<p>how strict are word limits on applications?</p>
<p>for example, on the common app, the short answer is supposed to be fewer than 150 words and the essay is supposed to be fewer than 500 words.</p>
<p>my responses so far are 250 and 700 words, respectively, and that's even after I pruned them significantly.</p>
<p>is this a big problem?</p>
<p>I dont really have any experience with this but if you have no way of shortening it then I would send it in anyway. I dont think its a big problem.</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>anyone know for sure?</p>
<p>You may want to condense it. I'm sure it doesn't matter...but 200+ words is a lot on the 700...and the 100+ is a lot for the 250</p>
<p>an admissions officer from MIT has said that going 50 words over the limit is perfectly fine, but once you go over the limit by 200 words or more, then you should consider revising it</p>
<p>i know some colleges stop reading past a certain point</p>
<p>AND this question was answered not too long ago. Try searching. =)</p>
<p>what some colleges do is......
say you have 505 words on a 500 word limit essay. the system will automatically cut off the last 5 words.</p>
<p>riyam: is that if you file online? i can't imagine they'd count words if i sent a paper application.</p>
<p>btw, i shortened the essays further to 225 words and 630 words. is that good enough?</p>
<p>oh those word limits are bogus. i pushed the envelope on all of my essays, and everything worked out. the only thing you need to do is (assuming you're going the online submission route) make sure you print/preview before you send it in. that way, you'll be able to see where you get cut off.</p>
<p>also, just make sure if you're going over the limit, you're doing so slyly. by that i mean, if you are holding the adcoms interest they won't even be thinking about word limits or things of that nature. if the essay is ho-hum, substanceless, or painstakingly cliched, the chances they notice are much much higher.</p>
<p>my main common app essay was something like 180+ words over 500, but it fit on the app.....and was full of saucy goodness.</p>
<p>and by 180+, i mean more like 280. i think i was so persistent that i subconciously coerced commonapp.org into sending it in, in its entirety. </p>
<p>so a little persistance goes a long way, app words to live by.</p>
<p>If you're submitting on paper, I always heard that you always want to be between 10% under and 10% over on the word limit, whatever it may be.</p>