<p>So I just got done with my final long essay for the common application, how long could this essay be???</p>
<p>It is a little over a page only by a paragraph. In total it is 800 words.</p>
<p>Is this too long???? or ok and just about fine???</p>
<p>(By the way it's single spaced).</p>
<p>I think it's rule of thumb to be 1 page long single space</p>
<p>If you plan to upload the doc, when you click upload it will tell you the limit for the doc size - it's pretty generous, as I recall, but I don't remember exactly what it is.</p>
<p>If you plan to type it in the essay box instead (not recommended by me, the formatting is terrible) then make sure to print it and check it isn't cut off. Two years ago there was a bug, and they would let you enter more characters, but it would be cut off after a certain number, which you wouldn't know unless you had printed it and checked. Don't know if they still have that bug, so you should always print and check every line and box to see it is all as it should be.</p>
<p>yeah i get to upload the document, and by the way, do i insert some type of heading with my name???</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure the commonapp adds your name and commonapp number to every page - try it, and do a print preview.</p>
<p>alright cool, thanks again for the help.</p>
<p>wordcount-wise i heard 500 is what you should go for</p>
<p>what would you say to 650?</p>
<p>Mine is 800 i think.</p>
<p>Hmm...I'd be wary with 800. I heard that schools like Yale can be real serious about their recommended 500 word limit....</p>
<p>surely school-specific essay guidelines must be for their supplementary essays, not the common app essays? If every school issues guidelines for the commonapp essay, they are creating an impossible bind for applicants, specially since the commonapp still locks up after the first submission is done. (supposed to change, but hasn't yet, and some applicants have already submitted to multiple schools, and so had to do it with a single essay)</p>
<p>it really depends on the essay. if ur essay doesn't benefit from additional words, then it will look bad. if your essay really does need those additional words for its effect, then having more will be a plus.</p>
<p>it's all relative</p>
<p>That's true. I hope my essay won't be considered "150 words too long" haha. I mean people have said it's really engaging and that they didn't feel like it took a long time to read at all. But, I should try to cut down as much as possible. I don't know if I can at this point...I'd be cutting out ideas that are too crucial to my essay...</p>