Formatting Tips for Essential Letters (Graduate School Application)
When applying for graduate school scholarships, presenting well-formatted documents such as motivation letters or statements of purpose is important. These letters are important but can be challenging to draft.
Beyond writing the content, it’s essential to format the document in a clean and easily readable manner to help the scholarship/admission committee easily skim through.
Table of Contents
Here’s a simple guide to formatting your documents, unless otherwise specified by the application guidelines.
Key Formatting Tips for Your Graduate School Application Letters
1. Optimal Line Spacing for Readability
For formal documents, the standard line spacing is typically between 1.0 (single spacing) and 1.5. Most often, 1.15 or 1.5 line spacing is recommended for readability and a clean appearance.
2. Font Size
Use 11 or 12 points for the body text. This size is standard and ensures that your document is easy to read without appearing too cramped or too spaced out.
3. Margins
Set the margins to 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides. This provides a balanced amount of white space around your text, making the document look professional.
4. Paragraphs
Use a single space between paragraphs without an extra line space. This keeps your document organized and avoids unnecessary gaps that can distract the reader.
5. Alignment
Left-align the text for a clean and professional look. Justified alignment can create awkward spacing between words, while center or right alignment is not appropriate for formal documents.
6. Which Font to Use? Serif or Sans-Serif
Both serif and sans-serif fonts are acceptable for formal or academic documents. Serif fonts like Times New Roman are traditionally used for formal documents because of their classic look.
Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Aptos are also acceptable and can give your document a modern and clean appearance.
Wrap Up
By following these formatting tips, you can ensure that your graduate school application letters are not only well-written, but also professional and easy to read.
This attention to detail will help you make a positive impression on the scholarship or admission committee.
Wishing you success on your application. 🚀
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