<p>So, on the Common Application supplement, no word limit is specified for the Why Reed essay. I realize that this is to allow freedom when writing, but I was wondering how long the average essay was. 500 words? Something like that?</p>
<p>This won’t sound helpful, but just take as long as you need. It shouldn’t be so short that your ideas seem shallow and undeveloped, but not so long that you suffocate your readers with information and repetition.</p>
<p>I’d say 500-1000 words is reasonable.</p>