Cutting down essay length

Hi,
I’m applying to Andover and Exeter, and I was in the process of editing my Exeter essays. Each Exeter essay “has to be” around 200-400 words each. However, for one of my essays, it’s about 480 words long, and I’m having trouble shortening it; the essay sounds really clipped and less like me when I try to shorten it. Any ideas?

I think these essays are simply a hurdle. Its like a treasure map