Do I need to include a heading on my college essay?
I'm working on drafting my Common App essay and I'm a little confused about whether or not I should have a heading at the top. I've seen some examples online with names and dates at the top, but other people just have their essays start right away.
Is there a standard for this, or do colleges prefer one way over the other? If you've already submitted your applications, what did you do for your heading (if anything)? For context, I'm applying to a mix of the UCs and some private schools through the Common and Coalition Apps. Just don't want to mess up any formatting thing that might hurt my chances!
Is there a standard for this, or do colleges prefer one way over the other? If you've already submitted your applications, what did you do for your heading (if anything)? For context, I'm applying to a mix of the UCs and some private schools through the Common and Coalition Apps. Just don't want to mess up any formatting thing that might hurt my chances!
2 months ago
•
35 views
Roger Lopez
• 2 months ago
Advisor
Great question! When it comes to college application essays—especially those submitted through the Common App, Coalition App, or UC application—there’s no need to include a heading with your name, date, or other personal information. In fact, these platforms automatically attach the essay to your application profile, so admissions officers will know it’s you.
The standard (and preferred) formatting is to paste your essay directly into the provided text box without a heading. Just start with the first line of your essay—this keeps things clean, saves precious word count, and avoids any formatting issues.
If you’re submitting an essay as a document attachment (rare for most major applications now), you could include a small heading with your name and the prompt in the header or at the top. But for the vast majority of schools (including UCs and private colleges on Common or Coalition Apps), stick to the portal’s system—no heading required.
For example: if you’re applying to UC schools, their application has four Personal Insight Questions and you simply enter your response in the text box for each. Same goes for the Common App essay section. I’ve seen many applicants get worried about these details, but as long as you follow the platform’s instructions, you’re all set!
Just make sure your essay is readable—use paragraphs, have clear spacing (the application systems preserve this), and edit so there are no typos or accidental formatting from copying and pasting. If it helps, copy your essay into a plain text editor (like Notepad or Google Docs in plain text mode) before pasting it into the platform.
If you want a sense of what the admissions officer sees, look up some sample Common App or UC essay submissions—they rarely (if ever) start with a heading, and it hasn’t hurt anyone’s chances.
Focus on your writing, not the heading! That’s what admissions officers care about.
The standard (and preferred) formatting is to paste your essay directly into the provided text box without a heading. Just start with the first line of your essay—this keeps things clean, saves precious word count, and avoids any formatting issues.
If you’re submitting an essay as a document attachment (rare for most major applications now), you could include a small heading with your name and the prompt in the header or at the top. But for the vast majority of schools (including UCs and private colleges on Common or Coalition Apps), stick to the portal’s system—no heading required.
For example: if you’re applying to UC schools, their application has four Personal Insight Questions and you simply enter your response in the text box for each. Same goes for the Common App essay section. I’ve seen many applicants get worried about these details, but as long as you follow the platform’s instructions, you’re all set!
Just make sure your essay is readable—use paragraphs, have clear spacing (the application systems preserve this), and edit so there are no typos or accidental formatting from copying and pasting. If it helps, copy your essay into a plain text editor (like Notepad or Google Docs in plain text mode) before pasting it into the platform.
If you want a sense of what the admissions officer sees, look up some sample Common App or UC essay submissions—they rarely (if ever) start with a heading, and it hasn’t hurt anyone’s chances.
Focus on your writing, not the heading! That’s what admissions officers care about.
Roger Lopez
Chicago, Illinois
Yale University BA, Political Science | Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, MBA Candidate |
Experience
4 years