot and an AI writer?

The main difference between an AI chatbot and an AI writer is the type of output they generate and their primary function.

In the past, an AI writer was used specifically to generate written content, such as articles, stories, or poetry, based on a given prompt or input. An AI writer's output is in the form of written text that mimics human-like language and structure. On the other hand, an AI chatbot is designed to conduct real-time conversations with users in text or voice-based interactions. The primary function of an AI chatbot is to answer questions, provide recommendations, or even perform simple tasks, and its output is in the form of text-based conversations.

While the terms AI chatbot and AI writer are now used interchangeably by some, the original distinction was that an AI writer was used for generating written content, while an AI chatbot was used for conversational purposes. However, with the introduction of more advanced AI technology, such as ChatGPT, the line between the two has become increasingly blurred. Some AI chatbots are now capable of generating text-based responses that mimic human-like language and structure, similar to an AI writer.

Read more about the best tools for your business and the right tools when building your business !

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Aws launches generative ai competency to grade ai offerings, this free tool from anthropic helps you create better prompts for your ai chatbot, you can now make your own custom copilot gpt. here's how.

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Student Opinion

310 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

Breanna Campbell and Nathaniel Esubonteng, in “Vote 16” sweatshirts, are interviewed by a television reporter at Newark City Hall.

By Natalie Proulx

Does social media harm young people’s mental health? Do video games deserve the bad rap they often get? Should parents track their children? Who is the greatest athlete of all time?

Every school day, we publish new questions for students based on the news of the day, including prompts, like these, that inspire persuasive writing.

Below, we’ve rounded up over 300 of those argumentative prompts, organized by topic, all in one place. They cover everything from parenting and schools to music and social media. Each one, drawn from our Student Opinion column , links to a free New York Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You can use these prompts however you like, whether to inspire an entry for our new Open Letter Contest , to hone your persuasive writing skills or simply to share your opinions on the issues of today. So scroll through the list below and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

If you enjoy these questions, know that you can find all of our argumentative writing prompts, as they publish, here . Students 13 and up from anywhere in the world are invited to comment.

Argumentative Prompt Topics

Technology and social media, college, work and money, health and relationships, gender and race, arts and entertainment, parenting and childhood, government and politics, animals, science and time.

Social Media

1. Does Social Media Harm Young People’s Mental Health? 2. How Much Should Speech Be Moderated on Social Media? 3. Should the United States Ban TikTok? 4. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 5. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 6. What Should Be Done to Protect Children Online? 7. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 8. Are You a Fan of ‘School Accounts’ on Social Media? 9. Will Social Media Help or Hurt Your College and Career Goals? 10. Is It Ever OK to Use Strangers as Content for Social Media?

Phones and Devices

11. Should More Teenagers Ditch Their Smartphones? 12. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 13. Should Phones Ever Be a Part of Family or Holiday Gatherings? 14. What Are Your Texting Dos and Don’ts? 15. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 16. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 17. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 18. How Young Is Too Young for an Apple Watch?

The Internet

19. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 20. How Excited Are You About the Metaverse? 21. Should Websites Force Users to Prove How Old They Are? 22. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 23. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 24. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 25. Do You Think Online Conspiracy Theories Can Be Dangerous? 26. Does Technology Make Us More Alone?

School Discipline and Attendance

27. Should Schools Ban Cellphones? 28. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 29. What Are Your Thoughts on Uniforms and Strict Dress Codes? 30. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 31. How Can Schools Engage Students Who Are at Risk of Dropping Out? 32. Should Students Be Allowed to Miss School for Mental Health Reasons? 33. Should Your School Day Start Later? 34. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 35. Do Kids Need Recess? 36. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money?

School Quality and Effectiveness

37. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 38. Do Schools Need to Do More to Hold Students Accountable? 39. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 40. Should Students Have the Same Teachers Year After Year? 41. Do Teachers Assign Too Much Homework? 42. Should We Get Rid of Homework? 43. Should We Eliminate Gifted and Talented Programs? 44. Is It Time to Get Rid of Timed Tests? 45. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 46. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 47. Does Your School Need More Money? 48. Do School Employees Deserve More Respect — and Pay? 49. Should Public Preschool Be a Right for All Children?

Teaching and Learning

50. Do You Think We Need to Change the Way Math Is Taught? 51. Should Financial Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 52. Should Schools Teach Students Kitchen and Household Skills? 53. Do We Need Better Music Education? 54. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 55. What Is the Purpose of Teaching U.S. History? 56. Do Schools Need to Do More to Support Visual Thinkers? 57. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 58. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 59. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 60. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 61. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 62. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 63. How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language

Technology in School

64. How Should Schools Respond to ChatGPT? 65. Does Learning to Be a Good Writer Still Matter in the Age of A.I.? 66. Is Online Learning Effective? 67. Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests? 68. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 69. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 70. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 71. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 72. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 73. Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?

Education Politics

74. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 75. Should Students Learn About Climate Change in School? 76. Should Teachers Provide Trigger Warnings for ‘Traumatic Content’? 77. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 78. What Do You Think About Efforts to Ban Books From School Libraries? 79. What Is Your Reaction to the Growing Fight Over What Young People Can Read? 80. What Do You Think About the Controversy Surrounding the New A.P. Course on African American Studies? 81. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 82. Does Prayer Have Any Place in Public Schools? 83. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers?

College Admissions

84. Should Colleges Consider Standardized Tests in Admissions? 85. Should Students Let ChatGPT Help Them Write Their College Essays? 86. What Is Your Reaction to the End of Race-Based Affirmative Action in College Admissions? 87. Are Early-Decision Programs Unfair? Should Colleges Do Away With Them? 88. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 89. How Much Do You Think It Matters Where You Go to College? 90. Should Everyone Go to College? 91. Should College Be Free? 92. Is Student Debt Worth It? 93. Should High Schools Post Their Annual College Lists?

Campus Life

94. What Should Free Speech Look Like on Campus? 95. Should Greek Life on College Campuses Come to an End? 96. Should Universities Work to Curtail Student Drinking? 97. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 98. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 99. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 100. Should Emotional Support Animals Be Allowed on College Campuses?

Jobs and Careers

101. Is High School a Good Time to Train for a Career? 102. Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Useless’ College Major? 103. Should All High School Students Have Part-Time Jobs? 104. Should National Service Be Required for All Young Americans? 105. Is It OK to Use Family Connections to Get a Job?

Money and Business

106. Do You Think the American Dream Is Real? 107. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 108. Should We All Go Cashless? 109. When Should You Tip? 110. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 111. Are You a Crypto Optimist or Skeptic? 112. Do Celebrities and Influencers Make You Want to Buy What They’re Selling? 113. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 114. Are C.E.O.s Paid Too Much? 115. Is It Immoral to Increase the Price of Goods During a Crisis? 116. What Should Stores Do With Unsold Goods? 117. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 118. Who Should We Honor on Our Money?

Mental Health

119. Is Teen Mental Health in a State of Crisis? 120. ‘Love-Bombing.’ ‘Gaslighting.’ ‘Victim.’ Is ‘Trauma Talk’ Overused? 121. Does Achieving Success Always Include Being Happy? 122. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 123. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 124. How Can We Bring an End to the ‘Epidemic of Loneliness’? 125. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 126. What Ideas Do You Have to Bring Your Community Closer Together? 127. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 128. Is It OK to Laugh During Dark Times?

Dating and Relationships

129. Who Should Pay for Dates? 130. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 131. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend? 132. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

Physical Health

133. Should Governments Do More to Discourage People From Smoking and Vaping? 134. How Should Adults Talk to Kids About Drugs? 135. Can Laziness Be a Good Thing? 136. Should There Be Requirements for Teens Who Want to Ride E-Bikes? 137. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 138. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 139. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs?

140. Is It Becoming More Acceptable for Men and Boys to Cry? 141. Is It Harder for Men and Boys to Make and Keep Friends? 142. Should Award Shows Eliminate Gendered Categories? 143. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 144. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 145. What Should #MeToo Mean for Teenage Boys? 146. What Is Hard About Being a Boy? 147. Should There Be More Boy Dolls? 148. Is Single-Sex Education Still Useful? 149. Are Beauty Pageants Still Relevant? 150. Should Period Products Be Free? 151. What Are Your Thoughts on Last Names? 152. What Rules Should Apply to Transgender Athletes When They Compete? 153. What Is Your Reaction to the Recent Wave of Legislation That Seeks to Regulate the Lives of Transgender Youths? 154. What Do You Wish Lawmakers Knew About How Anti-L.G.B.T.Q. Legislation Affects Teenagers?

Identity, Race and Ethnicity

155. How Should Schools Respond to Racist Jokes? 156. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 157. What Is Your Reaction to Efforts to Limit Teaching on Race in Schools? 158. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 159. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 160. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 161. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 162. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 163. What Can History Teach Us About Resilience? 164. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 165. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 166. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 167. When Talking About Identity, How Much Do Words Matter? 168. How Useful Is It to Be Multilingual?

TV and Movies

169. Is True Crime As a Form of Entertainment Ethical? 170. Should Old TV Shows Be Brought Back? 171. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 172. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 173. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 174. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 175. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 176. When Does Lying in Comedy Cross a Line? 177. How Do You Feel About ‘Nepotism Babies’?

Music and Video Games

178. Will A.I. Replace Pop Stars? 179. If Two Songs Sound Alike, Is It Stealing? 180. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 181. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 182. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 183. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 184. Should There Be Limits on How Much Time Young People Spend Playing Video Games? 185. Should More Parents Play Video Games With Their Kids?

186. Are A.I.-Generated Pictures Art? 187. What Work of Art Should Your Friends Fall in Love With? 188. If Artwork Offends People, Should It Be Removed? 189. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 190. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 191. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 192. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 193. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 194. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 195. Should Graffiti Be Protected?

Books and Literature

196. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 197. Should Classic Children’s Books Be Updated for Today’s Young Readers? 198. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 199. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate? 200. Should Libraries Get Rid of Late Fees?

201. What’s the Best — and Worst — Part of Being a Sports Fan? 202. Who Is the GOAT? 203. Do Women’s Sports Deserve More Attention? 204. What Should Be Done About the Gender Pay Gap in Sports? 205. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 206. Should More Sports Be Coed? 207. College Athletes Can Now Be Paid. But Not All of Them Are Seeing Money. Is That Fair? 208. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 209. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense? 210. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 211. Is It Bad Sportsmanship to Run Up the Score in Youth Sports? 212. Is It Ethical to Be a Football Fan? 213. Does the N.F.L. Have a Race Problem? 214. What New Rules Would Improve Your Favorite Sport? 215. What Sports Deserve More Hype? 216. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 217. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 218. Does Better Sports Equipment Unfairly Improve Athletic Ability? 219. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures? 220. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 221. Should Cheerleading Be an Olympic Sport?

Related Writing Prompt

222. Should Parents Ever Be Held Responsible for the Harmful Actions of Their Children? 223. Where Is the Line Between Helping a Child Become More Resilient and Pushing Them Too Hard? 224. Should Parents Give Children More Responsibility at Younger Ages? 225. Should Parents Tell Children the Truth About Santa? 226. Should Parents Weigh in on Their Kids’ Dating Lives? 227. Should Parents Track Their Children? 228. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 229. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 230. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 231. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 232. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 233. Should Parents Bribe Their Children?

Childhood and Growing Up

234. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 235. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 236. When Do You Become an Adult? 237. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 238. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies? 239. What Can Older Generations Learn From Gen Z? 240. What Is the Worst Toy Ever?

Legislation and Policy

241. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 242. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 243. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 244. What Is Your Reaction to the State of Abortion Rights? 245. Should the Government Cancel Student Debt? 246. Should Public Transit Be Free? 247. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 248. Should the U.S. Be Doing More to Prevent Child Poverty? 249. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 250. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations?

Gun Violence

251. Are You Concerned About Violence in America? 252. How Should Americans Deal With the Problem of Gun Violence? 253. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 254. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 255. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns?

Voting and Elections

256. How Much Faith Do You Have in the U.S. Political System? 257. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 258. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 259. Should We All Be Able to Vote by Mail? 260. Should There Be a Minimum Voting Age? 261. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 262. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 263. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped?

Freedoms and Rights

264. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 265. Why Does the Right to Protest Matter? 266. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 267. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 268. Should You Have a Right to Be Rude? 269. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities?

Civic Participation

270. Are You Optimistic About the State of the World? 271. If You Could Take On One Problem Facing Our World, What Would It Be? 272. If You Were Mayor, What Problems Facing Your Community Would You Tackle? 273. Do You Think Teenagers Can Make a Difference in the World? 274. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 275. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 276. How Is Your Generation Changing Politics? 277. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other? 278. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 279. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 280. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 281. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 282. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 283. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 284. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 285. What Do You Think the Role of the First Lady — or First Spouse — Should Be Today?

286. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 287. What Is Our Responsibility to Lab Animals? 288. What Are Your Thoughts About Hunting Animals? 289. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 290. What Do You Think of Pet Weddings? 291. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 292. Should We Bring Back Animals From Extinction? 293. Are Zoos Immoral? 294. Do Bugs Deserve More Respect?

Environment and Science

295. What Role Should Young People Play in the Fight Against Climate Change? 296. Should We Be More Optimistic About Efforts to Combat Climate Change? 297. How Far Is Too Far in the Fight Against Climate Change? 298. Should Plastic Bags Be Banned Everywhere? 299. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 300. Should We Still Be Sending Astronauts to Space? 301. Do You Think Pluto Should Be a Planet? 302. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

Time and Seasons

303. What Is the Best Month of the Year? What Is the Worst? 304. Would Life Be Better Without Time Zones? 305. Do You Think It Is Time to Get Rid of Daylight Saving Time? 306. When Do Holiday Decorations Go From Festive to Excessive? 307. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 308. When Does a Halloween Costume Cross the Line? 309. Should School Be a Place to Celebrate Halloween? 310. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx

How to Write a College Application Essay

Find the right college for you..

Your essay reveals something important about you that your grades and test scores can't─your personality. It can give admissions officers a sense of who you are and showcase your writing ability. Here are some things that admissions officers look for in a personal essay for college.

1. Open Strong.

Knowing how to start a college essay can create a strong opening paragraph that immediately captures the reader’s interest. You want to make the admissions officer reading your essay curious about what you say next.

2. Show You Can Write.

Colleges want to see that you have a command of the basics of good writing, which is a key component of success in college.

3. Answer the Prompt.

Admissions officers also want to see that the student can give a direct answer while sticking to a comprehensive narrative. When writing college essays, consider the point you want to make and develop a fleshed-out response that fits the prompt. Avoid force-fitting prewritten pieces. Approach every personal essay prompt as if it's your first.

4. Stick to Your Style.

Writing college essays isn't about using flowery or verbose prose. Avoid leaning too heavily on the thesaurus to sound impressive. Choose a natural writing style that’s appropriate for the subject matter.

Also, avoid stressing about trying to write what you think colleges want to see. Learning how to draft a good essay for college is about showcasing who you are. Stay true to your voice. Keep in mind that authenticity is more important than anything else.

5. Proofread.

Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling are essential. Proofread several times after you've finished. Then ask a teacher, parent, or college English major to give it a quick read as well.

6. Keep Track of Length.

Finally, admissions officers value succinctness. Remember to pay attention to the recommended essay length or word count.

Bonus Tips and College Essay Writing Help

For more on how to write a college essay, check out these Tips for Writing Your College Admissions Essay .

What is the college application essay?

A personal essay for college applications is an opportunity for admission admissions panels to get more insight into who you are and what you have to offer. It's often the most personal component of the application, going beyond grades and standardized test scores. Essays usually have open-ended prompts, allowing you to flex your writing skills and make a personal statement.

Does my college application essay really matter?

Learning how to write a successful essay for college is crucial. This essay's exact weight on your chances of acceptance varies from one school to the next. But it's an element of your application that all admissions teams consider. Your essay could be the thing that gets you off a waiting list or gives you a competitive edge over other applicants.

What are colleges looking for in my application essay?

Knowing what to include in a college essay is half the battle. Admissions teams look for many things, but the most influential are authenticity, writing ability, character details, and positive traits. The purpose of the essay is to shed light on your background and gain perspective on your real-world experiences.

When should I start writing my college essay?

Because you'll want to tailor each application to each school, expect to write multiple personal essays. Advisers typically recommend starting these pieces during the summer before your senior year of high school. This will give you ample time to concentrate on writing a college essay before you're hit with schoolwork.

What can I do to write an effective college essay if I'm not a strong writer?

Good writing skills matter, but the best college essay is about the quality of your response. Authentic stories in a natural voice have impact. The story you want to tell about yourself will work better for you if it’s told in language that’s not overly sophisticated. Work with a writing coach for help with the academic aspects. Make responding with substance a priority.

How can I write my college essay if I have no monumental experiences?

You don't need life-changing moments to impress an admissions panel. Think about your personal experiences. Describe moments that left a lasting impact. The important thing is to have a fleshed-out narrative that provides insight into your life and way of thinking. Some of the best essays revolve around meaningful moments rather than flashy ones.

How should I start brainstorming topics for my college essay?

Most colleges provide open-ended prompts. Using the topic as inspiration, think about critical milestones or essential lessons you learned during your academic career. Tell stories about real-life experiences that have shaped the person you are. Write them down to brainstorm ideas. Choose stories that highlight your best traits.

What is a good list of essay topics to start with? What essay topics should I avoid?

Good topics when writing college essays include personal achievements, meaningful lessons, life-changing challenges, and situations that fostered personal growth. It's best to avoid anything too intimate or controversial. You want to open up, but it's not a good idea to go overboard or alienate members of the admissions panel.

What format should I use for my college essay?

Read the prompt and essay instructions thoroughly to learn how to start off a college essay. Some colleges provide guidance about formatting. If not, the best course of action is to stick with a college standard like the MLA format.

How long should my essay be?

The average length of a personal essay for college is 400─600 words. Always read the prompt. Follow the instructions provided in the application.

Who should I ask to review my college essay?

Turn to your school counselor for review. They understand what college admissions panels are looking for, and they can provide valuable insight into your piece's quality. You can also reach out to English teachers and other educators for proofreading.

Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT: A Guide for Academic Writers

Letter to the Editor
Published: 07 June 2023
Volume 51 , pages 2629–2633, ( 2023 )

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Prompt engineering is a relatively new discipline that refers to the practice of developing and optimizing prompts to effectively utilize large language models, particularly in natural language processing tasks. However, not many writers and researchers are familiar about this discipline. Hence, in this paper, I aim to highlight the significance of prompt engineering for academic writers and researchers, particularly the fledgling, in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. I also discuss the concepts of prompt engineering, large language models, and the techniques and pitfalls of writing prompts. Here, I contend that by acquiring prompt engineering skills, academic writers can navigate the changing landscape and leverage large language models to enhance their writing process. As artificial intelligence continues to advance and penetrate the arena of academic writing, prompt engineering equips writers and researchers with the essential skills to effectively harness the power of language models. This enables them to confidently explore new opportunities, enhance their writing endeavors, and remain at the forefront of utilizing cutting-edge technologies in their academic pursuits.

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Gero, K. I., V. Liu, and L. Chilton. Sparks: Inspiration for science writing using language models. In: Designing interactive systems conference, edited by F. Mueller, S. Greuter, R. A. Khot, P. Sweetser, and M. Obrist. Pennsylvania: ACM, 2022, pp. 1002–1019.

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White J, Fu Q, Hays S, Sandborn M, Olea C, Gilbert H, Elnashar A, Spencer-Smith J, Schmidt DC. A prompt pattern catalog to enhance prompt engineering with ChatGPT. 2023. arXiv:2302.11382 .

Kasneci E., Seßler K., Küchemann S, Bannert M., Dementieva D., Fischer F.,...Kasneci G. ChatGPT for good? On opportunities and challenges of large language models for education. Learn Indv Dif. 2023; 103:102274.

Mollman S. ChatGPT gained 1 million users in under a week. Here’s why the AI chatbot is primed to disrupt search as we know it. 2022. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chatgpt-gained-1-million-followers-224523258.html

DAIR.AI. Elements of a prompt. 2023. https://www.promptingguide.ai/introduction/elements

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the help of ChatGPT in terms of refining, editing, and augmenting the manuscript.

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Giray, L. Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT: A Guide for Academic Writers. Ann Biomed Eng 51 , 2629–2633 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-023-03272-4

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Writing a Personal Statement

Preparing to Write

Brainstorming, don't forget, sample prompts.

A personal statement is a narrative essay that connects your background, experiences, and goals to the mission, requirements, and desired outcomes of the specific opportunity you are seeking. It is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program. It gives the selection committee the best opportunity to get to know you, how you think and make decisions, ways in which past experiences have been significant or formative, and how you envision your future. Personal statements can be varied in form; some are given a specific prompt, while others are less structured. However, in general a personal statement should answer the following questions:

Who are you?
What are your goals?
How does this specific program/opportunity help you achieve your goals?
What is in the future?

A personal statement is not:

A variation of your college admissions essay
An academic/research paper
A narrative version of your resume
A creative writing piece (it can be creative, though)
An essay about somebody else

Keep in mind that your statement is only a portion of the application and should be written with this in mind. Your entire application package will include some, possibly all, of the materials listed below. You will want to consider what these pieces of the application communicate about you. Your personal statement should aim to tie everything together and fill in or address any gaps. There will likely be some overlap but be sure not to be too repetitive.

Personal Statement(s)
Transcripts
Letters of recommendations
Sample of written work
Research proposal

Preparing to Write A large portion of your work towards completing a personal statement begins well before your first draft or even an outline. It is incredibly important to be sure you understand all of the rules and regulations around the statement. Things to consider before you begin writing:

How many prompts? And what are they? It is important to know the basics so you can get your ideas in order. Some programs will require a general statement of interest and a focused supplementary or secondary statement closely aligned with the institution's goals.
Are there formatting guidelines? Single or double spaced, margins, fonts, text sizes, etc. Our general guideline is to keep it simple.
How do I submit my statement(s)? If uploading a document we highly suggest using a PDF as it will minimize the chances of accidental changes to formatting. Some programs may event ask you to copy and paste into a text box.
When do I have to submit my statement(s)? Most are due at the time of application but some programs, especially medical schools, will ask for secondary statements a few months after you apply. In these instances be sure to complete them within two weeks, any longer is an indication that you aren't that interested in the institution.

Before you start writing, take some time to reflect on your experiences and motivations as they relate to the programs to which you are applying. This will offer you a chance to organize your thoughts which will make the writing process much easier. Below are a list of questions to help you get started:

What individuals, experiences or events have shaped your interest in this particular field?
What has influenced your decision to apply to graduate school?
How does this field align with your interests, strengths, and values?
What distinguishes you from other applicants?
What would you bring to this program/profession?
What has prepared you for graduate study in this field? Consider your classes at Wellesley, research and work experience, including internships, summer jobs and volunteer work.
Why are you interested in this particular institution or degree program?
How is this program distinct from others?
What do you hope to gain?
What is motivating you to seek an advanced degree now?
Where do you see yourself headed and how will this degree program help you get there?

For those applying to Medical School, if you need a committee letter for your application and are using the Medical Professions Advisory Committee you have already done a lot of heavy lifting through the 2017-2018 Applicant Information Form . Even if you aren't using MPAC the applicant information form is a great place to start.

Another great place to start is through talking out your ideas. You have a number of options both on and off campus, such as: Career Education advisors and mentors ( you can set up an appointment here ), major advisor, family, friends. If you are applying to a graduate program it is especially important to talk with a faculty member in the field. Remember to take good notes so you can refer to them later.

When you begin writing keep in mind that your essay is one of many in the application pool. This is not to say you should exaggerate your experiences to “stand out” but that you should focus on clear, concise writing. Also keep in mind that the readers are considering you not just as a potential student but a future colleague. Be sure to show them examples and experiences which demonstrate you are ready to begin their program.

It is important to remember that your personal statement will take time and energy to complete, so plan accordingly. Every application and statement should be seen as different from one another, even if they are all the same type of program. Each institution may teach you the same material but their delivery or focus will be slightly different.

In addition, remember:

Be yourself: You aren’t good at being someone else
Tragedy is not a requirement, reflection and depth are
Research the institution or organization
Proofread, proofread, proofread
How to have your personal statement reviewed

The prompts below are from actual applications to a several types of programs. As you will notice many of them are VERY general in nature. This is why it is so important to do your research and reflect on your motivations. Although the prompts are similar in nature the resulting statements would be very different depending on the discipline and type of program, as well as your particular background and reasons for wanting to pursue this graduate degree.

This statement should illustrate your academic background and experiences and explain why you would excel in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (UMass Amherst - M.S. in Civil Engineering).
Describe your academic and career objectives and how the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies can help you achieve them. Include other considerations that explain why you seek admissions to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and your interests in the environmental field (Yale - Master of Environmental Management).
Please discuss your academic interests and goals. Include your current professional and research interests, as well as your long-range professional objectives. Please be as specific as possible about how your objectives can be met at Clark and do not exceed 800 words (Clark University - M.A. in International Development and Social Change).
Write a 500- to 700-word statement that describes your work or research. Discuss how you came to focus on the medium, body of work, or academic area you wish to pursue at the graduate level. Also discuss future directions or goals for your work, and describe how the Master of Fine Arts in Studio (Printmedia) is particularly suited to your professional goals (School of the Art Institute of Chicago - MFA in Studio, Printmaking).
Your statement should explain why you want to study economics at the graduate level. The statement is particularly important if there is something unusual about your background and preparation that you would like us to know about you (University of Texas at Austin - Ph.D in Economics).
Your personal goal statement is an important part of the review process for our faculty members as they consider your application. They want to know about your background, work experience, plans for graduate study and professional career, qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the program, and any other relevant information (Indiana University Bloomington - M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education).
Your autobiographical essay/personal statement is a narrative that outlines significant experiences in your life, including childhood experiences, study and work, your strengths and aspirations in the field of architecture, and why you want to come to the University of Oregon (University of Oregon - Master of Architecture).
Personal history and diversity statement, in which you describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. You may refer to any educational, familial, cultural, economic or social experiences, challenges, community service, outreach activities, residency and citizenship, first-generation college status, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field; or how you might serve educationally underrepresented and underserved segments of society with your graduate education (U.C. Davis - M.A. in Linguistics).
A Personal Statement specifying your past experiences, reasons for applying, and your areas of interest. It should explain your intellectual and personal goals, why you are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary degree rather than a more traditional disciplinary one, and how this degree fits into your intellectual and personal future (Rutgers University - Ph.D in Women’s and Gender Studies).
Your application requires a written statement to uploaded into your application and is a critical component of your application for admission. This is your opportunity to tell us what excites you about the field of library and information science, and what problems you want to help solve in this field. Please also tell us how your prior experiences have prepared you for this next step toward your career goals and how this program will help you achieve them (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - Master of Science in Library Science).
After watching the video, please describe what strengths and preferences as a learner you have that will facilitate your success in this innovative curriculum. What challenges in our curriculum do you anticipate and what strategies might you use to address these challenges? (MGH Institute of Health Professions PT - They recently redesigned their curriculum)
Your personal goal statement should briefly describe how you view the future of the field, what your goals are to be part of that future, and what brought you to pursue an advanced education degree in your chosen field. You may include any other information that you feel might be useful. (Northeastern PT)
Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, describe a meaningful educational experience that affected your professional goals and growth and explain how it impacted you. The educational experience does not need to be related to this degree. Focus on the educational experience and not why you think you would be a good professional in this field. (Simmons PT)
Personal Statement (500 word minimum): State your reasons for seeking admission to this program at this institution. Include your professional goals, why you want to pursue a career in this field and how admission to this program will assist you in accomplishing those goals. (Regis College Nursing)
“Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to this type of program.” (AMCAS)
Address the following three questions(Though there is no set limit, most statements are 1–2 pages, single-spaced.): What are your reasons for pursuing this degree? Why do you wish to pursue your degree at this institution? How do you intend to leverage your degree in a career of this field? (Boston University MPH)
Please submit a personal statement/statement of purpose of no more than 500 words for the department/degree of choice. Professional degree essays require a clear understanding of the _______ field and how you hope to work within the field. Be sure to proofread your personal statement carefully for spelling and grammar. In your statement, be sure to address the following: what interests you in the field of _____ what interests you in a specific degree program and department at this institution and what interests you in a particular certificate (if applicable). Please also describe how you hope to use your ________ training to help you achieve your career goals. (Columbia PhD in Public Health - Epidemiology)
Because each Home Program requires significant original research activities in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, we are interested in obtaining as much information as possible about your previous research experiences. Those who already have such experience are in a better position to know whether they are truly interested in performing ______ research as part of a graduate program. Please include specific information about your research experience in your Statement of Purpose. You may also use the Statement to amplify your comments about your choice of Home Program(s), and how your past experiences and current interests are related to your choice. Personal Statements should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). Make sure to set your computer to Western European or other English-language setting. We cannot guarantee the ability to access your statement if it is submitted in other fonts. (Stanford Biosciences PhD)
Your statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the Department of ____ at ___ University. It would be helpful to include what you have done to prepare for this degree program. Please describe your research interests, past research experience, future career plans and other details of your background and interests that will allow us to evaluate your ability to thrive in our program. If you have interests that align with a specific faculty member, you may state this in your application. Your statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). (Stanford Bioengineering PhD)
Statement of purpose (Up to one page or 1,000 words): Rather than a research proposal, you should provide a statement of purpose. Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at this institution and your relevant experience and education. Please provide an indication of the area of your proposed research and supervisor(s) in your statement. This will be assessed for the coherence of the statement; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study; the ability to present a reasoned case in English; and commitment to the subject. (Oxford Inorganic Chemistry - DPhil)

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