<p>Just to clarify, there is no policy of "chucking out" essays on the basis of length. If that were the case, Yale would have a far easier time cutting down its applicant pool; my point is that many candidates go over the commonly believed 700-word mark. </p>
<p>If you read the Common App and log onto Yale's site it says that your essay must be at least 500 words. There is no other requirement. You may have it as long as the Bible if you like.</p>
<p>Having said that, the essay must be as short and sweet as possible to deliver an effective punch. But if you must go over 700, feel free to do so as long as your essay is worthwhile to read and not too longwinded. Meaningful essays can be as long as 850, but rarely over that. Obviously, a 2000 word essay will exhaust the already-tired adcom officer.</p>
<p>So you must decide for yourself what length is best for your essay.</p>
<p>Are the essay questions the same on the common app or do different schools make you write about different things? New to this and wondering for next year.</p>
<p>The common app itself is the same for all schools (which is the nice thing about it, less work), but most top schools have their own supplements with individualized essay questions.</p>
<p>
[quote] My essays are more than 500 words each. Is that OK?
We ask that you respect the word limits we suggest. Will we read the words beyond 500? Yes. But if your essays are much longer than 500 words, understand that you will not help yourself by seeming to have ignored our request.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I can no longer access my Columbia application, but those who can will tell you likewise. I advise that you not sass-mouth or question people when you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.</p>
<p>Mine is 368, the same one as used by my cousin to get accepted to Wake Forest a few years ago. I don't know if she wrote it herself or not but we recycle everything else so why not; and it worked for her in 2004!</p>
<p>kwu - i think you may be misinterpreting the Yale statement. though "essays" (in plural) alludes to another essay, other than the required supplement one, never does the Yale supplement attempt to "suggest" a word limit for the Common App personal statement. the common app prompt only states 250 words minimum. there is no strict maximum, nor is there a "suggested word limit" that Yale supposedly wants you to respect. is it possible that the Yale supplement once included more than one supplemental essay, where they did stipulate 500 word limit - and they never updated their website to read in the singular?</p>