<p>Should I use words like don't, won't, can't, and haven't instead of do not, will not, and have not, respectively, or would that be inappropriate???????????????</p>
<p>Noooooo!!! Never use abbreviated forms, they make your essay sound informal.</p>
<p>^ Second. That would definitely be inappropriate. It is OK to exceed the paper limit by 50-75 words.</p>
<p>I don’t know… I guess I have far less CC essay experience, but in my opinion, you don’t want to be formal necessarily - you want to be YOU. Regardless of the formality of your essay, your essay should have your voice. Colleges aren’t looking for a five-hundred word term paper-esque writing sample, and I think that abbreviated forms such as can’t and won’t and don’t are perfectly acceptable… especially in certain contexts. Though perhaps I’m just defending my own decision to do the exact same thing to stay under the five hundred word limit for Brown…</p>
<p>Well, liberation and I are just giving our two cents I guess. I am in the editorial board of my college newsletter and this is the first thing that we do when we edit articles. Unless the article is specifically and deliberately informal. I am sure that colleges will not mind a few words outside the limit. Personally, I would rather go outside the limit than appear to be an informal writer. No offense meant.</p>
<p>The people to whom I sent in my essay for reviewing were also of the same opinion. They had in fact corrected quite a few of my informal sounding words.</p>