At a minimum, your conclusion should sum up the major reasons you’ve offered to support your thesis statement. You might also want to restate your thesis statement (in different words) to reinforce your main point. If you didn’t include a thesis statement in your introduction, consider stating your main point in your conclusion. Ending with a clear indication of what you want someone to think, believe, understand, or do as a result of reading your document gives you one final opportunity to influence your readers.

In her problem-solving essay, Jennie Tillson summarizes her problem definition and argues for the need to address it.

The rising price of higher education affects not only students and their families but the larger American society and economy as well. If we do not address the lack of access to higher education for the least affluent members of our society, we run the risk of creating a permanent gap between the poor and the wealthy, where even the best and brightest from poor and working-class families can’t pursue the American dream. Our colleges, our students, and our government all must commit themselves to solving the problem of college tuition so that we protect the opportunities of all students to earn a college degree and a more financially secure life. Our future depends on it.