<p>I've got a quick question about the Pomona App Supplement:</p>
<p>a.) What is the approx. word limit for the 'Optional Writing Sample' essay?</p>
<p>b.) It says that 'students are only required to submit one writing sample' for the Common App, and that 'if you only submitted one sample, you are strongly encouraged to respond to one of the following prompts'... Is it just me, or does the Common App only allow you to submit ONE essay??? Pomona's supplement makes it sound like you can submit more than one essay on the Common App... did I not see that part?</p>
<p>I think they use the term "writing sample" loosely to include not just the common app essay, but also another piece of writing you had published, or did in class, or are particularly proud of.</p>
<p>Hmm, I read it as only referring to the Common App... and that the Pomona Supplement is saying that the extra essay it wants is optional but recommended...</p>
<p>Here is the exact wording:</p>
<p>"In the instructions for The Common Application, students are required to submit only one writing sample. If you only submitted one sample, you are strongly encouraged to respond to one of the following prompts. You should view this as an opportunity to share additional information..." blah blah blah... </p>
<p>And then it gives you 2 different prompts to pick from.</p>
<p>So basically, they're saying "it's optional... but you better do it".</p>
<p>So I'd like to know a reasonable word limit, and why they think we can write more than one essay to the Common App...? Maybe you can and I never saw that option?</p>
<p>This is how the Common App works - the application itself is standard, but only some schools use the Common App for their "supplement" as well. I don't think Pomona uses the Common App for their supplement, hence there is no option to submit an "additional" essay through Common App.</p>
<p>Yes, when any college or university says that you are "strongly encouraged", it is almost as good as saying you had better do it. They don't put those 2 words there flippantly.</p>
<p>A reasonable word limit would be 500 words (if no word limit is specified). However, I remembered the extra essay for last year's application required only 300 words, so check to see if there are any instructions for word limits.</p>
<p>In response to question a: regardless of the word limit, be concise regardless of the word limit. If it takes fewer words for you to convey your "message," that's fine.</p>
<p>Well, I still don't really understand why Pomona worded its intructions that way on their supplement, but I guess I don't have to understand... I just have to write the supplemental essay! lol.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! :)</p>
<p>I'll keep the 500 word limit in mind, but I'll double check to make sure there wasn't a specific limit that I just missed.</p>