mla format for college admission essay

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College Application Essay Format Rules

The college application essay has become the most important part of applying to college. In this article, we will go over the  best college essay format for getting into top schools, including how to structure the elements of a college admissions essay: margins, font, paragraphs, spacing, headers, and organization. 

We will focus on commonly asked questions about the best college essay structure. Finally, we will go over essay formatting tips and examples.

Table of Contents

• General college essay formatting rules
• How to format a college admissions essay
• Sections of a college admissions essay
• College application essay format examples

General College Essay Format Rules

Before talking about how to format your college admission essays, we need to talk about general college essay formatting rules.

Pay attention to word count

It has been well-established that the most important rule of college application essays is to  not go over the specific Application Essay word limit .  The word limit for the Common Application essay is typically 500-650 words.

Not only may it be impossible to go over the word count (in the case of the  Common Application essay , which uses text fields), but admissions officers often use software that will throw out any essay that breaks this rule. Following directions is a key indicator of being a successful student. 

Refocusing on the essay prompt and eliminating unnecessary adverbs, filler words, and prepositional phrases will help improve your essay.

On the other hand, it is advisable to use almost every available word. The college essay application field is very competitive, so leaving extra words on the table puts you at a disadvantage. Include an example or anecdote near the end of your essay to meet the total word count.

Do not write a wall of text: use paragraphs

Here is a brutal truth:  College admissions counselors only read the application essays that help them make a decision .  Otherwise, they will not read the essay at all. The problem is that you do not know whether the rest of your application (transcripts, academic record, awards, etc.) will be competitive enough to get you accepted.

A very simple writing rule for your application essay (and for essay editing of any type) is to  make your writing readable by adding line breaks and separate paragraphs.

Line breaks do not count toward word count, so they are a very easy way to organize your essay structure, ideas, and topics. Remember, college counselors, if you’re lucky, will spend 30 sec to 1 minute reading your essay. Give them every opportunity to understand your writing.

Do not include an essay title 

Unless specifically required, do not use a title for your personal statement or essay. This is a waste of your word limit and is redundant since the essay prompt itself serves as the title.

Never use overly casual, colloquial, or text message-based formatting like this: 

THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT!. #collegeapplication #collegeessay.

Under no circumstances should you use emojis, all caps, symbols, hashtags, or slang in a college essay. Although technology, texting, and social media are continuing to transform how we use modern language (what a great topic for a college application essay!), admissions officers will view the use of these casual formatting elements as immature and inappropriate for such an important document.

How To Format A College Application Essay

There are many  tips for writing college admissions essays . How you upload your college application essay depends on whether you will be cutting and pasting your essay into a text box in an online application form or attaching a formatted document.

Save and upload your college essay in the proper format

Check the application instructions if you’re not sure what you need to do. Currently, the Common Application requires you to copy and paste your essay into a text box.

There are three main formats when it comes to submitting your college essay or personal statement:

If submitting your application essay in a text box

For the Common Application, there is no need to attach a document since there is a dedicated input field. You still want to write your essay in a word processor or Google doc. Just make sure once you copy-paste your essay into the text box that your line breaks (paragraphs), indents, and formatting is retained. 

• Formatting like  bold , underline, and  italics  are often lost when copy-pasting into a text box.
• Double-check that you are under the word limit.  Word counts may be different within the text box .
• Make sure that paragraphs and spacing are maintained;  text input fields often undo indents and double-spacing .
• If possible, make sure the font is standardized.  Text input boxes usually allow just one font . 

If submitting your application essay as a document

When attaching a document, you must do more than just double-check the format of your admissions essay. You need to be proactive and make sure the structure is logical and will be attractive to readers.

Microsoft Word (.DOC) format

If you are submitting your application essay as a file upload, then you will likely submit a .doc or .docx file. The downside is that MS Word files are editable, and there are sometimes conflicts between different MS Word versions (2010 vs 2016 vs Office365). The upside is that Word can be opened by almost any text program.

This is a safe choice if maintaining the  visual  elements of your essay is important. Saving your essay as a PDF prevents any formatting issues that come with Microsoft Word, since older versions are sometimes incompatible with the newer formatting. 

Although PDF viewing programs are commonly available, many older readers and Internet users (who will be your admissions officers) may not be ready to view PDFs.

• Use 1-inch margins . This is the default setting for Microsoft Word. However, students from Asia using programs like Hangul Word Processor will need to double-check.
• Use a standard serif font.  These include Times New Roman, Courier, and Garamond. A serif font adds professionalism to your essay.
• Use standard 12-font size. 
• Use 1.5- or double-spacing.  Your application essay should be readable. Double spaces are not an issue as the essay should already fit on one page.
• Add a Header  with your First Name, Last Name, university, and other required information.
• Clearly   separate your paragraphs.  By default, just press ‘ENTER’ twice.

Sections Of A College Admissions Essay

University admissions protocols usually allow you to choose the format and style of your writing. Despite this, the general format of “Introduction-Body-Conclusion” is the most common structure. This is a common format you can use and adjust to your specific writing style.

College Application Essay Introduction

Typically, your first paragraph should introduce you or the topic that you will discuss. You must have a killer opener if you want the admissions committees to pay attention. 

Essays that use rhetorical tools, factual statements, dialog, etc. are encouraged. There is room to be creative since many application essays specifically focus on past learning experiences.

College Application Essay Body

Clearly answering the essay prompt is the most important part of the essay body. Keep reading over the prompt and making sure everything in the body supports it. 

Since personal statement essays are designed to show you are as a person and student, the essay body is also where you talk about your experiences and identity.

Make sure you include the following life experiences and how they relate to the essay prompt. Be sure to double-check that they relate back to the essay prompt. A college admissions essay is NOT an autobiography:

Personal challenges

• How did you overcome them?
• How or how much do past challenges define your current outlook or worldview? 
• What did you learn about yourself when you failed?

Personal achievements and successes

• What people helped you along the way?
• What did you learn about the nature of success

Lessons learned

• In general, did your experiences inform your choice of university or major?

Personal beliefs

• Politics, philosophy, and religion may be included here, but be careful when discussing sensitive personal or political topics. 
• Academic goals
• Personal goals
• Professional goals
• How will attending the university help you achieve these goals?

College Application Essay Conclusion

The conclusion section is a call to action directly aimed at the admissions officers. You must demonstrate why you are a great fit for the university, which means you should refer to specific programs, majors, or professors that guided or inspired you. 

In this “why this school” part of the essay, you can also explain why the university is a great fit for  your  goals. Be straightforward and truthful, but express your interest in the school boldly.

College Application Essay Format Examples

Here are several formatting examples of successful college admission essays, along with comments from the essay editor.

Note: Actual sample essays edited by  Wordvice professional editors .  Personal info has been redacted for privacy. This is not a college essay template.

College Admission Essay Example 1

This essay asks the student to write about how normal life experiences can have huge effects on personal growth:

Common App Essay Prompt: Thoughtful Rides

The Florida turnpike is a very redundant and plain expressway; we do not have the scenic luxury of mountains, forests, or even deserts stretching endlessly into the distance. Instead, we are blessed with repetitive fields of grazing cows and countless billboards advertising local businesses. I have been subjected to these monotonous views three times a week, driving two hours every other day to Sunrise and back to my house in Miami, Florida—all to practice for my competitive soccer team in hopes of receiving a scholarship to play soccer at the next level. 

The Introduction sets up a clear, visceral memory and communicates a key extracurricular activity. 

When I first began these mini road trips, I would jam out to my country playlist and sing along with my favorite artists, and the trek would seem relatively short. However, after listening to “Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs for the 48th time in a week, the song became as repetitive as the landscape I was driving through. Changing genres did not help much either; everything I played seemed to morph into the same brain-numbing sound.  Eventually, I decided to do what many peers in my generation fail to do: turn off the distractions, enjoy the silence, and immerse myself in my own thoughts. In the end, this seemingly simple decision led to a lot of personal growth and tranquility in my life. 

The first part of the Body connects the student’s past experience with the essay prompt: personal growth and challenging assumptions.

Although I did not fully realize it at the time, these rides were the perfect opportunity to reflect on myself and the people around me. I quickly began noticing the different personalities surrounding me in the flow of traffic, and this simple act of noticing reminded me that I was not the only human on this planet that mattered. I was just as unimportant as the woman sitting in the car next to mine. Conversely, I also came to appreciate how a gesture as simple as letting another driver merge into your lane can impact a stranger’s day. Maybe the other driver is late for a work interview or rushing to the hospital because their newborn is running a high fever and by allowing them to advance in the row of cars, you made their day just a little less stressful. I realized that if I could improve someone else’s day from my car,  I could definitely be a kinder person and take other people’s situations into consideration—because you never know if someone is having one of the worst days of their lives and their interaction with you could provide the motivation they need to keep going on . 

This part uses two examples to support the writer’s answer to the essay prompt. It ends the paragraph with a clear statement.

Realizing I was not the only being in the universe that mattered was not the only insight I attained during these drives. Over and over, I asked myself why I had chosen to change soccer clubs, leaving Pinecrest, the team I had played on for 8 years with my best friends and that was only a 10-minute drive from my house, to play for a completely unfamiliar team that required significantly more travel.  Eventually, I came to understand that I truly enjoy challenging myself and pushing past complacency . One of my main goals in life is to play and experience college soccer—that, and to eventually pursue a career as a doctor. Ultimately, leaving my comfort zone in Pinecrest, where mediocrity was celebrated, to join a team in Sunrise, where championships were expected and college offers were abundant, was a very positive decision in my life. 

This part clearly tells how the experience shaped the writer as a person. The student’s personality can be directly attributed to this memory. It also importantly states personal and academic goals.

Even if I do not end up playing college soccer, I know now that I will never back down from any challenge in my life; I am committed to pushing myself past my comfort zone. These car rides have given me insight into how strong I truly am and how much impact I can have on other people’s lives. 

The Conclusion restates the overall lesson learned.

College Admission Essay Example 2

The next essay asks the reader to use leadership roles or extracurricular activities and describe the experience, contribution, and what the student learned about themselves.

As I release the air from the blood-pressure monitor’s valve, I carefully track the gauge, listening for the faint “lub-dub” of  Winnie’s heart. Checking off the “hypertensive” box on his medical chart when reading 150/95, I then escort Winnie to the blood sugar station. This was the typical procedure of a volunteer at the UConn Migrant Farm Worker Clinic. Our traveling medical clinic operated at night, visiting various Connecticut farms to provide healthcare for migrant workers. Filling out charts, taking blood pressure, and recording BMI were all standard procedures, but the relationships I built with farmers such as Winnie impacted me the most.

This Introduction is very impactful. It highlights the student’s professional expertise as a healthcare worker and her impact on marginalized communities. It also is written in the present tense to add impact.

While the clinic was canceled this year due to COVID-19, I still wanted to do something for them. During a PPE-drive meeting this July, Winnie recounted his family history. I noticed his eyebrows furrow with anxiety as he spoke about his family’s safety in Tierra Blanca, Mexico. I realized that Winnie lacked substantial information about his hometown, and fear-mongering headlines did nothing to assuage his fears. After days of searching, I discovered that his hometown, Guanajuato, reported fewer cases of COVID-19 in comparison with surrounding towns. I then created a color-coded map of his town, showing rates across the different districts. Winnie’s eyes softened, marveling at the map I made for him this August. I didn’t need to explain what he saw: Guanajuato, his home state, was pale yellow, the color I chose to mark the lowest level of cases. By making this map, I didn’t intend to give him new hope; I wanted to show him where hope was.

The student continues to tell the powerful story of one of her patients. This humbles and empowers the student, motivating her in the next paragraph.

This interaction fueled my commitment to search for hope in my journey of becoming a public health official. Working in public health policy, I hope to tackle complex world problems, such as economic and social barriers to healthcare and find creative methods of improving outcomes in queer and Latinx communities. I want to study the present and potential future intervention strategies in minority communities for addressing language barriers to information including language on posters and gendered language, and for instituting social and support services for community youth. These stepping stones will hopefully prepare me for conducting professional research for the Medical Organization for Latino Advancement. I aspire to be an active proponent of healthcare access and equity for marginalized groups, including queer communities. I first learned about the importance of recognizing minority identities in healthcare through my bisexual sister, Sophie, and her nonbinary friend, Gilligan. During discussions with her friends, I realized the importance of validating diverse gender expressions in all facets of my life.

Here, the past experience is directly connected to future academic and professional goals, which themselves are motivated by a desire to increase access among communities as well as personal family experiences. This is a strong case for why personal identity is so important.

My experiences with Winnie and my sister have empowered me to be creative, thoughtful, and brave while challenging the assumptions currently embedded in the “visual vocabulary” of both the art and science fields. I envision myself deconstructing hegemonic ideas of masculinity and femininity and surmounting the limitations of traditional perceptions of male and female bodies as it relates to existing healthcare practices. Through these subtle changes, I aim to make a large impact.

The Conclusion positions the student as an impactful leader and visionary. This is a powerful case for the admissions board to consider.

If you want to read more college admissions essay examples, check out our articles about  successful college personal statements  and the  2021-2022 Common App prompts and example essays .

Wordvice offers a full suite of proofreading and editing services . If you are a student applying to college and are having trouble with the best college admissions essay format, check out our application essay editing services  (including personal statement editing ) and find out  how much online proofreading costs . 

Finally, don’t forget to receive common app essay editing and professional admissions editing for any other admissions documents for college, university, and post-doctoral programs.

How to Write an Excellent Admission Essay

Table of contents

• 1 What is a College Admission Essay
• 2.1 Most Accepted MLA Format for College Application Essay
• 3.1.1 Good college application essay topics
• 3.1.2 Common application essay topics
• 3.1.3 Overused college essay topics
• 3.1.4 Unique college essay topics
• 3.1.5 Interesting college essay topics
• 3.2 Do Research
• 3.3 Inspire with Successful Application Essay Examples
• 3.4.1 Introduction
• 3.4.2 Body Paragraphs
• 3.4.3 Conclusion
• 3.5 Choose Your Personal Story
• 3.6 Prove Your Worthiness
• 3.7 Group Related Ideas
• 3.8 Use Subheadings
• 3.9 Pay Attention to Submission Requirements
• 3.10 Write Several Drafts
• 3.11 Ask Someone to Read it Over
• 4 Wrapping Up

The period of college admission is undoubtedly very responsible and, therefore, stressful for students. Young people have to go a long way to collect various documents, prepare everything necessary, and write an application essay. In this paper, students need to interest the university commission and convince them that they deserve a place in the college.

• After reading the article, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of what a college admission essay is and its importance in the college application process.
• The article delves into the appropriate format for such essays, discussing the nuances of font size, spacing, paragraphing, and other layout details. It also outlines the MLA format specifics for college essays.
• Practical guidance on crafting a compelling essay is provided, including topics to avoid, the importance of research about the school, and ways to make your essay stand out.
• Overall, this guide serves as an essential tool for students looking to create an impactful college admission essay.

With plenty of tips and tricks about college application essays and the possibility of sending online applications now, many students still don’t know what college essay format to use. So,  PapersOwl has curated this guide on the correct way of writing a college admission essay.

What is a College Admission Essay

When entering a university, college, business school, or other educational institution, writing a so-called admission or application essay is often required. This is a small paper in which the applicant must demonstrate himself in the best way possible, enumerate the skills, and describe the motivation, goals, values, and personal characteristics. The admission committee must understand what exactly makes you unique. Your essay is a chance to show those qualities that are not visible in the other documents of your application.

The college admission essay should be unique and memorable so that the admission committee has no doubt that the student deserves to study at their college. There are always a lot of concerns regarding college essay format that should be obligatory met. This composition should describe the individuality of the future learner without using clichés and banal techniques to ensure interest in reading. Moreover, this creative work often becomes a critical component for assessing the student’s potential by committee.

Proper College Admission Essay Format

College application essay format may be of high difficulty for an applicant. So, let’s plunge into this topic for a bit. There are a lot of criteria that should be included in the paper. Essential items such as font, size, indentation, paragraph, special formatting rules, margins, placement of page numbers, and headings are all considered. In the majority of cases, the conventional requirements are:

• 12-point Times New Roman
• 0″ between paragraphs
• 1″ margin all around
• double-spaced (275 words/page) / single-spaced (550 words/page)
• 0.5″ first line of a paragraph

Formatting your college essay structure properly is extremely important as it makes the best first impression. So, what’s the proper format for students to submit their application college essays? The answer to this depends on how you submit your great college essay.

Whether you are submitting sample essays via Word files/PDF format, or text box, the college application essay format will vary. But don’t hesitate, if you’re struggling with formatting, you can hire 24/7 professional essay writers to help you.

Another crucial question about how to write a college admission essay is: “How long should a college application essay be?” It’s usually required around 500 words to write college admission essay. This means you have one page to convincingly and confidently express your thoughts, ideas and highlight your strengths and motivation to study in college. It is an incredibly responsible task that requires concentration and brevity in the presentation of a candidate.

Most Accepted MLA Format for College Application Essay

Basic MLA formatting requirements include using size 12 Times New Roman font all across the essay with paragraphs spaced half an inch, double spacing between lines, and books cited page with a hanging indent. Additionally, the title page should have the student’s name, instructor’s name, course, and date. For proper application formatting, it is crucial to use these guidelines when writing your essay.

Guide on How to Write Excellent Application Essay

After going through the thorny path of collecting documents, passing exams, and choosing the right university, the time has come for the student to write a college application essay. The first step is to familiarize yourself with the requirements for writing this type of work. Requests may differ slightly in detail, but the main criteria are generally the same. The essay should be unique, creative, and innovative, represent the candidate’s personality, and reflect his motivation and goals.

So here is some necessary information on  how to write a stellar paper . The candidate should adhere to the requirements, and the topic of the work, if any. It is also worth making a layout plan of what you would like to display in the essay. Find a zest for your work that will help you stand out from other candidates. Imagine how many papers are submitted to the college admissions committee – these are hundreds and thousands of essays. It would be best if you took care that the teachers remember you so you can get the coveted place. To do this, you need to come up with an original idea. At the same time, it is crucial to refrain from exaggerating your accomplishments because outright lies will not be encouraged.

College Essay Topics Which to Use and Which to Avoid

Unless you’re a professional troll or want to rub your teachers and peers the wrong way, keep your papers on PC. While you may have strong opinions on religion, politics, or cultural differences, such topics are better avoided. Even if you’re studying political science, don’t rock the boat too hard, or the teacher may very well throw you off the edge with a bad grade. Most teachers are published authors and it’s a good tip to Google their work to get an idea of what their sensitive areas are. Writing papers can be an involved process that has your head spinning, especially if you’re a new student. But with our helpful guidance and tips, you can breeze through the process and even  buy a college essay to get you started in the right direction. Be sure to format your admission essay correctly and ask the right questions, and your academic years will be some of the best experiences in your life. With the correct tools and a bit of extra effort, you can achieve academic success and ensure yourself a bright future.

• Avoid discussing highly sensitive personal matters like faith, religion, politics, culture, and controversial topics. Your college essay should focus on you and your experiences rather than delving into these private topics. Moreover, discussing these matters will likely alienate some readers since they come from differing backgrounds and can be controversial.
• Be careful with personal tastes. Still, it is one of the college application essay topics to avoid, but it is more relaxed. Don’t write about everyday life and privileged life, and cliche topics.
• Anything that violates the law. Do not tell stories (if you have them), and do not ask questions or write arguments about the laws, their use, and their application. Laws are absolute for all, and you need to keep your reputation.

Good college application essay topics

There is a multitude of different subjects you can choose from. Not all college papers for sale have a great topic, however. This is why you need to be selective about the process and get the title right before anything else. The following are 10 examples of college application essay topics:

• Have your views of the world and society ever been challenged? If so, how and why?
• Describe an important view or event that you have changed your mind upon recently
• Not all inventions are good – which invention would you prevent from happening and why?
• Why do you feel that X college is the perfect fit your goals and education?
• What is your main strength, and how will that help you at college?
• On completion of college, what is the thing you desire to achieve the most?
• What do you feel is the most important quality or feature a college can provide to you?
• Why did you choose to apply for X college?
• Describe one of your most important achievements in life and how it changed you.
• Tell us about a time that you solved a problem – what did you do, and what skills did you use?

Common application essay topics

When you are researching your paper subjects, you will undoubtedly come across a myriad of common topics. There are various subjects that are suitable for a college essay application. What you can write will help showcase your own personality and abilities. The following are 10 examples of college admission essay titles:

• If time travel were possible, what year would you travel back to, and what would you do?
• What part of your personal identity makes you unique and is paramount to your being?
• What has been your biggest failure in life, and how did you learn from this experience?
• Tell us about an important life lesson you have learned and how it has developed your person.
• Share a random essay topic of your choice – it can be on any subject of your choosing
• What do you do in a pressured situation, and how do you cope with the obstacles?
• What are the main influencing factors that have shaped your personality today?
• What is the most valuable and important moral standard that you try to live by, and why?
• Have you completed any charity or volunteer work? What did you learn from the experience?
• If you could be remembered for one thing, what would that be and why?

Overused college essay topics

There is a thin line between common and overused. Whilst some college essay ideas are common, others are simply used too often. You have to try and inject a little creativity and use informative essay topics that haven’t been written by thousands of other students too. The following are 10 essay questions that have been used too often – try and avoid these:

• What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and do you follow or ignore it?
• If you could spend 30 minutes with a famous person (Living or dead), who would it be?
• What is your favorite movie of all time, and which was your favorite scene?
• Describe the most embarrassing experience you have ever had, and how did it impact you?
• What are your views on religion?
• Describe your worst personality trait
• Describe a moment in your life where you felt you developed as a person
• What is one contribution you have made to a team or organization?
• Describe how you have helped someone through a trailing situation
• If you could run your own business, what would it be and why?

Unique college essay topics

Creating a unique title is essential for your college and university work. Part of how to make a good essay is being unique and thinking outside the box. These 10 subjects could help you do this:

• What is your definition of the meaning of life?
• Do you believe there is life on other planets?
• Describe one major world event that we can learn from
• How does family upbringing shape our personality and mindset?
• How do we stop corruption in politics?
• Why is democracy preferable to a dictatorship?
• Why does racism still exist in today’s society?
• Do you choose your sexuality, or are you born with it?
• Why are renewable energy sources important?
• Is solar power a viable means of powering our world?

Interesting college essay topics

What would your reaction be if you picked up a paper and the title was boring? One of the best college essay tips we can give is to make your paper interesting! A catchy title will always grab attention, as seen below:

• What are the things that make you angry, and how do you control this anger?
• What would you do if someone confronted your beliefs?
• Is nuclear energy dangerous or the answer to our energy problems?
• How can music improve our brain function?
• Should children be taught a second language at school?
• Is social media addictive?
• Can video games cause violent behavior?
• Should parents have the right to spank their children?
• Nature vs Nurture
• Are sporting professionals paid too much?
• If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be, and how would you do it?
• What is your favorite novel, and which character resonated with you the most?
• Name 10 of your favorite historical figures and gives reasons why you chose them?
• What is the thing you are most passionate about in life and why?
• If you could become a teacher, what subject would you teach, and how would you teach it?
• What would be your ideal profession, and why?
• How is global warming affecting our planet and what needs to be done to prevent it?
• How has social media changed the way we communicate with others?
• The negative impact of the internet and the rise of cyber criminals
• How business has changed in the modern world

Do Research

Become familiar with the school, program, or department to which you are applying. Use specific facts or experiences in your essay to demonstrate why your application should be accepted.

Inspire with Successful Application Essay Examples

When preparing to write an admissions essay, you should actively seek out and study examples of successful essays from previous applicants. Reviewing these samples provides valuable insights into the desired tone, structure, and content that resonates with admissions committees. By understanding what has worked well for others, you can tailor your essays better, highlighting unique strengths and experiences, and increasing your chances of making a memorable impression.

Craft an Outline

Create an outline of your essay’s essential ideas before you begin writing. A well-written outline lies at the heart of every good college paper. It acts as a road map for your essay, offering a clear framework and direction for your ideas.

• Organizes Your Thoughts: An outline helps you arrange your ideas in a logical order. It allows you to see the overall structure of your essay and how each section or point connects to the next.
• Ensures a Coherent Flow: By outlining your essay, you can ensure that your ideas flow smoothly from one paragraph to the next. This helps your essay read more coherently and makes it easier for the reader to follow your argument.
• Prevents Information Overload: It’s easy to get overwhelmed with ideas, especially when you’re passionate about a topic. An outline helps you filter out unnecessary information and focus on the most relevant points.
• Helps with Time Management: Planning your essay in advance with an outline can save you time in the long run. You’ll have a clear roadmap, so you won’t waste time trying to figure out what to write next.
• Ensures Inclusion of Key Points: With an outline, you can make sure that you cover all the important aspects of your topic. It’s a way to double-check that you’ve included all the necessary information.
• Facilitates Revision and Editing: If you’ve already outlined your essay, it’s much easier to revise and edit. You can see the big picture and make adjustments to improve the overall coherence and effectiveness of your essay.
• Helps Avoid Writer’s Block: Having a clear outline can help combat writer’s block. If you’re unsure of what to write next, you can refer to your outline for guidance.
• Provides a Sense of Direction: Writing without a clear plan can lead to meandering and off-topic essays. An outline provides a clear sense of direction, helping you stay on track and focused.

Introduction

You would agree that a captivating introduction will make you glue to a movie until it ends. The approach is the same with your application essay. The introduction should be the beginning of your thrilling story.

Your introductory paragraph has three major parts. They include:

• The hook – to get the reader’s attention.
• The main points – to fully express the introductory paragraph and other important highlights. They include background information, thesis statement, and scope and structure.
• Transition – to navigate to the purpose of the work.

These major parts are always relevant for every academic piece.

Body Paragraphs

After a well-crafted introduction, body paragraphs are the next big deal. It contains the comprehensive details of your content, basically how you’ve prioritized personal growth.

This is the heart of your admission essay, where you provide detailed information and supporting evidence for the points you’re making. The body paragraph is known as the narrative structure of your application. It comes in three sections. Every paragraph explains its unique message.

The rules are simple:

• Have a topic sentence with a focus for each paragraph.
• Strengthen every topic sentence with a thorough yet concise explanation.
• Ensure your research points are consistent throughout.
• If not stated, do not use a subheading for a paragraph.

Writing the conclusion of your college essays is the trickiest part. Just like your introduction and body paragraph, a well-structured conclusion carries much significance to the success of your paper. It revises the entire content with major key takeaways and a summary of the essay’s major points. It should end with much optimism, which you expect from the admissions officers.

With careful planning and creative thinking, you can  write your college essays in a way that will help you stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Choose Your Personal Story

This type of essay is like a personal statement because of its story. Since this story is peculiar to you, you need to make it captivating. The major problem many students face here is that they are trying to be too dramatic—no, you don’t need to be.

A captivating story is real. You want the reader to feel the genuineness of what you are saying. It expresses a little passion and makes anyone see more reasons to admit you into their institution.

See the example below:

“Studying medicine was not a dream for me until the last COVID-19 pandemic era. Seeing the daily increment in the death toll was saddening for me. It was more traumatizing because every news channel in the world has a terrible video to show the inhumane condition of the patients. This motivated my desire to study medicine and improve the global health of humanity.”

Ensure your story is captivating. However, don’t be carried away and exceed the word limit.

Prove Your Worthiness

In order to compose a good student essay, it’s vital to use your knowledge, wit, and ingenuity. It is important to show that you are comprehensively developed, interested in many things, and willing to learn. Write about your hobbies and achievements in this area and your future goals. You can also add life stories that taught you something or meant a lot to you. Why not talk about something or someone that inspires you? For example, some historical figure, a character in a book, or a movie hero who changed your outlook on life. Or, for instance, a quote that brings new colors to your perception of the world. All this will help you to open up as a person on the scale of the paper, which will allow the admission committee members to get to know you better and appreciate your candidacy. Remember that the style of your essay should be informal but not too familiar. Try to keep your writing upbeat, but spice it up with a dose of respect.

Group Related Ideas

Another important tip is to group your ideas together. This is known as thematic structuring. It can help anyone read your paper and get a hold of the message in each paragraph. Since there is coherence, it is easy for the reader to comprehend your content from the introduction to the conclusion.

Use Subheadings

Imagine this content was written without any subheadings; you would have given up before you were halfway through. The purpose of subheadings is to retain the reader’s attention. Rather than being discouraged because of how clumsy your piece looks, subheadings can be the signposts for your important points.

Subheadings help to streamline your points to the signpost and help readers easily navigate through the content.

Pay Attention to Submission Requirements

Submission requirements are the real test for most colleges. Since they are not doing any interviews, they can check if you followed their submission requirement or otherwise.

It is not enough to write the best content without following the proper submission requirements. There are important details to consider when drafting a college paper or writing any academic piece. Things you may want to look out for include:

• Word count,
• Double-spacing,
• Alignment type and formatting guidelines
• Number of paragraphs

Paying attention to the submission requirements is highly important.

Write Several Drafts

For your college application essay, always write multiple drafts. Begin with your main ideas in the first draft. Then, refine and improve in the next ones. This helps in making sure your final piece is clear, polished, and impactful. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Ask Someone to Read it Over

After writing several drafts, be sure to proofread and ask someone else to read it, and check for errors or inconsistencies before sending your college application package. Give due attention to text editing. Check the text for all sorts of spelling, punctuation, lexical, and stylistic errors.

Wrapping Up

When working on your college application process, you must submit either a personal statement or a college admission essay. This guide helps you write a well-formatted general college essay to complete your online application form. Remember: the main point of an admission essay is to convince the admission committee.

Now that you are aware of the format to incorporate in your essay writing process, you can start early so you can have enough time to double-check your whole essay before submission. Students who use  our admission writing services must complete essay prompts at this crucial stage to being admitted to the colleges of their choice. We wish everyone success in entering college and are ready to help all applicants stuck in writing an application essay.

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Home / Guides / Writing Guides / Paper Types / How to Write a College Admissions Essay

How to Write a College Admissions Essay

Nothing has the power to intimidate even the most diligent student quite like the college admissions essay. How to choose the right topic and steer clear of clichés while showing admissions committees that you’re a great fit?

Never fear! We’ve got a list of tips to help you make a great impression with a stellar essay.

Guide Overview

• Read the prompt a few times before starting
• Be yourself
• Use active verbs
• Organize your essay
• Mix up your sentence structures
• Paint a picture
• Proofread, then ask someone else to

1. Read the prompt a few times before starting

While most admissions essays fall in the “personal statement” category, they usually involve some specific prompt or question. Now, imagine yourself in the admissions officers’ shoes: what are they trying to learn from you? Diving right into the essay is tempting, but it’s better to take the time at the beginning.

2. Be yourself

It’s a natural instinct is to think that an admissions committee wants to see you at your most formal. While you definitely must use complete sentences and avoid slang or silliness, you can also let your personality shine through! It is a “personal” statement after all. Showing your genuine self goes a long way and will make you more memorable.

3. Use active verbs

Chances are, some sort of personal narrative will be in your essay. Action verbs are your best friend: use them to tell a story that engages the reader. Focus on actions that show how you learned, changed, or grew. Also, expand your vocabulary so that you don’t repeat the same two or three verbs over and over.

4. Organize your essay

All those high school English essays are about to pay off, even if this one doesn’t require you to quote books or cite MLA or APA citations . Once you know your overall ideas, sketch out an outline to make the essay flow logically from introduction to main body to conclusion. It also helps to map out what you want to address in each section or where you want to use each example for maximum effect.

5. Mix up your sentence structures

An admissions essay shouldn’t just answer the prompt—it should demonstrate why you’re ready to be an excellent college student. One of the easiest ways to make your writing more sophisticated is to alternate between different sentence structures. Connect two related ideas into a compound sentence or start with the relative clause instead of the main one. The key is to avoid a long string of sentences that are all structured identically.

6. Paint a picture

When telling your story, select vivid words and details to give the anecdote some texture. If other people appear in the narrative, call them by name so that readers can follow along and feel a little more invested in and connected to your story. Great books and movies draw us into their world – the same applies to these essays!

7. Proofread, then ask someone else to

Before submitting, always proofread for spelling, grammar, and mechanics! You can check it yourself, use an online tool to run a grammar check , or both. It also may help to have a trusted person take a second look at your essay—sometimes they’ll catch something you didn’t see.

In general, admissions essays should be concise, clear, grammatically correct, and genuine. Follow these tips, and you can’t go wrong!

Looking for more great resources? Read our other articles on  how to do an annotated bibliography in MLA , what is an  MLA works cited page,  or our grammar guides on various parts of speech. Best of all, they are all free to read!

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Formatting a College Essay — MLA Style

LESSON You will likely be asked to write numerous essays A short piece of writing that focuses on at least one main idea. Some essays are also focused on the author's unique point of view, making them personal or autobiographical, while others are focused on a particular literary, scientific, or political subject. over the course of your academic career. While the content The text in a writing that includes facts, thoughts, and ideas. The information that forms the body of the work. of your work is significant, it is also essential that you develop strong and accurate formatting The way in which content is arranged, usually following a set of rules. In writing, outlines and essays often follow a format specified by their purpose or where they are published. skills. Formatting an essay correctly is not only good authorship but is also important to instructors who often have to read hundreds of essays over the course of a semester. Your instructors will likely provide you with essay guidelines indicating whether you should use MLA A grammar and reference guide used mainly by students and scholars writing about the humanities (languages and literature). or APA A set of guidelines for citing sources used in literary and academic writing. APA style is most commonly used in the social sciences. style to format your paper. If you are uncertain as to your instructor's expectations, be sure to ask. Instructors appreciate students taking extra measures needed to correctly format essays. In this lesson, you will learn how to correctly format a college essay using MLA style. Note: This foundation lesson is not meant to include or cover all of the rules and guidelines for properly formatting an essay. Be sure to refer to the latest MLA style guide to ensure that you follow all of the formatting rules.

Part of formatting an essay is properly formatting in-text citations Information about a source, such as the author, date, and page number, in an essay or research paper that helps readers find the source in the works cited or references page. There are different rules for how to use in-text citations depending on the context of the citation and the style of formatting you are using. and your list of sources A person, book, article, or other thing that supplies information. . MLA refers to the list of sources as a works cited page An alphabetized list of publication information about the sources used in an MLA-formatted essay or research paper. . Keep in mind that in-text citations and the works cited page work together. Without one, you cannot have the other. The in-text citations lead readers to the listing of complete source information in the works cited page.

Formatting an Essay in MLA Style

Headers and page numbers

In MLA style, the header Information that appears at the very top of a page and may appear on subsequent pages of a work. includes your last name followed by one space and then consecutive page numbers. It appears in the upper-right corner, one half-inch from the top and flush with the right-hand margin The outer edges of a document that do not contain writing or images. . Include this header on every page, including the first. (Note: Some instructors prefer that the header be left off of the first page. As always, follow the guidelines your instructor provides.) 

MLA Headers

Essay information

MLA style does not require a cover page A page that comes before an essay or article and contains basic information about the work, including its title and author. The format of a cover page (also called the title page) will vary depending on the style guide in use. . (As always, though, check with your instructor about his or her preference.) Instead, include the following information about the essay in the upper left-hand corner of the first page of your essay: your full name, instructor's name, course, and date. Your title should be centered on the next line after the date, and your essay should start on the next line after that. Like the rest of the essay, all of this information should be double-spaced.

MLA Essay Information

Here is an example of the first page of an MLA paper:

"Smith 1" is the header. Under that are the student's name, the instructor's name, the course title, and the date. Right below that information is the title of the paper.

It is important to note that your name, instructor's name, course, and date should appear only on the first page of your paper. When students mistakenly place this information in the header, the information appears on every page and not just on the first page as it should.

Margins, font, and spacing

MLA has specific requirements with respect to margins, font A set of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks that are the same style. Examples: Times New Roman and Arial are fonts. , and line spacing The vertical distance between lines of text on a page. The most common types of spacing are single and double. . Set one-inch margins on all sides. Use 11-13-point font unless otherwise specified by the instructor. MLA advises using a font that is both easily readable and has regular and italicized versions of the font that are distinguishable. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Baskerville, and Garamond are all good options; however, if you are ever in doubt as to which font to use, ask your instructor. Whichever font you choose, remain consistent throughout your essay. Your essay should always be double-spaced throughout. Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the margin. Use only one space after all end punctuation The punctuation at the end of a sentence, which can be a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point. The end punctuation helps define the tone and meaning of a sentence. Notice the difference in tone in these examples: Someone ate my last cookie! (I'm really mad about that.) Someone ate my last cookie. (Oh well, I wasn't hungry anyway.) Someone ate my last cookie? (I'm not sure I even had another cookie.) .

MLA Margins, Font, and Spacing

Look online to see samples of a properly formatted MLA essay.

Punctuating and Formatting In-text Citations

Here are the guidelines for formatting in-text citations when using MLA style.

• For every in-text reference, provide the author's name (or the work's title if there is no author). Include a location within the work (page number, chapter number,  time-stamp, etc.) if you quote or paraphrase a section of the source.

Evan's work has been characterized as "masterful, but distinctly odd" (Thomas 45).

"(Thomas 45)" is the in-text citation with the author and page number.

• If the author's name is mentioned in the attributive phrase A short introduction to source material that identifies the author and often the title of a work that will be quoted or discussed in an essay or research paper. , the in-text citation should include the page number only.

John Thomas characterizes Evan's work as "masterful, but distinctly odd" (45).

"John Thomas characterizes" is the attributive phrase with the author's name. "(45)" is the in-text citation with the page number or other location information.

There are occasions when all pertinent information is included in the attributive phrase. In these cases, a parenthetical citation is not needed.

On page 45, Thomas describes Evan's work as "masterful, but distinctly odd."

"On page 45, Thomas describes" is the attributive phrase with the author name and page number. There is no in-text citation at the end because it is not needed there.

There will be times when all the information for a citation is not available--for example, websites do not always list dates and usually do not include page numbers, sources are sometimes published without authors, and so on. If you cannot obtain all the required information on a source, provide as much information as you can in order to allow readers to find your source.

• Here is an example of how to cite a web source that does not have numbered pages:

According to a recent study, "more than seventy-five percent of payday loans are to people taking out new loans to cover the original one" (CNN).

"According to a recent study" is the attributive phrase. "(CNN)" is the source information with no page number.

Here are some more specific requirements with respect to the punctuation Marks such as such as a comma (,), period (.), question mark (?), and exclamation mark (!), among others, that help break a writing into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Different types of punctuation marks give the reader different impressions of the writer’s purpose in that sentence. and format of MLA in-text citations:

• In most cases, the in-text citation goes inside the end punctuation.  Remember that the in-text citation is part of the sentence in which the source material Information that is quoted or paraphrased from outside works, such as journal articles, online documents, and books. is used, so it must be included in the sentence by placing the period after the parentheses.
• When citing a quote, both the in-text citation and end punctuation go outside the closing quotation marks A set of single or double inverted commas (' ' or " ") that are placed around a word or passage to mark the beginning and end of a direct quotation or a title. . The end punctuation goes after the in-text citation, and this is one of the few instances in which the end punctuation goes outside quotation marks.
• Prose quotes that exceed four lines are indented 0.5 inches from the left-hand margin. (The same goes for poetry quotes of more than three lines.) Because this block-quotation A copy of a long section of a text or speech, set off from the rest of a text. Block quotations, like direct quotations, are exact repeats of wording, but because of their length they are indented or printed in a different font rather than placed inside quotation marks. format signals a quotation An exact copy of the words from a speech or text. These words are placed inside quotation marks to show that they are a perfect repeat of the original. , no quotation marks are needed.
• In long (block) quotations, the in-text citation goes outside the end punctuation.

Works Cited Pages

MLA style requires a works cited page to list the sources at the end of the work. Here are the guidelines for formatting works cited pages.

• The works cited page needs to be double-spaced, and in the same font as the rest of the essay. Do not use bold font, do not underline any words, and do not resize the font in any way.
• The works cited page should always begin a new page. The title—"Works Cited"—should be centered, but not bolded, underlined, or enclosed in quotes. (Note: if there is only one source, it should be titled "Work Cited.")
• Individual citations must be arranged alphabetically.
• If you have more than one book or article by the same author, list the works alphabetically by title. For the first entry, provide the author's full name in last name, first name format. Then, for each following work by the same author, use three hyphens or em dashes and a period in place of the name.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved: A Novel . Alfred A. Knopf. 1987.

---. The Bluest Eye . Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. 1970.

• Each full citation should have a hanging indent, which means that the first line should be on the left margin and all following lines indented by 0.5 inches.
• The author's full name (unless there are more than two authors; then et al. replaces all but the first author's name)
• Title of work (chapter, article, web page, etc.) in quotation marks
• Title of larger work, if applicable (book, newspaper, journal, magazine, website, etc.) in italics
• Page numbers, when applicable
• Publisher's information, when applicable
• Date published
• Identify the location of online works with a DOI, permalink, or URL.

Works Cited Page

In the example works cited page above, the title is "Works Cited." The citations are listed in alphabetical order, and the font is 11- to 13-point. Note the use of a hanging indent for each citation.

You will encounter various situations over the course of your academic career in which you will be required to provide work with properly cited references. For example, imagine that your literature instructor assigns an essay requiring evidentiary sources Specific media, such as journal articles, newspapers, and research studies that provide the support for claims or viewpoints expressed in an essay and help convince readers that an argument has merit. Evidentiary sources may provide facts and statistics, expert opinions, or anecdotal evidence. . This will require you to research and compile a list of citations for your sources. As you are writing, you will incorporate in-text citations into your essay. Another scenario in which you will need to provide in-text citations and a works cited page is when you are asked to write an essay to support your findings in a science lab. While this essay should be based upon your own experiential evidence in the lab, you will need to do research to provide additional support for your findings.

Any time you use the ideas A thought, opinion, or impression. , arguments A set of statements or reasons making a case for or against something. , theories In science, a well tested and widely accepted explanation for a phenomenon. Theories incorporate facts, observations, experiments, laws, and careful reasoning. In more general usage, theory may merely mean an unproven idea, speculation, or guesswork. , or words of another writer, you must provide correct and properly formatted citations. Be sure to check with your instructors regarding what style they prefer for formatting any essay you are assigned.

Exercise 1: MLA In-text Citations

This section provides five examples demonstrating incorrect punctuation and format for in-text citations in MLA style. As you read, notice the errors and how they should be corrected.

• Wright argues that Shakespeare's comedies are in fact "more tragic than his tragedies" (Wright 22).

The error in the above example is repeating the author's name in the in-text citation. When the author's name is included in the attributive phrase, it doesn't need to be repeated in the in-text citation.

Correction: Wright argues that Shakespeare's comedies are in fact "more tragic than his tragedies" (22).

• According to Wright, Shakespeare's comedies should be characterized as "more tragic than his tragedies." (Wright 22)

There are two errors. First, the author's name should not be included in the in-text citation when it has already been stated in the attributive phrase. Second, the formatting of the in-text citation is incorrect. The period should come after the page number outside the right parenthesis mark. The in-text citation is part of the sentence, so the period should be placed after it.

Correction: According to Wright, Shakespeare's comedies should be characterized as "more tragic than his tragedies" (22).

• According to Jesperson, Dr. Master's research about levels of exercise and aggression in dogs is "unsubstantiated" (2010 Jesperson).

The errors in this example are that the author's name is repeated in the in-text citation, the page number is missing, and the year of publication is needlessly included.

Correction: According to Jesperson, Dr. Master's research about levels of exercise and aggression in dogs is "unsubstantiated" (165).

• Jesperson wrote, "Dr. Master's research around dogs and how certain breeds need more walking and running or they will become aggressive is unsubstantiated" (The Contemporary Journal of Canine Behavior; page 165).

There are three errors in the above example. First, the writer has incorporated the title of the publication into the in-text citation. While that must be included in the works cited page, the title of the publication is not part of the in-text citation. Second, there is no need to precede the page number by the word "page." Third, the semicolon in the citation is unnecessary in MLA in-text citations.

Correction: Jesperson wrote, "Dr. Master's research around dogs and how certain breeds need more walking and running or they will become aggressive is unsubstantiated" (165).

• In Saving Money and Time , Brandle makes a convincing argument that we should "stop wasting our resources on living longer and just start living more."

There are two errors in this final example. The first is that the title of the book is both italicized and underlined. It should only be italicized. The second is the absence of a page number. When the page number necessary for a reader to find a particular quote is not part of the attributive phrase, it must be included in the in-text citation.

Correction: In Saving Money and Time , Brandle makes a convincing argument that we should "stop wasting our resources on living longer and just start living more" (80).

This section provides five examples of in-text citations in MLA style. Now it's your turn to determine if the examples have been properly punctuated and formatted. Identify the errors, if any, and correct the in-text citation accordingly.

• According to Kendricks, the works of Abbott are so popular because the average person can "relate" to them (94).

This example is properly punctuated and formatted.

No correction necessary.

• On page 33 of "The Short Story as Told by Ronald Abbott," Kendricks argues that the success of Abbott's writing can be attributed to the average reader's ability to "relate" to it. (Kendricks, page 33, "The Short Story as Told by Ronald Abbott").

This example unnecessarily includes an in-text citation and is incorrectly punctuated. When all relevant information is included in the attributive phrase, an in-text citation is not used.

Correction: On page 33 of "The Short Story as Told by Ronald Abbott," Kendricks argues that the success of Abbott's writing can be attributed to the average reader's ability to "relate" to it.

• Thompson beautifully explains Fine's argument regarding the "trials and tribulations" of today's college student. (page 423, 2011).

The errors in this example are the word "page" and the date, which are incorrectly included in the in-text citation; also, there is an extra period after "student."

Correction: Thompson beautifully explains Fine's argument regarding the "trials and tribulations" of today's college student (423).

• "I believe," writes Fine, "that nothing should stand in the way of a young person's desire to go to college, even finances." ("Today's Economy and Its Impact on Higher Education," The Journal of Education and Economics, 16(6): 2012: 125 –129. Print. (page 128).

There are two errors in this example. First, in the parenthetical citation following the quote, too much information is provided. The goal is to lead readers to the proper entry in the works cited page. Second, the addition of the word "page" to the in-text citation is incorrect.

Correction: "I believe," writes Fine, "that nothing should stand in the way of a young person's desire to go to college, even finances" (128).

• In her essay, Reynolds argues that Stevens's book (22) accurately and aptly depicts the current state of environmental conservatism in our cities.

The page number is in the wrong place in the sentence. It should come at the end before the period.

Correction: In her essay, Reynolds argues that Stevens's book accurately and aptly depicts the current state of environmental conservatism in our cities (22).

METACOGNITIVE QUESTIONS

Sample Answer

It is important to correctly format my essays because instructors expect this of their students. Plus, if I turn in properly formatted essays, my instructors will know that I have made an effort to follow their guidelines, so it will probably positively impact my grade and reflect well on the quality of my work.

Neither the in-text citation information nor the works cited page provide enough information regarding your sources by themselves. In-text citations and the works cited page work together to allow you to write a smooth and cohesive essay (rather than one that is broken up by full citations), provide the details required by the MLA style, and enable your readers to locate any of your sources.

This lesson follows the 9th Edition of the MLA Handbook , published in 2021. Check the MLA Handbook for updates.

Copyright ©2022 The NROC Project

What format should I use for my college essay?

Read the prompt and essay instructions thoroughly to learn how to start off a college essay. Some colleges provide guidance about formatting. If not, the best course of action is to stick with a college standard like the MLA format.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to format a college essay: 15 expert tips.

College Essays

When you're applying to college, even small decisions can feel high-stakes. This is especially true for the college essay, which often feels like the most personal part of the application. You may agonize over your college application essay format: the font, the margins, even the file format. Or maybe you're agonizing over how to organize your thoughts overall. Should you use a narrative structure? Five paragraphs?

In this comprehensive guide, we'll go over the ins and outs of how to format a college essay on both the micro and macro levels. We'll discuss minor formatting issues like headings and fonts, then discuss broad formatting concerns like whether or not to use a five-paragraph essay, and if you should use a college essay template.

How to Format a College Essay: Font, Margins, Etc.

Some of your formatting concerns will depend on whether you will be cutting and pasting your essay into a text box on an online application form or attaching a formatted document. If you aren't sure which you'll need to do, check the application instructions. Note that the Common Application does currently require you to copy and paste your essay into a text box.

Most schools also allow you to send in a paper application, which theoretically gives you increased control over your essay formatting. However, I generally don't advise sending in a paper application (unless you have no other option) for a couple of reasons:

Most schools state that they prefer to receive online applications. While it typically won't affect your chances of admission, it is wise to comply with institutional preferences in the college application process where possible. It tends to make the whole process go much more smoothly.

Paper applications can get lost in the mail. Certainly there can also be problems with online applications, but you'll be aware of the problem much sooner than if your paper application gets diverted somehow and then mailed back to you. By contrast, online applications let you be confident that your materials were received.

Regardless of how you will end up submitting your essay, you should draft it in a word processor. This will help you keep track of word count, let you use spell check, and so on.

Next, I'll go over some of the concerns you might have about the correct college essay application format, whether you're copying and pasting into a text box or attaching a document, plus a few tips that apply either way.

Formatting Guidelines That Apply No Matter How You End Up Submitting the Essay:

Unless it's specifically requested, you don't need a title. It will just eat into your word count.

Avoid cutesy, overly colloquial formatting choices like ALL CAPS or ~unnecessary symbols~ or, heaven forbid, emoji and #hashtags. Your college essay should be professional, and anything too cutesy or casual will come off as immature.

Mmm, delicious essay...I mean sandwich.

Why College Essay Templates Are a Bad Idea

You might see college essay templates online that offer guidelines on how to structure your essay and what to say in each paragraph. I strongly advise against using a template. It will make your essay sound canned and bland—two of the worst things a college essay can be. It's much better to think about what you want to say, and then talk through how to best structure it with someone else and/or make your own practice outlines before you sit down to write.

You can also find tons of successful sample essays online. Looking at these to get an idea of different styles and topics is fine, but again, I don't advise closely patterning your essay after a sample essay. You will do the best if your essay really reflects your own original voice and the experiences that are most meaningful to you.

College Application Essay Format: Key Takeaways

There are two levels of formatting you might be worried about: the micro (fonts, headings, margins, etc) and the macro (the overall structure of your essay).

Tips for the micro level of your college application essay format:

• Always draft your essay in a word processing software, even if you'll be copy-and-pasting it over into a text box.
• If you are copy-and-pasting it into a text box, make sure your formatting transfers properly, your paragraphs are clearly delineated, and your essay isn't cut off.
• If you are attaching a document, make sure your font is easily readable, your margins are standard 1-inch, your essay is 1.5 or double-spaced, and your file format is compatible with the application specs.
• There's no need for a title unless otherwise specified—it will just eat into your word count.

Tips for the macro level of your college application essay format :

• There is no super-secret college essay format that will guarantee success.
• In terms of structure, it's most important that you have an introduction that makes it clear where you're going and a conclusion that wraps up with a main point. For the middle of your essay, you have lots of freedom, just so long as it flows logically!
• I advise against using an essay template, as it will make your essay sound stilted and unoriginal.

Plus, if you use a college essay template, how will you get rid of these medieval weirdos?

What's Next?

Still feeling lost? Check out our total guide to the personal statement , or see our step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay .

If you're not sure where to start, consider these tips for attention-grabbing first sentences to college essays!

And be sure to avoid these 10 college essay mistakes .

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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Sample Essays: Writing with MLA Style

Congratulations to the students whose essays were selected for the 2023 edition of Writing with MLA Style! Essays were selected as examples of excellent student writing that use MLA style for citing sources. Essays have been lightly edited. 

If your institution subscribes to MLA Handbook Plus , you can access annotated versions of the essays selected in 2022 and 2023. 

Writing with MLA Style: 2023 Edition

The following essays were selected for the 2023 edition of Writing with MLA Style. The 2023 selection committee was composed of Ellen C. Carillo, University of Connecticut (chair); Rachel Ihara, Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York; and Tarshia L. Stanley, Wagner College.

Caroline Anderson (Pepperdine University)

“ L’Appel du Vide : Making Spaces for Sinful Exploration in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ”

Hunter Daniels (University of South Carolina, Aiken)

“Biblical Legalism and Cultural Misogyny in The Tragedy of Mariam ”

Aspen English (Southern Utah University)

“Putting the ‘Comm’ in Comics: A Communication-Theory-Informed Reading of Graphic Narratives”

Raul Martin (Lamar University)

“The Book-Object Binary: Access and Sustainability in the Academic Library”

Grace Quasebarth (Salve Regina University)

“Finding a Voice: The Loss of Machismo Criticisms through Translation in Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits ”

Writing with MLA Style: 2022 Edition

The following essays were selected for the 2022 edition of Writing with MLA Style. The 2022 selection committee was composed of Ellen C. Carillo, University of Connecticut; Jessica Edwards, University of Delaware (chair); and Deborah H. Holdstein, Columbia College Chicago.

Kaile Chu (New York University, Shanghai)

“Miles Apart: An Investigation into Dedicated Online Communities’ Impact on Cultural Bias”

Sietse Hagen (University of Groningen)

“The Significance of Fiction in the Debate on Dehumanizing Media Portrayals of Refugees”

Klara Ismail (University of Exeter)

“Queering the Duchess: Exploring the Body of the Female Homosexual in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi ”

Yasmin Mendoza (Whittier College)

“Banning without Bans”

Niki Nassiri (Stony Brook University)

“Modern-Day US Institutions and Slavery in the Twenty-First Century”

Samantha Wilber (Palm Beach Atlantic University)

“‘Pero, tu no eres facil’: The Poet X as Multicultural Bildungsroman”

Writing with MLA Style: 2019 Edition

The following essays were selected for the 2019 edition of Writing with MLA Style. The 2019 selection committee was composed of Jessica Edwards, University of Delaware; Deborah H. Holdstein, Columbia College Chicago (chair); and Liana Silva, César E. Chavez High School, Houston, Texas.

Catherine Charlton (University of King’s College, Nova Scotia)

“‘Coal Is in My Blood’: Public and Private Representations of Community Identity in Springhill, Nova Scotia”

Alyiah Gonzales (California Polytechnic State University)

“Disrupting White Normativity in Langston Hughes’s ‘I, Too’ and Toni Morrison’s ‘Recitatif’”

Meg Matthias (Miami University, Ohio)

“Prescriptions of (Living) Historical Happiness: Gendered Performance and Racial Comfort in Reenactment”

Jennifer Nguyen  (Chaminade University of Honolulu)

“The Vietnam War, the American War: Literature, Film, and Popular Memory”

Emily Schlepp (Northwest University)

“A Force of Love: A Deconstructionist Reading of Characters in Dickens’s  Great Expectations ”

Jerz's Literacy Weblog (est. 1999)

Mla format papers: step-by-step tips for formatting research essays in mla style.

Jerz >  Writing > Academic     [ Argument | Title  |  Thesis  |  Blueprint  | Pro/Con | Quoting | MLA Format ]

(View a Google Doc template for an MLA Style paper .)

0.1) If you’ve been asked to submit a paper in MLA style, your instructor is asking you to format the page and present the content in a specific way. Just as football referees dress a certain way, and Japanese chefs cook a certain way, writers in certain disciplines follow a certain set of conventions. This document will show you how to format an essay in MLA style.

0.2) If, instead of questions about putting the final formatting touches on your essay, you have questions about what to write, see instead my handouts on writing a short research paper , coming up with a good thesis statement , and using quotations in the body of your paper .

• Document Settings (1 inch margins; double spaced; 12-point)
• Page Header (name and page number, upper right of every page)
• Title Block (assignment info and an informative title)
• Citations (no comma between the author and page number; commas and periods go outside of inline quotes)
• Works Cited List (lots of tricky details! sort alphabetically by author, not by the order the quotes appear in your paper)

For the most complete information, check your campus library or writing center for the  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , 8th ed.

MLA Style Format (First Page)

How to format the Works Cited page of an MLA style paper.

1. Document Settings

Your word processor comes with default settings (margin, line height, paragraph spacing, and typeface) that will likely need adjustment. For MLA style, you need:

1.1 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Windows)

My copy of Microsoft Word for Windows defaults to

• 1-inch margins all around
• 1.15 line height
• 10pt spacing between paragraphs
• Calibri 11-point  typeface.

Changing to MLA Style (Windows)

• The default margins in my test run were fine, but if you need to change them: Page Layout -> Margins -> Normal (1-inch all around)
• The default line height is too low. Change it to 2.0. Home -> Line Spacing -> 2.0. (You could try fudging it to 1.9 or 2.1 to meet a page count, but any more than that and your instructor may notice.)
• The MS-Word default adds extra space after paragraphs.(MLA Style instead requires you to  signal paragraph breaks by indenting the first line.) CTRL-A (select all your text) Home -> Line Spacing -> Remove Space After Paragraph
• Change the typeface to Times New Roman 12-point. Home -> Font Face Selector (change to Times New Roman) Home -> Font Size Selector (change to 12)

1.2 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Mac)

My copy of  microsoft word for mac defaults to.

• 1.25 inch left and right margins, 1 inch top and bottom
• 1.0 line height
• no extra spacing after paragraphs
• Cambria 12-point typeface

Changing to MLA style (Mac)

• In my test run, the left and right margins are too big. To change them: Layout -> Margins -> Normal (1-inch all around)
• The default line height is too low. Change it to 2.0. Home -> Line Spacing  -> 2.0
• My Mac copy of MS-Word does not add extra spaces after paragraphs. If yours does: Home -> Line Spacing  -> Line Spacing Options… (a new window will pop up) Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style (check this box) -> OK
• The 12-point Cambria will probably be fine, but to change the typeface: Home -> Font Face Selector (change to Times New Roman) Home -> Font Size Selector (change to 12)

2. Page Header

In the top right of every page, use your word processor’s “Page Header” function add an automatic page number and your surname.

2.1 Adding the Page Header in MS-Word (Windows)

• Insert -> Page Number -> Top of Page -> (choose the right-justified “Plain Number” option)
• The cursor will jump automatically to the right place for you to t ype your surname .
• Click anywhere in the body of the paper to exit the header area.

2.2 Adding the Page Header in MS-Word (Mac)

• Insert (in the top menu) -> Page Numbers…  -> (Set “Position” to “Top of Page (header)” and “Alignment” to “Right”)
• Click just to the left of the new page number, and type your surname .
• On my test document, my name was too far over to the left; grab the triangular tab adjuster just above your name, and drag it a notch to the right .

3. Title Block

In the upper left corner, type your name, your instructor’s name, the course number and section, and today’s date. Centered on the next line, type an informative title that actually informs the reader of your main point (not just “English Paper” or “A Comparison between Hamlet and Macbeth”).

• Like all the other text in an MLA style paper, the title block is double-spaced .
• The title is in the same font as the rest of the paper — it is not boldface, or enlarged.
• There is  no extra space above or below the title.
• A truly informative title will include the general topic, and your precise opinion on that topic.  (So, if you pan to compare Hamlet and Macbeth, your title should state the unique point you want to make about Hamlet and Macbeth. Reuse part of your thesis statement.)

4. Citations

This handout presumes you already know why you should cite your sources (to establish your authority, to introduce persuasive evidence, to avoid plagiarism , etc.). 

To fully cite a source requires two stages.  The first happens in the body of your paper (the “in-text citation”) and the second happens on a separate page at the end of your paper (see “Works Cited List,” below.)

4.1 Citing a Block Quote (more than three lines)

• Long quotes can start to look like filler. Only use a block quote if you have a very good reason to include the whole passage. (You can usually make your point with a shorter quote.)

• Place the parenthetical citation (the author’s name and the page number) after the period . (This is different from inline quotes, below.)
• There is no comma between the author’s name and the page number.
• If the quotation runs across more than one page: (Wordsworth-Fuller 20-21) or (Wordsworth-Fuller 420-21).
• Skip wordy introductions such as, “In his informative guide The Amazing Writing Book , published by Elizabeth Mount College in 2010, the noted composition expert Maxwell Wordsworth-Fuller describes the importance of citations in MLA style papers.” Cutting the filler leaves more room to develop your own original ideas. (See “ Integrating Quotations .”)

4.2 Citing an Inline Quotation

When the passage you want to quote is less than three lines long, use inline style.  Here we have two brief passages, taken from the same page of the same source, so we can handle both with a single parenthetical citation.

• The parenthetical citation appears outside the quoted material.
• The period that ends the sentence comes after the close parenthesis . (This is different from block quotes, above.)
• In this example, we have changed the first word a little, lowercasing it in order to fit it into our own sentence. To let the reader know what we changed, we put [] around it.
• Again, note the absence of a full sentence that explains who Wordsworth-Fuller is and where the quote comes from. All that info will be in the Works Cited list, so we leave it out of the body of the paper.

4.3 Citing a Paraphrase

Let’s imagine we want to reference Wordsworth-Fuller’s general idea about citation as a way to establish credibility, but we don’t need to include any of the technical details. We can save space, and make it much easier on our reader, if we paraphrase:

• Use paraphrasing for variety, or to make a passing reference without taking up much space.
• If we use an author’s idea, rephrased in our own words, we must still cite the idea.

Tips for avoiding common errors in MLA citations.

5. Works Cited List

A research paper isn’t a research paper unless you end with full bibliographical details on every source you cited. This part can be tedious and tricky; leave yourself plenty of time to do it.

How to format the “Works Cited” list of an MLA style paper.

• MS-Word Wind: Insert -> Page Break -> New Page.
• MS-Word Mac: Document Elements -> Break -> Page.
• Title your new page: Works Cited MLA style calls for no extra spaces above or below the page title; no special formatting.

5.1.  How to Create an Individual Works Cited Entry

Exactly what goes into each item in your bibliography depends on what kind of item it is. The general format is as follows:

Author. Title of Source. Container, contributors, version, volume and issue, publisher, date, location.

Exactly how that basic format gets turned into a Works Cited entry depends on the source.

Here’s the basic format for any book:

• Gibaldi, Joseph, and George Spelvin.
• Gibaldi, Joseph, Alan Smithee, and George Spelvin.
• GIbaldi, Joseph et al.
• The italicized phrase “ et al. ” is an abbreviation for the Latin “et alia,” meaning “and others.”
• The “ al. ” is short for a longer word, so we mark the abbreviation with a period.
• The “ et” is not an abbreviation, so it doesn’t get a period.
• Place periods after the author’s name, after the title of the book, and at the end of the entry.
• The title of the book is italicized .
• The publisher is the name of the organization responsible for publishing the book. In this example it’s the Modern Language Association. It might instead be Project Gutenberg, the US Department of Agriculture, or the World Health Organization,

Basic Format for Any Academic Article

Author. “Title of Article in Quotation Marks.” Title of Journal in Italics, volume #, issue #, YEAR, pp. [pages of article]. Italicized Name of Database.

Let’s break that example down.

The author Margaret Kantz wrote the article “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively.” That article doesn’t exist on its own floating in space; it was published by a journal called College English,  in the 52nd year of publication, in the first issue of its 52nd volume, in the year 1990, the article started on page 74 and ran through page 91. The student found this article while searching the database Academic Search Elite .

Every academic article has a specific title, and is published in a journal with a different title. (Online citation generators often get this wrong, and will often repeat the same title twice.)

What is this “volume 52, number 1”?

If  College English were a TV series, then “volume” would be which season, and “number” would be the episode number. The title of the article would be the equivalent of a scene within that episode.

The title of the database, Academic Search Elite , is like the title of the streaming service you’d need to sign into. If you were talking about your favorite TV show and you told me it was on Netflix, or Disney+, I could find it. But if you told me “It’s on my MacBook” or “It’s on my Samsung phone,” that wouldn’t help me to find it.

Basic Format for Any Web Page

In the above example, reporter Camila Domonoske filed a news story called “Students Have ‘Dismaying’ Inability To Tell Fake News From Real, Study Finds,” that aired on a news program called The Two-Way , which is published by National Public Radio, and the story aired Nov 23, 2016.

In MLS Style, the full URL is optional. Really long URLs with long strings of numbers in them are often generated for specific users, so someone else who visits that same URL will often get an error message.

You might shorten the URL to “npr.org,” because it would be a simple matter to use a search engine to find the actual story.

Other Citation Examples

What if your source doesn’t fit any of my examples?

You might be trying to cite something that doesn’t fit the above pattern, like a social media post, a video game, a work of art, an email from a relative, a billboard, or something else. It’s just not practical for me to try to include an example of every single thing it’s possible to cite.

The MLA citation format is designed to be flexible, so that it works for forms of media that haven’t been invented yet.

See Purdue OWL’s handouts for how to create a bibliography entry for a book , an article in a  periodical (such as a journal or newspaper), or an  electronic source (such as an email, web page or a YouTube clip). See also this list of  other common sources  (such as a personal interview or a movie).

5.2.  How to Organize Your Works Cited list

Sort the entries alphabetically by the author ‘s last name.

• If the author is an organization (such as a government agency or non-profit foundation), alphabetize according to the name of the organization .
• If you are citing a painting, or a composer, then obviously “author” has to be interpreted a little loosely.
• Unless your instructor ask you to organize your Works Cited list differently,  everything should be alphabetized together, in a single list. MLA does not require that you separate works of different kinds, or that you cite works in the order that they appeared in your paper, or that you write annotations to go along with each item.
• Use double-spaced line height. (in my copy of Word, I select the text and choose Format -> Paragraph ->  Line spacing -> Double -> OK.)
• Use hanging indent paragraph format. (In my copy of word, I select the text then choose Format -> Paragraph -> Indentation -> Special -> Hanging Indent.)

29 May 2011 — new document posted, replacing outdated handout written in 1999. 06 Jun 2011 — expanded section on organizing the Works Cited list, since several readers asked for clarification. 07 Jun 2011 — reorganized for emphasis 19 Apr 2012 — added numbers to more subheads 24 Mar 2014 — added details on Works Cited paragraph formatting. 02 Oct 2016 — updated with MLA 8th Edition details. 30 Nov 2016 — added annotated Works Cited sample image. 07 Sep 2020 — updated section 5.1

570 thoughts on “ MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Tips for Formatting Research Essays in MLA Style ”

The information was very helpful

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Thanks for sharing such an informative post with us.

fantastic information

Thanks for info!

hello i am nate sedmack i am here to kill all the furries for what they did to gavin born

I’m learning more writing a paper

it was very informational and helped me a lot

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Curious how you would Cite this webpage? haha…

awesome reminders

what about if when your using a quote and there is no name just anonomus

Honestly, I’d say find another way to make your point. An anonymous saying like “A stitch in time saves nine” won’t help you demonstrate your ability to write the kind of scholarly paper that MLA is designed for. Certainly investigate the quote to find out whether it maybe comes from Shakespeare or some other source that you can quote. I might identify the example I used as “English proverb,” but since I won’t be marking your paper, you really should check with your instructor.

This article..thing is the only reason I am passing my online college class. Especially the citation builder. Thank you!

I would Like You To Give Simple Instructions Not Complicated Ones , and Include also how much Papers Should be worked on.

Khalid, if there is any particular detail you are confused about, please let me know what question you have and perhaps I can help. There is no specific answer to how much a paper should be worked on. It depends on what grade you want to earn, how much time you have, whether your instructor is willing to meet with you before the due date, whether your instructor will give you the chance to revise your work, and many other factors.

hahahah xD me too same

How do I cite a photo that I found online?

Is it a historical photograph or a photograph published in a book that someone scanned and posted on line, is it a photograph of something like a sculpture? Is your paper focused on the work of the photographer, the makeup artist who prepared the model, the digital image enhancer who altered the image, the model? There is no single correct way to cite a photograph, because there are many different reasons to cite a photograph. Your instructor would be able to give you more specific advice. In general, though, the 8th edition of the MLA guide would say something like this:

Olsen, Jimmy. “Superman Rescues Boy Scouts from Lava Pit.” Photograph. The Daily Planet . July 22, 1956.

If you found the picture on a blog or a Flickr gallery, adjust the citation accordingly. If you found the image as the result of a Google search for something, you might very well end up finding a page that re-uses someone else’s picture without appropriately giving credit. There are many variables. Talk to your instructor, who will be the one grading your work, and will therefore be the right person to advise you on what to do.

is the text or what you wrote supposed to be centered in the page or to the left margin

Left margin.

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cool it was helpful

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I think you should include online resource citation instructions

Click on “Citing” at the top of the page. One of the options on the other end of that link is how to cite a web page.

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which writing style (MLA, APA) have more importance for students of social sciences, media sciences and business?

It depends on the instructor or editor who’s calling the shots. http://subjectguides.library.american.edu/c.php?g=175008&p=1154150

Very informative. It helped introduce my tired old mind to the MLA format. So, I can better help coach and prepare my wife for her English course. Thank you very much.

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I’m using a book title and author as my paper heading. How is that formatted?

I would tell my own students that a book title and the name of an author is not a good paper title, and I would ask them to write a title that catches the reader’s attention, identifies the topic, and identifies what position the paper is going to take on the topic. But if you are not my student, then I’m not the person who will be evaluating your paper. MLA style puts the book title in italics. Other than that, I really don’t have any advice for you.

Thank you very much for this useful information. As a freshman in highschool, my biology teacher asked for me to write an essay in mLA format about evolution. I had no clue what mLA format was,so I searched it up and it brought me here. In middle school I never wrote an essay in this format before,but I feel very confident to type my first mLA essay and I’m excited to do so! (Right after I finish my draft >.<) thank you very much! （⌒▽⌒)✌

This wasn’t helpful at all

Shavez, what were you looking for? This page is about formatting a paper you have already written. The first section includes links to pages about how to write essays.

u a real nigga dennis

really dude my collies and I would prefer that you didn’t use any profane language due to younger children that may be reading this

thank u i got an A 97 percent

this was very helpful i got an A 95 percent

hi my name is Jessie i have to writ a 2 pages Essay about MLA can someone help me

Dennis, what lends itself to science in the APA system? And what lends itself to the Humanities with the MLA? TIA.

As compared to MLA papers, APA papers tend to be shorter, and divided up into sections. Authors who use APA style tend to publish more frequently, because their knowledge goes out of date more quickly; so the date is prominent in APA citations, and page numbers are rare.

By contrast, people who use MLA style tend to write longer essays that aren’t divided up into standard sections like “procedure” and “conclusions.” Humanities scholarship generally doesn’t go out of date quickly. Instead of conducting experiments, humanists read and write a lot of longer essays and books, re-interpreting and quoting passages from them. MLA style makes the page numbers prominent, so that other scholars can easily find and re-read those same passages for themselves, and further the work of scholarship as it is conducted in the humanities.

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean by ” MLA style tend to write longer essays that aren’t divided up into standard sections like “procedure” and “conclusions.”? Are we not suppose to use conclusions in MLA format? In my English class, we use MLA with conclusions, but what do you mean by “procedure” and “conclusions”? I understand each instructor is different but is it right to use conclusions in an MLA paper…or am I getting confused?

Typically papers written in MLA style DO have a conclusion, but it would not be set off in a separate section under the subheading “Conclusion.” MLA papers tend NOT to follow a standard, particular structure. Papers written in the sciences DO have a fairly rigid set of sections, with separate subheadings. But it’s best for you to talk to your teacher about the specifics of any asisgnment.

Ok, thanks. I just wanted to ask and clarify it. Also, doesn’t the word “humanist” means something else entirely? The Humanist term today implies ‘human’ and is often used for atheists, for example… or am I wrong?

I used the term “humanist” to mean “a person who studies the culture of humans,” without intending the more specific meaning you mention. At my school, the humanities division includes theologians.

seems easy enough

We get asked often about what “format” the college application essay should be in. Although not generally… http://t.co/v1TTNxtE4e

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When using MLA format, do you list the book title, the title of the article or both?

For guidance on citing individual sources, see the link in item 4, above. This page is about formatting the paper once you’ve already written it.

I wrote a paper and it looks just like your example. I followed everything to the “t” and my professor says that my header is indented and my paragraphs are double indented and the page numbers are in wrong format. What can I do?

Winston, I suggest you talk to your professor. I have been teaching from thiis handout for years, and when a student makes a formatting error on a rough draft, I just ask them to fix it for the revision. But your instructor is the one who designed the assignment and who evaluates your submissions, so he or she is the person to approach with questions.

I agree. .let me ask you this. Are your headers indented?

The screenshot was taken from a page that I created following the instructions for using MS-Word with a MacBook Pro. I followed the instructions that are on the page. But surely your instructor gave you guidelines, in a handout or an assigned textbook, which is why I encourage you to have this conversation with your instructor. Whether your instructor does or does not agree with the information on this page really doesn’t matter, since your instructor created the assignment and evaluates it according to his or her own criteria. I suggest you let your your teacher know you are confused about what you did wrong, and ask for an opportunity to make minor formatting changes to a paper that, we hope, met all the major criteria.

How do you add footnotes to an MLA style paper?

Most word processors will have an Insert -> Footnote or Insert -> Note (footnote or endnote) option. Most short college papers don’t need footnotes. (They aren’t for documenting sources — use an in-text citation and a Works Cited list instead.) I suggest you talk to your instructor about whether you really do need to use a footnote.

RT @DennisJerz: MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Instructions for Writing Research Essays #mlastyle http://t.co/B6pGb3Pkeh

Thank you so much!! I love the Bib builder!!

I’m glad to hear you found it helpful!

Dear Dr. Jerz,

I am writing to request permission to link your webpage, “MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Instructions for Writing Research Essays” to our website.

Marie Walcroft Librarian Lansdale School of Business

I am glad you found this page helpful. Yes, you are welcome to include a link and a brief extract.

Can you put what information is supposed to be in each paragraph???

Emma, I’m afraid I don’t understand the question. I feel like you’ve asked me what emotions are supposed to be in each verse of a song, or what colors are supposed to be in a painting. The many different kinds of songs or paintings are all created for different reasons; likewise, paragraphs are assigned, written, and read for a whole range of different reasons, so there’s no answer that covers all possible cases.

that was beautiful

I really find this useful (especially fudging the line spacing to 2.1). Good job!

Im in middle school and I have to do this. I have never heard of MLA Format and this helped ALOT. Thanks so much! Hopefully I get a good grade on this paper!

“@pretti_slimm: @Thyler_Jonzy http://t.co/QIf00vlgws try this site looks helpful”I just found a sample paper on Google

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Is the Table of Contents double spaced – MLA?

i think you should add an explanation about page header. that was what i was looking for

See item 2 from the table of contents: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/mla-style-papers/#page-header

when you say page numbers (Wordworth-Fuller 20), are you referring to the page number within the MLA document or the page number the text appears on within the authors works?

In this case, your paper would be referring to something you found on page 20 of the text by Wordsworth-Fuller.

With your delicate information about to write MLA format essay in right way will lead me to successful college year.

Thank you for useful information about how to write MLA format essay. Before my college year I didn’t know there were many different forms of essay. When my professor asked me to write MLA format I had no idea how to write it, but with your delicate information I think I will survive my college year. Thank you again.

I’m glad to know you found this page helpful. Most instructors will be happy to help if you stop by during their office hours, and if your prof is too busy for that most universities will have a writing center where you can get help at any stage of any assignment involving writing.

Thank you for valuable information. Before my college year in America I didn’t know what MLA Format was, but with this delicate information I will survive my college year.

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That means the quote is from page 20 of the book or article written by Wordsworth-Fuller.

Very good information, I really needed this incite on research paper formats. It has such thorough details and that make it so much easier to understand.

How do you in text cite a website? I didnt really see much about that.

I think you should add an explanation about page numbers. That was what I was looking for, but I couldn’t find the significant area.

Section 2 explains how to put page numbers in the header, and section 4 discusses page numbers in citations.

read it… it’s there.

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MLA Sample Paper

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, do colleges require essays to be in mla format.

I'm in the middle of writing my college essay, and I'm wondering if I need to format it in MLA style? Or is there a certain format colleges expect us to use when we submit our essays? Does it even matter?

Hi there! It's a great question to ask. Generally, college admissions essays do not have a strict formatting requirement like MLA or APA. Colleges are more interested in the content and how effectively you convey your thoughts and experiences.

However, it's essential to make sure your essay is easy to read and well-organized. This includes using a clear font (like Times New Roman or Arial) and a reasonable font size (12 is a typical choice), ensuring there is appropriate spacing between paragraphs, and possibly including your name and applicant number (if applicable) in the header or footer.

Remember that the essay's content is most important, so focus on making your writing engaging and compelling.

Good luck with your essay!

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