<p>My Common App essay is 821 words... and I honestly, wholeheartedly, believe that each word is important and if I were to take any more away the essay would lose something.
Is this okay? Everyone I have showed this to says it doesn't read long, and they seem to breeze through it, and enjoy it a lot.
What do you think?</p>
<p>anyonee???</p>
<p>Make it shorter. Compare the two copies. Decide which is better.</p>
<p>The advise my son got from a college advisor was to get the essay on to one page since it is an uploaded document, the ad coms will see they only have a single page to read. They are not going to spend time checking the word count.</p>
<p>What I have read is that any essay over 800 words can stand some editing. Let your essay sit for a few days to week then look at it fresh and see what you can do.</p>
<p>I agree with Lakemom, I know it’s hard but I’m sure you can find some parts to remove. Mine is just under 600 words and editing it even more is killing me too! 
Best of luck!!</p>
<p>Rather than edit it (it’s not just heartbreaking to edit something you think perfect, it’s essentially getting dismayed and making it worse), write a new one. Then look at the old one again. Maybe you’ll find some combination which is better, while still being perfect.</p>
<p>This year the maximum is a strict 500 words–you are NOT allowed to go a single word over it.</p>
<p>Are you sure @zach12? I doubt admissions office count…</p>
<p>The Common App hasn’t been able to place a strict word count restriction, and admission officers aren’t going to count - but if your essay is +800 words, readers will notice, and they may be annoyed (especially since the guideline states a maximum of 500 words this year).</p>
<p>Everyone else manages to get it in under 500, so it’s definitely possible. Getting down to 500 was incredibly difficult, but that is how it’s supposed to be. They want to see you be concise. With that said, a few words over might not hurt. But 321… probably excessive. They probably won’t run a word count, but it’s certainly possible to do, and I wouldn’t risk my admission on the chance, however obscure and absurd that chance is. </p>
<p>The actual words on the Common App are:</p>
<p>“Please write an essay (250-500 words)”</p>
<p>this implies that they would actually prefer BELOW 500, emphasizing being concise. But that’s just my take, and everyone seems to have a different viewpoint. I just tend to lean on the safe side.</p>
<p>That’s excessive, and I doubt you have a perfect essay. 500 words may be much, but I’m sure you could find somewhere to cut out a good 100-150 words. 821 is just excessive, and admissions officers will not definitely notice the length, regardless of the flow or cohesiveness. Sit down with an English teacher or friend; try your hardest to trim that essay.</p>
<p>I agree. I have 2 sons. 2 years ago older son’s common app said 250+ words. This year (or maybe last year) common app said 250-500 words. There’s a reason for that - it didn’t just happen. I looked back at older son’s essay - it was 800 words! Very descriptive - Younger son’s essay started at 625 and it is now 489. It wasn’t easy but he did it. He did it sentence by sentence and rephrased things; ie, he was talking about his grandfather’s business how it had ‘started over 50 years ago’ and changed it to ‘started in 1959’ - same meaning but 1/2 the words - it can be done.</p>
<p>Agree completely, @concerned123. My take on this is that if you submit an 800 word essay, it provides a possible signal that you procrastinated and didn’t leave enough time to get down to at or near the limit of 500 words. Clearly, the typical admissions readers will not be counting the words, but you better hope your essay is so riveting that they never even realize they just read 800 words and are, in fact, begging for more. Unless you are the next Hemingway, you stand the risk of having them think you (a) cannot follow simple directions or (b) you have incredible hubris and think the rules do not apply to you or (c) as I said, you are like many, if not most, high school students and just woke up to the fact that your essay is due and you didn’t leave enough runway to edit it down.</p>
<p>Again, the likelihood of someone counting an extra 30 or 40 words and gigging you for it is low. But why take the chance, especially if the word nazi happens to be the reader at your #1 choice? At 800 words, you are bound to irritate someone, or even if the two essays just before yours were bombastic bloat that would make even Michener blush, what happens when they then pick up your masterpiece and note that it, too, is clearly over the limit?</p>
<p>Give your essay to someone who isn’t afraid to bruise your ego and let them hack away. Better to have the adcoms think you left some things of beauty on the cutting room floor than to have them think you’re a stooge.</p>
<p>/ In the end, this is just my opinion. Feel free to do what you want.</p>
<p>Your perfect essay may show that you can write well, but if it’s over 500 words it may suggest that you can’t read well.</p>
<p>Why don’t you read what the “dean” on this site who has way more experience than any of us has to say about this 500 word rule. </p>
<p>This fixation on the exact number of words is really focusing on word count and not content. Keep your essay to 1 page. Previously, kids would go on for 2 or 3 pages which is why they re-instituted this earlier suggested limit . </p>
<p>[Is</a> a 600-Word Common Application Essay Too Long? - Ask The Dean](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/is-a-600-word-common-application-essay-too-long.htm]Is”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/is-a-600-word-common-application-essay-too-long.htm)</p>
<p>A one-page essay wouldn’t be 600 words though - it would be like 350 words.</p>
<p>Actually, my essay is just under 600 words and fits on one page. Mine is single-spaced though which I think is preferred.</p>
<p>Yes, single spaced. Some say to put a space between paragraphs and other say not to.</p>
<p>That’s why - son’s is double-spaced. how do you know this is preferred. I would think double-spaced would be - easier to ready.</p>
<p>The common app of course does not give us any guidance here. I understand that students submit the essay all kinds of ways. Double spaced, single spaced and single spaced with the extra line between paragraphs. I have no idea which is best.</p>