<p>This question has been asked in every way shape and form, from everyone who I have ever talked with about college, but I need to get this confirmed before I hit submit.</p>
<p>WILL COLLEGES CARE IF I SUBMIT AN OVER LIMIT ESSAY?</p>
<p>My common app essay is 596 words. I KNOW that 99.9999999% of you will say that as long as I don't want to cut the essay, I won't have to, but that most over limit essays can be cut down to size. I like my essay as is, and I might be able to edit it down to 550 or so, but I feel that I probably would start trading quality for brevity at that point. </p>
<p>I'm not looking for an explanation or an analysis of my essay. I am only looking for 2, 3 people tops to reassure me that this breach of limit doesn't matter, or if I'm wrong and general consensus about word limit has changed in the last 20-30 days since I last read a forum where someone asked this question, let me know.</p>
<p>If you can, I would recommend that you do cut it down to 550, or as close to the limit possible. I don’t know what level of schools you are applying too, but several elite schools do indeed hold negative opinions of longer essays. An admissions officer of Yale, I read somewhere, recommends sticking as close to the limit because it shows that you can follow directions and that you are not taking an unfair advantage over those who are respectful of the limit. But they will not be counting words and I am sure below 100 words over will not matter too much. But leaving things that you might regret or keep your mind from being at ease is never a great idea.</p>