essay of cover

How to Make a Cover Page: Illustrative Formatting Examples

Table of contents

1.1 MLA Style Cover Page
1.2 APA Style Cover Page Format
1.3 Chicago Style Cover Page Format
1.4 ASA Style Cover Page
1.5 Harvard Cover Page Format
1.6 Bottom line

A perfect cover page is an essential part of an essay’s presentation. It can make a great first impression on your instructor and set the tone for your essay. First, to write a cover page, understand your assignment’s formatting requirements. This includes the required format for the cover page, which may vary depending on your instructor’s or institution’s guide.

Once you have this information, you can create a title page that looks professional. It should include the title of your essay , your name, the course title, and other pertinent details. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to make a cover page for an essay. This article will show the following:

We’ll describe how a good cover page should look.
In the article, we offer you examples of different formats of a cover page, including MLA, APA, and more.
You’ll know the measurements you require to position some cover page aspects.

What Does a Paper Cover Page Look Like?

Creating a cover page for an essay in grade school was simple – add your name and date, and it’s done. However, structuring an essay and following grammar rules in university involves multiple steps that may be unfamiliar to you. But knowing how to format an essay can make the process easier. However, it can be overwhelming to determine the appropriate structure and ensure that your essay adheres to grammatical rules.

A well-designed cover page is crucial for an essay’s presentation; many students wonder how to make one. Therefore, we have compiled a guide on creating a title page for the most commonly used citation formats you may come across.

A cover page is a separate page at the beginning of your academic essay. It contains the title and author’s name and may also feature details like page number, course name, instructor name, and more. Remember that it’s essential to format your page consistently with the rest of your essay.

Use these tips when writing your cover page:

Keep every margin at 1 inch;
Select a font that’s easy to read. We’d recommend Times New Roman and Arial for this;
Always keep the font size at 12;
Use double-line spacing.

MLA Style Cover Page

The MLA cover page has a vague format for essay pages. Instead, formatting guidelines are based on your teacher’s preferences and standard MLA (Modern Language Association) text formatting. You can follow some best practices to create an MLA essay cover that looks professional. A typical sample MLA cover centers essay titles about one-third of the page’s length. You can also use italics or bold lettering to emphasize important words or phrases.

In our sample MLA format cover, including the necessary MLA heading in the top-left corner is crucial. Follow this guide for proper writing of the cover page template:

Instructor’s name;
Page number half an inch away from the top;
Your name is an inch away from the top;
The arrangement of the details is an inch away from the leftmost side of the sheet, while ensuring it’s double-spaced throughout;
A half-inch indent in the first paragraph.

APA Style Cover Page Format

The APA citation format is widely used in the academic and business worlds but has some challenging aspects. For this reason, many busy students order cheap essays to avoid dealing with the nuances of APA essay cover. For your APA cover page, keep your essay’s title brief, under 12 words, and center it. Below the title, include your first, middle, initial, and last names without academic credentials like a PhD. On the following line, indicate your research location, usually your university. Below are the properties of the APA cover page format:

The title of the paper, centered at the top of the page.
Your name (student’s name), centered below the title.
The institutional affiliation (college or university name), centered below your name.
Course name and number.
You professors’/instructor’s name.
Optionally, you can include a running head aligned to the left margin (with the words “Running head:” followed by a shortened version of the title).
Finally, include a page number in the top-right corner.

Chicago Style Cover Page Format

The Chicago page format, commonly called Chicago style paper, is a popular citation format used in the humanities department. The Chicago cover page format typically includes the following:

The title of your essay centered on the page and in the title case (i.e., the first letter of each major word is capitalized);
Your name is centered below the title;
The course title is centered below your name;
The instructor’s name is centered below the course title;
The due date is centered below the instructor’s name.

The page may also include a shortened title at the top and a page number in the header of each subsequent page. It’s essential to follow the specific structuring requirements set by your instructor or institution when creating your Chicago-style cover page. The Chicago and Turabian styles are similar in the following ways:

Both styles typically place the title of the paper one-third to halfway down the cover page, centered horizontally;
The title is usually in title case; the major words are capitalized;
The author’s name is listed below the title and centered horizontally;
The name of the institution with which the author is affiliated is often placed below the author’s name on the page;
Both styles generally don’t include a page number on the cover page.

Additionally, endeavor to use the same font on your cover page that you use in your paper. Follow proper capitalization rules for essay titles, using uppercase for keywords and lowercase for articles and prepositions unless they begin the title. This ensures consistency and professionalism throughout your research papers; if you have more questions, you can always check PapersOwl’s page for more information.

ASA Style Cover Page

The cover page format of ASA is based on APA and includes a running head. In ASA, keep your header below 60 characters. Another distinction is that ASA mandates the inclusion of a total word count on the cover sheet, encompassing footnotes and references.

Additionally, include your name and course. List them all vertically below your name and course, if you conducted research at several institutions. Apart from these differences, all other elements follow the APA essay format .

It’s worth noting that page numbers start on the title page and must be placed in the bottom-right corner.

Harvard Cover Page Format

The Harvard cover page is also known as the Harvard referencing style. It is primarily used in social science and humanities disciplines, including literature, history, and economics.

The Harvard cover page example typically includes the following information, arranged in this order:

Title of the research paper;
Author’s name (last name, followed by the first initial);
Date of submission;
Course name and number;
Name of instructor.

In addition to the cover page, the Harvard referencing format requires in-text citations and a reference list at the end of the document. The in-text citations include the author’s last name and year of publication, while the reference list provides complete bibliographic information for each source cited in the document.

Bottom line

Although formatting your work according to the requirements of your college might be challenging, it is vital. Undergraduate students, who sometimes take classes in several different areas at once, should be especially concerned about this. However, keep these requirements from obstructing your ability to learn. Use these suggestions to create the ideal cover page, and if you need assistance, we are always here to help. And if your professors require some changes, their instructions hold more weight than the guidelines mentioned here.

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How to setup your software
Sample MLA Paper – normal paper
Sample MLA Paper – has cover page
Sample APA Paper
Sample Chicago Paper
Sample CSE Paper
APA Format Guidelines
MLA Format Cover Page

The Modern Language Association (MLA) does not require you to create a cover page when you complete your research paper, but some instructors may require it.

If your instructor requires your paper to have a cover page, here is how to make it (very easy). This cover page should include: your school name, your research paper title, your name, your class, your professor name and your paper due date.

How to Format Your MLA Cover Page:

This page is double spaced and the letters are centered.
Font: Times New Roman
Font size: 12
The first letter of each word should be capitalized with the exception of very short words such as: the, and, of, or, a, an, in, to, for. Note: the first letter of the first word should be capitalized, regardless of what kind of word it is.
Type the name of your university or college.
Skip to about one-third of the page and type your research paper title, include a subtitle if you have.
Skip several lines down and type your name, your course name and number, your instructor name and your paper’s due date.

Sample MLA Format Cover Page:

Sample MLA Format Cover Page

Alternate First Page:

If your instructor requires a cover page, you would omit the main heading on your first page. Here is an example of the first page if a cover page is used. You still need your last name and page number on the first page and every other page.

Sample MLA Format First Page with Cover Page

Sample MLA Paper:

Visit here for a sample paper with the cover page. The cover page can vary slightly. This paper also has the outline page for your sample.

If you find this website useful, please share with a friend:

How do I get the header on the second page on down? I tried editing it but then it takes the header away from all the pages.

In word select the header then go to: Header & Footer>Page Number>Format Page Numbers>Page Numbering>Start at page>Set to 0

How do I get the header on the second page on down? I tried editing it but then it takes the header away from all the pages. I am using windows. Also, the page numbers are not working for me either. Please help me.

How should I start the page after my cover page?

https://mlaformat.org/mla-format-heading/

Thank you so much Stephen !!! Helped a lot in my written assignments 🙂

Great site ! Thank you so much. Just returned to school to complete my bachelors and needed a little refreshing. Has all the information I needed !

Thanks so much for all of the great information! I have not used MLA before and was a little panic stricken. I have found all of my answers here. This is now saved to my favorites so I can use it regularly. Thanks again!

Should the lines on the cover page be double spaced?

Thanks so much for the picture of the cover page it has helped a lot. But, I was wondering do I still need to put my Title at the top of every page after the header?

Hello Lydia. You do not.

After your cover page, your next page’s heading should look like the “Alternate First Page” above.

After the “Alternate First Page” => your next pages should have “The Inner Pages” heading: https://mlaformat.org/mla-format-heading/

Sample paper: https://mlaformat.org/mla-format-sample-paper-with-cover-page-and-outline/

hey Lydia you don’t need to but if you want to you can

Thank you so so much. I love the simplicity of the website, very easy to understand. I finally have a cover page for my paper!!

I love this website!! It helped so many times with all my essays. I’m working on a college one and this was very useful. Thank you soo much. And thanks for the examples im a visual person I needed that 🙂

Hi Kaylin, I am glad you find this site useful. Take care!

By the way (sorry i forgot!) for the coverpage, would the text font be 12 times new roman???

You can set everything 12, Times New Roman. Or you can set the Title a little larger than 12, that should work too.

In the example above, I have the title larger than 12.

Here is an example with everything set at 12.

Thank you so much for your help on this useful website! I found it very organized and I’m very glad that I came across this particular article. Thanks!!!!!!!:)

I have a question regarding the cover page and the following pages. If I have a cover page as the example provided, do I still need the heading on the next page? And should the pages after that contain my last name on the top left as the header does on the on the previous pages? or do I not need the header at all if I have the cover page and just my name?

Excellence question, Stella! I have updated this article with information on the first page if a cover page is used. Please see “Alternate First Page” above.

You can omit the main heading but you still need your last name and page number on the first page and all subsequent pages. Take care!

Essay Cover Page - MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and APA Format Cover Sheet

Picture this, you have completed your daily duties and now settling in to complete an essay. What is the worst that would happen? Well, the majority of high school, college, university, and graduate students undervalue the need to format an essay cover page properly. In return, most of them end up with either great essays with a poorly done cover page or a poorly done essay with a poorly formatted cover page.

I don’t know which of the above categories, but mine was worse. It is a great mistake to care less about the proper formatting of a title page for any essay. Sometimes the content in the entire class can be great, and the cover page becomes what separates a good grade from a poor grade. You do not have to leave anything to chance when working to maintain a good GPA, do you?

Why master how to make an essay Cover Sheet?

Your title page informs the reader or the professor what to anticipate in your essay. Sometimes, if they are in a hurry, a catchy topic can entice them to read your essay from introduction to conclusion.

The cover page has your name, title of the essay, institution, instructor, and date. A well-formatted title page is enough a getaway to a strict professor’s marks or grade fountain.

And when you are almost giving up on your cover page, we give you a reason to smile. In this article, we will teach you how to make a cover page for an essay, MLA cover page format, Chicago cover page format, APA cover page format, and Harvard cover page format, with examples.

Why should you learn How to Make a Cover Page for an essay?

Sometimes professors and instructors assume the basic things like formatting a college essay. In the end, students end up losing marks over flimsy mistakes. A common question students ask is “how do you make a cover page for an essay?” or “what is to be included on a title page?”

If you have had these questions or related ones, you are in the right place at the right time. We will take you through cover page essay essentials. But before then, why do we have an essay cover page. Or simply, what is an essay cover page?

An essay cover page is the opening page, sometimes called the title page, and offers a comprehensive description of the essay title, identifies the student, and sometimes bears the date and the instructors’ names.

You will notice that the cover pages for essays differ depending on the specific format you are using. For instance, when creating the MLA essay cover page format, you should only do so if the essay prompt requires you to. If not asked for one, there is never any need to include one. The same applies to Harvard, Chicago, and APA cover page formats.

MLA Essay Cover Page Format with Template/Example

Also known as the Modern Language Association, MLA is a unique essay writing and citation format. It is important to mention that most MLA essays do not require an essay cover page. Nevertheless, some instructors insist on you having a cover page for your MLA paper.

When requested to have an opening or cover page for MLA papers, these are some of the details to include:

Author’s Name
Instructor’s Name
The Due Date

Here is a sample MLA cover page template

Note that the format for MLA research paper cover page is slightly different. It will contain:

Name of university
Title of the Research Paper
The subtitle of the research paper
Your Name (Author’s Name)
Course Name and Number
Instructor/Professor’s Name

Below is a sample MLA research paper cover sheet

MLA research paper title page cover sheet

Some professors or instructors will advise you to use the research paper MLA format title page for your essay.

How do you format an MLA Cover Page?

Formatting an MLA title page is easy!

It should be double-spaced.
The preferable font is Times New Roman size 12 or a legible font.
All the letters must be in Title Case.
It should have 1-inch margins throughout the paper.
Ensure that the title page is double spaced.
Remove any spaces between paragraphs from your Microsoft Word settings page.

See the details in the sample MLA format cover page provided above. Notice the difference between the two and always read the instructor’s essay prompt before deciding on which one to settle for.

APA Cover Page Format with Example/Template

Students have been asking this for a while, and we felt like addressing it would save many of you out there. “How do I make an APA cover sheet?” Well, just like MLA, an APA essay cover page is easy to make.

To begin with, the APA style title page should include:

Running head (Left aligned in the header section).
Page Number (Right aligned).
Title and subtitle of the essay/paper (centered)
Name of the author (centered).
Institutional Affiliation (centered).
Author’s Note (for long research papers, thesis, and dissertations).

An important note, in APA the title should not exceed 50 characters and should be in capital letters. Times New Roman font size 12 is always preferred as well.

For more details, see the example APA title page provided below.

Note that there are changes to APA 6. In APA 7, there is no "Running head" instead, you will only need a page number situated to the top left of the paper. Here is a sample APA 7 Cover page.

Chicago Cover Page Format with Example/Template

Even though less common in academic essay writing, understanding the Chicago essay title page is necessary. It can save you some trouble when writing a Chicago style paper, which is the case with most literature and humanities subjects such as history. Thus, after reading this, you should understand how to format a Chicago essay title cover page correctly.

Here are tips when making Chicago format opening page:

Chicago title page has no page number or running head in the header section.
Using Times New Roman or any legible font of size 12 is preferred.
All the text on the cover page is centered.
The cover page is double spaced with no spaces between paragraphs

You see, a Chicago style paper opening page is relatively simple to make. A caution, though, when making any type of cover page, your professor’s guidelines are your rule book. Therefore, everything you need to format an essay cover page is always in the prompt.

Chicago style papers are the easiest to handle. However, despite the ease of inserting a title page, it remains a challenge to most students. Sometimes, seeking professional help can be the only option. Our experts can help you craft your Chicago format essays and research papers, talk to us!

Here is a Chicago style format essay cover page.

Harvard Cover Page Format with Example/Template

Harvard formatting has a specific and well-organized cover page.

The shortened version of the title of the paper comes in the header section (aligned to the right) and is preceded by the page number).
The full title, written in all capital letters , appears halfway through the page.
The author’s name (three lines from the title).
Then four lines down you will have class name and code, name of the professor, City and State the university is located, and the due date.

Here is an example of the Harvard format Cover Sheet Page.

Bottom Line

A cover page for an essay is a critical aspect when undertaking your academic writing tasks. Even though it might seem boring and unnecessary, it can be the only aspect left to differentiate who passes a course and who fails.

When writing an APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago format paper, produce an essay cover page that fits each formatting and citation style. I don’t know about you, but I find it easier to do the cover page as the last part of the essay after writing and proofreading. Yet some in our team prefer setting the cover page for their essays first before they outline the essays . As a ritual, it is my last part to shake hands with the mighty Microsoft Word or Google Document applications.

Check out our article on indenting paragraphs and how to title an article when writing an essay.

Sometimes, you can ask the instructor or professor how to make a cover page for your essay. We believe no teacher will reprimand you. These are essential basics to keep with you as they will help you understand how to make a cover page for an essay. If you need help writing an essay, our professional writers can always come in handy. Until then, have a happy academic writing session!

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