What is the best way to format my college application essay?

For your Common App essay, the most important thing is clarity and readability. When you copy and paste your essay into the application portal, much of your original formatting—like font, size, and even some spacing—will likely reset to the default settings provided by the website. Because of this, it’s best to keep things simple.

Generally, you don’t need to use indentations at the start of each paragraph. Instead, use a single blank line between paragraphs to indicate a new one. This is especially helpful because some online text boxes don't preserve tab indentations, and a large block of text is harder to read.

In terms of font and size, you should use the default options provided by the application. If you’re writing and editing in a word processor like Google Docs or Word, do your editing there, but don’t worry about the font—it’ll all become standard once you paste it in. A common recommendation is to write in Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point font, but this is just for your own process. The final essay will appear in the Common App's default font.

Single spacing is standard, as the application portal typically uses that. Double spacing your essay may make it harder to read in the actual submission portal, and could even affect your character count. So, keep it single spaced with an extra space between paragraphs for clarity.

For example, if you wrote something like:

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve loved building things with Lego bricks.

But in middle school, I discovered a new way to build: robot programming. This moment changed everything for me.”

That blank line between paragraphs is all you need. Always preview your essay in the portal before submitting. Weird formatting can sometimes introduce strange symbols or spacing, so looking it over one last time is a good habit.

Stick with these straightforward steps and your essay will look polished and professional!