What is the correct format for a college acceptance essay?
I’m starting to draft my college essays, and I keep seeing different advice about formatting. Some people say to use MLA or APA, but others just say to write it like a story with no headers or footers. I’m confused about whether there’s a specific font, spacing, or header I should use.
When you’re uploading essays to the Common App or other portals, do the formatting rules really matter? I want to make sure my essays look professional but I also want to focus on my content. Anyone who has submitted already, what did you do?
Also, are there any things colleges just don’t want, like fancy fonts or double spacing? Just trying to avoid mistakes.
When you’re uploading essays to the Common App or other portals, do the formatting rules really matter? I want to make sure my essays look professional but I also want to focus on my content. Anyone who has submitted already, what did you do?
Also, are there any things colleges just don’t want, like fancy fonts or double spacing? Just trying to avoid mistakes.
2 months ago
•
14 views
Roger Lopez
• 2 months ago
Advisor
When you’re uploading your essay to the Common App or most other application portals, schools do NOT expect formal academic formatting like MLA or APA. In fact, you should avoid adding headers, titles, footers, or running heads. Your essay should read like a personal story rather than a school paper.
Here’s a quick set of guidelines you can follow:
- Stick with a simple, readable font, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, in 12-point size.
- Use standard 1-inch margins. Most portals will default to these anyway.
- Use single-spacing or 1.5 spacing. Avoid double-spacing, since it makes your essay appear longer and sometimes formatting gets lost in the text box.
- No titles or special formatting (underlining, bold, colors, italics) except for basic emphasis or if it’s truly necessary for your meaning.
Common App and other application portals usually have a built-in text box for essay uploads. Paste your essay directly into it and preview how it looks before submitting. The portal’s text box will strip out most extra formatting, so don’t spend too much time worrying about external formatting in Word or Google Docs. What matters most is clean, readable text and clear paragraphs.
One thing to avoid is using fancy fonts, colors, or images—colleges want to see your writing, not your graphic design skills! In summary: keep it plain, focus on your story, and double-check the preview before you hit submit. That way, admissions officers can focus on your ideas rather than your formatting.
Here’s a quick set of guidelines you can follow:
- Stick with a simple, readable font, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, in 12-point size.
- Use standard 1-inch margins. Most portals will default to these anyway.
- Use single-spacing or 1.5 spacing. Avoid double-spacing, since it makes your essay appear longer and sometimes formatting gets lost in the text box.
- No titles or special formatting (underlining, bold, colors, italics) except for basic emphasis or if it’s truly necessary for your meaning.
Common App and other application portals usually have a built-in text box for essay uploads. Paste your essay directly into it and preview how it looks before submitting. The portal’s text box will strip out most extra formatting, so don’t spend too much time worrying about external formatting in Word or Google Docs. What matters most is clean, readable text and clear paragraphs.
One thing to avoid is using fancy fonts, colors, or images—colleges want to see your writing, not your graphic design skills! In summary: keep it plain, focus on your story, and double-check the preview before you hit submit. That way, admissions officers can focus on your ideas rather than your formatting.
Roger Lopez
Chicago, Illinois
Yale University BA, Political Science | Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, MBA Candidate |
Experience
4 years