The Student Room Group
Reply 1
Just indent, don't bother with a whole line for each new paragraph.
Reply 2
You don't have to leave the lines between paragraphs. I've read sometimes people just put a tab where the next paragraph begins.

However I personally think it looks neater with lines between paragraphs.
Just pressing enter and leaving an indent is fine and easily recognisable as a seperate paragraph. If you have 3 lines worth of good things to say then definately don't waste it
I always advisde people to leave lines between paragraphs of their personal statements. Contrary to what the previous posters have said, you cannot use an indent, as all such formatting is removed by the UCAS system, and leaving paragraphs without lines between them leaves your PS as an unreadable block of unrelieved text guaranteed to give the admissions tutor a headache and to put him or her in a bad mood. You don't want that, do you?

I have yet to see a PS submitted for review that wouldn't benefit from losing sufficient material to allow blank lines.
Reply 5
Difficult when I'm on the brink of 4000 characters solid - it seems very 20th Century to have something as mundane as lines left between paragraphs be an irritant. I'll see what I can cut out then, otherwise it's good old indent for me.
RedefiningForm
otherwise it's good old indent for me.


No it isn't. As I said earlier, the UCAS system removes all such formatting as indents, italics, boldening, extra spaces and special fonts.
Reply 7
Bah sorry for the wrong information I must have incorrectly read information on the TSR wiki about indents!!
Reply 8
Good bloke
No it isn't. As I said earlier, the UCAS system removes all such formatting as indents, italics, boldening, extra spaces and special fonts.

By extra spaces, does that mean tabbing as well?

I think I read it on studential, so I don't have any experience doing it myself =]
MrChem
By extra spaces, does that mean tabbing as well?


It does.
You don't have to leave a line but i think its looks better structurally if you do. I did it applying three years ago for uni and i'm going to do it again when applying for my masters. I just think it looks better and easier to read :smile:
Reply 11
UCAS form uses a different indent than MS Word, make sure you use the correct one.
izinku
UCAS form uses a different indent than MS Word, make sure you use the correct one.


Just how many times does it have to be repeated that you cannot use indents on the UCAS system?
Reply 13
I've written about 3900 characters but I'm on about 53 lines. I'm tempted to leave out the blank lines but I agree it makes it hard to read. I just don't know how else I'm going to make the limit :frown:
Reply 14
Good bloke
Just how many times does it have to be repeated that you cannot use indents on the UCAS system?

I meant that a UCAS line holds a different amount of characters than the standard MS Word line. No need for the attitude.
izinku
I meant that a UCAS line holds a different amount of characters than the standard MS Word line. No need for the attitude.


Then what you are talking about is a different margin. This is not the same thing as an indent. Please use the correct language if you are going to advise people without misleading them.

If you read the PS questions sticky thread in the UCAS and applications forum you'll see some advice on comparing MS Word documents with the UCAS system.
OP's question has been answered I think. For further information/queries like this see the Personal Statement Questions Thread.

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