Outline Template

  1. Introduction Paragraph
    Thesis: Make an overall thesis statement (if applicable) followed by the two or three points of your essay map or road map. These points are assertions, which each become a topic sentence for the following paragraphs. The introduction should provide the reader a clear “roadmap” of the remainder of the essay.
  2. Body Paragraphs (use bullet points, not complete sentences)
    1. Assertion #1
      1. Support for assertion #1 (define theory, cite/reference sources as appropriate)
      2. Analysis of assertion #1 – ties evidence to prove the assertion
    2. Assertion #2
      1. Support for assertion #2 (define theory, cite/reference sources as appropriate)
      2. Analysis of assertion #2 – ties evidence to prove the assertion
    3. Assertion #3
      1. Support for assertion #3 (define theory, cite/reference sources as appropriate)
      2. Analysis of assertion #3 – ties evidence to prove the assertion
  3. Conclusion Paragraph.
    The final paragraph should restate the thesis statement and also briefly summarize the author’s key arguments and takeaways, or the “so what” of the argument for strategic leaders. Students should remind the reader about the main points of the essay, and how they have answered the question prompt. Note that a conclusion does not introduce new evidence. A good conclusion is usually only about 10% of the total word count of the essay. Overly long conclusions come at the expense of analysis within the body paragraphs. The final paragraph drives home the importance for current/future thought and research, suggests areas for further investigation, and calls the reader to action when appropriate. For example, what can we learn from this? The conclusion answers the larger question of “So What?”

Notes:

  • When converting this outline to essay points, A., B., and C. should each be a separate paragraph. Therefore, the above essay example outline will become a 5-paragraph essay. If there are only two Assertions (A and B), then it would be a 4-paragraph essay (Intro, A., B., Conclusion).
  • Footnotes are optional and do not count toward the-word count limit for outlines. Outlines that are over 60% of the essay’s maximum word count will be returned by the FI without comment.
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