When I submit materials why can't I get formatting like I'm used to in my word processor?

Unfortunately when you open up the website to the world you invite participants whose actions are not always professional. All users are required to use what is called Filtered HTML in order to protect the integrity of the website (and the site where our website is hosted). This means you get all the features you're used to in a mainstream word processor, only it's much tougher. You have to 'embed' your text to get what you want using markdown syntax. Further instructions to follow.