College Level II Essays

College Level II — General
(go to business-focused topics)
A+ Professor (Persuasive)
What makes a professor great? Prominence in his or her field? A hot new book? Good student reviews every semester? What standards should be used to assess
the quality of college faculty members? Support your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Academic Achievement vs. Age (Persuasive)
"School children should be grouped according to their levels of academic achievement rather than by their ages."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with this opinion. Support your views with specific reasons and examples from your own experiences,
observations or reading.
Achievements vs. Talents (Persuasive)
"Parents, teachers and employers should reward achievements rather than talents."
An A for Effort (Persuasive)
"Although some people argue that grades should be based entirely on students' level of mastery, rewarding effort will teach students the importance of hard work."
Billionaire Dropouts (Persuasive)
A number of high-profile businesspeople are college dropouts who abandoned college to focus on following their dreams. With such success stories in the high-
tech and entertainment fields, it is easy to understand the temptation some students feel to drop out of college to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. If a friend
was considering dropping out of college to start a business, how would you decide whether to encourage that decision? Support your position with reasons and
examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Bullying and E-Learning (Persuasive)
"Students who are bullied by their classmates should have the option to attend school via the Internet."
Cell Phone Jammers (Persuasive)
The use of mobile phones is discouraged in many public spaces, with varying degrees of success. If the technology were legal and available, should places like
theaters, restaurants and parks install blocking devices that would make it impossible for patrons to make calls? Support your position with evidence from your own
experiences, observations or reading.
Challenging Ideas (Persuasive)
"Students should be encouraged to challenge the ideas and facts that are presented to them in school."
College and Career Goals (Persuasive)
"High school graduates should delay college until they have a clear idea of their career goals."
College Costs (Persuasive)
"The rising cost of a college education is the fault of students who demand that colleges offer students luxuries unheard of by earlier generations of college
students — single dorm rooms, private bathrooms, gourmet meals, etc."
Community Service (Persuasive)
Some people have suggested that everyone between the ages of 18 and 21 should be required to perform one year of community or government service, such as
in the Peace Corps, Environmental Conservancy Corps, a hospital, the military, a rural or inner-city school, or other community outreach projects.
Should government or community service be required of 18- to 21-year-olds? Support your point of view with reasons from your own experiences, observations or
reading.
Sample Essays Available

Electives (Persuasive)
"Schools should offer electives such as music and art only to those students who have mastered core subjects such as reading, math, and science."
E-mail and Writing Skills (Persuasive)
"Educators should encourage the current popularity of e-mail and instant messaging among teenagers because this trend is sure to improve their students' reading
and writing skills."
Entertainment Options (Persuasive)
"A college education should equip one to entertain three things: a friend, an idea and oneself."
—Thomas Ehrlich
Ehrlich suggests that a college education should prepare us not just to understand ideas but also to entertain ourselves and others. How might a college education
equip us to entertain friends or ourselves? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
File Sharing (Persuasive)
In the United States, it is considered illegal to download and share music files over the Internet. But should online file sharing be illegal? Both Canada and France
have declared peer-to-peer music file sharing to be legal. Should the United States follow in their footsteps? Why or why not? Explain your position with reasons
and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Gadgets and Self-Reliance (Persuasive)
"Our increasing reliance on high-tech gadgets will eventually make us less able to take care of ourselves."
Getting Along with Others (Persuasive)
"One of the most important skills that children need to learn in order to succeed is the ability to get along with others."
Going for Distance (Persuasive)
Thanks to the Internet, distance education is a booming business. The ability to pursue a college degree online is allowing many people who could not attend a
traditional college because of constraints such as work and child-rearing get the education they want. But should a degree earned entirely online be considered
equivalent to a degree earned at a traditional brick-and-mortar university? How might the differences between online education and traditional classroom learning
affect the educational experience? State your position and support it with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Good Manners (Persuasive)
"Traditional 'good manners' are meaningless today, and parents should no longer stress them."
Grades (Persuasive)
Some people argue that having grades in our school systems puts too much emphasis on competition among students and not enough emphasis on learning for
its own sake. Others argue that without a precise grading system, students would not work as hard to excel in their studies because they would not have a
standard against which to measure their performance.
Should letter grading systems be replaced with pass/fail grading systems? Support your point of view with specific reasons and/or examples from your own
Sample Essays Available
Handwriting vs. Typing (Persuasive)
"In the current computer age, schools should replace handwriting instruction with keyboarding."
History Then and Now (Persuasive)
A professor of ancient Roman history constantly compares past events to current news items, so much so that the class seems more about current events than
ancient Rome. The professor contends that learning about the past is pointless if the lessons are not applied to the present. Do you agree or disagree with the
professor's statement? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Living Wage (Persuasive)
"Employers have a moral obligation to ensure that their workers are paid well enough to maintain a decent standard of living."
Making Decisions (Persuasive)
"The academic knowledge that is taught in high schools is worthless if schools don't also prepare students to make their own decisions."
Multimedia Teaching (Persuasive)
"In order to hold their students' interest, teachers should try to present material through video and multimedia presentations rather than through books and
lectures."
Naturally Lucky? (Persuasive)
"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."
—Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson believed that luck was often the result of hard work rather than mere chance. Are some people just lucky, or do good things more often come to those
who work hard to create opportunities for themselves? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Nonviolence (Persuasive)
"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to
oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method
is love."
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
Do you agree or disagree with King's assertion that love and nonviolence can be powerful enough to overcome oppression? Explain your position with reasons
and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Now You See It (Persuasive)
Some people believe that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Others believe that "out of sight is out of mind." In your experience, which of these clichés holds
true more often? Support your position with reasons and examples from your experience and observations.
On One Condition (Persuasive)
A wealthy graduate offers to donate a large sum of money to your college with the condition that the college require all students to pass a course in personal
money management before they can graduate. Should the college accept the donation and the conditions? Explain your position with reasons and examples from
your own experiences, observations or reading.
Optimizing Summer Vacation (Persuasive)
Some students look forward to summer break as a time to relax and escape the pressures of college life. Others see summer break as a time to work to earn
money for school. Still others scramble for high-profile internships that they believe will help them in the job market when they graduate. Assuming that you could
afford any of these options, which would you choose and why? Explain your decision with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or
reading.
Realistic Career Goals (Persuasive)
"Schools and parents should encourage young people to be realistic rather than idealistic about their career goals."
Reality TV (Persuasive)
"Television shows and movies should spend less time portraying how things are now and more time on how things should be."
Require Community Service (Persuasive)
Some high schools and colleges require their students to perform community service before graduation. Some critics of these policies worry that turning this
service into a requirement will make students less likely to do volunteer community service after graduation.
Should schools and colleges require students to perform community service? Support your views with specific reasons and examples from your own experiences,
Setting Expectations (Persuasive)
"It is cruel and dishonest to tell children that they can achieve anything they set their minds to."
Sick Days (Persuasive)
Some people pride themselves on never missing work or school even when they are ill, but many employers and teachers have begun to encourage sick workers
and students to stay home in order to avoid spreading illnesses to others. Should we make an effort to go to work or school even when we're ill, or is it acceptable
or even preferable to stay home when we are sick? Develop your position by using evidence from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Smoking and Health Insurance (Persuasive)
"Insurance companies and government health-care programs should not pay for the treatment of medical conditions caused by smoking cigarettes or abusing
drugs or alcohol."
Summer School (Persuasive)
Some college students take summer courses in order to earn their degrees more quickly; others believe that a summer break from academics allows them to
return to their studies refreshed and ready to study. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of taking college classes over the summer? Do you believe
the positives outweigh the negatives, or are you mostly against taking classes over the summer? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own
SUV TV (Persuasive)
Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of cars, SUVs, and minivans that come equipped with DVD players and video screens. Busy parents like the
DVD players because they keep kids quiet and entertained on trips. But with kids already watching an average of four hours a television a day, is putting a video
player in the family vehicle just too much? Do you believe it is a good idea to let children watch videos in the car? Explain your position with reasons and examples
from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Teacher Salaries and Student Achievement (Persuasive)
"Teachers' salaries should be based on their students' level of achievement rather than on seniority or other factors."
The C Prof (Persuasive)
A world-renowned professor at your college offers a class that all other students say is the most insightful and brilliant on campus. The topic of the class interests
you, but the professor is a notoriously hard grader. If given the opportunity, would you take the class or not? Explain your position with reasons and examples from
The Letter of the Law (Persuasive)
Your school's official honor code has not been updated for a decade. As it is currently written, the school's code prohibits the use of pocket calculators on exams
but does not specifically state that using other electronic equipment like laptops or handheld computers is against the rules. Should a student who uses the
calculator function on a laptop computer or other device during an exam be punished for breaking the honor code? Explain your position with reasons and
examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Untested Virtue (Persuasive)
"I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue."

—John Milton
British poet John Milton famously argued that a belief or conviction that is never tested by contact with challenging or contrary views is not worthy of praise and
perhaps should not even be called a "virtue." Therefore, someone who believes in something like protecting the environment or free speech must be willing to
stand up for that belief even in the face of strong opposition. Do you agree with Milton? Why or why not? Explain your position with reasons and examples from
When in Rome (Persuasive)
An adage advises, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." When is it preferable to adapt your behavior to local customs and when should you maintain the
standards of your own culture? Explain your position with examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Who's Watching You? (Persuasive)
With computers tracking the Web sites we visit, and surveillance cameras observing us in many public places, many people feel that their right to privacy has been
violated. Do think that this kind of monitoring is justifiable? Support your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
College Level II — Business-Focused

(go to general topics)
A Reflection on Society (Persuasive)
"Advertising reflects the mores of society, but it does not influence them."
—David Ogilvy
Ogilvy argues that advertising does not influence a society's accepted customs and attitudes, it merely reflects the values that already exist. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with Ogilvy's opinion about advertising? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Bad for You (Persuasive)
In the 1990s, former smokers met with success in various lawsuits against big tobacco companies. More recently, a number of people have attempted to sue fast-
food chains, blaming medical problems like obesity and diabetes on the food that these companies sell. Do you believe businesses that offer products that are
legal but bad for you should be held liable for the effects their products have on people's health? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own
Blow the Whistle? (Persuasive)
When should an employee report misconduct by his or her boss? Most people would agree that illegal or dangerous activity should be reported to higher-ups or
the police. But what if the misconduct is relatively minor — like failing to report sick days or engaging in an interoffice romantic relationship? Do you believe an
employee should report such minor misconduct? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Caveat Emptor (Persuasive)
Caveat emptor is a Latin phrase meaning "Let the buyer beware." The phrase dates from a time when buyers had no assurances of the quality of the goods they
bought, and no legal recourse if dissatisfied with their purchases. Today, most stores allow buyers to return unsatisfactory products. There are no such policies,
however, on many popular Internet sites that allow individuals to sell, trade or auction goods. Should a law be passed protecting Internet swappers and shoppers?
Or should online buyers be left to their own best judgment? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Focus (Persuasive)
Often, the most successful people — in business, athletics, entertainment or any field — are those who have focused all of their attention on achieving a specific
goal. Those who spread their energy in many directions may not be as successful. In your opinion, how much of success is the result of remaining focused?
Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Forgotten Jobs (Persuasive)
Twenty years ago, almost all documents were created using typewriters. Today, the typewriter industry is virtually nonexistent, as most work is done on computers.
Twenty years from now, what current industry or industries do you think will be obsolete? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own
Free E-mail (Persuasive)
One of the greatest uses of the Internet is e-mail, which allows messages and other data to be sent anywhere in the world instantly with no cost. The downside of
e-mail is spam, which clutters many e-mail accounts with unwanted messages. Some of the larger Internet service providers have floated the idea of charging a
small fee for every e-mail. This would, they argue, put an end to much of the spam being sent. Is charging a fee a good idea, or are the benefits of a free system to
be kept at all costs, including excessive spamming? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
High Oil Prices (Persuasive)
"Although rising oil prices may hurt the United States economy in the short run, they will ultimately benefit the economy by encouraging the development of
alternative forms of energy and more fuel-efficient vehicles."
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the argument above? Support your position with evidence from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Holiday Parties (Persuasive)
Office winter-holiday parties have a reputation for being awkward, obligatory functions that cost companies a lot of money even though no one really enjoys them.
Still, most people like the idea of a company-sponsored social function of some sort. If you were running a company, would you have a holiday celebration, and if
so, how might you change the tradition to make it less awkward? Explain what kind of company holiday social function you think would be best. Explain your
position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Internet Shopping (Persuasive)
As people have become more at ease with shopping online, the number of Internet retailers has boomed. Most major retailers have an online presence. Local
specialty stores that were being forced out of business by big-brand retailers are suddenly finding new, international demand for their wares. As more and more
families have computers at home and access to the Internet approaches 100 percent, will Internet shopping come to replace physically going to the mall, bookstore
or even the supermarket? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Model Company (Persuasive)
From time to time, a particular company is vilified in the press for engaging in questionable business practices, such as accounting fraud or insider trading. Other
businesses receive bad press for other misconduct, such as damaging the environment. Clearly, there are some corporate actions that make companies very
unpopular with the public. Are there actions that can make a company popular instead? What sort of personality traits should a truly admirable company exhibit?
Give your own definition of a model company and support that definition with reasons and examples from your experiences, observations or reading.
Protect or Change? (Persuasive)
To control costs and remain competitive in the global economy, many United States businesses are outsourcing jobs previously performed by United States
workers to countries with lower labor costs. United States workers have been losing manufacturing jobs to overseas factories for years, but now service-industry
jobs such as telemarketing, customer service and technical support are also being outsourced. Should the United States government institute measures to
discourage businesses from finding cheaper labor in other countries, or should it encourage its workers to focus on developing the kinds of skills that will make
those workers more desirable to employers? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Protective Governments (Persuasive)
In most cases, a nation with free, open markets for a given commodity benefits by having low prices for that product, although this can often mean that the product
is produced primarily overseas. For some industries — like steel, public utilities, and basic agricultural goods — governments often impose barriers on overseas
companies, believing that losing control of such industries could weaken the nation. This leads to national control, but also higher prices. Do you feel the extra cost
is worthwhile for a nation, or is it unnecessary? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Robber Barons (Persuasive)
The term "robber barons" first referred to several prominent late-nineteenth-century industrialists who made vast fortunes by employing modern manufacturing
techniques and monopolizing their various industries, often to the detriment of workers and those who needed the goods and services they provided. Some people
defend these industrialists by pointing out that these were self-made successes, born into modest or even poor families, who earned their wealth through hard
work and ingenuity. Others point to their ostentatious displays of wealth and their seeming disregard for the welfare of their workers. Can you think of any industry
leaders today who might be deemed robber barons? Explain why you think the label fits using reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or
reading.
Salary and Satisfaction (Persuasive)
Having a high-paying job certainly has financial advantages, but a lifetime of work in an industry that is unappealing to a person is not a recipe for happiness.
Should salary be the most important factor when deciding on a job, or are there other things that are more important? If so, what are they? Explain your position
with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Setting Salaries (Persuasive)
A common model for establishing employee compensation is that salary should be determined solely by an individual's contribution to an organization. In your
opinion, are there circumstances in which people's salaries should be based on something other than their contributions to their organizations? Explain your
position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
The Business of Politics (Persuasive)
It has been said that running a big company is no different than governing a state or a country. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your position
with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
The Customer Is Always Right (Persuasive)
The notion that the customer is always right is very common, especially in businesses where employees have direct contact with customers. The idea behind the
phrase is that businesses, in order to be successful, must meet the demands of their customers, even when those demands are unreasonable. Do you agree or
disagree that the customer is always right? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
The Harm in Charity (Persuasive)
"Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it."

—John D. Rockefeller
Rockefeller was not alone among wealthy industrialists in his thoughts on charity. Fellow business titan Andrew Carnegie also observed, "One of the serious
obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity." Do you agree with Rockefeller and Carnegie, or do you believe that charity is necessary and
beneficial? Explain your position with reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations or reading.
The Lone Superpower (Persuasive)
The United States' economy is, by far, the largest in the world. Do you think this will still be the case 10 years from now? What about in 50 years? What factors do
you believe are most important in determining the United States' future economic position? Explain with reasons and examples from your own experiences,

College Level II Essays

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

College Level II Essays

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

College Level II Essays

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

College Level II — General

(go to business-focused topics)

Academic Achievement vs. Age (Persuasive)

Achievements vs. Talents (Persuasive)

An A for Effort (Persuasive)

Billionaire Dropouts (Persuasive)

Bullying and E-Learning (Persuasive)

Cell Phone Jammers (Persuasive)

Challenging Ideas (Persuasive)

College and Career Goals (Persuasive)

College Costs (Persuasive)

Community Service (Persuasive)

Sample Essays Available

E-mail and Writing Skills (Persuasive)

Entertainment Options (Persuasive)

File Sharing (Persuasive)

Gadgets and Self-Reliance (Persuasive)

Getting Along with Others (Persuasive)

Going for Distance (Persuasive)

Good Manners (Persuasive)

Sample Essays Available

Handwriting vs. Typing (Persuasive)

History Then and Now (Persuasive)

Making Decisions (Persuasive)

Multimedia Teaching (Persuasive)

Naturally Lucky? (Persuasive)

On One Condition (Persuasive)

Optimizing Summer Vacation (Persuasive)

Realistic Career Goals (Persuasive)

Require Community Service (Persuasive)

Sick Days (Persuasive)

Smoking and Health Insurance (Persuasive)

Summer School (Persuasive)

Teacher Salaries and Student Achievement (Persuasive)

The C Prof (Persuasive)

The Letter of the Law (Persuasive)

Untested Virtue (Persuasive)

"I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue."

When in Rome (Persuasive)

Who's Watching You? (Persuasive)

College Level II — Business-Focused

A Reflection on Society (Persuasive)

Bad for You (Persuasive)

Blow the Whistle? (Persuasive)

Caveat Emptor (Persuasive)

Forgotten Jobs (Persuasive)

High Oil Prices (Persuasive)

Holiday Parties (Persuasive)

Internet Shopping (Persuasive)

Model Company (Persuasive)

Protect or Change? (Persuasive)

Robber Barons (Persuasive)

Salary and Satisfaction (Persuasive)

Setting Salaries (Persuasive)

The Business of Politics (Persuasive)

The Customer Is Always Right (Persuasive)

"Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it."

The Lone Superpower (Persuasive)

You might also like