<p>I have been stalking here for well over a year, but finally decided to post. I was just notified by my GC that I made semifinalist standing. I logged in and completed most of my application online, but I have a few questions about the essay.</p>
<p>In what format am I supposed to type the essay? 10 point font? Double or single spaced? Indented paragraphs? Is the essay supposed to have a title, and if so, must it be a specific phrase?</p>
<p>Sorry if these are silly questions. My school hasn't had a semifinalist in several years, and the counseling staff are more clueless than I am about the process.</p>
<p>In what format am I supposed to type the essay? — I don’t think it matters since you don’t upload your essay as a word doc. There’s a textbox where you copy-and-paste your essay into when you fill out the online application.</p>
<p>The recommended word limit is ~500. It should be okay as long as you don’t go overboard… it says “limit it to the space provided” so this might mean it will have a character cut-off like the Common App’s EC essay, though, so just make sure you click preview before you submit.</p>
<p>There isn’t really a format, like bubblyperfection said. I’m just typing it on Notepad, and then copying and pasting it into the box. As for word count, that all depends. They give you about an 8" by 6" space on the page, so you just gotta click preview and see where you stand and make adjustments accordingly.</p>