<p>Is this going to be okay? It's still under three pages double-spaced.</p>
<p>It depends where you're sending it and what their specifications are. If it's the Common App, you should stick to a page.</p>
<p>I'm doing online Common App to:
Knox
Beloit
Grinnell
Oberlin
Carleton
Lake Forest</p>
<p>4800 character btw</p>
<p>holy heck... Trim trim trim</p>
<p>The common app only provides one page for your essay, single-spaced.</p>
<p>Way too long. Look at each schools requirements. Some will take it that you can't follow directions. Some will take it that you don't know how to edit. Some will be very unhappy and find you inconsiderate. One may not care.</p>
<p>Either your essay is too broad in scope, or trying too hard to cram too much in, or you don't know how to edit. Run it by someone to get another's opinion.</p>
<p>981 is ok, there've been some extra long essay in "sample college essay" books...</p>
<p>except they are all stellar. So make sure it's REALLY good if you're going to drag it that long.</p>
<p>Well, I think it's pretty good. It made my sister cry, but I don't know if that counts, because it was kind of about her.</p>
<p>I used to do a lot of stuff in journalism and I consider this journalism prof. I know a friend, and she actually asked to see my essay. I think I'm going to send it to her because she really knows how to tighten things up and get to the point. I've written with her and I know she is good. </p>
<p>I think I'm going to stick with this essay though, try to cut it down to 700, maybe. I could take it from a different angle, that could help.</p>
<p>There are some simple tricks to cutting down essays with out losing content</p>
<p>combine sentances- start with that...read the essay out loud to your self or into a taperecorder, listen back, see where things can be combined</p>
<p>look at repetition of thoughts</p>
<p>I have mentioned elsewhere but without naming schools. DD wrote a very good 800 word essay and was accepted EA to UChicago. They even mentioned they liked it to the GC. Then she decided to use it for a 500 word common app. After trimming it, it was better at 500 than 800 and, amazingly, seemed to leave nothing out except 2 specific sentences. </p>
<p>It was very hard to get it to 500--just constant painful rewrite on her part. I don't know if it was the essay, but she had no rejections and she started today at Brown.</p>
<p>I have to say that the first essay was very good. It seemed impossible to cut it down. Have you tried it yet?</p>