<p>Hi, I am a longtime reader but new poster. After working to limit her short answer to 750 characters, my dd went to copy it to the common app and found that the limit was 1000 characters instead. Is this a recent change? Everything we had read indicated 750 characters was the max.</p>
<p>WOAH YES VICTORY <3</p>
<p>lol yes, I’m pretty sure it’s a recent change… considering I’ve been struggling forever to get my <150 word and yet >750 character response shortened.</p>
<p>Does it still have to be under 150 words? All I see is under 1000 characters</p>
<p>I just checked today too, and noticed that it says 1000 words maximum. I find it funny how the essay lengths are suggested to hover around 250-500 words but the SHORT answer is allowed up to 1000 words.</p>
<p>And was the essay length shortened just this year as well?</p>
<p>Speters13, I think it is 1000 characters not words. Also, spaces and punctuation count as characters.</p>
<p>ready2bdone is right. This adds upto roughly 200 words.</p>
<p>@Specters13 the CA included this year a “suggested” cap of 500 words for the essay, yes.</p>
<p>Yes I had noticed the characters limit on the short answer not too long after I posted.</p>
<p>With the common app essay however even though it has a 500 word suggested cap how far do you think I would be able to stretch it? I am under 500 words (slightly it is still 450+ easily) now on a draft but after handing it to an old english teacher of mine that I knew would tear it apart to make it as outstanding as possible his suggestions might have me going over 500. I know something like 520 would hardly be an inconvenience to the admissions people but how far do you think it might be able to go. </p>
<p>Is it ok for the essay to go over one page because I found myself fearing my essay length if it went on to the second page.</p>
<p>Speters13, I’m in the same situation. I writing it right now, not quite done my last paragraph, and am already up to 540 words. Granted this is a draft, but I really don’t want to cut much because I already feel it’s already way more concise than how I usually write…can someone who’s knowledgeable about this stuff give me a stretch limit–a cut off point where you think going over would pose a significant disadvantage?</p>
<p>Going over 500 words is fine imo, they won’t cut you off or anything like with the short answer. I’d put a cap on around 600-700 words…</p>
<p>QUESTION: my short answer is under the 1000 character limit, but due to paragraph breaks and whatnot doesn’t fit into the preview space…is it okay if I just put something like “This essay is under 1000 characters, however to due etc etc, it does not fit. Please see attached.” into the text box and then just attach my entire essay separately? PLEASE ADVISE ME, I don’t want to annoy any admissions officers!</p>
<p>That would be a very stupid thing to do. The essay is supposed to be pasted into that box so that it’s there on your form. Please don’t fiddle with that.</p>