<p>Forgive me if this was asked by someone somewhere else, but it didn't seem readily apparent.</p>
<p>So about the essay.. should there be a final few lines about how that episode in our life (described in the essay) prepares us for college, etc, or do I just stop when the story reaches its natural conclusion? I thought I read somewhere that you ought to, but it didn't seem quite right.</p>
<p>Also, is the 500 word limit strict or are people known to successfully flout it? If it makes any difference, I'll be applying to Ivies et al.</p>