owl.english.purdue.edu essay

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Purdue University Essays 2023-2024

Purdue University, home of the Boilermakers, the “world’s largest drum,” and an expert-approved writing lab , remains today one of the most innovative schools in the country. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue has come a long way since its founding in 1869.

Admission to the university is highly coveted among high schoolers across the nation and writing strong essays will certainly help you stand out. The Purdue supplemental essays give you a chance to explore your interests and activities, so you can show admissions officers what you care about and why.

Read these Purdue essay examples written by real students to get some inspiration. 

Purdue University Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants.

Prompt 1: How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? (250 words)

Prompt 2: Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (250 words)

Honors Applicants

Prompt 1: Explain your vision, ideas, or goals for how you hope to shape your honors experience while at Purdue. Please put this in the context of the four pillars which are the foundation of the John Martinson Honors College. (500 words)

Prompt 2: Please describe the interdisciplinary nature of your chosen field of study and how it complements or supports other fields. (Examples: You might describe how your work in a liberal arts career may impact or inform the work of an engineer.) (500 words)

All Applicants, Prompt 1

How will opportunities at purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom (250 words).

The primary purpose of this prompt is for you to pinpoint specific programs at Purdue and explain why they will further your interests and goals. At its core, this essay is the typical “ Why This College ” essay. 

First, consider your interests and your goals for college. These could be academic, like an interest in British literature or a goal of becoming a prominent Alzheimer’s researcher. They could be cultural—maybe you are particularly interested in finding a Latinx community on campus. Your interests and goals could even be social, like wanting to find a tight-knit group of friends, or more specific to your person, like knowing the importance of guidance for yourself and hoping to find a strong faculty mentor.

After you’ve identified what is important to you, research Purdue and find the unique programs, opportunities, and resources that will help you pursue your specific interests and goals. By connecting your interests to your desire to attend Purdue, you will do two important things: tell admissions officers about yourself and convince them that Purdue is the right place for you.

The offerings that you reference should be unique Purdue and should not be able to be copied and pasted for any other university. Some examples could include:

• A student from a small town in rural California mentioning the appeal of Purdue’s emphasis on traditions and camaraderie by referencing the “Hello Walk,” where everyone is encouraged to greet each other with a smile
• An engineering student discussing how their childhood obsession with Neil Armstrong developed into a passion for all things aerospace, then transitioning to discuss the resources at Purdue’s i2i Learning Laboratory
• A political science student who spearheaded their high school’s mock trial team discussing the Butler Center for Leadership Excellence

Connecting your interests in general to your interest in Purdue will also help you avoid the common mistake of focusing too much on either one of these two facets. 

In terms of structure, here is a general outline: 

Introduction (1-2 sentences)

You most likely won’t need much space to introduce your response here. An example of a good introductory sentence would be “My friends call me a political junkie.” This is a concise statement that allows the writer to pick out different programs at Purdue University that relate to politics and explain their value.

Don’t do this: “Purdue is a great school with a plethora of organizations I want to join.” This sentence is 14 words long, but it adds nothing to the response following it.

Body (7-10 sentences)

The sentence count here isn’t exact since it largely depends on how long your sentences are. In this section, you need to answer the question point-blank. One useful strategy here is to couple specific programs with descriptions of how they relate to your interests. Strive to alternate between the two. Here are some examples:

• “I’ve made a lot of friends in my school choir and want to form new bonds through music in college, so I hope to join Purdue Soundtracks.”
• “I want to study the effects of pesticides on crops under Professor Adrian. This will enable me to pursue a career as an organic agricultural specialist.” (Side note: Don’t mention a specific professor for the sake of name-dropping them; only do so if you are very familiar with their work)
• “I want to join the Honors College so that I can be surrounded by like-minded peers while I pursue my Scholarly Project—writing a full-form novel.”

You can divide the body into multiple paragraphs here, with each paragraph focusing on a different aspect of your goals and how the school can support them. In 250 words, you’ll likely be able to talk about 3-4 goals/resources, centered around 1-2 themes.

For example, the political junkie student might be passionate about the environment and using policy to enact change. They may want to major in Political Science with a minor in Environmental Policy and Politics. They can also take advantage of the department’s Job-Ready Awards, which provide funding for low-paid or unpaid internships, so they can intern with a local environmental nonprofit. Outside of the classroom, they may want to join the Richard Petticrew Forum to enhance their public speaking and debate skills, particularly in policy debate. It will also help them find community in a new place, as they grew really close to their debate teammates in high school. They also look forward to joining the Environmental Science Club, where they can participate in local conservationism and outdoor activities, staying true to their rural roots.

Conclusion (1 sentence) 

The conclusion is the most skippable part of this supplement. Only make a closing remark if it is powerful and gives the essay a greater sense of overall cohesion. Don’t bother with it if you maximized your word count and are having a lot of trouble cutting your essay down to fit in a concluding sentence.

Good example: “Purdue’s ample interdisciplinary resources will help me grow as a politically-active conservationist.”

Don’t do this: “All of these programs will make my Purdue experience truly one of a kind.” This is a sweet sentiment, but it’s just adding extra words. Instead, begin the last interest/program pairing with a transition like “finally” to signal the end of the essay. 

All Applicants, Prompt 2

Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (250 words).

This is the classic “ Why This Major? ” question. The goal with this prompt is multifold—you must explain what compelled your choice of major and demonstrate that you understand what your major involves moving forward, while also helping the admissions officer learn about who you are and what you value.

Multiple experiences probably culminated in you selecting your major, but because of this prompt’s word limit, you won’t be able to give the full history. Instead, focus on what motivated you most directly. It is often helpful to frame your major selection within the context of one or two activities, classes, or experiences. Additionally, describing specific turning points in your education (both in and out of class) can lead to a concise and engaging essay.

Here are some examples:

• You had a medical internship where you witnessed a surgeon conduct heart surgery. Watching the surgery inspired your long-term goal of attending medical school and saving lives. Thus, you want to major in biology with a pre-med concentration. 
• You always hated math until you got to AP Calculus. You couldn’t believe it at first, but when you caught yourself thinking about velocity graphs while driving, you knew you had discovered your true passion. 
• Growing up, you were a huge tennis fan. You loved playing and idolized the pros, but it broke your heart whenever any of them would get injuries. That’s why you want to major in sports medicine and eventually work alongside them at the ATP World Tour. 
• You felt so inspired by your first Model UN conference that you just knew you had to go into diplomacy and international relations. You began reading official UN resolutions in your spare time. 

If you write about a turning point, make sure you use it to characterize yourself (to show the readers that you are a real-life human). The student who wants to go to medical school might mention that they are super compassionate because they have three younger siblings who they take care of. The student who loves math might explain how they identify as a logical thinker in all aspects of life. The IR student might explain that they always got in trouble for arguing as a kid, but over time learned to communicate effectively and it changed their life. 

The ultimate goal of college essays is to tell admissions officers something about you—your values, your personality, what gets you excited, why you are the way you are. The more in touch with yourself, the better. It is not enough to simply mention your involvement in something. Depth is better than breadth.

You have more room to be creative with the formatting of this response. If your essay truly has two distinct sections that focus on different ideas/parts of an idea, it’s okay to break it into two smaller chunks. For instance, the first part might be an anecdote, while the second is a declaration of how you plan to act accordingly. It is also okay to weave your reflection and anecdote together.

Honors Applicants, Prompt 1

Explain your vision, ideas, or goals for how you hope to shape your honors experience while at purdue. please put this in the context of the four pillars which are the foundation of the john martinson honors college. (500 words).

Before starting an honors essay, it is important to do some research on the program. Of course, all honors programs look for students with top marks and demonstrated passion for their studies, but each program is also looking for a specific type of student, who thinks in a specific way. Purdue describes their ideal student as committed to the Honors College’s four pillars: leadership development, undergraduate research, community and global experiences, and interdisciplinary academics. 

First things first, don’t get overwhelmed by this heightened word count. Having more words will give you more opportunities to expand on your thoughts. That being said, be wary. If you don’t use your words wisely, you run the risk of writing a boring essay. To avoid this, try incorporating examples, anecdotes, and a unique voice into your writing.

If you simply divide your 500 words between the four pillars (125 words/pillar, 1 experience/pillar), your essay will not be very engaging. Consider identifying one vision, idea, or goal for your honors experience, then using imagery and creativity to show that vision, and connecting the four pillars of the Honors College back to that image. Your image could emphasize 1) how the four pillars guided you in the past or 2) how the four pillars will guide you in the future—just make sure you tie it back to Purdue!

Looking Back

Because the prompt does ask about Purdue, if you are going to use an anecdote from the past, it should be used as an avenue to predict the future. Your outline would be something like:

• An engaging introduction or “hook”
• Your anecdote from the past, which shows your commitment to the four pillars
• Reflection on how the past anecdote shows your values and their alignment with the four pillars
• A prediction of how your values would play out in the Purdue Honors College

Examples of high school experiences that align with the four pillars:

• You founded a club at your high school for international students and domestic students to come together after seeing that the foreign exchange students were having trouble finding a community and also noticing that they had unique thoughts and values that could help domestic students.
• You took AP Capstone Research and had an unofficial leadership role on your team. Your team researched the interactions between sociocultural factors and the outputs of job prediction quizzes and algorithms.
• You wrote a science fiction short story that incorporated your knowledge of physics and your passion for literature, then started a group for science fiction writers at your local library.

Looking Forward

If you don’t have a strong high school anecdote, you can simply create a vivid image of the future. Get creative! You can imagine specific scenarios, with you in specific locations on campus. You can even make up dialogue or predict potential struggles you might have.

Examples of experiences you could anticipate that align with the four pillars:

• Forging friendships with students from different cultures and backgrounds as a leader in an organization on campus like the Beta Psi Omega or the Native American Educational and Cultural Center
• Researching in a lab that incorporates cultural factors into AI development and building a strong relationship with your professor
• Studying abroad in Bhutan to work with Bhutanese college students to explore overlaps between animal rights, environmental and agricultural concerns, and biology when dealing with the Big Cats of the Himalayas
• Volunteering at a community center in West Lafayette to install current water purifying technology, then staying after and teaching the children about the fundamentals of chemical engineering and sustainability

No matter the approach you choose, make sure this essay stays engaging and demonstrates your personal alignment with the values of the Purdue Honors College. If you do both those things, you should be set!

Honors Applicants, Prompt 2

Please describe the interdisciplinary nature of your chosen field of study and how it complements or supports other fields. (examples: you might describe how your work in a liberal arts career may impact or inform the work of an engineer.) (500 words).

The goal when answering this prompt is to demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for your major, and show how that enthusiasm leads you to draw connections between your studies and other disciplines. You have to prove that you see the connectedness of academics—that you believe your field affects others fields and other fields affect yours! The main challenge of this prompt is identifying a convincing and interesting connection.

If you are a naturally interdisciplinary thinker, think about your other interests and how you have applied them to your studies in the past. You can draw together very different fields:

• Drawing and medicine come together through medical illustrators
• Medicine and public policy come together through public health (NIH, NCI, NIA)
• Literature and healthcare come together through narrative medicine
• Music and cinema come together through film scoring

On the other hand, if you are exclusively science-minded or arts-minded (one of those people who says “I don’t have a [creative/scientific] bone in my body”), you may want to focus on the perspective that a different, but related discipline can contribute to your studies. These essays identify the importance of nuanced interdisciplinary fields and will explicitly reproach the fact that similar disciplines do not learn from each other. 

• A biology student who isn’t super creative could talk about how neuroscience researchers often neglect the value of qualitative research and could benefit from incorporating human subjectivity into their research practices like psychology researchers do. 
• A student who draws might describe how drawing could benefit from the layering techniques that painters use. 

If you are completely stuck for ideas, you should try to narrow your scope. A field of study is a large topic. Something like environmental engineering can be divided into research, manufacturing, applications, innovation, and more. Focusing on a subtopic may help you to see overlap with other disciplines. For example, environmental engineering research connects with public policy because research is often funded through government subsidies and grants. On the other hand, environmental engineering manufacturing relates to business and management. 

Start with your “chosen field of study.” Think about what you are interested in within that field. Then:

• Think about what affects the subcategory you are interested in
• Consider how the subcategory is funded
• Try to draw parallels between your subcategory and other disciplines
• Identify the most unrelated field you can think of and try to connect it to your discipline
• Make a list of the things that a professional in your field considers on a daily basis

After you have identified a topic, writing this essay should not be terribly challenging. Be articulate as you describe the connections between your chosen disciplines—just because something connects in your mind, doesn’t mean it will connect for your readers. Provide tangible examples, if they exist, to make the connections clear. Come up with hypothetical situations where your disciplines would interact—fictional stories and hypothetical anecdotes will make your essay more engaging!

Additionally, in a long and idea-heavy essay like this one, you should try to incorporate a distinct voice and a unique writing style. Honors programs are small and close-knit, so you want the admissions officers to enjoy your writing and desire to know you. 

Where to Get Your Purdue Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Purdue essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Alternate content for non-Flash-capable browsers goes here, and actually in a div.

Student Success

Learning resource center.

• Skip to Content
• Accessibility
• Jobs/Opportunities

Where to find us

University Library 300

Learn About the SMART Lab

University Writing Center

Learn About the University Writing Center

Learn About Supplemental Instruction

Writing Resources for Students

Resources for writers.

It is always a good idea for writers, no matter their level, to take advantage of the resources available to them. Using the websites below will help you strengthen your writing, correct your formatting, and understand the English language more clearly.

GENERAL WRITING SUPPORT

• The Writing Lab at Purdue

  https://owl.english.purdue.edu

 The most comprehensive online writing center. This site offers an unusually wide selection of handouts, exercises, and self-tutorials on topics including punctuation basics, resume writing, writing research papers, and documentation across academic disciplines.

•   The University Writing Center at UNC, Chapel Hill

  http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/

 Excellent and extensive resource with handouts supporting all steps in the writing process, as well as information about writing for a wide variety of different disciplines.

• University of Manitoba Academic Learning Centre

  http://umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning/handouts/handouts.html

  The University of Manitoba's website features a wide selection of handouts to assist with your writing. You can find many helpful handouts, on topics like how to title your essay, how to paraphrase from a source, etc.

REFERENCE SUPPORT: STYLE GUIDES AND RESOURCES

• Researching and Documenting Sources (from Purdue University)

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/

Purdue's online guide offers useful information and advice as well as links to MLA and APA style guides.

• CSUN's Oviatt Library Research Strategies Guide

https://libguides.csun.edu/

A helpful collection of sites and tips on citation, avoiding plagiarism, and more.

• Writing in the Arts and Sciences at Marquette

http://www.marquette.edu/wac/departmental/DepartmentalReferenceGuide.shtml

A page of tips for students and a checklist for writing research papers in a large number of academic disciplines.

• One Look Dictionary

http://www.onelook.com

This website allows you to use several different dictionaries at the same time.

• APA Tables and Figures from the Purdue OWL

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/19/

You’ll find here guidelines and examples of how to present tables and figures in APA style.

• Plagiarism Overview from the Purdue OWL

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/

This page and related links offer an overview of the challenges of avoiding what is commonly called plagiarism or misuse of sources.

HELP WITH ORGANIZING

• Hamilton College Handouts

http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/writing-resources/writing-center-handouts

 Provides handouts on how to write different kinds of essays.

• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

http://www.powa.org

A page that assists in the developmental stages of writing. It offers descriptions of various methods in creating effective structures for essays.

• University of Richmond Writing Center - Writer's Web

  http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb.html

This site has detailed information on mechanics and other structural issues. It also provides in-depth looks at editing, analysis and writing across disciplines. 

• Developing a Thesis Statement 

http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Thesis.html

The University of Wisconsin Madison’s website offers a step-by-step guide on how to identify your paper’s topic and build your thesis from your topic.

• Developing a Thesis 

http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/developing-thesis

This is another guide to writing a thesis from the Harvard Writing Center. Features extensive written instructions on everything to be considered before writing a thesis.

• Guide to Writing a Basic Essay

http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/

A site offering step-by-step site advice on creating a basic essay, from topic selection to finishing touches.

GRAMMAR SUPPORT

• The Grammar Slammer

http://englishplus.com/grammar/contents.htm

This site provides a no-frills, yet extensive list of grammatical definitions and terms.

• Grammar Bytes

http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm

This site offers a unique and refreshing look at grammatical concerns, with helpful illustrations and clear and concise explanations.

• Grammar Girl

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl

This website features a search function. For each grammatical topic (e.g. comma splice) there is a short write-up on suggested ways to fix an error, as well as an explanation on what makes the issue ungrammatical. 

• English Grammar

https://www.englishgrammar.org/

This website offers information on rules of grammar, as well as an extensive collection of lessons, exercises, and tools. 

• Towson University’s Online Writing Support

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/index.asp

See Towson University’s Online Writing Support for a collection of resources.

• Useful English

http://usefulenglish.ru/grammar/

This link provides in-depth explanations and quizzes for a variety of grammar topics.

http://www.edufind.com

See Edufind for a collection of grammar/usage resources, including verbs, relative clauses, determiners (e.g., ‘the’) and punctuation.

RESOURCES FOR ESL WRITERS

• BBC Learning English.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/

This site contains a wealth of multimedia materials tailored to a global audience of English learners. Lessons and resources cover learning from the academic to the every day.

• Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/5/

This is a link to the Purdue OWL and its ESL resources, which are thorough, in-depth and user-friendly.

• English Club

https://www.englishclub.com/

This website is full of resources for both English learners and educators. Includes lessons, activities, and audio files for help with pronunciation. 

• University of Minnesota - Module on articles (‘a/an’ vs. ‘the’)

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/articles/index.html

This is a link to a series of short chapters that guide students on the difficult task of learning to use the articles ‘a/an, the, 0’ in English.

Writing Center Resources

Contact and hours, university library 3rd floor ,  east wing.

18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8325

Telephone: (818) 677-2033 Fax: (818) 677-3632

E-mail:  [email protected]  

(We do not make appointments via email.)

Main Office Hours

Writing center university writing center & online writing lab.

In-Person Monday - Thursday 9:30am-4pm Friday 10:00am-3:00pm

Online Monday - Thursday 9:00am-Midnight Friday & Sunday 10:00am-9:00pm

• Emergency Information
• University Policies & Procedures
• Terms and Conditions for Use
• Privacy Policy
• Document Reader
• California State University

Composition Writing Studio

Argumentative essay/commentary.

From the University of Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/):

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that s/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.

• Argument Essays: Getting Started
• Developing Paragraphs
• Finding Academic Journals
• Logical Fallacies
• Research Writing

General Resources:

• Argument :   UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center's online handout in argument.
• Types of Argument
• Writing Arguments: An Overview :  Comprehensive guide from Colorado State University's Writing Studio
• Sample Argument Essays
• Prompts for Argument Essays :  301 ideas from the New York Times
• Argument :  Main page for several argument sources from Oregon State University
• Using Rhetorical Strategies for Persuasion

Rhetorical Appeals (Logos, Pathos, Ethos)

• Examples of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos :  Numerous examples of each appeal from YourDictionary
• The Rhetorical Situation :  Purdue OWL's discussion of Aristotle's three appeals and use of telos and kairos
• Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Advertising :  YouTube video
• Ethos, Pathos, Logos:   YouTube video

Toulmin Argument

• Toulmin Method :  An extensive online guide from Colorado State University on using the Toulmin method of argumentation
• Toulmin Method of Analyzing Arguments :  PowerPoint that defines and offers examples for Toulmin method
• Definition of the Toulmin Method :  Adaptation of a chapter on Toulmin's approach to argument
• Toulmin Argument (Aims of Argument) :  YouTube video

Rogerian Argument

• Rogerian Argument :  Information on definition and format of argument
• Rogerian Argument Example :  YouTube Video
• Rogerian Argument :  YouTube Video

Counter Arguments/Perspectives

• Counter Argument :  Overview provided by Harvard College
• Writing Counter Argument Paragraphs :  YouTube video
• Rhetorical Fallacies

• Resource Collection
• State Resources

Community, Courses, and Resources for Adult Education

• Topic Areas
• About the Collection
• Review Process
• Reviewer Biographies
• Federal Initiatives
• COVID-19 Support
• ADVANCE Integrated Education and Training (IET)
• IET Train-the Trainer Resources
• IET Resource Repository
• Program Design
• Collaboration and Industry Engagement
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Policy and Funding
• Program Management - Staffing -Organization Support
• Student Experience and Progress
• Adult Numeracy Instruction 2.0
• Advancing Innovation in Adult Education
• Bridge Practices
• Holistic Approach to Adult Ed
• Integrated Education and Training (IET) Practices
• Secondary Credentialing Practices
• Business-Adult Education Partnerships Toolkit
• Partnerships: Business Leaders
• Partnerships: Adult Education Providers
• Success Stories
• Digital Literacy Initiatives
• Digital Resilience in the American Workforce
• Landscape Scan
• Publications and Resources
• DRAW Professional Development Resources
• Employability Skills Framework
• Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans
• English Language Acquisition
• Internationally-Trained Professionals
• Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship and Civic Participation
• Workforce Preparation Activities
• Workforce Training
• Integrated Education and Training in Corrections
• LINCS ESL PRO
• Integrating Digital Literacy into English Language Instruction
• Meeting the Language Needs of Today's English Language Learner
• Open Educational Resources (OER) for English Language Instruction
• Preparing English Learners for Work and Career Pathways
• Recommendations for Applying These Resources Successfully
• Moving Pathways Forward
• Career Pathways Exchange
• Power in Numbers
• Adult Learner Stories
• Meet Our Experts
• Newsletters
• Reentry Education Tool Kit
• Education Services
• Strategic Partnerships
• Sustainability
• Transition Processes
• Program Infrastructure
• SIA Resources and Professional Development
• Fulfilling the Instructional Shifts
• Observing in Classrooms
• SIA ELA/Literacy Videos
• SIA Math Videos
• SIA ELA Videos
• Conducting Curriculum Reviews
• Boosting English Learner Instruction
• Student Achievement in Reading
• TEAL Just Write! Guide
• Introduction
• Fact Sheet: Research-Based Writing Instruction
• Increase the Amount of Student Writing
• Fact Sheet: Adult Learning Theories
• Fact Sheet: Student-Centered Learning
• Set and Monitor Goals
• Fact Sheet: Self-Regulated Learning
• Fact Sheet: Metacognitive Processes
• Combine Sentences
• Teach Self-Regulated Strategy Development
• Fact Sheet: Self-Regulated Strategy Development
• Teach Summarization
• Make Use of Frames
• Provide Constructive Feedback
• Apply Universal Design for Learning
• Fact Sheet: Universal Design for Learning
• Check for Understanding
• Fact Sheet: Formative Assessment
• Differentiated Instruction
• Fact Sheet: Differentiated Instruction
• Gradual Release of Responsibility
• Join a Professional Learning Community
• Look at Student Work Regularly
• Fact Sheet: Effective Lesson Planning
• Use Technology Effectively
• Fact Sheet: Technology-Supported Writing Instruction
• Project Resources
• Summer Institute
• Teacher Effectiveness in Adult Education
• Adult Education Teacher Induction Toolkit
• Adult Education Teacher Competencies
• Teacher Effectiveness Online Courses
• Teaching Skills that Matter
• Teaching Skills that Matter Toolkit Overview
• Teaching Skills that Matter Civics Education
• Teaching Skills that Matter Digital Literacy
• Teaching Skills that Matter Financial Literacy
• Teaching Skills that Matter Health Literacy
• Teaching Skills that Matter Workforce Preparation
• Teaching Skills that Matter Other Tools and Resources
• Technology-Based Coaching in Adult Education
• Technical Assistance and Professional Development
• About LINCS
• History of LINCS
• LINCS Guide
• Style Guide

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, which teachers and trainers may use for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) website was developed at Purdue University as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue.  OWL houses writing resources and instructional material. Students—no matter their skill level— and members of the education community will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction. The site is organized into the following sections:

• General Writing
• Research and Citation
• Teacher and Tutor Resources
• Subject-Specific Writing
• Job Search Writing
• English as a Second Language
• Purdue OWL Video-casts

OWL is a collection of resources that support writing instruction created for college-aged students—no matter their skill level—and their instructors and tutors. These materials are relevant to ABE and ESL students and relatively simple to adapt for the purposes of adult educators.

OWL resources support instruction aligned to College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards for writing and language, though CCR standards are not specifically named.

For example, the sections on academic writing address expository, argumentative, and narrative writing—CCR Writing Standards 1-3.  The resources also support development of the writing process—CCR Writing Standard 5; the need for evidence to support claims—CCR Writing Standard 9 and Key Advance 2; and correct methods for citing resources—CCR Writing Standard 8. Conducting research is also addressed—CCR Writing Standard 7 as are mechanics, punctuation, and grammar—CCR Language Standards 1-2.

OWL provides writing resources and instructional materials to support students as well as educators.  Resources present clear guidelines and expectations for academic writing. Teachers can use the site’s resources to develop lessons, assignments, and classroom resources. Students will find hands-on exercises and printable resources that support their continuing development as writers.

OWL provides a wealth of materials that address a variety of topics about writing, topics that are also addressed by CCR writing and language standards. The site is well-organized by topics and subtopics. The Site Map provides a good overview of the site’s scope and sequence.  

This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.

Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.

Related Topics

Find Info For

• Current Students
• Prospective Students
• Research and Partnerships
• Entrepreneurship and Commercialization

Quick Links

• Health and Life Sciences
• Info Security and AI
• Transformative Education
• Purdue Today
• Purdue in the News

April 6, 2020

Writing is hard, especially when students are stuck at home. This resource can help.

The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a free resource for writing tips and assignments, research and citation tutorials, and teacher and tutor materials. (Photo by Unsplash)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Parents nationwide are shouldering yet another responsibility: teaching or home-schooling children due to COVID-19 school closures. All 50 states have shuttered buildings and ceased face-to-face instruction, affecting more than 55 million students, according to Education Week .

The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a free resource for writing tips and assignments, research and citation tutorials, and teacher and tutor materials. Students, parents, teachers and tutors accessed OWL about 19 million times in March, said Harry Denny, an associate professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and director of the OWL. The lab’s internet-based collection of resources has grown out of face-to-face and small group support for writers that Purdue has offered students, faculty, and staff for over 45 years.

“There’s volumes of information, whether it’s K-12 or college-level,” Denny said.

The OWL’s most popular feature is its research and citation pages , which cover writing and citing references in American Psychological Association, Modern Language Association or Chicago styles, Denny said. Instructions on how to proofread and how to write in different genres, such as argumentative or persuasive essays, also are popular.

Denny said these features also could be useful to parents and students completing English lessons at home:

• General writing exercises , including sentence-level writing, grammar and editing.
• Common writing assignments , including book reports, bibliographies and research papers.
• OWL YouTube channel , which includes lessons on grammar, rhetoric, and professional and technical writing.
• Tips on subject-specific writing, including writing for social science , engineering and health care .
• Tips on how to navigate the site .
• Online tutoring for Purdue students, faculty and staff.

Denny also provided these tips for parents who want to encourage creative and critical writing among their children:

• Free write: “It could be really helpful and therapeutic for a lot of people to free write, such as taking notes or keeping a journal. It’s not about paragraphing and sentence-level correctness, but it’s about getting people to vent their thoughts and their stresses. I encourage my students to pull out their phones and tablets and just take notes. Writing can be really helpful, especially if they don’t fear anyone is going to judge or correct them.”
• Explore the internet: “Explore, write and think critically about different sites and sources that they’re finding on the internet or at home. That’s another avenue through which parents and young people can keep engaged with writing that they’re doing.”
• Create a blog: “Develop a space where they can post entries, photographs, poetry or any kind of writing about what they’re experiencing. But also use it as a space to start thinking about what their writing on the internet and social media says about them. It’s another way to cultivate their own voice. They can be more thoughtful and more critical about self-presentation, but also realize the web is this great space to be creative.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at  purdue.edu .

Writer: Joseph Paul, [email protected] (working remotely but will provide immediate response)

Source: Harry Denny, [email protected] (available for phone and Skype interviews)

Note to Journalists: A homework stock image is available to journalists via Google Drive .

Research News

Communication.

• OneCampus Portal
• Brightspace
• BoilerConnect
• Faculty and Staff
• Human Resources
• Colleges and Schools

Info for Staff

• Purdue Moves
• Board of Trustees
• University Senate
• Center for Healthy Living
• Information Technology
• Ethics & Compliance
• Campus Disruptions

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2015-22 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by Office of Strategic Communications

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact News Service at [email protected] .

• Writing and Reading Center Online Resources
• Academic Support
• Writing and Reading Center

I. For Help with Grammar

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/5/
• Grammarly:   https://www.grammarly.com/

II. For Help with Punctuation

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/6/

III. Academic Writing

A. Research Paper and choosing a Topic

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/03/

The Research Paper the starting steps

•   https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/

B. Annotated Bibliographies

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/1/

C. Writing Academic Proposals

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/752/1/

D. Argumentative Papers

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/01/

IV. Citations

• MLA:    https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
• APA:   https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
• Chicago:   https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/

V. Literary Analyses

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/618/02/
• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/697/1
• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/713/1/

VI. Writing about Fiction

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/618/01/

VII. Writing about Poetry and Doing a Close Reading

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/615/1/
• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/751/1/

VIII. Writing Across the Disciplines

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/

IX. General References

A. Dictionary:

• https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/
• http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/

B. Thesaurus

• http://thesaurus.reference.com/

X. Resources and Guides for Academic Success Habits and Practices

• https://www.intelligent.com/create-a-study-plan/
• https://www.intelligent.com/study-smart-before-exams/
• https://www.intelligent.com/take-effective-notes/
• https://www.intelligent.com/manage-your-stress/
• https://www.intelligent.com/use-test-taking-strategies-on-exam-day/

College of Liberal Arts

In Print: Knight’s Gambit

• CLA Marketing & Communications
• April 02, 2024

Publication Title

Knight’s Gambit: The Resorted Edition

John N. Duvall

Penguin Random House

Publication Date

March 12, 2024

About the Book (from the publisher)

Faulkner’s six detective stories feature attorney Gavin Stevens, a recurring character from Faulkner’s novels, as he investigates violent crimes. This newly restored edition presents the stories the way Faulkner intended them.

Originally published in 1949, Knight’s Gambit is a collection of six stories written in the 1930s and 1940s that focus on the criminal investigations of Gavin Stevens, the county attorney of Faulkner’s fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, where so many of his famous novels are set. 

These stories originally appeared in magazines, where editors made substantial changes to Faulkner’s manuscripts before publishing them. Some of these changes seem to have been intended to make the stories conform to prevailing styles, some were made for concision or propriety, and some to remove the regional “Southernness” of Faulkner’s tales. Scholar John N. Duvall uncovered edited typescripts that revealed the deletions and changes and allowed him to restore these six stories to their original Faulknerian glory.

About the Author

In the last few years, John Duvall has studied issues relating to modernist print culture. This focus led to his scholarly edition of William Faulkner’s 1949 collection of detective fiction, Knight’s Gambit (2022), that restores to the six stories more than 4,000 works cut by magazine editors.  Duvall continues to work on matters of racial and sexual identity in 20th- and 21st-century American fiction. He is the author of Race and White Identity in Southern Fiction (2008), Don DeLillo’s UNDERWORLD (2002), The Identifying Fictions of Toni Morrison: Modernist Authenticity and Postmodern Blackness (2000), and Faulkner's Marginal Couple: Invisible, Outlaw, and Unspeakable Communities (1990).

Professor Duvall also has edited seven essay collections:  Narrating 9/11: Fantasies of State, Security, and Terrorism (2015, with Robert P. Marzec), The Cambridge Companion to American Fiction After 1945 (2012), Faulkner and His Critics (2010), The Cambridge Companion to Don DeLillo (2008), Approaches to Teaching DeLillo’s WHITE NOISE (2006, with Tim Engles), Productive Postmodernism: Consuming Histories and Cultural Studies (2002), and Faulkner and Postmodernism (2002, with Ann J. Abadie).

Professor Duvall’s recent graduate courses include Contemporary American Fiction (ENGL 595) and Faulkner and Middlebrow Print Culture (ENGL 678)

College News Home