I just applied to the UC school system and wrote the 4 required personal insight questions that each have a word limit of 350. I’m brainstorming for the Common App essay and thought that I could maybe use an essay I wrote for the UC’s, which is about 350 words, even though the Common App essay limit is 650. Should/could I use one of the UC essays even though the word count is significantly lower than the limit?
I think I would write more. Can you add to the one already done?
If you don’t get into your top Common App school, will you regret leaving 300 words on the table? Or does this essay, in its current form, do your best job of showcasing who you are?
You have probably already written UC essays, why this school essays, why this major essays, diversity essays and other essay responses. Each of those essays includes something you want to tell the admissions office about yourself that sets your apart from other candidates. Think about merging portions of two or more essays that would otherwise be left on the cutting room floor into a common theme that provides a more complete picture of you than provided in a single UC essay.