8 Types of Essays in College: All You Need to Know

Even if you already have a topic for your essay, it may still not be enough to write a good paper. Also, you need to clarify the type of essay you are supposed to write. Please make sure to define the kinds of essays your teachers want you to write before working on them.

We’ve prepared an excellent guide on eight types of college essays for you! Here, you can find a detailed explanation of different types of essays. Also, enjoy excellent tips and get inspired for your paper! Let’s dive in!

📝 8 Types of Essays in College

There are eight types of college essays that you should pay attention to. In this section, you can find useful guides for all types of essays. We’ve explained what each type is about. Also, you can find specific recommendations for all kinds of essays.

8 Types of College Essays

1. Descriptive essay
2. Analytical essay
3. Argumentative essay
4. Persuasive essay

5. Definition essay
6. Classification essay
7. Compare & contrast essay
8. Cause & effect essay

1. Descriptive Essay

You might be wondering what a descriptive essay is. And what is its purpose?

The answer follows from its name: to describe the main traits of an object, process, phenomenon, or something else. When writing such an essay, you dive into an experience that you or another person had.

How to Write a Descriptive Essay?

In this section, we’ve prepared for you excellent tips! We believe they’ll help you to understand how to write a descriptive essay.

1. Don’t be laconic. In writing a descriptive essay, you should apply imagination to create a particular feeling. Use all five senses and add lots of details!
2. Create an exact feeling! You should leave a potential reader with clear emotions. So, you need to plan what feelings you want to evoke.
3. Use colorful and memorable language. Your central aim is to recall an experience and describe your feelings. Thus, you need to employ expressive language to get there.

4. Take enough time for brainstorming. It is crucial when writing a descriptive essay. We recommend you choose wisely adjectives and think out what your aim is.

Descriptive Essay Topics

1. Autism: description and causes of the rise
2. Brief description of autism spectrum disorders
3. Alzheimer’s disease description
4. How to describe evidence-based practice?
5. Information Technology professional job description
6. Describe a nursing informatics course
7. Description the life cycle of stars
8. Lyme disease description and analysis
9. Project cost manager: describe the job
10. What is leadership in nursing?
11. Description of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City
12. Nursing career: description the profession and its future
13. Purchasing manager: describe the job
14. The United Arab Emirates: describe the country
15. Process description – manufacturing of float glass

2. Analytical Essay

What is an analytical type of essay? This type of college essay implies that you critically analyze and evaluate a topic.

The primary purpose of an analytical essay is to provide an argument and then support it. You need to be able to interpret given information and come to conclusions.

How to Write an Analytical Essay?

Let’s have a look at useful tips for this type of essay! We hope you find it helpful and get inspired to start writing.

1. Be clear and logical! It is essential when writing an analytical paper. You should remember the following structure: argument →evidence(s)
2. Don’t forget to use linking words. It will help readers to follow your thoughts. And, thus, to understand the text better!
3. Don’t confuse analytical essays with descriptive essays! The distinctive feature of an analytical essay is its focus on interpretation. In comparison, descriptive essays summarize existing information.
4. Remember that your analytical essay should benefit the potential reader. Think about what you can bring and how it is best to clarify a subject.
5. Don’t forget to add contrasting opinions. To make your essay more substantial, you should mention an alternative point of view. It will make your argument persuasive. 

Analytical Essay Topics

1. Analyze the effects of the foreign direct investment
2. Air New Zealand company’s external analysis
3. Analyze autism and its symptoms
4. Nike: case analysis and problems
5. Alibaba company’s external analysis
6. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis
7. Analysis of Amazon’s environment
8. Coca-Cola: company analysis
9. Analyze Apple’s Competitive Strategy
10. Childhood obesity research: data analysis
11. Analyze Johnson & Johnson company
12. Analysis of the pharmaceutical industry
13. Analysis of inaugural speeches
14. Tobacco-related death: issue analysis
15. Self-care: a concept analysis

3. Argumentative Essay

Argumentative essays are probably the most typical college essays. You aim to persuade the potential reader by presenting and proving a point of view.

In this type of essay, you take a position on the issue and argumentatively prove it.

You might be wondering how to write an argumentative essay. In this section, we’ve prepared a few great tips for you. Let’s dive in!

How to Write an Argumentative Essay?

1. Evidence is key! For argumentative essays, evidential support is essential. You should include evidence that proves your point of view in each paragraph of the body.
2. Your conclusion should support the thesis based on the evidence. In conclusion, it is vital to restate the thesis and support it with evidence.
3. Research is significant! To produce distinct arguments, you need to spend enough time researching the topic. Your evidence can be based on factual, logical, statistical, or other data.
4. An argumentative essay is a decent piece of writing. This type of essay implies thorough research. Besides, it is usually a relatively long paper.

Argumentative Essay Topics

1. Abortion: arguments for the defense
2. Scholarly discussion in an online environment
3. Discuss child obesity condition
4. Health-care reform debate
5. Argument about “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder
6. Argument for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide
7. The postpartum case study discussion: Margaret O’Gorman
8. Consumer-driven health care and arguments against
9. Discussion of burnout among nurses
10. Euthanasia: arguments for and against
11. Discuss the issue of domestic violence
12. Cosmological argument: St. Thomas Aquinas and Kant
13. Euthanasia: types and arguments for and against
14. Discussion of nonverbal communication
15. Philosophy. Ontological vs. teleological argument

4. Persuasive Essay

This is a type of essay involving discussion. Instead of giving informative facts and a general view, your task is to persuade your readers to accept your ideas. Writing this essay, you can manipulate readers’ emotions using facts and logic.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay?

Please have a look at the great tips we’ve prepared for you. Get inspired and start your persuasive essay! Let’s dive in!

1. You need to persuade the readers that your opinion is viable. So, you need to think about how to make your ideas sound reasonable.
2. Study an opposing point of view. If you aim to persuade readers, you should be well aware of the opposite opinion.
3. Remember to use various persuasive techniques! It includes storytelling methods, repetition, presenting opposing views, and call-to-action sentences.

4. You should demonstrate full confidence in your point of view and arguments. If you doubt your thesis, it is unlikely that the readers will take your side.

Persuasive Essay Topics

1. Why shouldn’t people eat fast food?
2. Animals should be used for scientific testing
3. Must abortion be illegal?
4. Should animal experimentation be permitted?
5. Should euthanasia be legal in some countries and why?
6. Corporations must act responsibly
7. Should human organs be legally sold?
8. Marijuana must be legalized in America
9. Should Bisphenol-A be banned?
10. Smoking in public places must be banned
11. Who should teach children sexual education
12. Stem cell research should be encouraged
13. Abortion: must it be legalized?
14. Should capital punishment be abolished?
15. Why genetically modified foods should be banned

5. Definition Essay

When working on this kind of essay, you’re supposed to cover one specific term. Your primary role is to explain what exactly this term means. It is suitable to talk about the origins of the word and spheres of usage.

How to Write a Definition Essay?

You might be wondering what you should remember when writing such an essay. We’ve prepared for you several excellent tips! Get inspired and start writing!

1. Define an object or phenomenon. You should choose something that might be interesting for the readers and valuable for you.
2. The term should be complex and disputable. It is essential to write a distinct paper. Also, it brings value to the readers if the word is controversial.
3. Add dictionary definition(s). By doing this, you make your paper more trustworthy. Also, you’ll have a good basis for developing your argument.
4. Discuss the term’s origins. It will help you to tackle its complexity and make a strong argument.
5. It will be best if the term is connected with your field of knowledge. It means you’re familiar with the subject and able to produce a strong definition paper.

Definition Essay Topics

1. Infant reflexes defined
2. E-business: definition and models
3. Verbal expression: define the term
4. Corporate social responsibility: definition and benefits
5. End of life care definition
6. Correlation: definition and examples
7. Michael Porter’s Value Chain defined
8. Monetary policy: definition
9. Defining the professional health care practitioner
10. Definitions and typologies in public administration
11. Nursing science: definition and importance
12. Defining health within healthcare policies
13. Bipolar disorder definition
14. Globalization: definition and impact
15. Genetically modified foods definition

6. Classification Essay

A classification essay is a kind of paper to sort things into different categories. It is helpful when analyzing the differences between objects. The classification must be clear, and each point should be linked to the following one.

Your primary goal is to classify a group of objects according to a specific criterion.

How to Write a Classification Essay?

Here are some great tips for classification essay writing! We hope you find them helpful and inspiring. Let’s get started!

1. Take enough time to determine the categories for your paper. There shouldn’t be too many of them in your essay. However, it is essential to mention all the main categories.
2. Make classification guided by a single principle. When you have a single principle for your classification, your paper follows some logic. It is important that your essay is decent.
3. Don’t forget to provide examples! It is essential to make your categories even more clear. Good examples will ease understanding for your readers.
4. Use signal phrases in your classification essay. They will help the readers to understand your text better. The phrases include the following:

   • It is classified according to
   • It is divided into
   • In this type of
   • It is categorized by the following principle.
   • It involves several kinds of

Classification Essay Topics

1. Health information systems: types and usage
2. Anxiety disorder, its types, causes, and incidence
3. Types of assets in the balance sheet
4. Managed care techniques, types, impact, benefits
5. Types and aims of the nursing research
6. Characteristics and forms of schizophrenia
7. Two ways of combating childhood obesity
8. Conflict management. The ways of solving conflicts
9. Different types of reflective models
10. Types of advertising – commercial and political
11. Types of thinking styles
12. Two forms of Diabetes Mellitus
13. Long-term care, its role and types
14. Types of business organizations
15. Signs of eating disorders: types and symptoms

7. Compare & Contrast Essay

This type of comparison essay is similar to the last one. But writing a compare and contrast essay, one could seek differences in general categories and two specific subjects: people, companies, universities, political strategies, and so on.

Your primary goal is to discuss the main similarities and differences between the given objects.

How to Write a Compare & Contrast Essay?

You might be asking yourself what you should pay attention to when writing such an essay. In this section, we’ve prepared for you several beautiful tips! Get inspired and start writing your paper!

1. You can compare and contrast different things/people. It can be:

   • Historical events
   • Concepts, ideas, or theories
   • Books, art objects, etc.
   • People

2. Concentrate on particular similarities and differences. You will probably find lots of things to talk about. However, you should decide what is the most important for your paper.
3. Use signal words to structure your text. It includes the following:

   • In the same way
   • In common
   • As well as
   • Compared to
   • Despite
   • Even though
   • Not alike
   • In contrast
   • Although

Compare & Contrast Essay Topics

1. US healthcare system compared to world practices
2. Apple and Microsoft: marketing approach comparison
3. Scholarly vs. popular sources for medical research
4. The nursing theories comparison
5. Online shopping vs. in-store shopping
6. Education online compared to traditional education
7. Electronic vs cigarette smoking: comparative study
8. Comparative strategy analysis: the UK and Japan
9. Bottom-up to top-down modeling comparison
10. Apple vs. HP: integrated marketing communications
11. Comparison of leadership models and styles
12. Compare & contrast of nursing theorists
13. Southwest Airlines and Lufthansa comparison
14. Hamlet and Macbeth: contrast and comparison
15. Home vs. public school education

8. Cause & Effect Essay

Your primary goal here is to explain what factors lead to what results and why.

You may discuss one cause and several effects or one effect and several causes. This kind of essay is perfect for ecological and political topics.

Your paper can be focused more on the cause or effect side. It depends on the topic you choose.

How to Write A Cause & Effect Essay?

You might be wondering how to write a cause-and-effect essay. In this section, we’ve prepared a few excellent tips for you. We hope you’ll get inspired and start with your paper. Let’s dive in!

1. Don’t forget to check your essay for logic. Ask yourself: is it a cause or an effect? Can my arguments be called sufficient?
2. Use transitions and connectors in your essay. It will make it sound better and will ease the text for the readers. Let’s have a look at examples:

   • For this reason
   • On account of
   • Consequently
   • Because of
   • In addition to
   • As a result
   • Therefore
   • Due to
   • This means that
3. Choose the following logic: a phenomenon ← main causes. You should focus on a chosen phenomenon, event, or anything you decide. Then you should look at the causes that lead to this particular event.

Cause & Effect Essay Topics

1. Cause and effect of obesity
2. Male and female suicide statistics: causes and effects
3. Causes of juvenile delinquency
4. Depression development and its causes
5. Financial crises’ causes and consequences
6. Moving to the United States: causes and effects
7. Does violent media cause teenage aggression?
8. Causes and treatment of cancer
9. Factors that cause international migration flaws
10. Global warming causes and effects
11. Spanish flu: cause and effect
12. Globalization causes and drivers
13. Overpopulation: causes, effects, and solutions
14. Great Depression: domestic and foreign causes
15. The causes and effects of the popularity of fast food restaurants

📑 Types of College Essays: 3 Extra Types for You

We’ve prepared three additional types of college essays for you! Hope you find it helpful! Let’s have a look together!

Application Essay

Your central aim is to explain why you should be admitted to the particular college application essay. Usually, you write around a 500-word essay where you should be clear and persuasive.

How to Write an Application Essay?

Here you’ll find useful tips that will help you to create an excellent piece of writing!

1. Think about why you want to get into college. It is essential, to be honest with yourself for writing a great application essay.
2. Think about how you can benefit the college. Why are you a good candidate? What can you bring? What are your strengths?
3. Create an excellent intro! Your introduction should be compelling and catch your attention. It should be unique!
4. Don’t forget to stick to a plan! Before starting to write, you should create an outline. It is essential to follow your plan so that your essay remains clear.
5. Support your story with examples. For this type of essay, real-life examples are key. They will allow admissions officers to feel your story.

Personal Essay

This type of essay implies that you share an important or even a life-changing story. You write about your experience and the life lessons it brought to you. Personal essays can be written for different purposes. In college, you might often get this task to practice your writing skills.

How to Write A Personal Essay?

Keep in mind these excellent tips! We hope that you get inspired and start your paper. Let’s have a look!

1. Create an outline. It is essential for you, as it helps to stay focused and ease the writing process. Also, you’ll not forget anything you wanted to mention.
2. Don’t forget to include what you’ve learned from the experience! It is something that the potential reader is interested in reading about.
3. Share your emotions. A personal essay should have the emotions you want to share with the readers.
4. Try to make your story beneficial for the potential reader. For instance, you might pose a rhetorical question. It can make readers think about your experience in a personal context.

Scholarship Essay

Your scholarship essay aims at persuading that you are the one deserving the scholarship. You should tell about your strengths, achievements, and other things you’re proud of.

How to Write A Scholarship Essay?

Pay attention to these excellent tips when writing your paper. Get inspired and start your scholarship essay! Let’s dive in!

• Be personal. Your story should be worth remembering. It is key to getting a scholarship.
• Be attentive: proofread! It is clear that in your scholarship essay, there is no room for spelling or grammar mistakes.
• Ask for feedback. Share your essay with friends or family and listen to their advice. It might help you to understand how your essay sounds.
• Read the scholarship essay instructions carefully. Don’t forget to check the number of words you need to write, the deadline, and other details.

As you can see, there are lots of different types of college essays! But don’t worry! We are here to help you understand all the details. If you still have questions in mind, please comment below.

🔗 References

1. Essay Writing – Purdue University
2. Descriptive Essays – Purdue University
3. Writing A Descriptive Essay – Butte College
4. Cause-Effect Essays – National Geographic Learning
5. How to Write A Cause-and-effect Essay – Masterclass Articles
6. Tips for Writing Papers – Loyola University Maryland
7. Tips for A Great College Essay – Smith College
8. The Basics of Essay Writing – UNSW Sydney
9. Nine Basic Ways to Improve Your Style in Academic Writing – UC Berkeley
10. Tips & Tools – University of North Carolina
11. 3 Essay Writing Tips for Your OU Application – The University of Oklahoma
12. Essay Tips – Carleton
13. Essay Tips – Gettysburg College
14. Essay Tips – Oberlin College
15. Top 10 Writing Tips for Undergraduates – Walden University
16. Tips for Essay Writing – Union College
17. How to Write An Application Essay – Foothill College
18. Essay Writing Tips and Prompts – Dickinson
19. College Essay Writing Tips – The University of Maine
20. Application Essays – St John’s College