What is the format of a succinct statement for the doctoral program?

Question

Hello I spent weeks writing and editing my succinct statement I am writing for admission into a doctoral program.
What is the format? Do the paragraphs need to be indented double spaced, or do the paragraphs stay flush left with a double space between paragraphs?
This is a statement of my personal objectives and how they will be furthered by graduate study.

Please answer only if you have experience! Thank you

Answer 1

No one cares about the format. Spacing and indentation are matters of choice. Just make sure the format is consistent throughout.

Here's what we DO care about:

That you convey to the graduate admissions committee the reasons you think you should be selected for admission.

That you describe yourself, providing information that cannot be found on your transcript, being sure to demonstrate your particular suitability for the program in question

That you demonstrate familiarity with current methodologies, and articulate the intended focus of your study

That you mention the faculty with whom you hope to work, and state the reasons for your interest in these faculty

That you proofread!
That you proofread again!

(Statements with grammar and spelling errors go directly to the bottom of the pile, trust me.)

Answer 2

Quite frankly, no one on the admissions committee is going to care about the indenting or double-spacing. They just want to see a few things:
1) You can write intelligently, succinctly and clearly.
2) You have some legitimate reason for applying to the program. Your reason should be one that will carry you through the hard times, so you don't drop out, and it should be one that fits within the purpose of the doctoral program. If it's a PhD program, they probably expect their graduates to go on into careers in research and college teaching. If it's a professional program, such as a PsyD, they will want their graduates to go on into practice. If it's an EdD, they will accept people who want to be in practice or in research/teaching.
3) If the program is research oriented, very specific or has very limited enrollment, they may want to see that your interests are compatible with at least one member of the faculty. In some PhD programs, you will work closely with one professor. In that case, it's important that you and the professor share research interests. Otherwise, you might get there and find no one on the faculty is willing to help with your research.