Barbara P
Barbara P

College Application Essay Format & Samples

8 min read

Published on: Feb 18, 2021

Last updated on: Jul 23, 2024

College Application Essay Format

If you plan to get admission to the dream school, you need to write a college application essay.

College essays are the main part of the application. For a good application essay, make sure you have good story skills. Writing the college application essay requires a lot of time and planning.

An important thing that every student knows is that a college essay is a perfect place to show your writing abilities.

On This Page

What is a College Application Essay Format?

College essays are a new type of writing for high school and college students. The college application essay is an important part of academics for any student. The college essay is written in a way that depicts the clarity of mind and thoughts.

A college application essay is an important part of college admission. The admission committee can judge the student by a simple glance at their essay.

A college application essay format is a way of organizing thoughts and ideas. Many students are confused about paper formatting and essay structure. If you write and format the essay correctly, it will help you to get admission easily.

Following a proper format is very important in college essays. If the format is incorrect, the examiner might not consider reading the essay. In the college application essay, follow the correct format for the font size, line spacing, and margins.

If students fail to follow the college application essay format, it will ruin all their efforts. An incorrect formatting style makes your essay substandard.

The essay is written in the correct format; it will help you shine out among other students. A properly written essay with a proper essay format tells the admissions officer bout your career and academic goals.

The content and college admission essay format define your future. Many students start writing the essay without knowing the proper format of the essay. So, understand the essay format first and then start writing the college essay.

How to Format the College Application Essay?

Writing the college application essay is one of the most important academic assignments. Some students have been stuck in this question “How to format a college application essay”. Formatting is quite stressful for some students when writing a college application essay.

There are some guidelines that every student should follow when writing and formatting a college application essay.

  1. Preparing the Structure of the College Application Essay

    The format is the main thing in the essay, and without proper format, the essay is a waste piece of writing. A good college application essay includes three main sections, i.e., introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

    1. College Application Essay Introduction

      When you start writing the college essay, don’t dismiss the introduction. It is an important part of your college application process. In this section, the student introduces themselves, and the college application essay prompts.

      The introduction starts with the attention-grabbing opening sentence. The first sentence in this paragraph should be the topic. An introduction part should be neither too long nor too short.

      In the introduction, don’t create a list of arguments. Make sure that your introduction is relevant and describes all the things in order.

      Write a few sentences in the introduction part that lead to the main point of your essay. End the paragraph with a thesis statement.

    2. College Application Essay Body Paragraphs

      The body paragraphs contain information that is supportive of your thesis statement. Support your main idea in this section. Writing the essay body paragraphs requires a lot of time and effort.

      Support your statements with solid facts and evidence. Make your essay easy to read and follow the proper format of the college application essay.

    3. College Application Essay Conclusion

      In one paragraph, write a summary of the entire college application essay. Write a few sentences that summarize your whole essay. It is where you wrap up the points and examples you have discussed in the essay.

      Restate your thesis statement and convince the reader by the facts you have discussed in your body paragraphs.

  2. Use Standard Font Style

    When writing the college application essay, the font that you use should be Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The size of the essay font is 12pt. The font size should be readable, and try to avoid using fancy fonts. Avoid using emojis, hashtags, underlines, and ALL CAPS in your essay writing.

  3. Page Headings

    The headings should not be the primary concern for some writers. But it is an important factor in the essay.

    The heading should be less than ten words and must be in bold type. The word count is important in the headings. It is written in the upper left corner of the page.

    The page heading must be written in a proper format. Firstly, write your name, then the professor’s name, the title of the essay, and the submission date.

    The heading is the fundamental part of the essay. Write the page headings carefully and correctly follow the proper format of the headings.

  4. College Application Essay Title

    The title is the first thing that the academic committee read. The title words make the first impression on the admission officials.

    The title of the essay should be written under the page headings. The title of the college application essay gives a sense of your essay’s content. Avoid vague titles and make your reader want to read your essay.

  5. Attach Documents

    When attaching a document, you have to be more concerned with the college essay format. You have to submit the college essay in a specific file format. The academic committee accepts only word files or PDF documents.

    Make sure that you are saving the file in an accepted format before submitting your essay. When you create the document, save it in PDF because they are uneditable and always looks the same.

  6. College Application Citation Style

    The citation writing style of the college application essay is the same as other essays. By citation, you can also avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to the original author or authors. The sources you cite depend on your academic style, and you must know the style requirements when you compile your citations.

    Some students use MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard citation styles in their essays. When you cite sources, make sure that you can correctly cite without any mistakes.

Order Essay

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

College Application Essay Format Examples

Some students do not have good essay writing skills, and they consult online essay writing services and get their work done.

However, if you can write a good essay on your own. Check these examples that you can use for your help and create a successful application essay.

Tips for Formatting the College Application Essay

Formatting is the main part of the college essay, and your essay depends on them. We collect some tips that you can use when formatting your essay.

  • Your essay is a reflection of your personality, so always be organized when you present yourself.
  • Create an outline for your essay.
  • Write an engaging introduction.
  • Choose a standard font for your essay.
  • Provide reasons for why you are the best candidate for admission.
  • The page headers are placed in the upper-left corner of the page.
  • Avoid overly informal formatting choices.
  • Indent or double space to separate paragraphs.
  • Try evaluating the piece from the examiner's perspective.
  • Write other than your grades and test scores.
  • Save your essay in a PDF format before submitting it.

Writing a good college application essay is necessary if you get admission to your dream college. If you feel that you need extra help, then you can consult an AI essay generator.

Our service has a dedicated team of writers from various academic backgrounds that can easily write an essay for you. We provide high-quality academic essays with proper personal statements without any mistakes or plagiarism.

Place your order now and get the best essay help from experts.

Barbara P

WRITTEN BY

Barbara P (Management)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Get Help Top-class writers are here! Get Help!

Keep reading