<p>One of my essays is just a bit too long, 531 words. Is it okay if I submit it or do I need to trim it down?</p>
<p>im guessing it was 500 word limit...then 31 words is a bit too much...I think +-10 words they wouldn't mind</p>
<p>hmm, one of mine is looking like it will be ~580 and the word limit is "400-500"</p>
<p>no, it is not ok.
they will count every word of your essay and upon seeing that it exceeds the limit by 31 words, they will burn your essay and **** on it for your insolence.</p>
<p>good to know :P</p>
<p>Mine was like 800 words (500 word limit). I'm sure they'll notice, and I don't know how much it will hurt me...I do think I couldn't have written it without all 800 words. If it's interesting enough, hopefully it doesn't matter.</p>
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Mine was like 800 words (500 word limit). I'm sure they'll notice, and I don't know how much it will hurt me...I do think I couldn't have written it without all 800 words. If it's interesting enough, hopefully it doesn't matter.
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<p>300 over? Whoa...I don't think they'll like that.</p>
<p>Seriously, if you're freaking out over 31 words get out of this forum and get some exercise, lay in the sun, take a lot of deep breaths. You're finished! Now try to think about it as little as possible. I gaurantee you the admissions officers aren't going to count the words, and the limit is to ensure that essays are concise. So unless your 31 words (or 300 words) are completely superfluous rantings about your favorite foods, and add nothing to your essay, you're fine! Last year, my essay was about 150 words over the limit, and I actually received personalized emails from admissions people praising it.</p>
<p>yea i did not change anything. i went ahead and submitted it.</p>
<p>siri, you are from dallas too? where are you transferring from?</p>
<p>i'm transferring from SMU</p>
<p>heh. that is where i am transferring to (more than likely). did all of the superficial rich people drive you out?</p>
<p>I know for the UC's, once you cut and paste your essay in the application, there is a word counter at the bottom stating how many words you have. If you exceded the limit, it will not let you continue with your application. However, I don't know what the other schools are like..I would think if there is no word counter, a few words over wouldn't hurt you, but I would try to avoid it if possible.</p>
<p>the social atmosphere was kind of shocking--the jessica simpson wannabes, the multitude of BMWs and Porches, the weekends that start on wednesdays...for a lot of people here, the social life is the whole point of college. i know a lot of people who are really happy here...and a lot of people who aren't. it's just not for me (a liberal, non-Greek affiliated, book-nerd). I really don't like that everyone seems to be a business major or a something ridiculous (in my opinion) like corporate communcations or real estate finance. it might as well be a trade school...</p>
<p>It matters- it says "I don't care enough to follow directions, and I'm so important that you should read my ap instead of others" ... thats what someone in admissions once told me</p>
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It matters- it says "I don't care enough to follow directions, and I'm so important that you should read my ap instead of others" ... thats what someone in admissions once told me
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<p>i dont agree with you.
just because one admission person sees it that way DOES NOT mean all admissions people see it like that. Especially transfer admissions, when essays for explaining reasons of transferring do play a SIGNIFICANT role in admissions. id rather elaborate my story than condense it. afterall, i am paying 60-70 dollars for them to hear me out. but hey, its your application--you do what you want w/ it.</p>
<p>That's what I was worried about. Acting as though I didn't value their time, I mean...(again, I'm the one who was like 300 words over). I just felt that if I were an admissions officer, I'd rather read something interesting, if a little too long, than something that had to be hacked down. If I were a better writer, I could have written it well AND short. I know this. But I realized that when I tried to pare it down, I was beginning to resort to cliched phrases, and losing the meaning. I'm hoping they just think, "Oh, a little long," and don't word count it. Frankly, if they were to waste time counting words, I wouldn't feel as compelled to respect their time. (Not that I was even that compelled, as you can see. Okay, now you can all see why my essay was so verbose...)</p>
<p>Even if only one admission's person sees it that way..that is enough as far as I'm concerned. Why risk it? There is a reason they put a limit and if a person cannot condense the most important information into the maximum number of words, then he/she deserves to be rejected. Everyone else adheres to the rules...why can't you?</p>
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Everyone else adheres to the rules...why can't you?
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<p>whoa whoa there... buster. dont get upset. </p>
<p>everyone huh? </p>
<p>hahahahah whatever u guys. lets just wait till decisions come around. i really dont want to argue.</p>
<p>I went way over in my Wellesley essay and I got in, so it doesn't automatically kill your admission chances. But I suppose that if the essay is bad to begin with, an adcom won't want to read more bad writing than it has to.</p>
<p>if its bad to begin with, they won't read the whole thing. adcoms only spend like 10 minutes on each application so you need to make them want to read more.</p>