Examples that show the thinking.
534 examples and lessons to explore. Find an approach, follow the thinking, and try it in your own writing.
UC PIQ 3: Describing a Talent or Skill You Developed
An illustrative first-person essay about developing careful observation through practice, mistakes, and reflection.
Should Schools Ditch Letter Grades? Argument Essay on Pass/Fail Grading
An argument for keeping A–F grades as the general system while using pass/fail selectively and improving the feedback, clarity, and review that make evaluations useful.
How to Be a Thoughtful Visitor in a New Place
An argumentative essay explaining why curious, attentive visitors should explore shared places with respect, using examples from National Park Service and Smithsonian activities.
The Scarlet Letter: Hester Prynne’s Memory of the Past
An analysis of how Hester’s remembered relationship with Dimmesdale shapes her choices after returning to the settlement, and how Hawthorne connects memory with responsibility, identity, and change.
Should Transit Agencies Prioritize Frequency or Geographic Coverage?
Transit agencies should generally make useful routes more frequent while guaranteeing basic access for communities with few alternatives. Federal data and rural transit policy help frame that tradeoff, but agencies must also consider unmet need and whether riders can safely use the service.
The Nazi Party’s Rise and the Causes of World War II
The Nazi Party’s rise enabled an authoritarian government to pursue rearmament and territorial expansion. Its invasion of Poland turned that aggressive course into war with Britain and France, while earlier crises and other governments’ choices shaped the path.
Solar and Wind Are Different Resources, Not Interchangeable Solutions
An explanatory essay comparing solar and wind generation patterns and showing why energy planners must consider local resources, grid connections, and access rather than rely on national averages.
UC PIQ 8: What Makes You a Strong UC Applicant?
An original illustrative response about intellectual curiosity, careful listening, and changing one’s mind when new details complicate an initial interpretation.
College Electives and Required Courses: Should Universities Eliminate Student Choice?
A model argument for a structured university curriculum that preserves meaningful elective choice, using historical examples to examine the opportunities and costs of institutional direction.
Why Advice About Healthy Habits Must Consider People's Circumstances
An explanatory essay on why useful health guidance must connect personal choices to the time, resources, access, and relationships that shape those choices.
GRE Practice: Should Society Save Every Endangered Species?
A qualified argument for serious efforts to protect endangered species, with priorities based on urgency, effectiveness, uncertainty, and cost. It distinguishes conservation reasoning from what the supplied historical evidence can establish.
Heart of Darkness: Colonialism and the Myth of a Civilizing Mission
An interpretation of how Heart of Darkness exposes the violence beneath European claims to civilize, through Marlow’s narration, the suffering of African laborers, and Kurtz’s possessive authority.