Can You Tab on the Common App? (Spoiler Alert: You Can’t!)
Ah, the Common App. That glorious portal to your dream college. Or, maybe just a source of anxiety, depending on your relationship with standardized tests and the dreaded personal essay. But let’s be honest, the real struggle for many isn’t the essay itself, it’s the formatting. Specifically, can you tab on the Common App?
The answer, my friend, is a resounding NO! (Unless you enjoy witnessing your carefully crafted paragraphs turn into a single, unreadable block of text.)
The Common App, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that tabbing is the enemy of good writing. They’ve gone full-on block formatting, forcing you to employ the age-old technique of adding a blank line between each paragraph. You know, like your elementary school teachers told you to do back in the days when the internet was a twinkle in Al Gore’s eye.
So, Why This Tab Taboo?
It seems like a simple enough question, right? Why can’t we just tab like normal people? Well, the Common App isn’t exactly known for its transparency when it comes to these kinds of decisions. But we can speculate, can’t we?
Perhaps they’re trying to avoid the “copy and paste” disaster. You know, where your perfectly formatted essay suddenly becomes a jumbled mess of misplaced indents? The Common App might be trying to prevent the dreaded “Formatting Apocalypse” by forcing everyone into a standardized block style.
Or maybe, just maybe, they want to test your commitment. They want to see if you’re willing to go the extra mile (or, in this case, the extra space bar press) to ensure your essay is flawlessly presented. Think of it as a tiny little test of your character.
The Common App’s Formatting Quirks: A Love-Hate Relationship
The Common App’s formatting quirks are like a bad roommate: they’re not exactly charming, but you’ve got to put up with them. It’s not exactly a love fest, but you learn to adapt.
Here’s the lowdown on how to make friends (or at least coexist) with the Common App’s formatting:
- Paragraphs are Your Best Friends: Embrace the blank line. It’s your new best friend. It’s going to be your go-to for paragraph breaks.
- Indentation is Out: Forget about tabbing. It’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Just accept it and move on.
- Space Bar is Your New Weapon: You can use the space bar to create manual indents if you really want to. But be warned, they might not show up in the final version. It’s a risky move, like a daring escape from prison.
- Font Choice Doesn’t Matter (Much): The Common App isn’t overly concerned about your font choice. Go for a standard, clean font like Times New Roman or Arial. You want your essay to be readable, not a typography experiment.
- No Fancy Formatting: Don’t even think about using bold, italics, or underlining unless absolutely necessary. Think of it like a formal dinner party: keep it classy and understated.
The Common App’s Formatting Rules: A Lesson in Humility
It’s a bit of a humbling experience, isn’t it? All that time spent perfecting your essay, meticulously indenting each paragraph, only to have the Common App throw a wrench in your plans. It’s like learning to ride a bike all over again, except instead of falling flat on your face, you’re just staring at a block of text.
But, hey, it’s a valuable lesson in letting go of control. The Common App is a fickle beast, and you just have to roll with the punches.
The Final Word
So, can you tab on the Common App? No. But you can conquer it. You can create a beautiful, well-structured essay even without the luxury of indentation. Just embrace the blank line, embrace the space bar, and embrace the fact that the Common App is just trying to make your essay look its best (in its own unique way).
Need More Help With Your Common App?
If you’re still struggling with formatting or have any other questions about the Common App, don’t hesitate to reach out to the JobLoving community. We’re here to help you navigate the treacherous waters of college applications with a bit of humor and a whole lot of sarcasm. And trust me, you’ll need both.
Happy writing! (And happy tabbing, in your own personal documents, of course.)