<p>so i just finished my second essay and it's more than 500 words. it's like 525. is that really bad? i've been trying to shorten it but blah, it sucks enough as it is. i just hope the yale admissions people aren't like "pfft, that is 25 words more than we're going to read! REJECT!" because that's how i'd picture it, in my mind.</p>
<p>Mine is 499. It was a b---h to work it down to that number, so I know what you're going through - but just follow Yale's directions. Work that baby down. I did the same thing, and it might take a couple days, but you don't need to annoy them in any way. The admissions people that I have spoken to seem very laid-back and down-to-earth, and might give particular credence to the college admissions proverb, "The thicker the file, the thicker the kid."</p>
<p>I talked to my local Yale rep, and he said that it wasn't really a limit, but the general rule for both essays is two pages double spaced, or about 500 words. He didn't say it was an exact cutoff.</p>
<p>if Yale cared if an essay is 25 words extra, then I wouldnt apply there.</p>
<p>seriously, it isn't that big of a deal...if 25 words is going to cause them to reject you, then they're not worht it anyways</p>
<p>i'm sorry that you feel that your essay is bad :(</p>
<p>This has been covered elsewhere. This is from the FAQs of Yale Undergraduate Admissions:</p>
<p>My essays are more than 500 words each. Is that OK?
We ask that you respect the word limits we suggest. Will we read the words beyond 500? Yes. But if your essays are much longer than 500 words, understand that you will not help yourself by seeming to have ignored our request. </p>
<p>Applying</a> to Yale College | Frequently Asked Questions | Office of Undergraduate Admissions</p>
<p>dont worry about 25 words over. especially if it fits on 1 page single-spaced or 2 pages double-spaced. they dont scan the essays into a word counter or anything...</p>
<p>All this after I squashed mine down to 499!</p>