<p>On the common app, do they care if you over the specified word length? Will they stop sending the 500th word? Do colleges even check, if it looks close?
Word Up!</p>
<p>read the sticky about essays ;)</p>
<p>thanks no one else post so we can kill this thread</p>
<p>die thread die! woops...</p>
<p>mike, the short answer is that it's OK if it the length doesn't spill over a lot, i.e., 550-575 words is reasonable. It is worthwhile to edit, edit, edit...</p>
<p>Here's what I posted recently on same topic:</p>
<p>Here's the problem... in applying ED to Cornell, you MUST use the Common App, and likely you will be using the Common App to apply to other schools as well. Unfortunately, while some schools do not mind if you go over the 250-500 word guideline, some schools DO mind. (I have even heard adcoms remark that this is the first test of an applicant's attention toward details, i.e., suggested essay length.) You risk the chance that you are making a bad impression with adcoms at one or more of your chosen colleges.</p>
<p>Here is what the Common App suggests:</p>
<p>"Please note: Colleges have set specific limits as to the length of your essay. If you need extra space for any part of the application, including the essay, simply go to the last part of the application and include any additional information in the "Additional Information/Explanation" section. If you still need more room, contact the college directly to ask how to best forward any additional information."</p>
<p>Let the essay sit for a week, and then look at it again. You will probably find some things that you can cut or reword to get within the word limit.</p>
<p>NorCalDad : do you mean that applying Ed for cornell you MUST need to have your essay length within 500 words???
mines like 568 now.....</p>
<p>specific lengths allow for like 100 words pluis</p>