5 or double spacing. Readability is very important for your statement of purpose. Double spaces are not a problem because the essay should already fit on one page. Add a header with your first name, last name, university and other required information. Clearly separate your paragraphs. By default, just press “ENTER” twice. For example, a graduate school may require that the title be in capitals, that all text be double-spaced, and that the margins on the binding side be 1 cm. Do not include the page number and center all text. You may also need to include the university logo. APA style is commonly used for guidance on how to format research papers. I wrote my doctoral thesis using the classic thesis template with the arsclassica style package. My university requires that I double spacing the body of the thesis, so I use \doublespacing for most of the document. This also has the annoying effect of doubling my chapter and section titles.