STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I know this sounds like a lot of work. But really the best thing to do every time there's a question of how things should look, is to call the admissions office for each school and ask. An application tailored to the admission's counselor's preferences will go a lot further in review then one that inadvertently contains a pet peeve (for example, some people like things stapled, others prefer paper clips). Also, some schools have forms for the recommenders to use. And they won't accept anything else. I used to worry that I'd look stupid calling with silly little questions, but then I realized that I didn't actually have to tell them my name, and that if I was nice, they might even remember me fondly. Either way, it's not worth the risk to guess. There are too few seats and too many other applicants.