<p>This year Yale put on their website that it'd be better to keep the essay around 500 words. </p>
<p>Now obviously, there's some flexibility to it. Like it can be a little over. How far do you think i can take it. Mine's 850 now, and its super concise and well written. Taking more out might make it lose its x factor... but of course, i will if the popular opinion is to do it. Should I?</p>
<p>Personally, if I was applying to Yale and it said 500, I would definitely try and limit it to 500-600. You know your essay better than anyone else, though… if you think you would sacrifice a lot by cutting out 200 words or so, don’t do it. You won’t be the only one.</p>
<p>Given that the Common App is supposed to be submitted the same to all schools, I do not think any school should have the prerogative to set word limits other than those specified by the Common App. What is Yale said “less than 500” and Harvard said “no less than 600?” Any school can specify whatever length they want on their supplements, but to interject their preferences into the CA essay is presumptuous.</p>
<p>If they say they want the essay to be 500 words, why go against their request? I know you think your 850 words is “just right”, but it’s much harder to make it shorter. (A famous writer – forget the author – once said, “Sorry this letter is so long. I didn’t have time to shorten it.”) Yet it almost always improves.</p>
<p>I agree with Limabeans. They want it to be around 500, and while you think not much can be taken out, ask an adult / teacher to read it and see what is unnecessary to overall effect. It will improve as it gets shorter, and last thing you want to do is annoy the admissions committee.</p>
<p>The adcoms don’t sit there and count the words. As long as it reads quickly, it should be fine, but consult some teachers or peers and see what you can cut out.</p>
<p>^True, but 350 words extra could rarely be unnoticeable. And if you want to use the extra words for other colleges, you can always create an alternate version of your Common App</p>
<p>limabeans–
How would you cope with schools making contradictory requests regarding length?</p>
<p>I nevertheless agree that essays should be absolutely as tight and short as possible.</p>
<p>The deal is, that it is a very fast-paced and smooth read so it’ll hardly be noticed that its length is a little over the limit.
And then the point that UT84321 makes is actually sort of important, cuz im applying to Harvard too. I don’t want to make too many versions of it… </p>
<p>anyhoo, thanx guys, for all ur opinions. I think i’ll try to put another editing eye on it but no radical cut shorts… Thanx for the help</p>