<p>Soozie: I am going to actually check again with her college counselor on this idea....Her personal statement is written more like a story; I think that is why they went with double spacing...That being said, the personal statement is not within a text box, but rather an upload with the common app, right? The reason her school specific essays were single spaced is, yes, because they are more of a factual nature...different style.....thanks for your help...I'm not all that concerned but will check if we need to change it....have a nice weekend!</p>
<p>The personal essay is indeed more of a narrative than a statement. However, I don't see a reason to treat it different than the many other essays a student submits (I know my own children and advisees have many essays to write besides a Common App personal essay). You may be correct that there is no text box online. My kids and many of my clients use paper apps and I have never tried to use an online app myself. I understand your point if it is uploaded and that a double space essay could work. However, I still believe the INTENT is for a one page single spaced essay.</p>
<p>All the other kids are also writing "stories" and most do it this way, I think. However, it could be personal preference and again, it likely will not be an issue if double spaced. I believe the adcoms are USED to reading single spaced essays. If you are in doubt, you can call a college and ask directly. My guess is that it won't matter a whole lot. My preference still lies with single spacing and double between paragraphs and fitting it on ONE PAGE.</p>
<p>The Common Application prompt this year asks for a "minimum of 250 words", and has no maximum.</p>
<p>So I wonder, re: the discussion of "two page double space" versus "one page single space with air between the paragraphs"-- how do these admission officers assemble and discuss the applications? If they go into a folder, as I know was the case at our son's LAC, are read by 2 officers, have someone pitching it around a boardroom table with others...then I see great advantage to a one-page. I assume at some point, these online aps turn into hard-copy file folders. You don't want a second page (double-space) to get lost. </p>
<p>I don't think this whole process goes start-to-finish with everyone sitting in front of computers, reading. Sometimes I've read about AdComs taking apps home to read late into the night (busy season). Do they transfer to home computers, or download into manila folders and briefcases? I wonder.</p>
<p>All that tells me: ONE PAGE. Staples, paperclips, page 2..makes me nervous something will get misfiled during the process. If you know you're not looking at an entire personal essay, you'd go chase it; if you already have a page, maybe you think the student just added a sentence or so and who cares to look for page 2.</p>
<p>I'm sure I"ve overstated my point.</p>