500 Word Essay Writing Guide. All the Tricks You Need to Know to Create an Outstanding Essay

It’s time for essay writing but you do not know how to start, what to write about, and how to organize your work? This article will guide you on how to write a 500 word essay fast, will reveal all the essay writing secrets regarding essay structure, writing process as well as give good examples for inspiration. Another way out is ordering help from academic assistants who will write a professional essay according to the highest standards.

 

What is a 500 word essay?  When to write it? What does a 500 word essay look like?

 500 word essay is one of the common academic assignments. It is a short essay, with a classical 5 paragraph essay structure. In terms of content, it can be:

• essay about yourself
• informative essay
• persuasive essay
• descriptive writing
• scholarship essay
• college essay.

 How to format a 500 word essay 

A 500 word essay is rather short. Thus, you will have to learn concise writing and express all your ideas in about five paragraphs. 500 word essay should include:

        1.Introduction. Start with an attention grabber, i.e. a hook, introduce the topic (without unnecessary details), and clearly state your opinion in a thesis statement.

For example:

This may sound out of the blue, but I want to build dams one day, specifically concrete-face rock-fill dams. My interest in large civil structures came from the stories my auntie told of Guyana and how her country needs better infrastructure. To most people, all of that would sound like “too much” ─ but not at Harvey Mudd College. I saw that during my campus visit, where students took the time to explain their physics equations on the workroom board when I asked. This spirit of open-mindedness is found in every aspect of Harvey Mudd, and I aspire to partake in it.

        2.Main body paragraphs. In the main body express your main ideas. Make sure to discuss only one main idea per paragraph. Mind that each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence and content supporting evidence.

For example:

I am drawn to Harvey Mudd’s Department of Engineering in particular because its faculty includes Dr. Duron, who could mentor me in research involving field test procedures for large concrete dams. My career goal is to redesign hydroelectric dams to be more eco-friendly and efficient ─ Harvey Mudd’s open-minded and interdisciplinary engineering curriculum, combined with its strategic vision of Informed Contributions to Society, would give me the educational foundation I need to think through dam design…

        3.Conclusion. Restate your thesis statement using different words, summarize the main points, and provide a general conclusion for your essay. hjere's a good conclusion paragraph example.

For example:

I value giving back through community service, and I have a particular interest in Harvey Mudd’s Mudders Making a Difference program. As a four-year volunteer math tutor and homeless shelter staffer, I hope to continue this work as a MMAD member. I am excited to collaborate with my peers to run CHAP community cafes and educate budding young scientists at the PUSD Science Fair. At Harvey Mudd, I can work with open-minded people to make a meaningful difference…

 

500 word essay outline

We recommend to create an outline before you start writing your essay. It will save your time during essay writing as you will already have a plan of your essay and all the ideas will be logically organized. Depending on the essay type and prompt, the ideas will be different but the common 500 word essay outline example looks as follows.

Introduction

• Hook 
• The topic introduced
• Thesis statement

Main body paragraphs

• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence
• Concluding sentence

Conclusion

• Restated thesis statement
• Summary of the main points
• General conclusion

How to write an outstanding 500 word essay fast

To write a good essay, you should have an essay writing plan. Sure, you can do it in a random order, but it might take more time and you might even miss something. To write a good essay fast, follow such steps.

1.Read the instructions attentively

Do not hurry into writing an essay just after reading the topic. Take few minutes to read the instructions attentively and not to miss any details. Otherwise, it can cost you a grade or even a scholarship 

2.Choose the topic

If you have to choose the topic by yourself, take it seriously. A topic for a 500 word essay should be the one that can be covered in 500 words. Don’t take the one that will take several pages. Also, make sure that the topic is relevant and, of course, it should be interesting for you.

3.Draft a thesis statement and create an outline

Formulate a thesis statement, which is the main idea of the paper, before you start writing, it will give you a focus. Also, draft an outline for your essay. Just write down main ideas for each paragraph and organize them logically.

4.Write down your essay

Write your essay considering its structural parts, introduction with a thesis statement, main body, and conclusion. In fact, you may start with main body paragraphs, proceed to conclusion, and finish with an introduction. Also, it is rather effective to create a title after you have written your paper, as you already know it inside out.

5.How to start a 500 word essay

Considering a short essay length, set aside long philosophical quotes. Especially, if is a college or scholarship essay, replace a quote with a real-life example. It will sound fresh, more interesting, and convincing. In any case, your example should be relevant.

6.Edit and proofread

Always take your time to double-check your essay for consistency and any type of mistakes. As Hemignway said, “write drunk, edit sober”. Thus, if you have enough time, re-read your essay a day after writing it to have a fresh look

500 word scholarship essay

500 word essays are often a format of a scholarship essay or application writing due to their college essay length. Considering there are thousands of applicants, the admission committee cannot read long memoirs. Thus, they evaluate the student’s ability to express their ideas in a concise manner and show themselves in the best light just it 500 words

 500 word essay example

For a better understand of what a 500 word essay is, we have prepared a good example of college essay. Check it out.

 

Tips to help you write an outstanding 500 word essay 

Although a 500-word essay might seem an easy task at first sight, but  is rather tricky. To complete it fast and effectively, follow these tips, which professional writers have collected to help you complete an outstanding 500 word essay

1. Start as early as possible
2. Choose a topic that is neither too narrow or too broad for a 500 word essay
3. Create an outline
4. Formulate a clear and specific thesis statement
5. Make sure to include introduction, main body, and conclusion in your paper
6. Ensure that each paragraph is balanced and relates to thesis statement
7. Do not repeat or copy-paste ideas within an essay
8. Do not provide new ideas in a conclusion part
9. Always edit your paper before submitting

 

FAQ related to a 500 word essay writing

Here we will answer the most frequent questions about a 500 word essay.

How long does it take to write a 500 word essay

On average, it takes a student about one two hours to write 500 words. But, a 500-word essay is much more that just writing. To create a good one, you have to  pick a pertinent topic, make research on that topic to be sure it is appropriate for a 500 word essay, formulate a thesis statement and create an outline, draft an essay and edit it. These steps will take majority of your essay writing time.

Can I write 500 words in a day?

Actually, you can write a 500 word essay just in an hour or two. It all depends on your writing skills. However, we recommend to dedicate at least two days to your 500-word essay writing. The point is that you have to express all your main points in 1-1,5 pages. It is rather a challenging task. On the first day, write down an essay expressing all your ideas without considering the word count. The next day, or at least few hours later, edit your essay condensing all those ideas into 500 words.

 

How to write a 500 word essay in 30 minutes

Well, it will be a hard nut to crack. To write a 500 word essay in 300 minutes, there are two critical factors: you understanding and knowledge of the topic and your writing skills. A good tip is to read the essay prompt attentively. Then, during the day, you will ponder it over, you will formulate all the ideas in your mind, and probably even create an outline. You will do it unconsciously on your way to school,college, in the queue, etc. That’s how our brain works. You will not have to take extra time for planning. When it will come to actual essay writing, you will just have to write down all your thoughts. On average, it takes a student about 25 minutes to write about 200-250. But if you focus on your task, you can do that! If you are not that good writer, you can resort to professional writers assistance. They will help you with the task and relieve your stress.

What does approximately 500 words mean?

On average, it takes  270-300 words to complete one page (Times New Roman, 12, double-spaced). In college essays or scholarship prompts, it is often mentioned that a student should complete “approximately” 500 words. It does not mean that a student should complete not a word less or more than 500. It means that the word count is flexible, and you can write slightly more or less than 500 words. But do not exaggerate.

How long is a 500 word essay

Wow! Such a difficult question. Let us think… In terms of pages, a 500-word essay can take 1-2 pages. Its length depends on the font, font size, spacing and margins. In terms of paragraphs, there should be at least five.

How many paragraphs is a 500 word essay

A 500 word essay is rather short. Thus, considering a good paper should consist of balanced paragraphs (meaning each having at least 304 sentences), you are highly unlikely to write it is say 10 paragraphs. Keep to a classical 5-paragraph essay format. Do not miss any of the structural essay parts; namely, introduction with a strong thesis statement, three main body paragraphs, and conclusion.

 

How to write a 500 word essay in an hour

To write an essay fast, you will have to be a good writer and to be well versed in the subject. If you hesitate you can do it properly, resort to professional online writers. They have vast writing experience, and will complete a 500 words or any other type of academic papers just based on your instructions just in few hours. You will have both extra free hours for yourself and an outstanding paper.