Are you a college student who has been assigned to write an essay, but you don’t know where to start? What is the most effective font for college essays? What strategies must students follow when writing a paper to get higher marks? Writing an essay requires a comprehensive approach, from data collection to selecting the best font.
According to Creative Market, choosing a font is not only essential for aesthetics but can also impact the reader’s interaction with the text. A font for your writing can be a deciding factor in turning it into a failure or a success, because if the essay’s font is not eye-catching, the chances are high that your instructor will not read it attentively. As a result, you will not get the expected marks or grades.
This article will unveil the six most effective fonts for college essays and tips to make them compelling and impressive. Read till the end and a college essay will become a fingertip task for you.
A List of 6 Best Fonts for Writing Compelling College Essays
Some colleges provide clear instructions about the selection of a font for essays. Ignoring these instructions can become a continuous headache for students because it will require them to revise it again. On the other hand, many colleges don’t ask students to write an essay according to a specific font. It’s up to you whether you choose Times New Roman or Calibri.
Remember that choosing the right and eye-friendly font is not enough. This selection is only the first part of your effort to write a paper. The jaw-breaking journey starts when you work on the outline of your essay. It can include a detailed data collection approach, excluding unnecessary information. That’s what decreases the efficacy and impact of students’ college essays.
However, the right and timely guidance from essay writing services helps students overcome these issues, from data collection to font selection. These platforms focus on completing your papers within the allocated time and empower you to continue your academic journey head-on.
Now, we will discuss the font and text size for a college essay so that you can submit it without making mistakes. Let’s learn about these fonts and tips to make your paper impressive.
- Times New Roman
Have you ever read a research paper, college essay, or dissertation that was not written in Times New Roman? Almost every educational institute and research journal prefers this font because it is easy for readers to read your writing without putting extra pressure on their eyes.
According to Fonts Arena, Times New Roman is a font that conveys seriousness and sophistication in writing, enhancing its impact.
Here is why this font has been a trusted choice for academic professionals:
- Style: The style of Times New Roman is Serif, which is eye-friendly, making it easy for your instructor to read your essay without skimming.
- Preferred by Everyone: This font style has become a gold standard in academic writing. It is synonymous with timelessness and is universally accepted. If your institution does not provide instruction about the font selection, you can choose it confidently.
- Why Use It: As mentioned above, academic professionals have used Times New Roman for years. You can select it for your essay if you want to stick to tradition.
- Garamond
What font to use for college essays? This is the most common question asked by students who have been working on their essays. Asking this question always goes in their favour because the right font selection can turn an essay into an impressive piece of writing. When it comes to making your essay impressive and engaging, Garamond can be a good option.
According to Design Beep, Garamond is an excellent choice for students who are working on complex topics to write an essay. It is effortless to read, especially when you have written large paragraphs. Here is why this is an ideal choice for students and educational professionals:
- Artistic Feel: Garamond is slightly more artistic than Times New Roman. However, this artisticity does not reduce the professional look of your essay. It can help you save space due to its tight letter spacing.
- Longer Essays: If you are going to write a longer or complex essay and want to adjust it within a specific number of pages, it can serve the purpose better than any other font.
- Calibri
The real challenge in academic writing for students begins when they try to maintain a professional tone and keep it readable. Maintaining readability throughout the essay is not easy, and that’s why students ask this question often: What is the font and size for a college essay?
As per College Vine, Calibri can be a solid choice for students when it comes to maintaining professionalism and high readability in an essay, and the size will be between 11 and 12. This style is automatically selected by MS Word, and you can keep it as is if your institute allows it. An essay written in the Calibri style will be enjoyable to read for your instructor.
It will also be easy to read on screen. Sometimes, instructors and educational institutes ask their students to submit essays in a soft form because they have to check for plagiarism. In that case, your font must be comfortable to read on screen, and Calibri can be an excellent choice for that purpose.
- Arial
Arial is among the appropriate fonts for college essays. It makes your writing look professional and more engaging because a reader will not feel extra pressure on their eyes when reading your essay and research article. You can choose this style whether writing your dissertation or a case study to smooth your next academic journey.
These core features of Arial can make you use this font:
- Clean & Modern: Not only does it provide a clean look, but it also ensures a modern feel by maintaining clarity. However, make sure that you are using the same font for both the text and headings.
- Professional Vibe: Don’t worry about the professional vibe of your essay after selecting the Arial font. It will ensure professionalism in your writing while offering a modern and clean look.
- Cambria
Cambria is also a good font for college essays. Many educational institutions ask their students to submit their assignments or essays in this font style. However, this is not common in most countries because students utilise other options, such as Calibri and Times New Roman.
This font is specifically designed for on-screen reading. Here are two features of Cambria that make it an exceptional choice for college essays:
- High Readability: The Cambria font ensures balanced spacing throughout your essay. As a result, the readability of your writing increases significantly.
- Effective for On- and Off-Screen Reading: Unlike many other fonts that are specific for on- or off-screen reading, Cambria is effortless to read both on screen and on paper.
- Helvetica
Are you looking for the most sleek font for your college essay? Helvetica can be the best option for you. It is not only minimal but also clear, making it easy to read when printing your essay. However, it may not be a good option to read on screen, especially for those people who experience minor or severe eye problems.
Here is why Helvetica is a famous choice among students:
- Creative: It is one of the most creative designs supported by Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Marketing and design students usually use this font for a better outcome.
- Innovative: Your essay will lean toward innovation if you choose this font style for your writing. There must be a synchronisation between headings and the text.
Basic Font Size for College Essays
Choosing the right font for your essay is only the first step in the writing process. Selecting an appropriate font for your writing will not go in your favour if you choose an incorrect size or spacing. Size and spacing problems can make it harder for the teacher to read your complete essay.
Let’s say you have line spacing of more than 2 inches. It can make your instructor think that you are trying to cheat the word count. Therefore, make sure that the size of headings and text is not only correct but is also eye-friendly.
Font Size
- Standard Size: It will be 12 throughout the text. However, some educational institutions also prefer 11.
- Why It Matters: 12-point text is easily readable and is what most instructors and scholars expect.
Spacing
- Line Spacing: Usually, double line spacing is recommended. Sometimes, you may be asked to keep it 1.5.
- Why: Spacing always allows your reader to give reviews easily and leave comments without any hassle.
Margins
- Standard: You have to leave one inch from each side: Left, right, above, and below.
- Why Is It Important: This space makes your text clean and uncluttered, making it easy for you to bind.
Indentation
- You will indent the first line of each paragraph. This indent will be by 0.5 inches.
- Don’t add extra spacing between paragraphs, as it can decrease the impact of your essay.
Top Tips for Crafting a Compelling Essay
Here are a few tips for you to craft a compelling essay beyond selecting an essay font size and spacing. Ignoring these instructions can lead to multiple problems in your essay, such as repetitive revisions. These guidelines are:
- Read the Essay Prompt: According to San Jose State University, an essay writing prompt clearly states what a student needs to explain in their papers. You will need to understand the prompt first before writing an essay, as it will reduce the risk of mistakes.
- Preview Before Submission: Don’t submit your essay before the final review. In this review, you will ensure an appropriate font size for your essay and detect mistakes.
- Avoid Overthinking: We are all conscious of ensuring quality in our writings. It is a good measure. However, you don’t have to overthink it or experience stress. Try your best and submit the final version head-on.
- Readability Tools: Ensuring readability has become a major issue in academia due to the innovation of AI tools, because students generate content and submit it as their own. These tools create longer sentences and reduce the readability score of your writing. Before submission, you can run a check on your essay through Grammarly or the Hemingway editor.
- Ask for Feedback: You can ask your friends and classmates to read your essay before submission. After reading the first draft of your paper, they will provide valuable suggestions. You can consider them and make essential changes.
What Are the Best Fonts for College Essays?
The best fonts are those that prioritise readability and professionalism. Usually, Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are considered the best fonts for college essays. They are widely accepted in academia and research journals due to their appearance and formal tone.
While selecting these fonts for your college essay, it is a must for you to avoid decorative or script fonts as they can destroy the look of your paper. Moreover, you will choose only one font for your essay and stick to it throughout the text. It will ensure a polished and uniform presentation.
Wrapping Up
From selecting appropriate fonts to ensuring size consistency throughout the essay, you will need days to cover all these steps. If a student tries to complete it without guidance and preparation, there will be high risks of structural errors that can reduce the impact of an essay.
That’s why contacting reputable essay writing agencies becomes indispensable, as they maintain standard formatting criteria throughout your paper. Plus, they work diligently to collect data for your writing so that it can impress your instructor. So, get professional help and make your essay a win-win!
Author Bio
Roselyne Ward is a skilled essay writer who has been in the field of academic writing for over seven years. So far, she has written over 1000 essays for college students, smoothing their further educational journey. With a dedication to perfection, Roselyne curates error-free essays.
