How to Format College Essay
Once you know what you want to write about in your essay for college, the next step is coming up with the most suitable and the best college essay format example you can write. Different people use lots of different themes and formats, and in general the best college essay format example is the one that suits the topic you are addressing and the style of your writing.
Even though you may be allowed to be creative with your formatting, the classical progression of introduction, main body and conclusion still applies. The introduction should begin with something captivating and attention grabbing, something that makes the reader curious and excited to read on. It takes time and practise, and this is why starting as early as possible is so important for writing a college essay.
The main body comes next, and it demands your attention as much as the introduction, because it needs to be good enough to sustain the attention of the reader, which you initiated in the introduction, and to keep the momentum going. To avoid confusion and to emphasize clarity, keep different points within different paragraphs, and make sure that the overall structure is reader-friendly.
The conclusion comes last, and just like the beginning, the ending needs to be amazing. What makes an amazing ending? Astonishing conclusion wraps up all the points contained within the main body and leaves the reader satisfied and pleased. The last lines of the conclusion should include something inspiring, or perhaps a provoking question that makes the reader think. The final matter includes appendices, acknowledgements and references.
College Essay Format in Detail
For a college essay that you have to write whilst you are in college, it is absolutely vital that you choose an official essay format and use it throughout the essay. There are many formats available, and the most commonly used are:
- Harvard College Essay Format
- APA College Essay Format
- Chicago College Essay Format
- MLA College Essay Format
The APA format requires you to include a cover page, the thesis and/or introduction, main body, conclusion, and references at the end. Each page should contain large headers, double spacing and 12pt sized font. The MLA format requires 1 inch margins and numbered pages and headers with details in the upper right hand corner, and may include a special notes section in the margin is necessary. There are also other idiosyncrasies for the style of referencing which you should know.
General Formatting Rules and Tips
Each format has its own standards, but a number of principles are universal. Make sure you pay attention to fonts and margins and make sure you always use double spacing. The essay should follow the general structure outlined in the first part of this guide, and your citations should fully comply with the chosen format. Also make sure your references are numbered correctly in the main body and reference list.