<p>Sorry, but it is different at different schools. Yale wants you to follow directions and stick to 500 words; my son's top ten school said his two essays (both a bit over 1,000 words, each) were what clinched the deal. Everyone, they said, has the scores, the grades, the recs, the ecs - but they are still talking about his essays, and even the president of the school knows him by name because of them.</p>