<p>Hi everyone! Quick question about the word length for the Tufts Admissions essays.......</p>
<p>I know that it says 200 words, 150, 400, etc...but is it okay to go over? Are these maximums or minimums?</p>
<p>It's probably a stupid question but I was just wondering...</p>
<p>At the majority of schools, the word lengths are more “Firm Suggestions” than cutoff points. We at Tufts will read what you send us regardless of its length. However, you should still endeavor to stay close to those lengths. An essay that is double or triple the suggested word length will almost always work against you though. An over-abundance of additional information can make the most meaningful pieces of your application become watered down, so we give you those word lengths so that you’ll know what “Too Much” is. </p>
<p>The Common App suggests 250-500 words. You can write a great essay in 250, and I’ve seen it done, but about 500 words is reasonable. It isn’t so much the length, but the quality of the essay that has effect. It’s important to understand the purpose of the word limits (beyond just that if we didn’t have them, most essays would be so long we could never finish); part of being able to effectively communicate is doing that in an efficient way. Accordingly, writing concisely helps us understand your ability to articulate your thoughts and ideas.</p>
<p>My advice to all students who are having trouble getting their essays even close to the suggested word length is to rework your topic. Although there are no hard and fast rules in what makes for a good application, “Depth is better than Breadth” is as close as you can get. If you can’t make your essay work at a shorter length, see if you can make your topic a little more specific – go deeper and talk about less. Narrowing your essay topic might make it easier to work in the confines of the word lengths. This is especially important on the common app, where the prompts they give you are SO broad they are almost paralyzing. Example: “Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.” Importance is a really open-ended word. Instead narrow the topic to something like, “Discuss the impact of immigration on the way you approach strangers.” Not a great example, but I hope you get the idea.</p>
<p>-Jon</p>