More Common App essay troubles!

<p>Opinionated blathering of the evening:
Why, oh why, are there people saying that we should limit our one chance to really shine when there is no stated limit on the General Essay? I mean, yeah, maybe writing four or five pages would be excessive, but mine is 1,300 words/two pages of quality essay (the shortest I have written in years!) on a subject that I am passionate about. Moreover, my writing far overshadows my grades at the moment (bad freshman year; it is an excessively long story). GCs, Adcoms, and teachers are pressing that we should limit it to a page and a half; why cut this narrative so short when this is the opportunity to honestly make oneself shine without a bloody word count?</p>

<p>I begrudge, in all practicality, and for the sanity of adcoms, that mine should be shortened a trifle. In this case, would anybody be willing to read? What are your thoughts on the matter outside of what the aforementioned authorities say? Anything else you would like to add or disagree on?</p>

<p>I am vaguely argumentative, but I promise, I don't bite too hard. ;]</p>

<p>somewhat similar situation. my teacher gave me an 84 on a coll. app. essay because mine was 800ish words when she more or less 500.
So i gave it to like 10 ppl to edit, and I am down to like 550, yet i feel the essence is not as strong</p>

<p>^ That was exactly my point. Colleges want to get to know you outside of the stiffness of most applications, and not everyone can go to every campus for interviews. It's rather irksome for a student with a 3.5 but capable of a 4.0 to be judged solely on grades and short blurbs about why you want to go to College Y and what makes it so awesome, when Adcoms probably hear the same things repeatedly no matter how unique you may try to be.</p>