Common App Essay length >500?

<p>is it ok to submit an essay for the common app that's like 560-570 words?
or is it too much? specifically for the Ivies
what's your length?</p>

<p>I was just about to start a post on this same topic...cuz..um..right now mine's about 933 words....</p>

<p>o, look we got moved, haha, i guess our question is not importantly enough</p>

<p>I'd say 570 is reasonable. 900 is definitely not. Cut it down!</p>

<p>well there's a 6000 character limit on the app before it cuts u off completely, with is about 1000 words,
is there people who write near 6000 characters on common app?</p>

<p>WHat about the short essay one? In the essay about the e.c.'s they say 150 words or fewer but mine is 220 words. Is that going to be a factor?</p>

<p>Haha. Mine is 750 words. I submitted it. Eep.</p>

<p>can u tell me where to?
cause diff schools might have different standards.</p>

<p>here's what the FAQ page of the Common App has to say:</p>

<p>"The 250-500 word limit is a guideline, and colleges do not count words. They do not mind if it is slightly longer/shorter, and value quality over quantity.....College admissions officers are far more concerned that the essay is well written, proofread (not just spell-checked), well thought-out, etc. Do not get caught up in the “micro” (words, spacing, font size, color of ink). They are looking for the “macro”: does the student write well and what can they learn about this person from his/her essay? "</p>

<p>keep it at 2 pages double spaced or under, 12 pt font (or make it 11.5 font like I did, ah hah). An extra paragraph (which is probably the difference between a 600 and a 500 word esay) is not going to matter. My essay was about 750 words.</p>

<p>
[quote]
What about the short essay one? In the essay about the e.c.'s they say 150 words or fewer but mine is 220 words. Is that going to be a factor?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>would appreciate it if someone would answer this question also so i won't have to make a new thread and waste bandwidth.</p>

<p>Just try to cut it down as much as possible, after that I wouldn't worry about it too much. You don't want to lose the meaning of what you wrote.</p>

<p>Quality, not quantity. The adcoms won't kill you if it's 750 words: they aren't counting.</p>

<p>My main essay was about 600 words and my short answer was like 150-200. I liked my essay, so I doubt that they'll hold it against me. Submit what feels right. Don't cut things out just for length's sake. Seriously. :]</p>

<p>Quote from Yale website:
"My essays are more than 500 words each. Is that OK?
We ask that you respect the word limits we suggest. Will we read the words beyond 500? Yes. But if your essays are much longer than 500 words, understand that you will not help yourself by seeming to have ignored our request." </p>

<p>That would suggest that it is better to avoid exceeding the word limit excessively. I would say up to 15% more than the word limit is fine, beyond that it could be a problem.</p>

<p>is it bad if my extracurricular essay is 350 words instead of 150? it has examples in it that are effecive because of their length..</p>

<p>Thank you, Papa Chicken, for that quote!</p>

<p>you are quite welcome stephxsu....that quote hits on one of the biggest admissions stress areas, so its a good one to remember in the future for CC newcomers or friends.</p>