<p>Is Cornell really strict about word limit?? My 500 limit essay is about 570. I just can't take out anymore!</p>
<p>Cornell is not strict as long as the content of the essays is good. That doesn't mean you can go over 1,000 words, but something like 700-800 should be fine. All of my essays last year were over the limit, and I was accepted, so it wasn't a problem.</p>
<p>I don't think that your essays should be more than 40 words over the limit. If they are, you should cut them down because of the large volume of applicants. It's like when you take the AP test...everything should be written clearly and you need to follow directions so that you don't bother the graders who have been grading hundreds of essays before yours. Make things as easy as possible for the admissions officers so that you don't annoy them. A few words over probally won't make that big of a difference, but if it's hundreds over, the officers reading your essays will probally get a little frustrated becuase they have to read so many others that day. All of my essays were under the limit, but I didn't fell that I edited too much or left important details out. Revise your essays so that they are consice yet descriptive.</p>
<p>The short answer is no. Like I had explained in another topic, you can go way over/under, or even combine essays, and they won't care. The important things are the overall essay quality and the vivid picture of you that they portray.</p>
<p>This is dissapointing. =P I was advised that they look for sticking to the word limit for following directions in some cases, so I had to de-fluff some of mine... well, I suppose it isn't all bad, but there was one essay where I really could have used those 50 extra words.</p>