<p>I know there's already a thread on the length of the supplement leadership essay, but it hasn't been touched for awhile so I thought I'd start a new one. I'm looking at my essay right now and it's actually around 1,300 words. </p>
<p>My leadership essay has not been at all what I thought it'd be - I wrote out my common app about a project I began, which was inspired by another. I had a bunch of ideas for leaders I was going to write about, but ultimately none looked as appealing as writing about the leader who inspired my local project (I mean, clearly, this shows I admire this guy and took his concept to heart, if that makes any sense). The thing is, I got a bit a lazy and just added a paragraph into my common app about the "leader" and what about him and his project have shaped culture and thought. I tried to intertwine more about him into the essay, and have yet to feel completely successful. Will it look bad if I talk mainly about his project and how it inspired mine? Actually, the essay itself is a lot about my project, mainly because that's what it was to begin with, ha.</p>
<p>Anyway, if you can give me your two cents on that and how many words your supplement essay was, that would be really great. Thanks!</p>
<p>I would strongly discourage you from just adding stuff to your common app essay to your supplemental; that does look lazy and unoriginal. Ideally, they would not be about the same thing since this is your chance to show your personality and character that can not be gleaned from stats, etc., it is a wasted chance if you are redundant. </p>
<p>However, if your common app is about the project and your supp about the leader and it complements the rest of your app nicely, then it would be OK. Remember, you can make a new version of your common app for CMC only and submit a different version of your common app essay.</p>
<p>My D was just admitted ED and her supp essay was 4 pages ds, not sure how many words. I felt it was kind of long, but it was very well written and moved along nicely and they say clearly it is up to you how long it is; just make it good!</p>
<p>Thanks - I completely forgot to mention, but I'm changing my Common App essay about my project to something ENTIRELY different. I would never write two essays about the same thing, hahaha. It's weird though, because the essay I plan to use for CMC for the Common App is now around 500 words, which is less than the supplement. For most of the colleges I've been applying to, it's been the other way around.</p>
<p>At the moment, my leadership essay is nearing two pages single-spaced. Thank you for telling me that your daughter got in with a four-page essay. And congratulations!</p>
<p>for what its worth my s was accepted ED and his Common App & Supplement were both about 500 words. The Common App was very personal, talking about an activity that's very important to him and why he does it. The supplement is an opportunity to display your serious analytical writing and research chops~ discussing the how and why your particular leader impacted culture and thought. The supplement should be 'persuasive', convincing the reader of your point of view.</p>
<p>i felt like mine sounded like a research paper and had nothing to do with me. is this the way its supposed to be? they didnt ask to incorporate how you would like to become like so and so, so i just wrote about how so and so influenced culture and thought. just like they asked. is that too bland?</p>
<p>i think the essay isn't supposed to be related to you, just about that leader, since it's and analytical essay
they probably just want to know your opinion and see how you write</p>
<p>Re: word count. Unless your writing is exceedingly compelling, 1,300 words are way too many for an application essay. I prefer a ~700-word limit. Time to do some critical editing, IMO.</p>
<p>D's essay was 1450 words and she just got in ED. It was kind of long but it moved along well. They make it ambiguous on purpose as to length, personal or analytical, type of leader, etc. They want you to decide. If you look at past threads, people who have gotten in vary in long, short, personal, impersonal. Seems they want good writing; I think they do want analysis, even if it is personal. Hers was not so personal but her feelings about the person and their influence ran through it. 300 sounds short but have someone read it; if it's really very good, brevity s/b OK.</p>
<p>I agree, anything bigger than 700 words is too much for any kind of college admissions writing. I would definitely make it shorter, unless if you think its a masterpiece that will be absolutely riveting to the admissions reader. </p>
<p>To put it bluntly, anyone who submits a 1300 word essay is going to bore the reader to tears.</p>