How to Write a Profile Essay

Some students may be confused about being tasked with writing a profile essay. Such students probably have never heard about the assignment before, and it can be unclear how and where to start and what nuances to take into account. Fortunately, our guide will assist you in exploring the art of writing first-grade profile essays and provide you with some tips and suggestions. 

What Is a Profile Essay? 

Just as its name implies, the profile essay focuses on characterizing an object, person, location, or event. The wide range of adjectives in it helps to create a vivid image for readers. We recommend using a thesaurus to locate appropriate adjectives, which could be helpful when writing your text. 

An illustration for the subject of the profile essay could be a landscape or a portrait. Almost everything can serve as the subject of a description: a person, their feelings, an animal, a plant, a town, a house, a park, a hamlet, or even the weather. A lack of action verbs and abundant nouns, adjectives, and adverbs characterizes descriptive texts.  

#1 Preparation: How to Start a Profile Essay

Did you know that preparation is vital to any academic writing? If you want to create top-notch essays, you should explore the samples written by experts, brainstorm your topic and versatile angles of covering it, and outline. Many students tend to skip the preparation step, which is a major mistake. Quality preparation is required for writing the best college essays and can significantly help streamline the following stages. 

Learn From the Best

If you want your profile essay to stand out, you should start by checking some good examples. The apparent solution is to explore profile essays published on authority websites, such as the official websites of Harward of Oxford. Searching on famous online journals like the Times or Esquire can also be a smart move: of course, you will not find profile essays there, but you can read some person-focused articles (and, except for the matter of formatting, such articles will be pretty similar to profiling). In a ten-paragraph essay, the subject is introduced early on; by the second paragraph, you will have a good idea of the essay. 

There is an alternative solution: to understand the requirements of your academic format better, you can explore databases of professional essay samples (or even generate a few on your topic). By carefully studying profile essay examples, you can avoid typical beginner’s mistakes, develop a solid structure, and find some inspirational new ideas. 

Brainstorm Your Subject 

Before you start writing, it may be a good idea to brainstorm the subject to gather your thoughts and find some inspiring profile essay topics. Get as many ideas as possible to support your essay’s primary argument. Gathering references to support your claims and creating an essay outline are both part of the preparation step. Separate the concepts that will be most helpful in proving your point, and then arrange them in a sensible, sequential fashion. 

We need to profile something (or someone) when we are talking about writing profiling essays. So, the obvious topic choices may be locations, famous persons, or just average representatives of a specific profession you find interesting for some reason. 

Obtain supporting references and empirical evidence immediately. Citations should be written per the style guide you are using. The three most popular academic style guides—MLA, APA, and Chicago—each have guidelines for adequately attributing sources of all kinds, including but not limited to printed articles, online resources, oral presentations, and video content found on YouTube. 

Conduct Advanced Academic Research 

In-depth academic research is absolutely necessary for good profiling. First, scan the Internet for similar and alternative points of view, and carefully study some arguments and statements your fellow writers presented. Second, form a reliable list of sources and aim to reinforce each of your statements with concrete evidence. And finally, search for some first-hand accounts on the topic because such information may be the most useful in profiling. When you need to describe something as detailed as possible, actual evidence can provide you with unexpected insights. 

Write an Outline 

College professors often say that outlining is probably the most globally underestimated stage of writing essays in college. A great outline can actually make a difference between poorly written profile paper and top-notch impeccable academic writing. Outline is a plan where you can strategize on your essay, distribute key arguments between chapters, develop and recheck inner logic and more. 

🔖 Outlining is not a waste of time! Outlining is your supporting pillar for streamlining the whole writing process–it will help you think through and create a first-grade profile essay. 

#2 Writing Your Essay 

The ideal structure for a profile essay doesn’t differ much from that of an average college paper. There is a golden formula for writing such essays (introduction + 3-5 body chapters + conclusion), and, trust our experience, there are almost never good enough reasons to deviate from it. Just stick to the classic structure and concentrate on filling the chapters with the best content–you don’t want to change something good without precisely understanding why. 

Introduction 

The first paragraph of a profile essay serves as the introduction, providing background information on the topic and setting the stage for the remainder of the paper. Perhaps it is the most crucial paragraph because it both hooks the reader and establishes your central statement. 

Preparing the audience for the following statements is the job of your introduction. The opening paragraph serves as a first impression, establishing the tone, voice, and style the reader can expect from the rest. Your audience will be more engaged and attentive if the introduction is stimulating or entertaining in some way.  

Body Chapters 

The body paragraphs comprise the bulk of your essay and should provide evidence and arguments supporting the thesis. The structure of your body is fundamental. A logical development, in which one point leads to another, and so on, can strengthen some arguments. Remember that the reader does not possess the same level of expertise as you do on the subject matter, so organize your paragraphs to enhance their ability to grasp.  

What if you wish to examine and contrast multiple perspectives in your profile essay? Do you begin by stating your case and then provide counterarguments, or do you start by stating your opponent’s case and then renounce it? These are questions you should answer in your body sections! 

Conclusion

Profile essay conclusions conclude or summarize the argument in a manner that is easy for the reader to understand. While it is acceptable to include some additional background information or viewpoint that helps readers better grasp your thesis in the introduction, in most cases, you should refrain from doing so in the conclusion. 

#3 Revision, Proofreading and Double-Checking

The revision is paramount: it distinguishes excellent papers from mediocre ones. There is no such thing as too much proofreading; your paper may never become ideal, but you can bring it as close to perfection as humanly possible. Professors enjoy reading polished, crystal-clear, well-structured, and well-researched papers–and even seasoned professionals can’t write such papers without multi-level revision. 

Be mindful of complex writing strategies, such as not using the passive voice, and pay close attention to clarity and word choice. Explore the possibilities of writing apps, such as Grammarly or Hemingway Editor. By providing ideas for sentence structure, word choice, and clarity adjustments as you write, the Grammarly Editor ensures your work is readable, clear, and concise—even if you don’t yet feel confident in your writing abilities. 

After the extensive edits are complete, the last step is to polish your profile essay. Check it for typos, formatting problems, and grammatical mistakes. You can also just copy and paste your work into the grammar checker to receive immediate comments on any errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or anything else you might have overlooked. 

FAQ 

Is a profile essay like a biography?

A person, group, or establishment can have their best qualities highlighted in an informative profile essay. Providing details and analysis is what a profile is all about. A biography is more than just a profile. For example, providing details about an individual’s employment history is not the purpose of a biography.

What is the structure of a profile?

The best structure for profiling essays is the classic one: intro + body chapters + conclusion. There is literally no reason to choose a different structure. 

How long is a profile essay?

We recommend sticking to the classic format for college essays: introduction, from three to five body chapters, and a solid finalizing conclusion. Keep it short and straight to the point; unnecessary deviations can often be considered mistakes in profiling. 

What is profile writing with examples?

Articles or essays that focus on a subject’s prevailing impression—a particular trait or action that indicates something essential about the subject—are called profile writings. Much of the content for profiles is derived from interviews with experts in the field or with the subjects themselves. For example, you can describe a moment or aspect from a person’s life, an event, or anything else worth profiling.