<p>@Derivate: I wouldn't worry about it too much, my teacher gives it to me like that too, not with a signature over the flap. I don't think they're going to penalize you or reject your app just because your teacher didn't sign across the flap.</p>
<p>^ It makes it look like I ripped it open, read it and inserted it back in a blank envelope ha ha.</p>
<p>haha, shouldn't be a big deal. </p>
<p>Quick question-- Are the people at SSP stringent about the word limit? It seems that there might be a correlation between word count and rejection (hopefully not a causation!) Did anyone get in with over (maybe waaaay over) the limit? </p>
<p>I'm at 1400, and they better read those extra 150 words..-_-</p>
<p>I don't have any actual evidence, but considering the graders are human, I doubt they're likely to be favor you over someone you're about on par with if they had to read an extra few hundred words. Probably won't hurt you too much, though, as long as you really can't (couldn't?) cut it down.</p>
<p>its not like they're going to say "hey this one looks a bit longer, let's count the words; 1,2,3...501, 502. he went over, throw his application away"</p>
<p>but I have a feeling after reading so many applications, they can glance and see if a paper has 100 words extra.</p>
<p>Ah, I'll take my chance. My recs and ECs should pull me through. <em>sigh</em> I really can't cut it anymore.</p>
<p>Don't worry. I asked the admissions director.
My question was "Can the essay exceed 250 words? If so by how much? Some of my essays are in the 300 - 310 range. I find it very difficult to reduce it (I might lose important details)."</p>
<p>Here is the response:
"On the one hand, we will not reject your application just for exceeding the limit. On the other hand, the longer it is, and especially if longer than all the others, a reviewer is less likely to read it all, which also loses important details. A good rule of thumb is: don’t annoy the reviewers. I suggest you find someone to give you suggestions for brevity."</p>
<p>My question 3 was 304 words, and I submitted it anyways. Likewise for my question 4, which was 650 words. I had to explain something i invented. I needed those words to work things out. You should be fine.</p>
<p>Invented? What?</p>
<p>omgggg i hope more decisions come out next week</p>
<p>I don't think a word count matters too much. I exceeded every prompt in its word limit by about 50-100 words. I had to exceed it in order to completely answer the question.</p>
<p>I am going to mail it in today after my Linear Algebra instructor hands me the letter, hopefully assuming today is Monday it will get in by the 20th.</p>
<p>And hopefully me turning it in so close to the deadline won't send the message I did it last minute.</p>
<p>@Quantam - I fit my essays onto two pages because that was all the paper I had for my printer :) You should be fine with separate pages.</p>
<p>RE word count: My word count was about 1400 (I posted the exact count earlier in the thread), with each essay about 25 words over its induvidual limit. I got in just fine ;)</p>
<p>@Derivate: Just take the rec envelope back to the teacher and ask them to sign across the flap - say that you didn't notice that requirement until now. They shouldn't mind. </p>
<p>Relax, people. Maybe we should start talking about books again :D.</p>
<p>^ Oh...well in that case, my total was 1498. I gues its alright. Besides, it really ridiculous. An extra 70 words is like not even a paragraph (it takes like 10 seconds to read it). I will be dissappointed if the SSP folks can't spare 10 extra seconds.</p>
<p>And no, I didn't get the envelops signed. I mailed it anyways. I don't recall it as a criteria...</p>
<p>Blah, my teacher forgot to bring my recommendation to school today so I'll be sending it tomorrow. Oh well, it should reach there reasonably in time =/</p>
<p>dang, you guys wrote a lot. Mine was only about 1100 :P. Anyways, what kind of books do you like bookworm? I like different kinds from Robinson Crusoe(anything with survival, lol?) to Catch-22, and autobiographies like Angela's Ashes, Black Boy, and The Color of Water. Currently reading the Last Lecture, but I don't have much time. I finished reading Of Mice and Men yesterday though. It was pretty sad :(.</p>
<p>uhm when did you guys get an email saying that the ssp people received all of your materials? I sent my application in after the first deadline, but i wanted to know about how many weeks after you sent in your app did you get a response. i'm slightly worried that the ssp people didn't get all my materials, and am wondering whether i should send them an email. thanks!</p>
<p>Do you think I can make it if I send it tomorrow, or will I need to use the fastest mailing service and spend 20 dollars?</p>
<p>I sent mine in by normal mail today..how many days after they receive it do they normally send out confirmations?</p>
<p>I sent mine overnight so they'd receive it on the twentieth. They sent me the confirmation on the 22nd, a Sunday if I remember correctly.</p>