Three things to do. First, check every paragraph. Does every paragraph answer the question? Second, get somebody to read your essay, without them knowing what the question is. Then get them to tell you what they think the question is. If the question that they tell you is very close to the real question, it will be a good essay. Third, write the conclusion first and the introduction last. Once the essay is written your introduction will fit it perfectly.

First of all, read your department's mark scheme and know what they're actually looking for in your work.

And while we're on the subject of reading: read! Read deep and read broadly, read material that's targeted at the question. The more you read, the better equipped you'll be to handle any question.

In terms of style, the old Point, Example, Explain (or whatever variation you were taught) is still your friend. Make your points clear and try to end every paragraph with a statement that ties it back into your overall argument.

Try to be a little original. I know at British universities, for the top grades they're usually looking for something a little greater than a summation of secondary sources. Once you've done your reading, have a real think about things and try to come up with a little variation on what you've read. You're not expected to redefine the field, but try to include at least something of your own unique perspective.

Pick a point of view and argue for it clearly. It can be tempting as an undergraduate to make your conclusion something like, "There are several points of view on this topic and they all have good points." This is understandable because, hey, you're an undergraduate and, if you're like me, you probably don't feel qualified to make any definitive statements on a topic. However, your department isn't looking for you to break new ground as much as they want to see you argue firmly for or against something. So pick a side (without losing nuance).

Does your department have a style guide? Follow it. Make sure everything is well-referenced.

Finally, when you're taking notes from your readings (you do take notes from your readings, right?), note down the page number of any points you write down. I find this makes referencing a whole lot easier when I can just look through my notes and reference straight away, rather than looking everything up in the books themselves.

For a BA, my biggest thing is structure. Be clear.

TEX/SEX/TEE/SEE, whatever acronym you have for paragraphs: use it.

Thesis/Statement: Make the main point of your paragraph. Don't try and be subtle. Just say it. Do it in the first sentence.

e.g. The Civil Rights movement was not limited to the years 1954-c.1973, as often suggested by the historical narrative.

Expand/Explain: Elaborate on that thesis sentence. You should have 2-4 points to elaborate here to drive home your meaning.

*e.g. African Americans had made concerted attempts to reduce the inequalities of segregation and institutional racism in America. Educational initiatives which subverted white laws against black education were present from the nineteenth-century onwards, taught in one room schools and churches across the South. *

Example: This is where you chuck in a quote. Make it good. Read your source for a good quote rather than just one that seems OK b/c you saw it first.

e.g. Young men in the South were forced to work all day by the demands of a white economy. However, they "expressed desire for education" that was denied by the white ruling class.

Bad example, but I made it up rather than go search for something. Keeping to this structure makes sure that you're on track. If you can, use the last two sentences of each paragraph to slowly shift your focus towards the next paragraph's topic, and you'll have a cohesive essay.

General tips:

• Aim for 200 word paragraphs.
• Intro should be 10% of total word count, no more.
• Same with conclusion.
• Everyone writes differently: you might like intro first, then paragraphs, then conclusion. Try other ways. Generally I write my body first, then do the introduction. I do the conclusion last so I can draw together my arguments.
• Spellcheck. If you're not a strong speller, you need to do this.
• Footnote check. If you make easy mistakes while referencing, do this. If you don't like referencing, do this twice. I enjoy footnoting b/c it means I'm at the end. I concentrate on it, so I know I'll be tidy on it.

Lastly, if you have time, do everything /u/Second_Mate said. Too often you'll finish an essay with less than 24hr to deadline. But if you can get it done a week in advance and send it off to friendly tutors/GTAs - you'll get a proofread essay that might go up 5-10%.

Just out of curiosity, what do you mean exactly by "degree level?" I assume you mean post-secondary at least, but are you talking undergraduate degree (US: Bachelor's), graduate degree (US: Master's), or doctorate (US: Ph.D)? The undergrad level of writing is certainly a jump beyond high school, but is also far below what one expects for a Masters/Doctorate (or non-US equivalent). I don't mean this to be a nit-pick or semantic question, I just haven't ever heard "degree level" used to describe something without further clarification, and the answer given could be significantly different depending on the reply (mostly because of the assumptions about what doesn't need to be said!).