Do colleges want the college essay in APA format?

Colleges do not expect or require your Common App essay to be in APA format. The APA style is used mainly for research papers and academic writing, especially in the social sciences, and includes things like a title page, abstract, in-text citations, and a reference list. Your college essay is a personal narrative, and admissions offices want it to be readable and genuine—not formal or academic.

The standard and recommended formatting for your college essay is very simple: use a basic, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Arial, set the font size to 12-point, and double-space your essay. Margins should be around 1 inch. You do not need to include a title, header, page numbers, or any kind of reference section unless the application instructions specifically ask for them (and most don’t).

On the Common App, when you copy and paste your essay into the text box, the system will automatically apply its own formatting. This means you won’t have much control over fine details like headers or page numbers. Just make sure your paragraph breaks are clear by using an extra line of space between paragraphs—indentation can sometimes disappear.

For example, one student I worked with worried about not having a title or header on their Common App essay. Admissions officers are focused on the content and your authentic voice, not the presence of a title or academic formatting. Their essay started straight with the opening sentence and it worked perfectly; they ended up being accepted to several selective schools.

To sum up: Don't stress about APA or any other academic style guidelines. Standard, readable formatting is all you need. Focus your energy on crafting a compelling, personal story—admissions officers will appreciate your effort there much more than perfecting academic formatting details.