Sample Argumentative Essay Outline

Each essay you write will be slightly different than the last. No matter the format,
you can begin to formulate your ideas using the following structure.

Hook: Much of our most important learning takes place outside the classroom.
INTRODUCTION

Thesis Statement: Every college-level student must study abroad during their undergraduate years.
They will learn more in that semester abroad than any other academic year.

• Claim: Students who study abroad are more likely to be accepted into the graduate degree program
of their choice.
• Evidence: 90% of students who studied abroad got into their first or second choice of
graduate school.
Source: IES Abroad

• Claim: Studying abroad makes a student a more desirable candidate for their dream job.
BODY

• Evidence: 97% of students who study abroad find employment within 12 months of graduation.
Source: IES Abroad

• Claim: Students who study abroad will be better-equipped to succeed in the workplace, thanks to
their broadened worldview.
• Evidence: 25% of students abroad have higher starting salaries.
Source: IES Abroad

Note: It’s helpful to keep track of your sources as you formulate your outline so you don’t have to look for them later.

Opposition: Studying abroad costs too much money.

OPPOSITION

Refutation: Take a look at your financial aid statement. How much does it cost to be a student at your
university for a semester? Include tuition, housing, textbooks, transportation, and meal plan. Compare
this with the cost of studying and living elsewhere.

Source: Diversity Abroad

Summary: Studying abroad will have long-lasting, positive implications on your future as an academic
CONCLUSION

and a professional. New windows of opportunity will be flung open the moment you board the plane.
Why not make an appointment with the study abroad center at your university? You have nothing to
lose by starting a conversation today.