Essay Cover Page: The Secret to a Flawless First Impression

Main formatting guidelines for an essay cover page include:

• Center the title and use a standard font like Times New Roman, 12pt.
• Include your name, course, instructor, and submission date.
• Maintain 1-inch margins.
• Follow specific citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago) for layout and details.

This guide breaks down exactly how to format your essay cover page step by step — fonts, margins, spacing — so it looks clean.

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What Does an Essay Cover Page Look Like?

A cover page for an essay is like the first impression your paper makes. It’s the front door to your work, and when it looks sharp, your whole essay feels more professional. 

A proper cover page for an essay needs to be simple and follow a few key rules:

• Title: Centered, bold (if the style requires), and in Title Case. Avoid fancy fonts.
• Your Name: Below the title, centered, same font and size as the title.
• Institution: Name of your school or university, centered under your name.
• Course Name and Instructor: Include these directly below the institution name.
• Date: At the bottom, centered, written in full (e.g., January 12, 2025).
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial, size 12.
• Margins: 1-inch margins all around.
• Spacing: Double-spaced unless your professor says otherwise.

These are the general guidelines for a solid essay cover page. But here’s the thing: different formatting styles have their own rules. APA, MLA, Chicago, ASA, Harvard — they all tweak the layout just a bit.

APA Essay Cover Page

An APA essay cover page template has a no-fuss look, but that doesn't mean you can just slap a title on the page and call it a day. APA is all about structure and keeping things neat.

Here’s exactly how your APA cover page should look:

• Title: Centered, bold, and written in title case. No underlines, italics, or quotation marks.
• Author’s Name: Your full name, centered under the title. No nicknames or abbreviations.
• Institution: The name of your school or university, centered right under your name.
• Course Name and Number: Include both (e.g., Psychology 101), centered below the institution.
• Instructor’s Name: List your professor’s full name.
• Date: Written out fully (e.g., January 12, 2025).
• Font: Times New Roman, size 12.
• Margins: 1-inch on all sides.
• Spacing: Double-spaced, no extra gaps between elements.
• Page Number: Required in the top-right corner, starting from page 1.
• Running Head: Not required for student papers.

MLA Essay Cover Page

MLA format skips the cover page and keeps things straightforward. All the important details go right on the first page of your essay. Here's how it should look:

• Your Full Name: Aligned to the top left margin.
• Instructor’s Name: Listed directly under your name.
• Course Name and Number: Right below the instructor’s name (e.g., English 101).
• Submission Date: Fully written out (e.g., 12 January 2025).
• Paper Title: Centered below the heading, standard capitalization, no bold or italics.
• Body Text: Starts immediately below the title, double-spaced, no extra gaps.
• Font: Times New Roman, size 12.
• Margins: One-inch all around.
• Page Number: Top-right corner with your last name (e.g., Smith 1).

Chicago Essay Cover Page

A Chicago essay cover page has a formal look, but it’s also built for clarity. No unnecessary design choices, just a structured layout that sets the right tone for your work.

Here’s what a proper essay cover page example in Chicago style looks like:

• Title: Centered about one-third down the page. Written in title case (capitalize major words). No bold, italics, underlining, or special styling.
• Your Name: Centered several lines below the title.
• Course Details: Centered under your name. Include the full course name and number (e.g., History 202).
• Instructor’s Name: Listed below the course information, using their full professional title (e.g., Dr. Emily Parker).
• Date: Centered near the bottom of the page, written fully (e.g., January 12, 2025).
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point font.
• Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Spacing: Double-spaced throughout, with no extra gaps between sections.
• Page Number: The cover page does not include a page number. Page numbering starts from the first page of the essay.

ASA Essay Cover Page

An ASA cover page keeps things formal and structured — the way sociologists like it. It’s precise and designed to present your work in a professional format.

Here’s how to set up your cover page the right way:

• Title: Centered near the top of the page and in title case (capitalize major words). No bold, italics, or quotation marks.
• Your Name: Centered below the title, using the same font and size as the rest of the page.
• Institutional Affiliation: Centered under your name, listing your school or university.
• Word Count: Centered below the institutional affiliation.
• Font: Times New Roman, size 12.
• Margins: 1-inch on all sides for a balanced look.
• Spacing: Double-spaced throughout, with no extra gaps between elements.

Harvard Essay Cover Page

A Harvard cover page has a straightforward format designed to make your essay look organized. It’s neat and sticks to a few essential formatting guidelines that help your work feel complete and credible.

Here’s how to structure your cover page properly:

• Title of the Paper: Centered and in all capital letters, placed about halfway down the page.
• Author's Name: Centered three lines below the title, in standard capitalization (not all caps).
• Course Name and Number: Centered four lines below the author's name.
• Instructor's Name: Centered one line below the course information.
• Institutional Affiliation: The name of your school or university, centered below the instructor’s name.
• City and State: Centered one line below the institutional affiliation.
• Due Date: Centered one line below the city and state, fully written out (e.g., 12 January 2025).
• Margins: Keep a one-inch margin on all sides for balance.
• Spacing: Use double spacing throughout with no extra spaces between elements.
• Running head: Right-aligned in the header section, preceded by the page number. There should be exactly five spaces between the page number and the shortened title.

Sum Up

A proper cover page for essay is your paper’s first impression, so make it count. Here’s the must-have list:

• Title of the Paper: Centered at the top.
• Your Name: Right below the title on its own line.
• Course & Instructor: Course name, course number, and instructor’s full name.
• Date: Fully written out.
• Formatting: Double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12, one-inch margins.

And if you’re feeling stuck, EssayHub can help with any student papers, from creating an essay outline to formatting a perfect cover page to tackling full research papers stress-free.