<p>A few days ago, I called the undergraduate office and asked them if there was an ideal word limit they would like me to keep under for the main Common App essay. The person told me to keep it around the 250 word range, so no more than 50 words more.
I was totally amazed by this as my school teachers/counselors recommend 1000 words...</p>
<p>So I called today and got a different person and I asked the same question. She told me the exact same thing.</p>
<p>Can you guys believe this?</p>
<p>when there’s a word limit, stick to it.
What does your teachers and counselors know about college app process? 1000 is ridiculous.</p>
<p>
Well to be fair, the CommonApp which Michigan uses doesn’t have a word limit just says 250 word minimum…</p>
<p>huh? common app personal statement has always had a 500 word guideline…only recently did the application even allow an essay of more than 500 words…</p>
<p>Umich admissions has clerks answering the phone; email your state’s admissions rep and ask them the question; 250 sounds quite low for the common app essay; and since this is the first year that UMich has used the common app, the person who answered the phone may have NO idea…</p>
<p>I do believe it. The guidelines is 250 words, so keep it around there. There isn’t a max, but I would say 1,000 is definitely inappropriate.</p>
<p>If you haven’t figured it out yet, your teachers and counselors aren’t the best people to listen to - especially if the instructions (on CommonApp) directly contradict them. I probably (at least I think I do) know more about college from CC than my counselor and definitely my teachers.</p>
<p>250 is minimum. 1000 is usually the absolute max. but I know a someone who wrote a 2000 word essay and was admitted to top universities in the US.</p>
<p>So, do as you may. Your choice. I would try to keep under 1000.</p>
<p>There are plenty of threads in the past regarding word count and based on what I’ve seen,the general rule of thumb for the Common App main essay is around 500 words, give or take 100. 250-300 seems a bit ridiculous and on the short side to cover the prompt.</p>
<p>
Well, I emailed the head or high up staff member on the undergraduate admissions staff and he has replied
</p>
<p>So I guess Michigan does really mean it…</p>
<p>That sucks…250-300 is an incredibly small amount to play with. I guess they really want “concise and to the point”</p>
<p>I had no idea about this word count stipulation. My essay is about 550 words, and I submitted the entire Common App to Michigan last night. It’s a good essay–I’ve received a lot of positive feedback. But given the length, am I doomed??</p>
<p>when the chances thread starts to reflect acceptances, # of words in common app essay should be listed; I can almost guarantee that UMich will not reject (oh, I forgot, they never reject anyone, only defer) anyone just because their common app essay is 500 words…</p>
<p>Besides, one is not supposed to be writing a different essay for each school…your personal statement is your personal statement…</p>
<p>are you willing to risk admission to all your other common app schools by writing a weak 250 word essay?</p>
<p>Umich is, again, ridiculous…and their excuse that they have to read 30,000 applications is just too bad…Tulane does it…figure it out…</p>
<p>this reads to me, an outsider, like UMich doesn’t really care about the quality of the essays they get…no way a good personal statement can be written in 250-300 words; more like a “short answer personal response”</p>
<p>
Hell no…</p>
<p>I made mine 500 words, if you’re not going to write out on your application that the common app essay should be a certain number of words, I could care less. I’m applying to 8 other schools, I want to call Michigan again and tell them theyre ridiculous and I could care less if they don’t like my 500 word essay.</p>
<p>I would ignore that, for the most part. It’s the COMMON APP essay. If they want to limit you to that for their supplements, they have the right to. But this essay is getting submitted to multiple schools, most of which probably won’t mind a 500 or 600 word essay. Additionally, they made no mention of this word range on the application; most students haven’t contacted them to find out their ideal range and thus no points should be taken off for an essay longer than that.</p>
<p>And, despite what they say, I think if your essay is strong and and an interesting read, they’ll keep reading, regardless of if it’s 250 words or 600. Now if your essay is 1000 words…that’s another story!</p>
<p>250 words is kind of short while 1,000 words is probably too long. The ideal length would be in the 500-700 range.</p>
<p>This is absolutely crazy from UMichigan!!! </p>
<p>I am applying ED to another school this Nov and they said that they generally require a Common App main essay in the range of 500-600 words.
And, does anybody know the email address to the Undergrad Office. I could not find it at all! Pls Help. :)</p>
<p>And one last qn. What is U Michigan’s requirement of the SAT subject tests? I am submitting only my two best scores out of 3. Is it alright?? </p>
<p>Thank guys!</p>
<p>UofM doesn’t require subject tests. Send as little or many as you want.</p>
<p>Hey All UMich prospective students,</p>
<p>I called in admissions today. They said that 250 is the recommended length. And that the admission readers have been told that they will only read around 250 words. So if you still have not made your point within the 250 words, too bad!!!</p>
<p>GD Luck to everyone! And GO BLUES!!! :)</p>
<p>wow, interesting way to whittle 30,000 applications down…</p>
<p>Rodney: Do you mean the inconvenience UMich causes to common App applicants applying to other schools? </p>
<p>And thanks kevinnnnni. I checked the SAT 2 policy for U Mich and they don’t require any actually. So yea. </p>
<p>Now I’m going to be stuck trying to reduce my Common App essay to fit around 250 words. AHHH!!!</p>
<p>No, suarez…I’m referring to the fact that only those on CC will know that they will only be reading 250 words of the common app essay…</p>
<p>I don’t even want to think about all the kids I know of that have already submitted…</p>
<p>It would have been nice for Umich admissions to at least let college/guidance counselors know about this…ya think?</p>