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Is it OK if my Essay Doesn't Have a Defined Thesis?

It is a college application essay to an honors college. The essay is a self assessment that they provided a list for ("I enjoy talking to others about books" and all that jazz).

The Intro paragraph is a narrative, and not only does a thesis statement fit well in there, but I can't seem to blanket all the topics I discuss. The intro flows into the next paragraph really well, and so do all the others. I still discuss the point of the essay, and address all necessary topics.

It's more like a story than an essay. But is that OK for a college application?

Update:

PS- The personal essay is only one of the essays I shall be assessed on.

The second is a very lenghthy research paper, wich follows all tradtional essay forms. I worked on it for a month, and it is very long (and FANTASTICLY done if my opiniopn means anything).

2 Answers

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  • ooooo
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Since it's a personal essay, not an argumentative one, it is probably OK not to have a thesis per se since you're not really trying to prove an argument. You'll have something kind of like a thesis in that your story is supposed to say something about you, and it should be clear by the end what that is, but it doesn't necessarily need to be laid out in black and white in the first paragraph. As long as it's internally coherent with a beginning, a middle and an end, it probably reads a lot better as a story than in a dry, formulaic essay format (not that argumentative essays have to be dry and formulaic either, but you get the idea).

  • 1 decade ago

    If you are applying to an honors college, admissions will be looking for an above average essay. If your essay flows really well, then you have a good start but college admission is really competitive these days and a good essay isn't good enough. It has to be perfect. I would try to add a thesis.

    Source(s): I'm a college student at Ohio State.
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