<p>lol alright, so we all know UCLA/UCB admissions are coming up (probably this Friday and next Friday). </p>
<p>Lately, I've been thinking about possible detriments to my application. lmao it just hit me that I had like 1,074 words on my PS's.....ugh.</p>
<p>This is a thread for all of us that went over the limit - the over-eager, the apprehensive, the pensive ones that just couldn't reduce their essays. This is for us to sensically...and nonsensically speculate about whether or not "going over" the word limit will affect our apps.</p>
<p>@ emil
lololol…I did the same thing…I went over by like 50 words or something…who cares though…if you are a strong candidate, nothing can stop you! :)</p>
<p>haha thanks sandaboy! I appreciate the support. I’m just worried about all sorts of weird things, as I am a somewhat unconventional transfer applicant.</p>
<ul>
<li>young</li>
<li>PS’s that are long</li>
<li>applied to 3 different majors lol</li>
<li>have only taken 2 phil courses for UCB (applied as phil) no prereqs offered at/near my CCC.</li>
<li>received an Academic Renewal at the last minute in January 2010 (for a semester back in 08)</li>
</ul>
<p>amidst other things that I’ve considered that could hold me back that I don’t even remember lol.</p>
<p>Well I was being honest but not serious… But its just because i’ve never even heard how many words people used on their essay, let alone heard about someone writing too much. :D</p>
<p>So my statement was true, but i was just messin’ with ya. I hope I wasn’t too annoying or worrisome. Just couldn’t help myself.</p>
<p>I’m sure your word count doesn’t matter. G’luck senor : )</p>
<p>I doubt every single one of those extra 74 words were vital to the essay. Should have just cut it down. I’ve always said: Never get attached to your writing. If you do, you won’t be able to trim down the fat that you think is the essence of the essay. The essence of the essay is the essay itself, as a whole, not the extra 74 words that just had to stay. Still, I wouldn’t worry. If a school denies you for 74 extra words, is that really a school you want to go to? Is it really a school any of us want to go to?</p>
<p>During the application period my TAP advisor said that its MUCH better to have under a 1000 word, she told me to limit myself at 850. Im sure she told me that for a reason, and even when she was editing it for me (she edited it like 15 times) shed cut it down as much as possible. rough draft had like 1200, first draft had like 1080, final draft had like ~850. when I had 1080 i also had my transrfer center lady read it (she used to be at UCB), and she said that it was too far over 1000, and to keep myself to 1025 (naturally i listened to my TAP advisor over her).</p>
<p>I feel the same way vintij. Perhaps if I had applied as an English major, my word count would possibly be fairly detrimental. However, as I departed from the English major over a year ago, I doubt that my current psychology major will have any relation to my word count…Oh god, I just realized how ridiculous this all sounds.</p>
<p>At the risk of sounding like a ■■■■■, exceeding the limit says something about your ability to follow directions, doesn’t it? I mean if I was an admissions officer, and all applicants are given a specific set of criteria that they are judged upon, I would think negatively of someone who violates the terms explicitly stated in the guidelines for writing your essay. I’m talking about those who wrote 1200 words and up. With 1,074 you should be fine, but I’ve heard the people at Berkeley and LA are sticklers about this sort of thing. Think about all the essays they have to read, and how annoying it probably is when someone goes over.</p>
<p>@ CalBearGuy: That is unsettling and disconcerting to say the least… lol. Oh well, I can’t change things now; I’ll just have to wait and see :).</p>
<p>i know someone who wrote like 1500 words…the app wouldnt let her put it in, so on the bottom of the second prompt she wrote “continued in the additional comments section” and put in the rest of her prompt in the additional comments section</p>