How strict is the 500 word limit?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

<p>I honestly am having so much trouble keeping it at 500, so this is a pretty big concern for me. =/</p>

2

<p>Ahh, don’t know how to edit the post, but I found my answer. I drove my essay down to 555, and I heard that’s generally acceptable. </p>

<p>Would anyone be willing to give a small critique? I’ve yet to really do some major editing, so it’s only my first draft.</p>

3

<p>With admissions workers reading thousands of essays, you really want to get the word count below 500…</p>

4

<p>I think people are getting a little to obsessed with this word count issue. The reason to limit the words came back because the essays were getting way too long without more specific guidance. Do not make yourself crazy trying to stay under 500 words. </p>

<p>See this ask the Dean posting</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ask-dean-topics/1187555-600-word-common-application-essay-too-long.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ask-dean-topics/1187555-600-word-common-application-essay-too-long.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>All essays can stand editing but the topics are not simple topics so do your best but don’t cut out parts you really love just to get down to 500.</p>

5

<p>I agree that people are getting obsessed with word limits. I personally think it depends on the essay itself, and what message you are trying to get across. Some stories just take longer to tell, and I think that they will accept that.</p>

<p>I’m totally biased though, as my common app essay was about 1000 words. I really tried really hard to cut it, met with an essay coach and everything. But my essay coach told me that she really thought that I shouldn’t cut the essay because it was all really important and that my story was special enough that admissions officers would not be hating on me all that much. It was a near death accident that I wrote about, so I had to explain what happened before I could get to how it affected me.</p>

<p>Things worked out well for me-- I got into some really great schools. I should note, however, that I applied to mainly small liberal arts schools like Hamilton, Colgate, Colby, Middlebury, ect so the staff doesn’t read as many essays as at the large schools.</p>

6

<p>Oh my god! It’s a LIMIT!
That means “DON’T GO OVER THIS NUMBER”.
Why is that so hard for people to understand?
The 500 word limit is there for a reason, follow it.</p>

7

<p>I’m having the same problem, I’m at 548.</p>

8

<p>It’s a restriction. You aren’t special, everyone is told to write less than 500 words.</p>