<p>What does "approximately 250 words" for the first Supplement essay really mean? How much leeway does that allow?</p>
<p>A decent amount of leeway. As far as a minimum goes, don’t go below 200. For a maximum, it’s roughly the same leeway. You can go up to maybe a little past 300, but try not to too much. Wordiness is bad. Keep things as concise as possible. Almost always, something you say in 350 words can be slimmed down to 250 with some revision.</p>