<p>i've written out my 'why gw' essay for the supplement and i think i have all the major reasons that i love the school written down. i feel like it's a good length for the question and highlights the main reasons why i like the school without rambling (i talked about my general reasons for liking the school and then 2 specific examples), but this means that the essay is only about 250 words. the supplement says it should be under 500 words, but does that meant that significantly shorter essays are ok? is 250 words fine or should i try to add more?</p>
<p>If you convey all of the necessary points, and it’s within the word limit, then 250 words is sufficient. As the ‘Why GW’ essay is required of all applicants, they’re likely to appreciate an essay that doesn’t exceed, or nearly exceed, the word limit. </p>
<p>Of course, having said that, my ‘Why GW’ essay is 483 words in length. I am, however, a writer prone to bouts of “Woe is me!” when faced with a word limit. Brevity, though highly valued, is not always my greatest of friends. </p>
<p>It’s up to you, really, but the quality of content does matter more than the length (and 250 words isn’t terribly short, either). I was actually reading ‘Why GW’ essays last night on a website for essay editing, and none of those essays actually approached the 500 word limit. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Hm…I would play it safe by writing up to 300ish words. If it’s too short, they might think you’re not serious or that you have a small amount of reasons for attending GW. It’s like a psychology thing. I don’t quite remember, but I think my essay was around 300-400 last year. Also, I think the “Why GW” essay would be the most important essay for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>thanks for your advice! i ended up expanding it a bit and submitting it around 400 words :)</p>