Quick formatting question: I'm about to start typing up my essays, and I can’t remember if they’re supposed to be double spaced or not. Does anyone know if colleges have a preference on essay spacing these days?
Hello! Your question about essay formatting is quite common among applicants, and it's definitely important to present your essays properly. Typically, college admission essays do not require a specific spacing format unless a college provides explicit instructions. The Common Application and other online application platforms often use text boxes where you paste your essay, which usually render spacing irrelevant since they format the text to fit their own styling guidelines. Nevertheless, it's good practice to space your essay in a way that makes it easy to read for the admission officers who will be reviewing many essays. Double spacing is certainly an acceptable and clear way to format your essay. If you are attaching documents where formatting carries over, like a PDF, use a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial in size 12, and double spacing can indeed make the essay more readable.
In summary, focus on making your essay as legible as possible, and if you are submitting a document where the formatting is up to you, double spacing is a fine choice. Best of luck with your essays!
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