Scholarship Essays

I’m currently trying to write an essay that asks for 250 words or less over whatever I like. Is it looked down upon to write less than the required amount? Right now, I’m nearly at 100, but I’m not sure I have much more to say.

Side question: Can I catch the eye of the readers by formatting it differently than a normal essay? For instance, I’m a bit of a poet, and I like giving my words a lyrical sound to them. Would it be refreshing for the reader to see a poetic essay instead of the usual prose format, or would it just be detrimental?

If you get your point across in 100 words, it’s fine. It’ll look worse anyways if you put in 150 filler words because the readers can tell. If the prompt is to write about literally anything, writing a poem sounds fine to me.

100 words for an essay that asks for “250 words or less” meets the requirement.