Crafting a Strong Essay Introduction
An essay introduction is a first impression. First impressions are important. Business and psychology sources from Forbes (article link) to the Association for Psychological Science (article link) have recently circulated the notion that people make judgments in the first few seconds of an encounter. The common application of this psychological phenomena is two individuals meeting in person, but an essay, especially a personal essay, can witness the same fast judgment by the reader. Therefore, an introduction to an essay is crucial for a positive reception and should pique interest and build credibility. Unlike an in-person first impression, an essay first impression allows the author to avoid being judged for factors out of their control like ethnicity, gender and age. Instead, they can carefully craft a mix of ideas and personality to nudge their reader to think of them as a human thinker: rational, humane and complex.
A good introduction reflects the rational process of outlining, where claims and evidence are logically organized, as well as the more intuitive process of finding the right voice. Therefore, an introduction should be written after the structure of the essay is established and reworked, over at least a few sittings to get the perfect wording and sentence structure. Because you want to also capitalize on the fast, intuitive reaction of your reader, the overview of these ideas should be said comfortably and concisely.
In a short academic essay like a personal statement, the introduction is a paragraph of modest length. This collection of about 3-6 sentences serves as a kind of microcosm of the essay as a whole. The practical job of this paragraph is to state the structure of your argument: the big claim (thesis) and the sub-claims with just enough context so it makes sense.
After you complete the first draft of an introductory paragraph, go back and read it for its “portraiture” value. When one paints a portrait or portrays a character, key features of their personality emerge to give the viewer or reader an impression. In a personal statement, you’re creating a portrait of yourself as a potential graduate student. This impression should be painted over the length of the essay, but it’s important to include a few suggestive strokes right away. Consider what details are helpful to tell your reader first. Perhaps you mention that your perspective on law stems from growing up in an area that struggled with crime. Perhaps you mention that you were inspired to work in biotechnology because a family friend recovered from an injury with recent biotech treatments. As a graduate applicant, you will likely mention what you studied as an undergraduate in your introductory paragraph. As you finalize an introduction, try to imagine yourself in the shoes of an admissions counselor and see if the first impression of yourself is the best it can be.
Below, we’ve collected a few great examples of articles on introductions for academic essays produced by writing centers at several prominent American universities. Most universities have writing centers and resources with useful tips. However, because these website are designed for students already enrolled in these schools, they do not often address how to write application essays. You will still find very useful descriptions, but keep in mind where their advice on introductions might diverge slightly from those in a personal statement.
Harvard University
Michigan State University Writing Center (http://writing.msu.edu)
How to Write a Good Introduction
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Writing Center
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
The University of Melbourne
Writing Introductions and Conclusions for Essays
This article on introductions follows those on logic and structure to make a solid overview of fundament academic writing skills. We suggest coming back to these 3 articles over and over again, as they address foundational writing skills that you will need to master to write at a graduate and professional level. In the upcoming weeks, our resources page will address learning about writing and a few sources and methods to improve your relationship with language. In the meantime, be curious, thoughtful and integrous!
