The essay has become the centerpiece of the modern college course. Essays have been an important literary art form since Antiquity, but it is only in the modern era that the essay has become the most important method of evaluating student achievement.

This occurred largely through happenstance, since there is nothing inherently superior about the essay over other forms of evaluation. Indeed, since many students come to college with less than developed academic writing skills, it might not be an effective way of measuring student achievement at all.

But because of its primacy, college and university students around the world look for ways to improve their essay grades. That leaves many to wonder if professional essay writing services are a legitimate and reliable way to get help with a paper online.

In this article, we will take a look at why essays are the keystone of college and whether essay writing services are legit and reliable ways to get your essays done.

Why Essays?

Students have always been asked to write essays. As far back as Roman times, we have examples of student essays, like the famous Fabulae of Hyginus, essays on mythology written by a student. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, essays called “themes” were routine assignments for students at every level. But in this century, the essay has become the most important way to judge student knowledge because of an increase in class size, a focus on disability accommodation, and the shift to online learning.

Because essays are generally recognized as accessible, they are the easiest task to assign students. Similarly, with more students to grade, instructors have less ability to provide personalized evaluation. And as we move toward more online learning, essays are individual assignments that let students work independently at their own pace, making them effective for online work.

Too Many Essays

However, students are now being crushed under the weight of essays because every course now assigns essays, and students are writing a record number of papers. But they are also coming to college with less developed writing skills than at any time in the past. Indeed, record numbers of students now complete remedial writing courses in order to prepare for college writing.

As a result, the challenge of completing essays can be overwhelming, leading students to online essay writing services. But lingering doubts about their legitimacy and reliability have kept students away from the help they need.

Are All Essay Writing Services Legitimate?

There is no law that prevents an online writing service from producing a custom-written essay to address your requirements. Any writer is free to write about any essay topic, including the topic for your particular essay. So, if you contact a writing service like Smart Writing Service and order a custom-written paper from their experts, there is nothing illegal about receiving that paper, or about writing it. Similarly, it is perfectly legitimate to request help when you need it and to pay an expert to assist you. After all, students often receive unpaid help from TA’s and friends, and paid help from tutors.

But the real question is whether using an essay writing service is ethical and moral. This is a more difficult question, but it revolves around the issue of how you use the paper. If you purchase a paper to use as a guide to help you write your own paper, then you are using these papers as intended, and it is no different than seeking help from a tutor or a friend.

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What you should not do, however, is to turn in a custom-written paper as your own work. Most colleges and universities have policies about the use of outside sources, and you should always consult your school’s policy to be sure that you are following all necessary guidelines and requirements. Most do not forbid students from consulting outside sources, even custom-written essays, but most do prohibit turning in another person’s work as your own.

So the question becomes whether you plan to use the work you receive from an essay-writing service in an ethical and effective way. As long as you use it as an aid and not a substitute for your work, you will be on the right side of the legitimacy question.

Are Essay Writing Services Reliable?

Essay-writing services can vary greatly in quality. Some flight-by-night operations from overseas provide substandard work or even plagiarize. Others produce premium essays at the highest standards. Finding a service that delivers quality work can be hard. Take into consideration online reviews and recommendations, and go with an established service with a track record of quality like Smart Writing Service and which offers guarantees and protections to ensure that you will get the most of any essay you order.