<p>i know that they tell you not to exceed 500 words but i've seen a lot of college essays that have more words than is asked. So is it ok to write a little more than 500 or will adcoms be counting the words even before they read it?</p>
<p>I doubt they'll be counting every word considering the fact that they'll be reading thousands of essays. I've asked this same question on CC and everybody tells me that you can exceed 500 words so long as what you're saying is important and not just being redundant.</p>
<p>I dunno...if you're applying to their school and you can't follow the application instructions, what kind of impression is that going to make? They want you to be articulate and to the point. Say what is most important to get across and try to keep it under (or at) 500</p>
<p>^ he's wrong. You can go over if it is important, just don't make it a hefty overage. (I went a pretty good amount over myself for the common app essay and I highly doubt I was penalized.) Noone would EVER bother to count the words. ever. So go for it as long as it's not TOO much.</p>
<p>Try to write as tightly as possible. Avoid unnecessary words. When you do that, you will be amazed at how much info you can convey in 500 words.</p>