What is the right format for a college application essay?
I’ve been working on my Common App essay and I’m a little confused about how it’s supposed to be formatted. Should I use a specific font or font size? Do you need a title, or is it better to just start with the first sentence?
Also, I'm not totally sure if it should be double spaced or single spaced, and whether I need to indent each paragraph. I’ve seen a lot of conflicting info online and I want to make sure I don’t mess up something really basic that could make me look careless. Has anyone gotten feedback from admissions officers about what’s preferred?
It’d be helpful if someone could share exactly how they formatted theirs before submitting. I don’t want to stress over these details, but I also want everything to look as professional as possible since this essay is so important to my application.
Also, I'm not totally sure if it should be double spaced or single spaced, and whether I need to indent each paragraph. I’ve seen a lot of conflicting info online and I want to make sure I don’t mess up something really basic that could make me look careless. Has anyone gotten feedback from admissions officers about what’s preferred?
It’d be helpful if someone could share exactly how they formatted theirs before submitting. I don’t want to stress over these details, but I also want everything to look as professional as possible since this essay is so important to my application.
4 months ago
•
34 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
Your concern about formatting is completely normal—many applicants want their essay to make the best impression possible. Fortunately, the Common App essay doesn't have overly strict formatting requirements, and most admissions officers focus much more on your content than on tiny formatting details. Still, it's good to follow a clear, readable format.
For the Common App essay, use a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in 12-point size. This keeps things easy to read. You don't need a title for your essay; in fact, most students just begin with the first sentence. If you want to include a title, that's fine, but it's not necessary and takes up valuable word count.
The Common App text box auto-formats your essay to single-space with a space between paragraphs, so you don't need to double space. In fact, if you draft your essay in Word or Google Docs with double spacing, it will appear differently in the Common App preview. To avoid formatting glitches, you should copy and paste your final essay into the application text box and check how it looks. Indentation per paragraph is not required. Instead, use one line of space between paragraphs—the Common App will usually handle this for you automatically, but you should always check the final preview for weird spacing or missing paragraphs.
Personally, I formatted my essay in Google Docs with standard margins, Times New Roman size 12, single spaced, no indents, and an extra line between each paragraph for clarity. After copying it into the Common App, I adjusted any small spacing errors that popped up. Several admissions officers have said that as long as your essay is easy to read and doesn't have strange fonts, colors, or missing breaks between paragraphs, you’re set.
Focus your energy on making your story and voice stand out. The admissions team expects a readable, straightforward format—nothing fancy is needed. Just remember to preview your essay before final submission so you can catch and fix any wonky formatting caused by copying and pasting.
So, to recap: 12-point standard font, no title needed, single spacing with one space between paragraphs, and no indentation. The ultimate test: if you can read your own essay easily and it looks clean in the preview, you've got the formatting right.
For the Common App essay, use a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in 12-point size. This keeps things easy to read. You don't need a title for your essay; in fact, most students just begin with the first sentence. If you want to include a title, that's fine, but it's not necessary and takes up valuable word count.
The Common App text box auto-formats your essay to single-space with a space between paragraphs, so you don't need to double space. In fact, if you draft your essay in Word or Google Docs with double spacing, it will appear differently in the Common App preview. To avoid formatting glitches, you should copy and paste your final essay into the application text box and check how it looks. Indentation per paragraph is not required. Instead, use one line of space between paragraphs—the Common App will usually handle this for you automatically, but you should always check the final preview for weird spacing or missing paragraphs.
Personally, I formatted my essay in Google Docs with standard margins, Times New Roman size 12, single spaced, no indents, and an extra line between each paragraph for clarity. After copying it into the Common App, I adjusted any small spacing errors that popped up. Several admissions officers have said that as long as your essay is easy to read and doesn't have strange fonts, colors, or missing breaks between paragraphs, you’re set.
Focus your energy on making your story and voice stand out. The admissions team expects a readable, straightforward format—nothing fancy is needed. Just remember to preview your essay before final submission so you can catch and fix any wonky formatting caused by copying and pasting.
So, to recap: 12-point standard font, no title needed, single spacing with one space between paragraphs, and no indentation. The ultimate test: if you can read your own essay easily and it looks clean in the preview, you've got the formatting right.
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Camille Luong
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