<p>Does anyone know how strict Rice is with the 500 word limit on the common app essay? Mine is about 550 words and I don't know if i would be able to make it more concise without taking out a major paragraph.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I think you will be ok. Mine was 600 or so.</p>
<p>I would shorten it. Just go through it and make sure every word is completely important.</p>
<p>I doubt they’ll count. 550 words looks a lot like 500 words, so they probably won’t notice.</p>
<p>That said, cutting out words without cutting out content is an entertaining writing exercise. It might be worth a shot - and could even improve your essay. (But I wouldn’t stress over it.)</p>