Writing Resources for Students

Would you like to learn how to write the perfect College Admissions Essay?

Wondering how to write a Research Paper?

Browse Texas Essay Editors’ list of recommended academic writing resources for students. We have assembled a list of the top books, websites, videos and apps to teach you proven writing methods and keep you organized in the process. All of the resources listed are trusted publications that have helped students and professional scholars write polished manuscripts. Some books like Strunk & White’s Elements of Style have been around for a long time, while Rachel Toor’s new Write Your Way In makes a significant contribution to existing literature. There are many great resources available for students willing to invest time in self-study, and these are some of those most commonly used by serious students and researchers.

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Videos

Tips for  Writing an Effective College Essay 

How to Write a Great College Application Essay 

Khan Academy - College Admissions Essay Tutorials  

Websites

The Common Application - Essay Prompts 2018-19

Purdue Research & Citation Resources (Chicago, MLA, APA)

Steps in Writing a Research Paper (SUNY Empire State College)

Writing Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Essay Hell (Janine Robinson)

Khan Academy - College Admissions  

AP Stylebook (blog)

The Curriculum Vitae (Southwestern.edu)

Unicode Character Table  

Apps

Ulysses  

This iCloud-based application syncs to all your Apple devices and boasts a simplified, intuitive interface that allows you to focus on your text. Export documents to multiple file formats, including PDF, Word doc and HTML. Ulysses is a favorite among academic writers who want the freedom to work on the move, when inspiration strikes.

Scrivener

Developed by UK-based software company Literature & Latte, Scrivener is a go-to writing application for academics, novelists, screenplay writers, and attorneys engaged in long-form projects. A diverse array of features allow flexible display options as well as the ability to restructure in-progress documents. A side-by-side layout option enables researchers to view source materials while drafting their text. Allows for project-wide style edits and exporting to multiple file formats. This application is for MacOS, Windows, and iOS although feature options vary slightly between versions. Obtain licenses for multiple devices and share project files between them using Dropbox or iTunes.

ProWritingAid

This desktop application offers Windows and Mac users powerful editing and anti-plagiarism tools as well as integrations with WS Word (PC only), Google Docs, Google Chrome, and Scrivener. Run this application on finished documents for detailed reports on potential grammar, spelling, and style issues. ProWritingAid serves as your private copyeditor and is the only editing application offering context-based spelling and grammar corrections. Requires Premium subscription for access to add-ins.

Books

College Essays

Write Your Way In: Crafting an Unforgettable College Admissions Essay by Rachel Toor

Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps: Crafting a Winning Personal Statement by Alan Gelb

College Essay Essentials: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Successful College Admissions Essay by Ethan Sawher

On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice by Harry Bauld

Heavenly Essays: 50 Narrative College Application Essays That Worked by Janine Robinson

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson

100 Successful College Application Essays by the Harvard Independent

The College Essay Trap: Rescue your college application essay from the "maybe" pile by Cassie Nichols

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays by Gene Tanabe

Medical School Essays

The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement: Write Your Best Story. Secure Your Interview by Ryan Gray, MD

50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson

BeMo’s Ultimate Guide to Medical School Personal Statements & Secondary Essays: How to Write Captivating Statements and Essays Even If You are Not a Natural Writer by BeMo Academic Consulting

The Official Guide to Medical School Admissions 2018: How to Prepare for and Apply to Medical School by the Association of American Medical Colleges

The MedEdits Guide to Medical School Admissions, Third Edition by Dr. Jessica Freedman

Research Papers

"They say / I say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein

The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams.

Inventing Arguments by John Mauk and John Metz

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers by Kate Turabian and Wayne Booth

Instruction Manual for College Papers: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Quality Essays by Danalynn + Christopher Coulon

Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide by James Lester

Writing A Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Approach by Phyllis Goldenberg

Writing Research Papers: A Guide to the Process by Stephen Weidenborner, Domenick Caruso, and Gary Parks

Style Guides | Reference 

Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by University of Chicago Press

The Little, Brown Handbook, Brief Version (LB Brief) by Jane E. Aaron

MLA Handbook, 8th Edition (2016) by The Modern Language Association of America