<p>how long can the other optional essay be? also, is the essay on the common app strictly limited to 500 words, or can it be 50-100 words longer? they won't automatically chuck it if it's over the word limit will they?</p>
<p>my optional essay was over 1000 words, and my personal statement was about 700 words. in other words, they don't care about word limits in of themselves. while you can write long essays, make sure that your essay is CONCISE. Only go past 500 words if it's worth it. Every part of the essay should be crucial to the essay and really contribute something interesting. That's the most important part, not the word limit.</p>
<p>I got into Harvard EA, plus Stanford and MIT regular, in case you were wondering whether my advice is valid.</p>