Resources for Writing College Essays

If you’re landing on this page, you’re likely writing an academic essay. Below are the resources I use most often in the classroom and in my own writing. I’ve grouped the links as answers to questions that scale up from basic mechanics to advanced issues of genre and style.

(Caveat: Academics don’t always agree on what counts as good style, and they don’t always think other academics write well. See the section below on Advanced Advice from Successful Academics for hot takes from individual scholars.)

Alongside these resource for college essays, check out my curated list of academic essays that break the rules

Help! What’s the MLA rule for…

Some academic essays require MLA, others Chicago or APA, and others nothing at all. Your focus should always be on writing good content, but a clean and consistent appearance is always a boost.

Help! How do I make my thesis statement stronger?

Lots of examples at the following links:

Help! I have to write a philosophy paper, but I’ve only done literary essays (or science or history or…)

Help! Where do I find academic articles for my research essays – without paying anything?

The sciences are great for publishing open-access research. Use precise keywords to search the databases below. Remember to prioritize recent articles (usually from the last 20 years).

The humanities are harder, since more articles are paywalled. The two platforms below are used widely but only post a few articles for free: 

  • JSTOR – Create a free account and then search for open-access articles.
  • Project Muse – For each keyword search, change the sidebar settings to “content I have access to.” Some free things may turn up.

I don’t need help. I’m acing all my college essays.

Here’s some advanced advice from successful academics: