Extended Essay: Timeline 2026 Cohort

Date

Tasks

Resources

November

Steps 1-4

• Understand EE requirements
• Background reading in your chosen subject
• Complete online Credo Source tutorials (Login details are here. Scroll down to the end of the document.)
• Set up a system (Researcher's Reflection Space) for taking notes, documenting sources, and keeping track of your skills development as well as your thinking.

EE LibGuide

Credo Source tutorials

Subject teachers

Consider your options (including World Studies)

Exemplars of extended essay in your chosen subject

Background reading in areas of interest

December 11

Step 5

Submit your EE Proposal

Subject-specific guidance

Talk to subject teachers

Review the "Five steps to developing a research question"

Assessed EEs

EE proposal

Databases:

• JSTOR
• Gale in Context
• Bloom’s Literature
• Google Scholar
  Links and passwords are available here.

December 12

Supervisors assigned

Once you know who your supervisor will be, reach out and make an appointment so you can meet before the break. Read the Role of the supervisor and the Role of the student.

December 14 to January 30

Research Plan due on January 30th at noon

Steps 6 and 7
Conduct more research and apply your subject-specific methodology.

Start well--get organized. Take time to set up a system (NoodleTools, Google Docs) to track your sources and the notes you take related to those sources.

Identify skills that you need to develop. View this Skills tutorials for Extended Essay readiness that links your self-assessed skill level to tutorials to help you better tackle the demands of the EE. 

Find an academic expert publishing in your area of study.

Take good notes and keep track of each of the sources you consult and the keywords you use to find those sources.

Research Plan due on January 30th. The research plan includes an Annotated Bibliography. You can find details about completing your Annotated Bibliography at the top of the Writing and Citing tab of this guide.

February 10 to 14

First Reflection Session

Reflection resources

• Research
• Note-taking
• Develop your thesis
• Synthesize ideas
• Develop your argument

EE outline due March 18th at noon

EE Café Monday, March 24th from 8:00 to 9:00

Step 9: EE Outline & Outline Café

• detailed outline including your introduction, methodology, developing argument (body paragraphs) and a statement of your conclusion
• include supporting evidence (direct quotations and paraphrasing with citations)
• include a complete Works Cited
• share and discuss your developing argument with an audience that will include peers, supervisors, and administration.

EE Outline Template (generic--best for Language & Literature courses)

Harvard College Writing Center advice for creating an outline

EE Outline for Business

History EE Outline prep guide

Outline Exemplars

• World Studies (Econ & Geography)
• World Studies (Bio & Econ)
• Economics
• English A: Category 1 Exemplar 1
• English A: Category 1 Exemplar 2
• Mongolian A

You will present your research question, working thesis, methodology and developing argument to an audience of your peers, teachers, and administrators.

1500 words due

Thursday, April 24th at Noon

If you want to continue drafting the introduction, the Harvard College advice on "Writing Introductions" may be helpful.

To begin drafting, make a copy of your outline and add DRAFT to the document name. Turn your bullet points into sentences and paragraphs. Remember to include in-text citations everywhere you paraphrase or quote from a source.

Be sure to share your working draft with your supervisor.

Save your work as a pdf before noon on Thursday, April 24th and upload your working draft including your up-to-date Works Cited to the dropbox on MB.

2500 words due

Tuesday, May 20th at Noon

Friday, June 6th

3000 words due

(Tentative based on when Group 4 days are)

Step 10: 3000 words

Additionally, you may choose to draft a different section of your EE. That is completely up to you. You might choose one or more of the following:

• Methodology
• introductory paragraphs for each section of your EE
• three or four body paragraphs that develop your argument
• analysis of one aspect of your EE

Save your work as a pdf before noon on Friday, June 6th (tentative) and upload your working draft including your up-to-date Works Cited to the dropbox on MB.

Week of August 25-29 

Complete Interim Reflection

Complete the Interim Reflection

• meet with your supervisor to discuss your progress to date
• complete the interim reflection on MB on the Planning and Progress tab

Reflection resources

Read through the questions for the Interim Reflection shared on the "Reflecting on the process" tab of the EE LibGuide

Review the requirements of the Interim Reflection in the official EE Guide online.

Right after Senior Retreat Week the complete draft is due

Tentatively Tuesday, September 9th at noon

Step 11
Submit a complete 4000-word draft of your EE.

Following the guidelines on the Draft submission and revision tab,  submit a COMPLETE draft of your EE by noon on Tuesday, September 9th. COMPLETE means your draft will include a title page, table of contents, a 4000-word draft and a complete and accurate Works Cited.

Feedback session with your supervisor

You and your supervisor will choose a time to meet in order for you to receive verbal and written feedback on your draft.