Is there a college essay template I can use?


Writing a college essay is never a piece of cake, especially when your future depends on it. While writing a regular argumentative essay or , you only risk getting a low grade. However, when it comes to writing a college application essay, the stakes get much higher. Whether you like it or not, the quality of your essay will directly affect whether you will be able to study at the college of your choice or not, which is why it is so important to get things right!


Prior to writing a significant piece of work such as a college essay, students often have numerous inquiries, including what format do college essays use.

So, to help you succeed, our team has prepared a step-by-step guide on how to write a college essay, along with detailed information on what format should a college essay be in and more! Let's browse through the upcoming paragraphs, and let us help you stand out from the crowd.

First, second and Works Cited page of APA formatted essay.

Keep it simple and standard. Regarding font type, things like Times New Roman or Georgia (what this is written in) won’t fail you. Just avoid things like Comic Sans or other informal/casual fonts.

If you are wondering what is the college paper format, know that this format follows the general rules that are pretty standard. Typically, your paper should be in line with a basic 5-paragraph format. This means you will need to include one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Finish your story with a conclusion paragraph, where you clarify the value or idea you're trying to convey. What is the main thing you want the college to know about you through this story? Is it what you've learned, a value that's important to you, or what you want to contribute to society? Finally, use the last line of your personal statement to reinforce this central idea, so that your reader leaves with a clear impression about who you are. After the "hook" of your personal statement, the concluding line is the most important of your essay.

Now that you know how to format your college essay, we'll explore how to develop the story you'll tell in it. Here are some steps to get started:


This essay could work for prompts 1 and 7 for the Common App.

When writing a college application essay, it's usually best to avoid overly personal details and controversial topics. Although these topics might make for an intriguing essay, they can be tricky to express well. If you’re unsure if a topic is appropriate for your essay, check with your school counselor. An essay for college admission shouldn't include a list of achievements or academic accolades either. Your essay isn’t meant to be a rehashing of information the admissions panel can find elsewhere in your application.

Knowing how to format your college essay can be tricky.

Before diving into your college format essay, it is always a good idea to take a step back and plan out what you want to write. This will make the process much faster and easier in the long run.

This is a college essay that worked for .

First of all, to prepare for writing a paper, you need to choose a compelling topic. Regardless of whether you are choosing a topic yourself, or picking it among the provided prompts, here are the key qualities of a good college essay topic to keep in mind:

What are colleges looking for in the “Why Us” essay?

The goal here is to use an attention grabber. Think of it as a way to reel the reader in and interest an admissions officer in what you have to say. There's no trick on how to start a college application essay. The best way you can approach this task is to flex your creative muscles and think outside the box.

Related: 10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay

These tips should help you choose the right topic and structure, so you won't have to wonder, 'What format should my college essay be in' anymore. However, regardless of your choice, the most important tip is to be yourself. It is not necessary to write about some really major achievement or unbelievable experience. The committee wants to know who you are as a person, so even if you write about something very basic but manage to share your story - you will win!

This is a college essay that worked for (UPenn).

Typically, a basic essay format does not imply any word count limitations. However, when unsure how long should a college essay be, it is recommended to keep your essay about 650 words long. This is the optimal length for such a paper because essays that exceed 650 words are often too wordy, whereas shorter ones can look incomplete and fail to deliver the core idea.