Guidelines for the Format and Content of the Essay

In late April of your senior year, you will submit your Senior Essay in its final form to the Department of Literatures in English for review.

The essay should be 30-40 pages long, not including notes, bibliography and other apparatus. The text should be double spaced and typeface should be set in a readable, 12 point font like Times New Roman. Margins should be 1" all around. Essays should conform to the guidelines for style and format in The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

The final draft of the essay should also include these elements:

1. Title Page

  • Title (Ex.: "Obscure Desires in 19th Century Novels")
  • Name
  • Class
  • Date
  • for (name, adviser)
  • Department of Literatures in English
  • At the bottom of the title page: a short paragraph, or precis, 100 words, summarizing the essay.

2. Body of Essay

3. Notes

4. Bibliography

Contact Us

Department of Literatures in English

English House
91³ÉÈ˶¶ÒôÈë¿Ú
101 N. Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899
Phone: 610-526-5306

Daniel Parker, Administrative Assistant
dparker1@brynmawr.edu