What's the correct way to format your name on a college essay?
I’m filling out my college applications right now and I’m a bit stuck on how to put my name on my essay. Should I just put my full legal name at the top of the document, or do I need to follow a specific style like MLA or APA? Also, is it better to include my Common App ID with my name, or should it only be the name?
I usually just write my essays in Google Docs so I haven’t really thought about formatting before. I don’t want my essay to look unprofessional or for them to have trouble connecting it to my application. If anyone has advice, I’d definitely appreciate it—especially from people who have already submitted their essays.
This part stresses me out more than it probably should, but I just want everything to be perfect.
I usually just write my essays in Google Docs so I haven’t really thought about formatting before. I don’t want my essay to look unprofessional or for them to have trouble connecting it to my application. If anyone has advice, I’d definitely appreciate it—especially from people who have already submitted their essays.
This part stresses me out more than it probably should, but I just want everything to be perfect.
4 months ago
•
139 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
It's totally normal to stress about details like this, so you're not alone. Luckily, there's no universal, strict formatting requirement for your name on college essays, but there are some best practices that help your application look clean, organized, and easy for admissions officers to process.
Most colleges do not require you to use a specific format style like MLA or APA for your personal statement or supplemental essays. Instead, a simple and professional header at the top of the document works well. Here's what you should include:
- Your full legal name (as it appears on your application)
- Your Common App or application ID (if provided or requested by the school)
A typical header might look like this:
Jane Doe
Common App ID: 1234567
Align this information in the top left corner of the first page, single spaced. You don't need a running head, page numbers, or a course/title (those are more for academic papers). Once you've included your name and ID, double space and begin your essay.
If you're submitting via the Common App essay text box, you usually don't need to include your name at all—your essay is already matched to your account automatically. However, if a college requests you upload or email your essay as a document (like a PDF or Word doc), definitely include your name and ID to ensure nothing gets mixed up.
As one example, last year a student I worked with had to upload their essay directly into a college's portal. We formatted their essay with the following header:
Alex Nguyen
Coalition App ID: 9876543
Then they began their essay after two line breaks and everything looked neat and professional.
Always carefully read each college's specific instructions—for some school-specific essays, they may want something different.
Bottom line: stick with your full legal name and application ID at the top. That keeps things easy for admissions and helps avoid any mix-ups. You're doing everything right by paying attention to details like this!
Most colleges do not require you to use a specific format style like MLA or APA for your personal statement or supplemental essays. Instead, a simple and professional header at the top of the document works well. Here's what you should include:
- Your full legal name (as it appears on your application)
- Your Common App or application ID (if provided or requested by the school)
A typical header might look like this:
Jane Doe
Common App ID: 1234567
Align this information in the top left corner of the first page, single spaced. You don't need a running head, page numbers, or a course/title (those are more for academic papers). Once you've included your name and ID, double space and begin your essay.
If you're submitting via the Common App essay text box, you usually don't need to include your name at all—your essay is already matched to your account automatically. However, if a college requests you upload or email your essay as a document (like a PDF or Word doc), definitely include your name and ID to ensure nothing gets mixed up.
As one example, last year a student I worked with had to upload their essay directly into a college's portal. We formatted their essay with the following header:
Alex Nguyen
Coalition App ID: 9876543
Then they began their essay after two line breaks and everything looked neat and professional.
Always carefully read each college's specific instructions—for some school-specific essays, they may want something different.
Bottom line: stick with your full legal name and application ID at the top. That keeps things easy for admissions and helps avoid any mix-ups. You're doing everything right by paying attention to details like this!
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Camille Luong
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