What font should I use for my college essay?

Great question! You’re definitely not alone in wondering about the details of essay formatting—after all the effort you put into your content, the last thing you want is to be tripped up by something technical.

For almost all colleges, especially when using the Common App, you don't need to worry too much about which specific font you use while drafting. The Common App’s essay text box will almost always strip out custom formatting (fonts, indents, bold/italic) and convert your essay into their default font and size the moment you copy and paste it in. This is meant to make all essays uniform for admissions officers to read. So, even if you draft in Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, it will look just like everyone else’s essay once you submit.

That said, while you’re working on your essay before submitting, sticking with a standard, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in size 12 is the best move. It keeps everything professional, and you’ll be less likely to have accidental formatting issues if you share the draft with teachers or mentors for feedback. For example, imagine reading an essay in Comic Sans or a strange cursive font—definitely not a good idea! Plus, standard fonts make it easier for others to catch typos or awkward sentences.

Once you paste your essay into the application portal, double-check the spacing, paragraph breaks, and word count. Sometimes, weird line breaks or lost formatting can make your essay look squished or hard to read. If you care about portioning your essay into clear paragraphs, you may need to insert an extra line between them since the portal typically ignores tab indents.

So, the bottom line: Use a clean, standard font like Times New Roman or Arial in size 12 while drafting. Don’t stress about the font in the final application—the system will handle it. Just make sure your essay is easy to read and correctly formatted before you hit submit. That way, all the attention stays on your story, where it belongs!