Should I indent paragraphs in my college essays or not?

Question

I'm about to start writing my Common App personal statement, and I'm not sure about the formatting for paragraphs. In school I've always been told to indent the first line of every paragraph, but I've seen some examples online where they don't indent at all and just leave a space between paragraphs.

I want my essay to look professional and be easy to read. I'm planning to use Google Docs for writing and then paste into the application. Will my indents even show up after pasting? Also, are colleges actually paying attention to this kind of formatting, or is it just about the content?

If anyone has already submitted essays or asked admissions counselors about this, I'd appreciate any advice. I’m lowkey stressed because I feel like even small details might matter.

Accepted Answer

You don't need to stress about indenting paragraphs in your Common App essays. When you paste your essay into the Common App text box, any tabbed indents you made in Google Docs or Word usually disappear. The Common App formatting naturally removes tabs, so most students end up with left-aligned paragraphs, and that's perfectly normal and expected.

The best way to format your essay is to add a single line of space between each paragraph. This helps break up the text and makes it easier for admissions readers to follow your ideas, especially since everything will be flush left anyway. Example: Write your essay in Google Docs without indenting, hit "enter" twice between paragraphs, and paste into the Common App. If you do include tabs, double check the preview after you paste—most students find it all shifts left anyway.

Colleges care most about your story, voice, and clarity of ideas—so as long as your essay is readable and organized, formatting like indents vs. spaces really doesn’t affect your chances. Admissions officers spend their days reading dozens of essays, and what matters is content, not minor format details.

So, for the Common App and most supplements, use line breaks to separate your paragraphs. Don’t worry about indents—they’re not expected or necessary. Focus your energy on drafting, revising, and telling a meaningful story. Making your essay easy to read is all that matters, and skipping indentations is totally professional in this context.