Hey guys, so I was writing my essays and I’m finding somewhat hard to keep my thoughts in the 250-500 word range. The website says that the most effective responses are between 250-500 words, but doesn’t specifically mention it as a rule. Does anyone know if it’s ok to go over the word limit by like 10 words without being penalized in some way? If you guys think it’ll be bad for me to be above 500 words, I’ll try to condense it a little bit.
Thanks so much!!
Anyone?
My teacher said going over by 15 words is probably the most a college will take
I don’t think they’re that strict about the word count, but I think it’s best to be as concise as possible.
Mine was 576 words and I recently got accepted to Pitt on Friday. I believe that the number is a guideline. Do whatever feels right.
We are not strict about the word count at all. The word count listed on the site is a guideline, but by no means a rule.
Best,
A Pitt Admissions Staffer
My daughter sent her application and is finishing up short answer responses now. Did I read correctly that the recommended word count for the short answers is 250-500 for all 3 questions combined? So maybe 150 words for each one?
@hailtopitt1787 My daughter sent her application and is finishing up short answer responses now. Did I read correctly that the recommended word count for the short answers is 250-500 for all 3 questions combined? So maybe 150 words for each one?
Yep! That is the length we recommend you shoot for, but not mandatory.
Best,
A Pitt Admissions Staffer
I have 490 words for two of my essays and 313 words for the third essay. I interpreted the guideline as 250-500 words per essay not combined. Is it okay if I keep my essays as is or should I cut down on all of them?
You do not need to cut them down. The length on our site is just a recommendation, not a rule. @dragon345678.
Best,
A Pitt Admissions Staffer