Community Development
Student ResourcesEssay Contest
Tips on Writing a Winning Essay
Research
Begin at the Minneapolis Fed's Web site.
Sources
The bibliography can direct you to additional links.
Writing
Draft Checklist
An essay with strong content can lose its effectiveness if filled with spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Use this checklist to ensure a clean and easy-to-read copy.
- Thesis clearly presented
- Paragraphs well organized
- Effective transitions between paragraphs
- Argument follows a logical progression
- Strong evidence used to support thesis
- Sentence structure
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Page numbers
- Bibliography and parenthetical references or footnotes follow a consistent style (see a teacher or librarian for a reference guide)
- Cover includes required information
- First page with title and no name
- Copy can be easily read—type is clear and dark
Footnotes/Bibliography
Use footnotes or parenthetical references for all direct quotations and important facts. See your teacher for a guide on how to format your footnotes and bibliography. Be sure to include citations of interviews.
