<p>Too long?</p>
<p>I couldn't find any length suggestions or requirements on the Common App supplement page or online, but 4 pages seems a bit much to me. It just evaluates how a certain experience has impacted me. Specifically I wrote about 3 impacts that have really changed my world view, and I wanted to include all of them, because I think they each show something different but equally important.</p>
<p>Suggestions?</p>
<p>Each impact needs a full page or more why? That sounds, from afar, like something you could easily do in 2, 2.5 pages total. This as somebody who just finished cutting a 5 page paper that was brimming with thoughts into a slim two-and-a-bit, so I understand where you’re coming from: cutting pages isn’t fun. But are all 4 really completely crucial?</p>
<p>I’ve never read a college essay of 1000 or more words that wouldn’t have been stronger if it were shorter.</p>
<p>If you’re JD Salinger or F. Scott Fitzgerald, and you’ve packed amazing insights into 4 slim pages, maybe it would work. But I would move with extreme caution before demanding that much of the admissions officer’s time. They have a commitment to read every single word you send. Don’t abuse that.</p>
<p>Simply put, 4 is way too long. Aim for no more than 800 words. Either cut out a few main ideas, or make the explanations more succinct.</p>
<p>4 pages is way way way too long. Even if you are a Salinger or Fitzgerald, you need to cut that sucker way down! I agree 800 words is a good maximum, and better still if you can cut if further. In college essays, less is more. IMHO Adcoms would really be put off by the seeming arrogance of a high school senior who thought that four pages of a college essay is a good thing, EVEN if it is a great essay.</p>