<p>For the essays in the Princeton application.
How long can the 500 word essay be without ticking off the admission officer?
600?
700?
800?
What about the 250 word essays?</p>
<p>There was a thread about it on the MIT forum. Like with a 500 word essay, the adcoms know how much roughtly is 500 words. 500, 550, maybe even 575- doesn't make too much difference. But if you push if say to 700 or 800 they can obviously tell the difference and that might work against you. As the counsellor there puts it "its not like an admissions officer has the time to count every word in every essay".</p>
<p>Hope that helps</p>
<p>actually, my counselor, who once sat on a scholarship com, said that one of the first and easiest ways for the com to eliminate the ten's of applications is to look at the lengths of the essays.</p>
<p>so if yours stands out as a bit longer, they'll notice.</p>
<p>Really?!
Holy crap!
That is not a good news.
My current one is like 1100!
I guess I could reduce it down to something like 900, but to get it down to below 700, I'll have to chop some large chunks off.</p>
<p>but i think with your essay, chopping large chunks of it out diminishes the effect. Why dont you email Princeton, although they've been really slow in responding to my emails...</p>
<p>here's the link from the MIT forum:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=84935&highlight=essay+length%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=84935&highlight=essay+length</a></p>
<p>Damn it!
I'll try to get it around about 700 words for the 500 words one and about 350 words for the 250 one.
That's 40% increase.
Do you reckon that's still too much?
The MIT forum seems to say that 500 word could go up to about 600 but not more.
I am gonna have a hard time...</p>
<p>Unfortunately man, half to battle in writing a 500 word essay is figuring out what's most important, and what your real purpose is. I suggest you consider rewriting it, and starting with the basic ideas and an outline.</p>
<p>This is not a chance worth taking.</p>
<p>I'm at 600 and I'm looking to cut it to around 570.</p>
<p>DEFINITELY cut it. Have you ever read Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" or "On Writing Well" by Zinsser? Both are very interesting reads...and would help cut down your essay. Check it out if you have time.</p>
<p>(Politics and the English Language is just an essay, so I suggest that one.)</p>
<p>Okay, thanks guys for the brutal truth.
I will probably try starting afresh and write more briefly.</p>
<p>Regards
Eric</p>
<p>I was thinking I could get away with 600 word essay but then i read this in the Parents Forum:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=98878%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=98878</a></p>
<p>I guess 500 words looks more appealing so I'm going to write a different essay rather than editing my current one.</p>
<p>Dude, *** is so hard about writing a SHORT essay without going over? I'm glad that it doesn't have to be like 2000 words or something like that. Then again, I'm more of a brief, concise, to-the-point kind of guy.</p>
<p>My English teacher used to sometimes say that for a writer, writing a bit too much is like eating a little too much, but trying to cut down something that's written is like cutting off your own flesh.</p>
<p>I am trying to cut it down though.
Thanks.</p>
<p>my response for "please describe which of your activities (extracurricular and personal activities or work experience) has been most meaningful and why (150 words or fewer)" is pushing 300. </p>
<p>is that okay? I really felt like I need to say everything that I am saying.</p>
<p>should I try to cut it a bit?</p>
<p>Just don't make a 500 word essay go over one page. That might bother them. My common app. essay was a good 550 words(but it just fit on one page), and my two 250word essays were 350, and 480, respectively. But, I did not exceed one page, and it flows very nicely. If you write longer essays just use mroe humour. They will get bored if it's too long. My optional essay thing was about a page and a half, but there was no word specification on that.</p>
<p>jacquesier did u single space?</p>
<p>Yes, yes I did. It made no mention of using double-space. Also I was conferring with a friend of mine, also Pton hopeful, and he did likewise. I know some colleges require double-space, but I'm not sure it really matters. But, please use paragraphs!!!</p>
<p>it may be easy if you write for conciseness first, then message second. then you can always adjust the message when you revise and maintain a short concise essay.</p>
<p>If your essay goes over one page, don't worry about it. My 500 word essay goes over, because it's completely a conversation.</p>