I’ve tried searching around but can’t find a clear answer. I’m writing the “write an essay on a topic of your own choice” prompt from the Coalition application that’s well on its way to being 650 words. Coalition’s word limit is 550, but it’s not a hard limit. Is there a reason why it would be a bad idea to submit a 650-word essay? I can’t find a good reason, but I don’t want to put myself at a disadvantage by going over the limit.
Because the poor admissions officers have to read thousands of essays. Seriously, I’ve never read an essay that wasn’t better when it was shorter. A word or two over is one thing, you want to go almost 20% over. Don’t do it.
@matthewstanciu, stick with the Coalition’s limit. Most personal essays are better with brevity and careful editing. Wishing you the best!
BTW, my daughter had to deal with this issue because one of her colleges only took Coalition applications; every other college accepted the Common App. Although she believed her shortened essay lost some of her voice, she was accepted to the Coalition college.