<p>I didn't see anything about how long the answers to questions 1 and 2 should be, and I was wondering if an admissions person or the like had specified something somewhere else; I don't want to be over whatever limit there might be, but I also want to be able to be as in depth as possible. Thanks.</p>
<p>No limit!</p>
<p>500 words is the college admissions gold standard, but don't feel like you have to abide by that if you don't think you can. At the same time, I do advise some word economy-- just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should, if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>Thank you :)</p>
<p>It says "Respond to Questions 1 and 2 on the next two screens by writing a paragraph or two for each question." Does this mean it will hurt my application if I write 3 paragraphs? Or should I just clump 2 paragraphs together to make it 2 total?</p>
<p>Hmm well I just read on some old print-out Chicago app that it should be 1-2 paragraphs in length, with 200 words per paragraph. So can I just write 4 paragphs of about 100 words each? I think 200 words is a very long paragraph (I mean, it's more than half a page..).</p>
<p>^ I second this question. Is 370 words/4 paragraphs okay for the "Why Chicago" essay?</p>
<p>I currently have 550 words =\
Edit - oh boy, down to 530 words</p>
<p>I hope three paragraphs are okay, 'cause my "why Chicago" is shaping up to be closer to that. I have an intro-ish one on atmosphere/attitude, then one on academics, and then one on student life/non-academic things. And the first two paragraphs (the ones I have written so far) are about 150 and 250 words respectively.</p>
<p>I think all of you need a bubble bath. I'm sure your essays are fine on word count and formatting. To me, a "paragraph or two" means not a Tolstoy novel.</p>
<p>I was about to say, you guys need to chill. If your essays express what you want them to in a reasonable amount (like unalove said, not Tolstoy), you'll be fine.</p>
<p>how did you guys write the second essay? more list than essay or complete essay?</p>
<p>So far I've done two short-ish paragraphs, one about my favorite song (81 words) and one about my favorite book (134 words). I think I'll talk about one or two more things and then that'll be it.</p>
<p>Although this admittedly worried me, my two short answers ended up both being slightly less than a page long each (single-spaced, Times New Roman, size 12, of course), in two large paragraphs.</p>
<p>I talked about my love for Swedish hip-hop and the Washington Post. 516 words.</p>
<p>you guys are so screwed if you overshoot the world limits! I just heard that before the admissions officers read your application, they feed your essays into the lolcat essay evaluation machine, which was invented by two chicago grad students in the School of Engineering. What this ingenious machine does is it evaluates your essays on the following grounds</p>
<ol>
<li>WORD LIMIT</li>
<li>number of paragraphs</li>
<li>WORD LIMIT</li>
<li>number of pages</li>
<li>WORD LIMIT</li>
<li>grammatical errors</li>
<li>WORD LIMIT</li>
<li>number of grammatical errors per paragraph</li>
<li>WORD LIMIT</li>
<li>number-of-times-you-used-your-own-symbols-for-emphasis-because-the-uncommonapp-doesn't-allow-formatting per paragraph.</li>
<li>WORD LIMIT</li>
</ol>
<p>Here's the second most important criterion.
12. any traces of uncertainty/confusion about instruction
(yes, the lolcat essay evaluator is psychic and can read your mind through your essay)</p>
<p>and here's the MOST important criterion
13. WORD LIMIT</p>
<p>The lolcat essay then evaluates your personality by way of extrasensoryperception and gives you a score on ten. then your essay score and personality scores are added and sent ot your counselor.</p>
<p>so basically unless your essay passes the lolcat essay evaluation test, your app doesn't even go to the admissions officers!</p>
<p>so you RA applicants better be careful.</p>
<hr>
<p>hey, chill out folks!! there's nothing to worry about! sit back, hit submit and relax.</p>
<p>Hey, Swedish hip hop eh?</p>
<p>I happen to dig the French kind.</p>
<p>And Algerian rai.</p>
<p>And Mandopop.</p>
<p>Swedish hip-hop poster, awesome! I love Timbuktu and Snook but that's most of the extent of my familiarity with Swedish hip-hop. I didn't write about it though.</p>
<p>Mine was about 380 words total, 2 paragraphs.</p>
<p>Oooooh just oculdn't resist, williamsf1fan, but McLaren pwns you! go silver arrows!</p>
<p>Promoe is basically MY LIFE. I love him. I was on ebay sweden once looking for looptroop merch...not that I could understand any of the language on the site...and there was this REALLY cool poster of him but it was 45 euros! i wouldve definitely bought it if it was like 12 euros.</p>
<p>lol at the lolcat</p>