<p>so my essay is around 560 words and its already been cut done A LOT, so I would like to know if the colleges look down on essays that exceed the word limit</p>
<p>i know that the commonapp makes you upload the document so there is no problem with getting words cut off or anything like that, but i heard that some adcoms don't like it because it shows you cant follow simple directions :/</p>
<p>any insights, especially from last year's applicants (i think they only reinstated this rule one or two years ago..) would be extremely helpful :)</p>
<p>Try to find information that is not relative, meaningless filler words, and details that don’t add to the point. If you’ve already done that and cannot make the essay any leaner ~560 words should be okay. It’s good to follow directions, but do not do it if it seriously damages the essay. I’ve heard the general thing is to have it not longer than 2 pages (double spaced, 12 point).</p>
<p>any other insights would be appreciated :)</p>
<p>I worked in admissions (at several elite schools, including Ivy schools) for over 25 years and can tell you that no admissions officers count the number of words in the essay. However, I can tell you that many admissions officers instinctively know when an essay greatly exceeds the 500 word count. Still, they will not penalize you if the essay greatly exceeds or falls below the recommended word count. They are looking for essays that are well-written and compelling. So, if you have edited your essay as best you can, and if it still exceeds 500 words, that’s alright. Having said that, I would advise all students to not have essays that exceed 1,000 words–that is way too much. An essay that exceeds 1,000 words means that you have not done a good job with editing.</p>