The essays are to be original (your own words) and thoughtful (exploratory), with the
closest thing to a rubric being the REOS metric, with Observation and Substance granted more
weight than Reasoning and Evidence. There is no need to write a lit review, and no citations are
expected unless you think they will help. Nor is there really any length requirement. It’s the
substance that counts. Some students are able to do it in three-fourths of a page, and others take
longer. Look for some key insight that is either novel or needs emphasizing. Feel free to modify
or revise any of the essay questions posted. Be creative, and adapt to any instructor suggestions.
Each student’s writing style is different, so impress me with the best you got.