<p>a college asks for an essay UNDER 500 words
my essay is 700 words
is that ok?</p>
<p>it fits in 1 page</p>
<p>I would suggest you try and edit, if it asks for 500 they usually allow for slightly over and slightly under, but I think 200 over is way too much</p>
<p>Have someone who will be objective read the essay and give you feedback.</p>
<p>My son used a 1000 word essay, edited down from about 1400 words, for all his apps, including those that were supposed to be only 500 words. In my opinion, he could have cut out 150 words or so ... anything more would have taken the life out of a very compelling and interesting essay. </p>
<p>The admissions people do not want to read through long, tedious, or trite essays -- so they limit words. But sometimes a kid has a compelling story to tell - or writes particularly well -- and a one or two page essay doesn't seem long at all. </p>
<p>So the main questions are: (1) is your essay written well, avoiding redundant, repetititious, or clumsy phrases that add length without improving the essay, and (2) is there something unique or special about your topic or the story you are telling that will pique the interest of the reader? I mean, I've read essays that have moved me to tears... and some that were charming or uproariously funny - I would hate to see some kids take the warmth or the charm or the humor out in order to fit some arbitrary limit. </p>
<p>So bottom line: if the essay is good - ok to be a little long. If it is not so good, then keep it short. You need to get outside opinions from objective people who are not afraid to be harsh critics to get an honest answer.</p>
<p>If and when you become a manager of people- until then follow instructions, No exceptions.</p>
<p>Why antagonize the very people you want to impress?
If the reason you want to go to college is to learn-Then learn how to follow directions, only until you have learned to do that, you will earn the priviledge to change the criteria. Otherwise, start you own business (which means you really don't need to go to college-unless you want to enter a particular profession) and make your own rules-which is the really the foundation of the United States, but which means the people you hire must follow Your rules.</p>
<p>Limit your thoughts to 500 words, keep it simple, direct, and innovative.</p>
<p>The English language can be a very exacting tool for translating meaning. UNDER 500, means 499, 451, 423, 268, 122. It doesn't mean 501, 525, 634, 891.</p>
<p>If they said "about" 500, or "approximately" 500, or "fit on two pages", or "400-600", it would mean something entirely different. </p>
<p>If I had 3000 people applying for 500 places, 2700 of whom were qualified, you could be sure I'd use every method at my disposal to eliminate candidates. </p>
<p>When they asked for "four years of English", did you give them 3 1/2?</p>
<p>Well, thanks for the explanation about becoming a manager, Istoomuch. Now I know why my 21-year-old son has the title "Director" and is expected to hire, fire, and supervise from 40-100 employees at his job - he's been challenging authority and bending the rules his whole life. He was on the job 2 weeks before they promoted him to management. The people who are destined to become managers act like leaders in the first place, and are not afraid to take risks. My son's 1000 word essay mentioned above was also a "risk" topic.</p>
<p>But of course good managers also have the brains, judgment, and common sense to make intelligent decisions along the way. You look at the reason for the rules, the purpose they serve, and you respond appropriately. The function of college essays is to allow the applicant to project some aspect of his personality, and also to provide evidence of writing and thinking ability. </p>
<p>So my son broke the rules, and all the colleges could see that he was a rule-breaker with something interesting to say. He applied to 9 colleges; was accepted at 8 and waitlisted at 1. The essay was unique; it stood out; it was well written. I am quite sure that no other kid wrote an essay on quite the same theme. </p>
<p>But it's ok with me if others choose to go through life always following every rule and guideline to the letter. After all, without people like that, we creative, rule-breaking bossy manager-types would have nobody left to manage.</p>
<p>Well, let's put it another way: if a longer essay is considered an advantage - why would I want to give that advantage to one kid over another? Or, more precisely, why would I want to allow one kid to "take advantage" of another?</p>
<p>Now most of the essays I see assigned say "about", "around", "approximately", (or "two-pages"), or provide a range. So the word "under" had a meaning.</p>
<p>Among other things, I write magazine columns for a living. I am assigned an exact word count that I am not to go over. I could write more, and I hope it might be more exciting, beautiful, meaningful as a result, though the editing to length requires discipline, preciseness, and, above all, respect for my publishers who have plenty of other things to juggle.</p>
<p>Whether you get in or not is not the point. Would you choose to disrespect your future colleagues that much?</p>
<p>Ypu certainly can break many of the "rules" for applying to college. They are not really rules, but guidelines, and there are good reasons for them many times. It makes it easier to judge essays that are of consistent lengths, for instance. And if you have ever walked into an admissions office at the peak of the season, you can see why a longer essay may not be appreciated. It had better be danged good if it is twice as long as the suggested length. </p>
<p>In my opinion, the essays don't matter that much most of the time, unless they are truly outstanding which is rare from what I have seen myself, and heard from adcoms, or if they are truly inappropriate. Yeah, you can get lucky and strike a chord with the style and subject with the reader, or be unlucky enough to get a reader who disagrees with every word you write, your stance is a pet peeve of his, and he hates that style of writing. But I have honestly seen kids with really terrible essays get into HPY. And I have seen kids who break all the stated instructions get into HPY. But you are taking a risk when you decide you are going disregard instructions. And most kids are not so good that they can write an essay twice the length requested and have the reader hanging on every word. It is usually the opposite reaction , and you don't want them counting the words if it bores them. Bad enough it is not a good essay, worse that it takes up more time. </p>
<p>My feeling is to write the essay answering the question in a natural way, letting yourself come through. Edit it as close as you can to the recommended length without hurting it. If it is close, I would not bother to look for words to cut. If you are way, way over, you probably need to edit it. In fact, some on line apps will cut you off if you go over the prescribed formula. But if you really think it is such a work of art, or if it is compromising something important to you, by all means, leave it as it is. I don't think it will make a big difference unless you get a "bean counter" reader, and you can just as easily get any kind of adverse selection in readers.</p>
<p>You are correct, Calmom.</p>
<p>Original Poster, you should weigh your risks, which is probably why you asked the Question. Only you can determine the answer against the risk.</p>
<p>Interesting book: "Against the Gods", about risk.</p>
<p>Both of my kids Personal Statements were about 600 words, after much cutting. Actually, some 500 word essays would probabl have looked just as long or longer on the page due to words used and paragraphing. My son had good luck with college admissions, so the little extra apparently wasn't held against him, and my daughter is applying now.</p>
<p>I have to totally agree with Mini here. Calmom, unless the applications your son filled out specifically said "under" 500 words, his experience, though happily successful, really has no bearing here. As Mini says, this application used the word "under" deliberately, and to ignore it is certainly disrespectful, and in my opinion, a little arrogant (other people can stay in the limits, but my story is more "compelling" than theirs), whatever the outcome.</p>