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Writing an Effective Leadership Essay: Tips and Examples

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Whether you’ve led a horse to water or led your team to a victorious championship, you’re probably more of a leader than you give yourself credit for. It turns out, college admissions officers want to hear about that horse and/or championship in your application essay. The leadership essay is one of the hallmarks of college essays, but what’s the right way to do it?

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a subset of college application essays that help college admissions officers understand your previous experiences as a leader. While that might seem extremely specific, it comes with the understanding that leadership looks and feels different based on the person and situation.

To give you a real world example: The president is ostensibly the leader of the United States. However, the president has a whole cabinet of other leaders for every other aspect of running a country. You might not be a leader of foreign policy, but you might be a leader on the football field or within your community volunteer group.

Leadership Essay Ideas and Topics

While you might see a few variations, almost all leadership essays go back to two main forms:

• What is your leadership style?
• Describe a moment when you showed leadership.

There’s inherently a bit of overlap with both of these. You’ll likely give an example of a leadership moment when talking about your leadership style, and you’ll probably talk about your leadership style when talking about a leadership moment.

In either case, the school will want you to use anecdotal evidence that demonstrates the idea. Go with what feels right, whether that’s leading a club or team in school or leading some ducklings across a busy highway. Even if your experience sounds cliché, it’s unique because it involves you.

How To Write a Leadership Essay

Probably the biggest trap that people fall into is “Well, I’ve never been a leader.” Even if you’ve never held some sort of leadership position at school or had an official title, chances are pretty high that you have exhibited some form of leadership at some point in your life. Beyond that, the actual writing of the leadership essay is fairly straightforward.

Formatting Your Leadership Essay

Your leadership essay will include an introduction paragraph, one or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Depending on the word or page limits, you can almost treat this like a five-paragraph essay .

• Introduction - Capture the reader’s interest, define good leadership in relation to you, and directly address the given prompt
• Body paragraphs - Give some background information using anecdotes to describe your leadership style or moment
• Conclusion - End with a compelling statement about your leadership qualities and how you hope to apply them to your education, career, and the world in general

How Long Should a Leadership Essay Be?

The length of the leadership essay depends on what the college or application system says. Thankfully, this is the one part of the essay that you don’t need to question. Nearly every school will provide a word limit, typically ranging from 250 words (for supplemental essays) potentially all the way up to 1,000 words.

In the rare event that you don’t see an obvious word limit, stick to a maximum of about 500 to 600 words.

Tips for Writing a Leadership Essay

Unfortunately, we don’t know your personal life, and we certainly don’t know moments where you exhibited leadership. So we can’t write your essay for you, but we can give you some tips to at least guide your writing process.

Define Good Leadership Before You Start

Before you begin writing your essay, think about what qualities make someone a good leader, at least in your opinion. What great leadership qualities do you have? What makes a “good leader”? Make a list before you begin writing your essay. 

Leadership qualities can include:

• The ability to motivate others
• Personal integrity
• Placing a value on relationships with team members
• Prioritizing the larger good over any individual

Review your list and choose the qualities you want to highlight. Write your own definition of what makes someone a great leader as it relates to the quality you chose. It should be one or two sentences long. Use that definition as the backbone of your essay.

Tell a Story About Your Leadership

It’s time to turn that list of potential leadership qualities into something meaningful and interesting. The best way to do that is with an engaging narrative.

You should obviously state good leadership qualities, but that shouldn’t be your entire essay. Tell a story about your leadership.

• Did you face a specific challenge?
• How did you overcome that challenge?
• How has your leadership style changed over the years?
• Was there a specific moment or experience that caused that change?

Really ask yourself questions and dig into the concept of leadership as a real thing that has had real effects on your life.

Write With Your Own Voice and Style

Although you shouldn’t be super informal in college application essays, they are also designed to help you display your own voice and personality. College admissions officers want to learn about you, and your writing style is inherently a big part of that, whether that means using humor or puns, maintaining a unique level of sincerity throughout the essay, or being invitingly verbose.

Don’t Be Down On Yourself

Whether it’s your personal statement , a supplemental essay, or this leadership essay, avoid being too down on yourself. Admissions officers want to hear about all your successes, trophies, and kittens saved from trees. They really don’t want to read a whole essay about you saying you’re a bad leader.

Humility is definitely an important leadership trait, but there’s a fine line between being humble and being hurtful to yourself. Even if you’re normally prone to some self-deprecation, try to keep it at a minimum for this essay.

Leadership Essay Example

If you’re not sure where to start, take some time to brainstorm ideas. Even the weirdest idea can blossom into something neat. If you need inspiration, one of the best things is to look at other examples of leadership. That could be from your favorite show, a good nonfiction book about sailors, or the essay below.

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Leadership Essay Introduction Example

The introduction should pull the reader in while directly answering the prompt. When in doubt, try to start with something concrete over something abstract. Or as writers and writing teachers like to say: Show, don’t tell.

The room was filled with the gentle hum of microphones and video cameras, cut only by the occasional cough or cleared throat. It was easy to feel out of place in this room full of wood furniture, leather seats, and powerful men capable of changing not just my life, but an entire sector of television programming as we knew it. I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I also knew that this was about something bigger than me, something that I could actually influence.

Leadership Essay Body Example

The body is where you’ll get more into the details of your narrative and connect it to ideas of leadership. Try not to get too hung up on the exact wording of what makes a leader. That can get far too abstract. Let your story speak for you.

I took a deep breath and began to talk. I wasn’t known to have a particularly commanding or powerful voice, but people always seemed to listen, including these men with their name placards and tall seats. They had been ready to cut funding for public broadcasting, which included programming that they had never seen. I was simply someone who lived in a neighborhood and cared about children’s education, beyond just math and reading. All I could do was be honest.

Leadership Essay Conclusion Example

Your conclusion considers the broader effects of your leadership. How might your leadership evolve or change? How can you apply that leadership to your education, job, or community?

To me, leadership is about connection. I know that I have a voice and an immense dedication to emotional intelligence in children. My ability to focus on other people goes hand-in-hand with my ability to speak through a tiger puppet. Both are about closing gaps and bringing people closer to a basic understanding. I hope to use my leadership abilities within the field of psychology to build more connections between people and communities.

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This paper presents an argument in favor of a United States sponsored full-scale invasion with troops, into Iraq and Syria, for the purpose of confronting ISIS. The term ISIS, for a short abbreviation, represents the ‘Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.’ Recent global news reports indicate a bloody sweep of terror by ISIS organizational members and sympathizers. Nevertheless, counter arguments pertaining to whether or not U.S. troops should enter into a war against ISIS provide opposing opinions. After the counter argument reviews the situation, its stance shall be revoked, and the argument in favor of U.S. invasion shall ensue.

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Leadership Argumentative Essays Examples

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Leadership , Leader , People , Success , Machiavelli , Education , Business , World

Words: 1650

Published: 2020/12/21

<Student Name> <Name and Section # of course> <Instructor Name>

Leadership is a vast term with several meanings, and it has a diverse approach. Yet the basic definition of the word is the ability of a person or a group of people to lead another group of people, an organization or any team and to take responsibility for leading them as well. A leader is a person who takes a stand in times of crisis, chaos, and trouble, and he takes an initiative that others follow along with him. Leadership is an idealistic characteristic that unlike other fields such as business, management or the like, cannot be learned. It is inherent in an individual, and it usually emerges at times of difficulty and need. Some people are born leaders, as the saying goes along, and they have the ability to stand out amongst many people and do something out of the box, that requires courage, wisdom and sometimes, intuition. Many people take on the task of leadership, however, there are some qualities that are specific to a good leader. Good leaders have an ideal and outstanding character that will not be found commonly among the masses. To form an excellent and robust leadership, a leader will make his profession his passion. This is true of many leaders of the past as well as the present who have shown outstanding leadership skills in whatever field they performed in. a current example of a great and strong leadership is that of Bill Gates, who has single-handedly formed the biggest company of the world in the shape of Microsoft that is running as the most successful company in the world. Every leader of the world has faced problems in the initiation of the work they undertook, yet steadfastness of aim and character always took them far and proved them successful. Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Qualities of a Prince is an excellent sixteenth-century book that highlights the qualities of good leadership and how a leader should rule his nation. As mentioned above in the qualities of leadership that a leader must make his profession his passion, similarly, the writer conveys the message that a prince must make the war his profession. (Machiavelli, 5). He says that if a prince will give importance to luxuries and a life of pleasure, he would lose his position, both in the eyes of the people and will fail to lead a successful state and that will make people of lower positions to rise to power against him. In this case, the born leader falls off his station and those who take initiative in the interest of the state prosper. Also, the writer focuses on the implementation of good discipline on the part of the leader by maintaining good discipline amongst the soldiers and keeping them in shape. A good prince/leader also knows the terrain he is dealing with. This gives him two benefits. Firstly, he is equipped with knowledge that gives him an edge in defense, and he knows how to guide his men in times of an attack. A leader who lacks this knowledge is one who is vulnerable to attack from any side, since neither he nor his men would know what side is susceptible to attack and which isn’t. (Machiavelli, 5). This is also metaphorical for the fact that a leader who has taken the responsibility to lead others needs to be aware of his surrounding, his friends and foes and this needs to be done by his skill and tact by which he will determine who is sincere and who isn’t. Leaders who do not realize this have to suffer from defeat at the hands of their enemies and they are left as failures because they are not keen enough to safe-keep their job as a leader and have not only ruined themselves but also the others who are dependent on them. The writer further describes the attributes of a good prince by suggesting that if a prince is ‘too good’ all the time that will bring ruin upon him. Being a leader does not necessarily mean being nice to everyone. A prince who wants to be a good leader needs to learn how to be not so good. (Machiavelli, 7). A prince, if he wishes to be a good leader must avoid all those vices and evils that may make him vulnerable to losing the state and favor of his people. However, all vices need not be avoided, and the leader must keep others aware of his superior nature. Some virtues may end in destruction for the prince, hence for Machiavelli being in power is more important for a leader than being virtuous. If a leader would only of doing good for the others, then he also gets prone to be misused by others and taken advantage of. In governance, on the other hand, Lao-Tzu offers a different view on the issue in Thought from the Tao-te Ching. His viewpoint hinges on the belief that the individual is more powerful than the state; ultimate power lies with the individual in governing and if the individual is not fit for governance, if he is unjust or incompetent then the state will consequently be the same; a failed state. Unlike Machiavelli, he differs with the concept of virtue where for him being powerful is not as important as being virtuous as a leader. For his power is a collective phenomenon that comes through team work and not by the hard work of one single person. He says a leader should be compassionate, considerate for other beings i.e. the people and have an upright sense of modesty and equality. Being judicious is an important trait of a leader, and that is what he professes. (Lao-Tzu, 203). Lao-Tzu carries the opinion that a leader must give opportunities to his people rather than force them under any obligations. This drives everything to run in a normal fashion. A good leader is just in whatever decisions he makes and administers everyone equally irrespective of their status, monetary and social background and the amount of influence a certain person has. Being judicious also means being just in decision making free of favoritism and nepotism and doing the right thing which seems fair in the eyes of everyone. It is rare to find a leader who solely makes decisions on his own and decides fairly. However this quality is a must have in leadership. The leader needs to be selfless rather than become selfish and only think of his own good. According to Lao-Tzu, real success always comes through selflessness, and that is a quality that every good leader needs to harbor in him. (Lao-Tzu, 205). When a leader is true to his mission in leadership, then he works only for the people, for the cause and the accomplishment of the mission he has set forth to. If a leader becomes selfish and greedy to fulfill his own aims, then he is pursuing a faulty leadership and he is not a good example for the people. Success can only come through clean intentions, and if a person is not truthful to himself or others that depend on him, then that person cannot be successful, neither can he bring good to the others. In the present world, leadership has taken many forms such as that in a country, that for a business organization or leading a school as a principal as well. Since the era we live in today is the era of economics and business, it is worthy to note that many leaders of organizations and firms have outdone themselves and emerged as business giants. How did they do so? That is revealed by some research into how they have developed as great leaders and run successful organizations. According to Goleman in the Harvard Business Review, every leader has certain attributes that are uniformly present in him such as toughness, intelligence, determination and focused vision which is not always enough for becoming successful as a leader. True leaders also possess a high degree of emotional intelligence, harbor empathy in them, have great motivation, possess good social skills and are self-regulated. (Goleman, n.pag). A true leader has a high degree of emotional intelligence that outshines the best training for leadership in the whole world. According to a study conducted by Goleman, the leaders and managers of the highest ranks possessed the greatest emotional intelligence, and that surpassed the technical ability and IQs of others who were below them. If a leader knows how to deal with others the right way, understands their needs and responds accordingly, he will be far more successful in running the organization than a person who only focuses on outcomes and great performance. If one would give psychological insight into the character and personality traits of a good leader and leadership styles, then it can further be clarified how one can bring about effective leadership. Good leaders are strong, self-assured and always in control of the situation. They need to be dominant over their subordinates, however they cannot become rude or harsh because this way they will earn the displeasure of their employees, and that will negatively affect the performance of the company as a whole. When it comes to virtues of good leadership, leaders need to be humble as humility is a virtue, but then again cowering away from taking a strong and definite step that will help to save them from a possible loss. Sometimes, it isn’t bad to take a step that might cause humiliation, but if it serves the company, the nation, and the people well, then the leader must take quick steps and do the right thing. A leader also needs to be realistic and cannot only live in self-praise if the company or organization goes a long way in a certain period of time. If something goes wrong, then the leader needs to take concrete steps rather than dream on in the hope of something magical to happen. (Humphrey, n.pag). According to The Forbes, a good leader needs to be honest, ethical and truthful to the company that he is running, which will make him a good leader not only practically, but also in the eyes of the people that are working under him. A good leadership makes good communication with the subordinates and makes sure that their employees are listening to them, responding to them and the leadership also needs to be open to complaints and suggestions by their colleagues. Also, a good leadership fulfills its commitments to its workers and to the people, free from deception and fraudulence. (Prive, n.pag). The example of Rudolph Diesel, a man who invented the engine and bears his name on it, is an example of persistence and hard work. The success he made as a leader was by the efficiency that he practiced as a forerunner of his business making much out of his childhood dream. Good leaders have made their name pursuing their dreams and helping others along the way. (Mencke, n.pag). It is also worthy of discussion whether effective leadership is inherent or not. It is true that it can also be learned through proper grooming, and not everyone is born a leader. However, if someone begins learning it, they need to know moral from immoral and know the goodness of leadership. Morality is quintessential for good leadership because if it isn’t present, then it can wreak havoc among the masses in the form of anarchy and loss. (Scott and Brian, n.pag). Even though Machiavelli and Lao-tzu gave their opinions on leadership at a time different than ours, one would have to agree with them because they are quite pertinent with respect to modern times. Leadership must require one to harbor in their qualities described by both thinkers; being virtuous and then at the same time being in control. If Machiavelli intends the leader to give up on his leisurely life and focus on leadership, then the same doctorate of discipline and humility is preached by Lao-Tzu. And moreover they are practical and worthy of application to leadership of modern times which needs to concentrate more on how to lead the people rather than worry about their expenses and luxuries. They also need to bring the people closer to them rather than create a divide between distinctive leadership and the general public. Conclusively, good leadership generates by working as a true leader, guiding others and leading them along without employing unfair means. Leaders are born, yet some can be made to lead others.

Humphrey, Ronald, H. The many faces of emotional leadership. Elsevier. Web 2012. N.pag. 10 Mar, 2015. Goleman, Daniel. What makes a Leader. Harvard Business Review. January 2004 Issue. Lao-Tzu. A world of ideas-Essential readings for college Writers. The Thoughts of Tao- Te Ching. 9th Edition. University of Connecticut. 203-6 Machiavelli, Niccolo. A world of ideas-Essential readings for college Writers. The Qualities of a Prince. 9th Edition. University of Connecticut. 5-7 Mencke, Claire. Leaders and Success. News Investors. Web 2015. N.pag. 10 Mar, 2015. Prive, Tanya. Top 10 Qualities that make a great leader. The Forbes. Web, 2015. N.pag. 10 Mar, 2015. Scott E. Drouillard, Brian H. Kleiner, (1996) "“Good” leadership". Management Development Review, Vol. 9 Iss: 5, pp.30 – 33

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3 Strong Argumentative Essay Examples, Analyzed

General Education

Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.

After giving an overview of this type of essay, we provide three argumentative essay examples. After each essay, we explain in-depth how the essay was structured, what worked, and where the essay could be improved. We end with tips for making your own argumentative essay as strong as possible.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.

A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.

The standard five paragraph format is common, but not required, for argumentative essays. These essays typically follow one of two formats: the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

• The Toulmin model is the most common. It begins with an introduction, follows with a thesis/claim, and gives data and evidence to support that claim. This style of essay also includes rebuttals of counterarguments.
• The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3 Good Argumentative Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are three examples of argumentative essays, written by yours truly in my school days, as well as analysis of what each did well and where it could be improved.

Argumentative Essay Example 1

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

The author begins by giving an overview of the counter-argument, then the thesis appears as the first sentence in the third paragraph. The essay then spends the rest of the paper dismantling the counter argument and showing why readers should believe the other side.

What this essay does well:

• Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
• This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
• For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
• This is a shorter paper, and if it needed to be expanded to meet length requirements, it could include more examples and go more into depth with them, such as by explaining specific cases where people benefited from local libraries.
• Additionally, while the paper uses lots of data, the author also mentions their own experience with using tablets. This should be removed since argumentative essays focus on facts and data to support an argument, not the author’s own opinion or experiences. Replacing that with more data on health issues associated with screen time would strengthen the essay.
• Some of the points made aren't completely accurate , particularly the one about digital books being cheaper. It actually often costs a library more money to rent out numerous digital copies of a book compared to buying a single physical copy. Make sure in your own essay you thoroughly research each of the points and rebuttals you make, otherwise you'll look like you don't know the issue that well.

Argumentative Essay Example 2

There are multiple drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on prevention haven’t seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat malaria was WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme. Started in 1955, it had a goal of eliminating malaria in Africa within the next ten years. Based upon previously successful programs in Brazil and the United States, the program focused mainly on vector control. This included widely distributing chloroquine and spraying large amounts of DDT. More than one billion dollars was spent trying to abolish malaria. However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, WHO was forced to admit that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who contracted malaria as well as the number of malaria deaths had actually increased over 10% during the time the program was active.

One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after the infection has incurred, programs should focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. Not only is this plan cheaper and more effective, reducing the number of people who contract malaria also reduces loss of work/school days which can further bring down the productivity of the region.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of preventing malaria is to implement insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs).  These nets provide a protective barrier around the person or people using them. While untreated bed nets are still helpful, those treated with insecticides are much more useful because they stop mosquitoes from biting people through the nets, and they help reduce mosquito populations in a community, thus helping people who don’t even own bed nets.  Bed nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the person is sleeping, so bed nets would be able to drastically reduce the number of transmissions during the night. In fact, transmission of malaria can be reduced by as much as 90% in areas where the use of ITNs is widespread. Because money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low cost is a great benefit and a major reason why the program is so successful. Bed nets cost roughly 2 USD to make, last several years, and can protect two adults. Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 more nets are being used, one less child dies of malaria. With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not being protected by mosquito nets, there’s the potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.

Reducing the number of people who contract malaria would also reduce poverty levels in Africa significantly, thus improving other aspects of society like education levels and the economy. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means fewer people are getting sick. When fewer people get sick, the working population is stronger as a whole because people are not put out of work from malaria, nor are they caring for sick relatives. Malaria-afflicted families can typically only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy families can harvest. Additionally, a family with members who have malaria spends roughly a quarter of its income treatment, not including the loss of work they also must deal with due to the illness. It’s estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of.  

This essay begins with an introduction, which ends with the thesis (that malaria eradication plans in Sub-Saharan Africa should focus on prevention rather than treatment). The first part of the essay lays out why the counter argument (treatment rather than prevention) is not as effective, and the second part of the essay focuses on why prevention of malaria is the better path to take.

• The thesis appears early, is stated clearly, and is supported throughout the rest of the essay. This makes the argument clear for readers to understand and follow throughout the essay.
• There’s lots of solid research in this essay, including specific programs that were conducted and how successful they were, as well as specific data mentioned throughout. This evidence helps strengthen the author’s argument.
• The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
• The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.

Argumentative Essay Example 3

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.

Proponents of the idea believe that, because college athletes are the ones who are training, participating in games, and bringing in audiences, they should receive some sort of compensation for their work. If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there (sometimes very high) salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports. In fact, the NCAA brings in roughly $1 billion in revenue a year, but college athletes don’t receive any of that money in the form of a paycheck. Additionally, people who believe college athletes should be paid state that paying college athletes will actually encourage them to remain in college longer and not turn pro as quickly, either by giving them a way to begin earning money in college or requiring them to sign a contract stating they’ll stay at the university for a certain number of years while making an agreed-upon salary.  

Supporters of this idea point to Zion Williamson, the Duke basketball superstar, who, during his freshman year, sustained a serious knee injury. Many argued that, even if he enjoyed playing for Duke, it wasn’t worth risking another injury and ending his professional career before it even began for a program that wasn’t paying him. Williamson seems to have agreed with them and declared his eligibility for the NCAA draft later that year. If he was being paid, he may have stayed at Duke longer. In fact, roughly a third of student athletes surveyed stated that receiving a salary while in college would make them “strongly consider” remaining collegiate athletes longer before turning pro.

Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.

People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.

They also argue that paying college athletes actually means only a small fraction would make significant money. Out of the 350 Division I athletic departments, fewer than a dozen earn any money. Nearly all the money the NCAA makes comes from men’s football and basketball, so paying college athletes would make a small group of men--who likely will be signed to pro teams and begin making millions immediately out of college--rich at the expense of other players.

Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.

People on this side also point out that, while the NCAA brings in a massive amount of money each year, it is still a non-profit organization. How? Because over 95% of those profits are redistributed to its members’ institutions in the form of scholarships, grants, conferences, support for Division II and Division III teams, and educational programs. Taking away a significant part of that revenue would hurt smaller programs that rely on that money to keep running.

While both sides have good points, it’s clear that the negatives of paying college athletes far outweigh the positives. College athletes spend a significant amount of time and energy playing for their school, but they are compensated for it by the scholarships and perks they receive. Adding a salary to that would result in a college athletic system where only a small handful of athletes (those likely to become millionaires in the professional leagues) are paid by a handful of schools who enter bidding wars to recruit them, while the majority of student athletics and college athletic programs suffer or even shut down for lack of money. Continuing to offer the current level of benefits to student athletes makes it possible for as many people to benefit from and enjoy college sports as possible.

This argumentative essay follows the Rogerian model. It discusses each side, first laying out multiple reasons people believe student athletes should be paid, then discussing reasons why the athletes shouldn’t be paid. It ends by stating that college athletes shouldn’t be paid by arguing that paying them would destroy college athletics programs and cause them to have many of the issues professional sports leagues have.

• Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side. It allows readers to get a full view of the argument and its nuances.
• Certain statements on both sides are directly rebuffed in order to show where the strengths and weaknesses of each side lie and give a more complete and sophisticated look at the argument.
• Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay

Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.

#1: Make Your Thesis Crystal Clear

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. The typical spot for it is the final sentence of the introduction paragraph, but if it doesn’t fit in that spot for your essay, try to at least put it as the first or last sentence of a different paragraph so it stands out more.

Also make sure that your thesis makes clear what side of the argument you’re on. After you’ve written it, it’s a great idea to show your thesis to a couple different people--classmates are great for this. Just by reading your thesis they should be able to understand what point you’ll be trying to make with the rest of your essay.

#2: Show Why the Other Side Is Weak

When writing your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the other side of the argument and just focus on your side, but don’t do this. The best argumentative essays really tear apart the other side to show why readers shouldn’t believe it. Before you begin writing your essay, research what the other side believes, and what their strongest points are. Then, in your essay, be sure to mention each of these and use evidence to explain why they’re incorrect/weak arguments. That’ll make your essay much more effective than if you only focused on your side of the argument.

#3: Use Evidence to Support Your Side

Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.

Summary: Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essays are persuasive essays that use facts and evidence to support their side of the argument. Most argumentative essays follow either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. By reading good argumentative essay examples, you can learn how to develop your essay and provide enough support to make readers agree with your opinion. When writing your essay, remember to always make your thesis clear, show where the other side is weak, and back up your opinion with data and evidence.

What's Next?

Do you need to write an argumentative essay as well? Check out our guide on the best argumentative essay topics for ideas!

You'll probably also need to write research papers for school. We've got you covered with 113 potential topics for research papers.

Your college admissions essay may end up being one of the most important essays you write. Follow our step-by-step guide on writing a personal statement to have an essay that'll impress colleges.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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