AMCAS formatting problems are driving me nuts

[lovemedhateap]

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Ok, maybe it's the English Major in me, but the AMCAS is driving me nuts. I've finished my personal statement and just spent the whole morning trying to figure out how to insert an indent before my first paragraph. All the other paragraphs have indents, just not this one. I type the spaces in, then go back, and they're gone. Also, it's putting an extra line of blank space between each paragraph - which is annoying but not as important. I'm starting to feel like a crazed anal-retentive pre-med, and this is not who I ever thought I would be. Anybody know what I should do? I need this application out of my life.
Thanks.

 

[dr.z]

I don't think indentations matter much. Everyone faces that problem.

 

[hobbesiscool]

Ok, maybe it's the English Major in me, but the AMCAS is driving me nuts. I've finished my personal statement and just spent the whole morning trying to figure out how to insert an indent before my first paragraph. All the other paragraphs have indents, just not this one. I type the spaces in, then go back, and they're gone. Also, it's putting an extra line of blank space between each paragraph - which is annoying but not as important. I'm starting to feel like a crazed anal-retentive pre-med, and this is not who I ever thought I would be. Anybody know what I should do? I need this application out of my life.
Thanks.

The deal is dude, you need to make sure and press Enter between paragraphs. But do not put spaces at the beginning of each paragraph (like any standard essay you write for college in Microsoft Word). Medical schools will just read the PDF file that AMCAS creates for you when you press PRINT APPLICATION. In that PDF file, it automatically formats you into a new paragraph if you only press ENTER between paragraphs. This was a little secret (or maybe it's not a secret) I learned from my premed advisor. Just remember, make sure to press ENTER, but don't put any spaces at the beginning of the paragraph. I wish they would tell us this on the FAQs or something, because it would probably save them a million phone calls they have probably received (I myself had to call them twice before someone gave me a straight answer!)

 

[lovemedhateap]

The deal is dude, you need to make sure and press Enter between paragraphs. But do not put spaces at the beginning of each paragraph (like any standard essay you write for college in Microsoft Word). Medical schools will just read the PDF file that AMCAS creates for you when you press PRINT APPLICATION. In that PDF file, it automatically formats you into a new paragraph if you only press ENTER between paragraphs. This was a little secret (or maybe it's not a secret) I learned from my premed advisor. Just remember, make sure to press ENTER, but don't put any spaces at the beginning of the paragraph. I wish they would tell us this on the FAQs or something, because it would probably save them a million phone calls they have probably received (I myself had to call them twice before someone gave me a straight answer!)

I tried that, but now there are no indents at all. I'm just trying to find a way to add in an indent before the first paragraph, if anyone can help I will really appreciate it.

 

[MollyMalone]

There have been like ten million threads on this. As I recall, the consensus was that it's impossible to put the indent in front of the first paragraph. You are certainly going to be in esteemed company. Oh, and you can't do anything about the double spacing between paragraphs either, if I remember correctly.

Of course, if I happened to miss the one thread that had a solution, please feel free to correct me.

 

[lovemedhateap]

There have been like ten million threads on this. As I recall, the consensus was that it's impossible to put the indent in front of the first paragraph. You are certainly going to be in esteemed company. Oh, and you can't do anything about the double spacing between paragraphs either, if I remember correctly.

Of course, if I happened to miss the one thread that had a solution, please feel free to correct me.

So if there's no way to put an indent in front of the first paragraph, did most people end up putting no indents at all, or do you just indent everything except the first one. Both ways look completely bizarre.

 

[newdude]

OK there's been bunch of these threads and i can see why
and i still don't get it.

so if put 5 spaces between the start of all paragraphs, it doesn't work for the first paragraph but does work for all the others.
is there any way to get the 5 spaces on the first paragraph.

since, you can't put five spaces (tab) in front of the first paragraph, should i try not to do it for the other paragraphs.

this is nuts.

 

[Its_MurDAH]

well you can basically forget about getting accepted anywhere if your paragraphs are not indented.

Just something to mull around in the ol' noggin.

 

[45408]

can't indent the first paragraph

 

[lorelei]

I don't understand why people are so set on having their paragraphs indented. Just put returns between them. No one is going to deny you an interview because you chose one perfectly valid style of separating paragraphs over another.