<p>There is no possible way to use 6000 characters for 500 words unless you are insane.</p>
<p>If I have a longer essay, should I go ahead and submit it, as it is under 6000 characters?</p>
<p>Every reputable source I have talked to has said to stay within the word limits. However, I had a 620 word essay that I used for my Common App personal statement. I felt that I simply could not edit it down to 500 words without severely diluting the meaning, and I wound up being accepted ED to Cornell a few days ago. If you think you cannot edit it down to 500 words without losing meaning, then I say go with submitting a longer essay, but I suppose you risk angering the readers if they feel it is unnecessarily long.</p>