<p>For one of the essays i am writing it says that it should be approximately 250 words. Would an essay that is about 340 words too long? And the other essay for the same app says it should be approximately 500 words, is an essay with 755 words too long. Im having a lot of trouble making them shorter. Will i get penalized for having them be too long.
Thanks</p>
<p>For a 500-word essay (common app I assume), I'd keep it under 600 words at the maximum.</p>
<p>This is for the UMich app, but i guess it would be the same for both. I have no clue how im going to get rid of 150 words</p>
<p>Wait, the common app essay is 500 words?</p>
<p>And in response to the OP, my rule of thumb is to never go over 10% of the "approximate" length. So for an "apprximately" 500 word essay, I wouldn't go over 550 words.</p>
<p>I'd suggest making them a bit shorter. Try going over every paragraph individually and asking, "Does this ramble at all? Does it sound at all awkward? Is it a little wordy?" If the answer is yes to any of those or similar questions, rewrite it.</p>