<p>does the essay need to be well organized, like a five-paragraph essay? I want to say a lot, so it's not really a brief statement. although the topics are organized into paragraphs, there's no intro or conclusion.</p>
<p>Your Why Swarthmore is not a class essay with an intro, body paragraphs with topic sentences and a conclusion. :P You could structure it that way (although I don't know anyone who did) but there's certainly no expectation of it.</p>
<p>That said, having a really haphazard and unorganized Why Swat isn't a good idea either - you want people to follow your train of thought. :] You should be using whatever form you think works for you...just make sure it's not confusing, as that could end up being.</p>
<p>I agree with forgetmenots. The essay is a blank slate: you can use it however best suits your purpose.</p>
<p>at the moment, my essay is just clusters of paragraphs about why I love swarthmore. I dont think it's confusing or haphazard. I just doesn't seem to flow. It's choppy. I'll just play around with it; thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Good luck! I'm sure it'll be fine. :]</p>
<p>Thanks, I hope so too!</p>
<p>i'm home for the break, no papers to write, no tests to study for, no notes to organize and its still three hours before i usually go to bed, so what do i do? i sit here and read. i have just one comment for brandnewstate: it's a why swat essay not a why 'i love' swat essay.</p>
<p>Would that be more of an issue of tone rather than content? I mean, I would still write why I love Swat, but would just word it differently... right?</p>
<p>Could you elaborate more, please?</p>
<p>And I am insanely jealous of your nonexistant workload.</p>
<p>how long should it be?
i never know what "brief" means. to smith, its 100 words. to wellesley, its "two well develpped paragraphs".</p>
<p>Your Why Swat essay should be as short as possible and as long as it needs to be!</p>
<p>My daughter's was just under 500 words, which is I think the outer limit for length. I'd probably aim for 250 and see where that leads you.</p>
<p>BTW, I don't think there's any wrong with writing about why you "love Swarthmore".</p>
<p>thank you interestdad. although this is only my 2nd post in CC, i have been reading your posts for a few weeks now. They have been very helpful!</p>
<p>I wouldn't say 500's a necessary outer limit. My Why Swat was nearly 750 - I still got in. :] I really wanted to get my point across, and don't think I wrote more than I needed. So do what feels right! I wouldn't recommend writing one as long as mine was to everyone, but I don't think it counts against you unless there's too much extraneous information. Every Why Swat is very, very different.</p>
<p>what i am still wondering is should i focus on how i would fit into the family of swatties or on what is so great about said family. in other words, should it be an essay centered on me or on the school?</p>
<p>Mine's hovering around 650 right now, and I do want to say more -- so I'm glad 750 can still get in, ha. I'm hoping my essay is in a somewhat unique format, too.</p>
<p>mine is about 520 now. but i still have quite a bit of editing to do.
good luck with your essay bamboozler!</p>
<p>vsperlynd: It doesn't matter, as long as you get across in your essay why you want to go to Swarthmore.</p>
<p>vesperlynd, Swarthmore Admissions officers already know what's so great about Swarthmore: so certainly mention why, but weave it into why it works for you! It can't be a general essay that could go to any college - they see right through that - but it should be about you fit, too, not just about how awesome Swat is. :]</p>
<p>forgetmenots- that's the trouble i'm having. my essay sounds more like a catalog of great things swat offers, and less of a "why they appeal to me" essay. i'm trying to refocus it now.
thanks for your help everyone! my college counselor is wayyy too nice when she critiques my essays. she tells me they're good, that i can send them whenever i'm ready. but when i read them back to myself, i don't feel they're personal enough... hopefully i won't become one of those unhappy swatty perfectionists (mentioned in another thread) if i am accepted...</p>
<p>NOOOOOOOOOO000000000000ooooooooooooo</p>
<p>man
I was completely submerged in that essay that i overlooked the char limit.
I have 945 words</p>
<p>and of course, I already submitted.</p>
<p>I think my essay really hits the point of why i want to attend,
I really really hope that they dont cut off the essay at its character limit.</p>
<p>If so i am screwed
**</p>
<p>Update:*Where did you guys get this essay limit from? I am on the common app and it says nothing about a word limit "*Why Swarthmore?
Please write a brief statement telling us why you have decided to apply to Swarthmore in particular."</p>
<p>Characters available in the box: 7900</p>
<p>im sure that 945 words isnt brief though, haha</p>
<p>Well, the word limit is 7900 for the Why Swarthmore essay, which isn't part of the Common App. Oh, i see. 7900 characters. Well, they probably will cut it off once it says that there are 0 characters remaining, that's my guess. I wouldn't worry about it too much though. What matters are the reasons.</p>