<p>...when it comes to supplement essays?
They ask for an essay of about 500 words.
Would 550-ish be okay? or are they looking for more 490-510?</p>
<p>no one knows, but following directions is a good place to start</p>
<p>I think 550 is “about 500”, so I wouldn’t worry about it. If, like most applicants, you end up being rejected, don’t worry that it might have been because of those extra 50 words.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Admissions Directors do not count the words in your essay. That said, when reading hundreds of essays about the same length, a reader can sense when one is about 500 words, as opposed to another that is 600 words. Try to keep your essay to the 500 word limit. 550 is probably about the max. Anything more and a reader will start to sense it’s longer than the limit. Keep editing; remember, “less” is sometimes “more.”</p>