<p>Hi, I just finished writing both my personal statements, but i have 1034 words when I combined both. Is this okay? Im not sure if that is too many words.</p>
<p>It's okay, as long as it's not SUPER over.</p>
<p>If you have 1034 words, the application cuts off your essay at the 1000th word, so hopefully you don't have the main point of your essay in those last 34 words. This is from our school counselor who works as an admissions officer for Berkeley.</p>
<p>huh? i thought they said it's okay if you have like 1012 or something. why would they say that but still cut you off?</p>
<p>Peppers: The application doesn't count 1000 words. It didn't cut off mine and mine went over by I believe a few words (not 1010 much but few nonetheless).</p>
<p>Well, I never went over, so I wouldn't know (I was at 990ish), but I wouldn't want to run the risk of having some important summary of an essay in that last sentence or two if I could help it. I don't think it cuts you off there, but when the person reads it, I'm under the impression that they don't read 10xx words. At any rate, not going over the limit is a balancing trick a lot of people deal with on this PS. If this is only your first time trimming off words and such, I would suggest going back again. If you're confident this is your final draft, then I guess cutting things would only make it worse.</p>
<p>on website they say few words are ok...</p>
<p>wait im confused i thought there were 3 promps i wrote 3 essays</p>
<p>I think last year they made you stay to exactly 1000 words. This year they seem to be a bit more tolerant. In any case, you can see what will go.</p>
<p>Laserbase - the third prompt is not manditory. It is for explaining something that might not be obvious from looking at you app. Do not submit yet another essay just for the sake of it.</p>
<p>I really don't think it cuts you off. I mean, I had 1400 words last night it wouldn't let me go any further. I gradually reduced the essays and at about 1100 words, it let me send. And I'm pretty sure they didn't cut anything off because I just looked at my submitted application and the essays are there just the way I sent them.</p>
<p>also even if they scanned the essays...they wouldnt just cut the line just because it exceeded 10xx words...</p>
<p>^If you really can't fit it under 1000 words, I seriously doubt they'll hate you for it. But if you can help it, when I did my apps, the adcoms from UC that came to our school told us to keep it at 1000 words (the UCSD rep and the Cal rep), so I still would try to keep it under. Still, I can't see the app right now so I wouldn't know how lenient they are this year.</p>