Many students and new PC users need to format essays or papers, but aren’t sure how to make a cover page for essay that meets academic standards. Searching online often leads to conflicting formatting advice, outdated templates, or confusion between citation styles like APA vs MLA. So, how can you create a clean, proper essay cover page without needing to learn every formatting style from scratch? This article provides clear essay cover page examples for APA, MLA, and Chicago formats, plus a tool-assisted solution using WPS Office.
Cover Page For Essay
Follow APA Format to Make an Essay Cover Page
APA style is widely used in U.S. colleges, and it’s often the format you’ll need for papers in the social sciences. Here’s how to set up a professional essay cover page example that fits APA standards.
Step 1: Add the title, then the author name, then the institution name below it, then the course name, instructor, and date. Select all your text and click Center-align.
Center your text
Step 2: Add a page header (running head) with the shortened title and page number.
Add Running header
Step 3: Use 12 pt Times New Roman font.
Use Times New Roman 12 Font
Step 4: Then use double spacing.
Set double spacing
Step 5: Set the margins to 1" margins or normal in Word.
Set margins to normal
Step 6: Save as DOCX or PDF.
Why It Works:
APA style uses a clear, consistent structure that builds credibility and avoids formatting penalties. This formatting ensures your cover page for essay will be uniform with APA requirements.
Writer Tip:
WPS Office has preloaded templates that align perfectly with APA style. This means you don’t have to manually adjust settings and can be confident that your essay cover page is formatted correctly. It’s an excellent time-saver!
Use MLA Guidelines to Format a Clean First Page
If you're working on a literature or humanities assignment, MLA style is likely your go-to format. MLA typically doesn’t require a separate cover page, but it’s important to understand how to format the first page properly.
Step 1: In the upper left corner, add your name, instructor's name, course, and date. Select the text and left-align it.
Left-align text
Step 2: Center the title one line below the date.
Center your text
Step 3: Insert a right-aligned header with your last name and page number.
Right-aligned header
Step 4: Use 12 pt Times New Roman font.
Use Times New Roman 12 Font
Step 5: Then use double spacing.
Set double spacing
Step 6: Set the margins to 1" margins or normal in Word.
Set margins to normal
Step 7: Save as DOCX or PDF.
Why It Helps:
MLA keeps things tidy and professional without requiring a separate essay cover page. This is great for essays where space is tight or if the instructor doesn’t require a separate cover page.
Writer Tip:
With WPS Writer, the MLA templates can auto-format headers, margins, and page numbers, saving you time and ensuring your paper follows all guidelines perfectly.
Customize a Chicago or Harvard-Style Cover Page
When it comes to Chicago or Harvard styles, the cover page can vary depending on the specifics of the assignment. Both styles usually have clear guidelines, but there’s more flexibility when formatting the cover page.
Step 1: Center-align the title, author, course, and date. Some versions also include the institution and word count. Ensure the title is written in capital letters and is placed halfway down the page.
Chicago style cover
Step 2: Do not use headers unless specifically required.
Step 3: Use 12 pt Times New Roman font. Use this consistently throughout the entire document.
Use Times New Roman 12 Font
Step 4: Then use double spacing.
Set double spacing
Step 5: Save and export for submission.
Why It Helps:
These styles are flexible, but maintaining structured formatting shows attention to detail, which is important for research-heavy papers.
Writer Tip:
With WPS Office, you can customize your cover page quickly, whether you’re following Chicago or Harvard formatting. WPS lets you create a cover page that matches your specific needs, even if the style guide is a little less rigid.
Use WPS Office Templates to Save Time and Get It Right
Creating a cover page for essay can often feel like a tedious task, especially if you’re unfamiliar with academic formatting styles like APA. But WPS Office makes it incredibly simple by offering preloaded templates that align with popular citation styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago. Whether you’re new to academic writing or just need a quick solution, WPS Office provides all the tools necessary to get it right from the start.
WPS Office all-in-one
With WPS Office, you can generate a cover page for essay with just a few clicks, ensuring that the layout adheres to formatting rules without any hassle. Here’s how you can quickly create an APA-style cover page using WPS Writer:
Step 1: Open WPS Writer on your laptop and create a new document.
Select Writer
Step 2: Center-align the title, author name, institution, course name, instructor, and date on the page.
Note: You can also use a preloaded template for an APA cover page in WPS Office.
Center your text
Step 3: Add a page header (running head) with the shortened title and page number at the top.
Use Running header
Step 4: Click on the line spacing icon and choose 2.0 for double spacing.
Keep line spacing at 2
Step 5: Go to Page Layout, then click Margins on the top left and set them to normal.
Select normal margins
Step 6: Keep the formatting as Times New Roman consistently throughout the document.
Use Times New Roman 12 Font
Step 7: Save the document as a DOCX or PDF.
Benefits:
Preloaded templates for APA, MLA, and more: WPS Office offers preloaded templates for APA, MLA, and Chicago, saving you time by automatically formatting your essay cover page.
Clean typography and academic-friendly formatting: The software ensures professional, easy-to-read formatting, ideal for academic papers.
Runs fast on any PC—even low-resource systems: Even on older laptops, WPS Office runs smoothly, making it perfect for students with limited system resources.
WPS AI helps with grammar and structure: The WPS AI tools help proofread, fix structure, and even summarize your work, streamlining the writing process.
I’ve been using WPS Office for a while now, and it’s a game-changer. The preloaded templates save me time on formatting cover pages, with everything set up for me. I also love how fast it runs, even on my older laptop, and the best part is it’s free! From cover pages to citations, WPS Office has made my academic work much smoother and more efficient.
FAQs
Q1: Do all essays need a cover page?
Not always. MLA often skips it, while APA and Chicago usually require one. Always check your instructor’s guidelines.
Q2: Can I use Google Docs to make an essay cover page?
Yes, but WPS Office offers better templates and formatting tools specifically designed for academic writing.
Q3: What's the difference between a title page and a cover page?
In academic writing, they’re usually the same, but it’s important to follow the citation style rules for each.
Q4: Can I use WPS Office on my new laptop with no Microsoft Office?
Yes. WPS Office is a lightweight, free alternative, perfect for new setups.
Mastering Essay Cover Pages: APA, MLA, and Chicago Made Easy
APA, MLA, and Chicago each have specific rules for the essay cover page, but getting it right doesn’t have to be a challenge. With the help of WPS Office, even new users can quickly generate clean, professional cover page for essay using free templates. Whether you're on a new PC or just need fast formatting, WPS Office makes academic writing smoother and easier.
