<p>So over the past two days I wrote my common app essay, and it is 1156 words long. I feel like it's a pretty good essay, too, so I can't figure out what and how much to cut. Does anyone have any advice, or would anyone be willing to read it?
I'm starting to think I'll just have to start over....</p>
<p>Remember, it’s a personal statement- not like a hs essay where you might need to take a position and defend it. Remember strangers are going to read it- they need the gist, not every single detail, no matter how relevant you feel that is. And, you need to show-not-tell. At the end, the reader doesn’t have to have a sense of exactly what happened or what you think. They need to see your strengths, how you react/respond, etc. There’s a motto in editing: be brutal.</p>