A conclusion is the final idea left with the reader at the end of an essay. Without it, an essay would be unfinished and unfocused. A conclusion should link back to the essay question and briefly ...

The number of essays required also varies. For example, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania requires two essays while Kelley requires three, and both accept an optional essay ...

The expected theses are not meant to surprise the reader or hold “the punch line” until the end but to state explicitly early on the thesis and to summarize the conclusions that ... for a given paper.