What does the format for a college essay look like?

Great questions! The good news is colleges are not super strict about the format of your Common App essay—admissions officers care much more about your story and writing than about specific formatting details.

For the technical stuff: when you paste your essay into the Common App, the platform automatically standardizes your font and spacing, so you don’t have to worry about picking Times New Roman or double-spacing like you would for a regular school paper. Just make sure you're within the 250-650 word limit.

You don’t need a title for your essay. While adding a title won't hurt you, most students skip it and jump straight into their story or message. If you do use a title, make it short and impactful—a title that reveals something about your theme (e.g. "Home in Three Languages") can be effective, but it's not required.

In terms of structure, your essay can definitely be more creative than a typical academic essay. You do not need a formal “introduction, body, conclusion” format! Many successful essays open with a vivid scene, dialogue, or interesting moment, and then zoom out to reflect or explain its significance. Some essays are structured as anecdotes, letters, or even lists (if that fits your personality).

For example, a student might start right in the middle of an event—"I stood on the diving board, toes curled, the sound of water echoing below."—then narrate what happened, and end with their reflections on what the experience meant to them.

Whatever structure you use, make sure your essay:
- Has a clear theme or message about you.
- Is easy to follow (chronological or nonlinear is fine, as long as readers aren’t confused).
- Shows what you learned or how you grew.

To sum up:
- No strict formatting rules (font, size, spacing handled by Common App).
- No title needed, but optional.
- Be creative with your structure!

It’s totally normal to feel unsure about this, but as long as your essay is clear, authentic, and within the word count, you’ll be in great shape. Good luck—you've got this!