What font and size should I use for my college essay?

You’re absolutely right to want your essay to look clean and professional. The Common App itself strips most formatting when you copy and paste your essay into its text box, so the font you use to draft your essay (in Word, Google Docs, etc.) won’t actually show up to admissions offices. However, there are still some guidelines you should stick to while drafting, and for any supplemental essays you might upload or submit as files.

For drafting purposes, using a standard, easy-to-read font is the way to go. The most common and safe options are Times New Roman (12 pt), Arial (11 or 12 pt), or Calibri (11 or 12 pt). These are all professional, familiar fonts that are easy on the eyes—definitely stick with one of these or something similar. Avoid fonts that are decorative or hard to read, like Comic Sans or cursive scripts, as those can be a distraction.

When you paste your essay into the Common App personal statement section, all formatting—including font, size, bold, italics, and indentations—will be removed. This means everyone’s essay will show up in the same standard font the Common App uses, which is typically a basic serif or sans-serif font. Therefore, you can write in Times New Roman 12 or Arial 12—whichever you find easiest to draft in—and it won’t affect how your essay ends up looking to admissions officers.

For supplemental essays or any documents you are specifically asked to upload (like UC PIQs in a PDF), always check the school’s requirements first. If there aren’t any guidelines listed, play it safe with Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point, and 1.5 or double spacing. For example, when submitting an essay upload to the UC system, students commonly use Times New Roman 12pt, double-spaced.

It’s never a bad idea to keep formatting consistent, choose standard fonts, and make sure the size is easily readable (12 point is the classic default). You definitely won’t get marked down as long as your essay is clear, professional-looking, and free of visual distractions.

If you want a real-world example: a student I worked with used Calibri 12pt in her Google Doc but simply copied it into the Common App box, and no issues came up at all. Her focus stayed on content, not formatting, which is what matters most!

In summary: Times New Roman 12pt or Arial 12pt is always safe. Keep it simple, don’t stress about font style too much, and concentrate most on what you’re actually saying. Good luck!