Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit. If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words. You should aim to stay under the specified limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely.
How strict are word limits on essays?
One rule of thumb that is frequently tossed around is 10%, although it’s worth noting that admissions consultants tend to promote this rule more than any admissions officer does. However, if you can stay within 10% of the word limit for an essay, you probably are okay.
Is 1000 words too long for a college essay?
The shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words.
Can your college essay be over 650 words?
I’ve interviewed numerous College Admissions Reps on how to write a strong admissions essay and many have mentioned the importance of adhering to the word limit. It’s not okay to exceed the 650 word limit on the common application essay, but your essay can be less than 650 words.
What happens if you go under the word limit on university essay?
Many universities apply a kind of ‘penalty’ if either of these happens. A pretty common one is your mark will be reduced by 10% if you’re 10% over or under the word limit. When you’ve worked super hard on an essay, the last thing you want to do is lose marks over something you can control.
Do colleges check word count?
The admissions counselors are skilled at estimating the length of your essay. If they specify “an essay of no fewer than 250 words,” they expect at least one typewritten, double-spaced page with normal fonts and margins. And if they ask for no more than two typewritten pages, they will be annoyed to receive ten.
How much over a words limit is acceptable?
Assignment length requirements are usually given in terms of numbers of words. Unless the lecturer tells you that these limits are strict, it is normally acceptable to be 10% above or below this word limit (so, for example, a 2000 word assignment should be between 1800 and 2200 words).
Does a 500 word essay have to be exactly 500 words?
500-word essays do not have to be exactly 500 words, but they should be as close as possible. The essay prompt may say “in under 500 words” or “in at least 500 words,” which would state whether 500 is the minimum or maximum word count.
How long should my college essay be?
The primary essay for your college application, often called a personal statement, is typically around 400-600 words. The Common App personal statement — which is used as the primary application essay by more than 800 colleges — must be 250-650 words.
How strict is the 650 word limit on the Common App?
There are no strict word limits. We suggest that for the first essay (where you choose one of the seven prompts), the extended essay stay around 650 words. While we won’t as a rule stop reading after 650 words, we cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention for as long as you’d hoped it would.
Can you go over 650 on Common App?
Navigating the Word Count
The Common App will specify the word limit for writing your essay. This has changed over the years. The current word count is between 250 and 650 words. The online application won’t accept essays that are below 250 words or over 650 words.
How much does your college essay matter?
At the top 250 schools, your essays generally account for 25% of your overall application. This is only slightly behind the 30% for extracurriculars. Essays are actually ahead of the 20% for grades and coursework, 15% for test scores, and 10% for recommendations and interviews.
Is it bad to go over word count on essays?
If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words. You should aim to stay under the specified limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, if you write too little, it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.
What words are not counted in word count?
The words ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘and’, ‘to’, ‘an’, ‘in’, ‘or’, ‘at’ along with other small prepositions and conjunctions make up around 15 to 20 percent of a decent essay. That’s a large percentage of words to ignore. Also, numbers expressed as numerals (like ‘9’ or ‘200’) or date or time are counted as words.
Is it better to be under on word count?
As a rule, never submit anything that is more than 10% below a word limit. The limit is there for a reason, if you’re under it significantly then you’re either going to give the impression that you didn’t make sufficient effort, that you rushed it or that you didn’t understand the topic.
Is 22k words a lot?
22,000 words is 44 pages single-spaced or 88 pages double-spaced. Typical documents that are 22,000 words include include novels, novellas, and other published books.
Do professors check word counts?
Do Professors Check the Word Count? Yes, typically, professors do check word count. This could be via a program with a word count feature such as Microsoft Word or Turnitin, or based on an estimate of about how long a document of the required word count should be.
Can you go 10 over word count?
Unless the upper and lower limits are defined, then 10% either side is the accepted word count.
Can you go over the word limit for a scholarship essay?
I know many students express their frustration over the limitations placed on scholarship essays, but the word count is there for a reason. In most cases, scholarship essays are kept to 500 words or less. It makes it easier for committees to review hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of submissions.
Why do essays have word limits?
The word limit makes sure that everyone taking the same class knows what is expected of them. As well as testing your knowledge, college papers are about communicating clearly and concisely. Setting a word limit forces you to consider what you’re saying more carefully, helping you to develop your writing skills.
Is it possible to write 500 words in an hour?
Writing 500 words will take about 12.5 minutes for the average writer typing on a keyboard and 25 minutes for handwriting. However, if the content needs to include in-depth research, links, citations, or graphics such as for a blog article or high school essay, the length can grow to 1.7 hours.
