19 ESSAYS IN THIS COLLECTION

College & career choices

College costs, courses, majors, opportunities and choosing a direction.

19 resultsShowing 1–12
argumentative

GRE Argument: Should Universities Require Courses Outside Each Student’s Field?

A model argument for a limited, flexible general-education requirement. It weighs intellectual breadth and civic judgment against the real costs of rigid requirements, using the land-grant tradition and Eisenhower’s warning about university independence as concrete examples.

1010 wordsWorked example
argumentative

GRE Argument: Should College Students Choose Interests over Job Prospects?

A qualified argument that students should treat interest and employment prospects as complementary priorities, adjusting their balance to personal circumstances and the demands of particular fields.

892 wordsWorked example
argumentative

Career Guidance and Fields with Plentiful Jobs: GRE Issue Essay

An argumentative essay that supports active, evidence-based career guidance while warning institutions not to turn employment projections into pressure or a narrow definition of success.

765 wordsWorked example
argumentative

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.

874 wordsWorked example
explanatory

College Access Is More Than an Admissions Offer

An explanatory essay on why college opportunity depends not only on admission but also on enrollment, affordability, and the consequences of borrowing.

957 wordsWorked example
argumentative

Should Colleges End Legacy Admissions Preferences?

An argument that colleges should end preferential admissions for alumni children while preserving meaningful ways for alumni to support their institutions.

970 wordsWorked example
explanatory

Why Average Graduate Earnings Cannot Decide Every Student's Future

Averages describe broad patterns, but cannot determine whether college is worthwhile for an individual. Costs, aid, financing, available educational routes, and goals all shape that decision.

969 wordsWorked example
argumentative

Should Schools Encourage Students to Choose Lucrative Careers?

An argument that schools should give students practical, evidence-informed career guidance without steering them toward high salaries as the overriding measure of a worthwhile education.

823 wordsWorked example
argumentative

Should Every College Student Study Imaginative Literature?

An argument for a modest, flexible imaginative-literature requirement that develops interpretation and ethical judgment without displacing specialized study.

914 wordsWorked example
argumentative

Mandatory Foreign Study for College Students

An argument that international study can deepen learning, but colleges should make it accessible and strongly supported rather than require the same semester abroad of every student.

927 wordsWorked example
argumentative

GRE Issue Essay on Choosing a College Field by Job Availability

A model argument that weighs employment prospects against personal interest and broader educational aims, arguing for informed flexibility rather than choosing a major by job availability alone.

1031 wordsWorked example
argumentative

Should Every College Student Study Abroad for a Semester?

A qualified argument that international study can deepen learning, but a semester abroad should be an option rather than a universal requirement.

880 wordsWorked example