<p>ok, here's the deal...
i did my essay for columbia...but the online app doesn't specify a word limit or desired length! :(
it's 975 words long (i know that's reeeaaaalllllllyyy long)...so my question:
since they didn't specify a word limit, you think i'd be ok? or should i do another essay? if it helps any, the essay is about 1 and 1/3 pages long single-spaced in size 11</p>
<p>I'd try to cut it down to at most a page, that's the most important thing. I've heard of 6-pagers getting in though (at UPenn), so it's obviously not a hard and fast limit.</p>
<p>thanks for the quick reply, birdofprey! i've tried cutting...any cutting would make it lose substance...do you think i should keep it? or use a different essay?</p>
<p>When i sat down to do mine i gave myself a limit of 1000 words because hey that's what the UC's let you have. :D I ended with 645. I really don't think that 975 words is that bad if you think its a really good essay and it really reflects you. My english teacher hated my essay because she didn't think it said enough about me and I still sent it in because I felt that it was an essay that represented me well, so if you think your essay is a really good and solid one..a great one...then just send it in. I got in with my essay too.</p>
<p>So you're saying it's alright if my essay is about 700 or 800 words?</p>
<p>That length won't hurt you if the essay is really solid.</p>
<p>send it in if it's good, but just to let you know, the essay limit for the columbia paper app is 3/4 page.</p>
<p>"I'd try to cut it down to at most a page, that's the most important thing."</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that length is the most important thing. Like you said in the following post, birdofprey425, it's the content. A trite 400 something essay isn't going to fare well against a solid essay of 800.</p>
<p>And suburbian, can you tell me where it actually says 3/4? I'm don't think there is an actual LIMIT to the essay. Especially if you are applying online.</p>
<p>quietboy, if it makes any difference, I applied ED with an 854 word count essay and I got in. But that's just my two cents.</p>
<p>suburban is saying that in the paper app you only get less than one page. Glad I'm doing mine online...</p>
<p>""I'd try to cut it down to at most a page, that's the most important thing.""</p>
<p>I meant that's the most important thing length-wise. Sorry for the confusion. An entire page isn't gonna be 400-something anyway, it's going to be 600-700 words.</p>
<p>i had a little over 800 words, a little less than a page and a half single-spaced, pt 12 font, and i got in</p>
<p>oh yea..for my common app for other schools i had to cut it down to 500, which ended up being very possible after deleting all the details and extra adjectives/descriptions. so yea..its up to u..whatever floats ur boat. if u like it at 975 sobeit. otherwise take out the fluff to sharpen it up</p>
<p>On the paper application, the top two inches are taken up by the lines for your name, school, etc. and the directions for the essay. The bottom two inches are taken up by the agreement and your signature. So you really only have 7-8 inches X 8.5 inches to make your case. I had to cut down my common app essay a lot for the columbia app, and then I realized that I liked the shortened one a lot better. (I cut out 200 words, and this was after my guidance counselor told me not to touch a word of that essay because it just could not be revised or edited.)</p>
<p>my essay was around 925 words. there was no limit on the size online - oh well...</p>