What If My College Essay Is Too Short?

If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you’re too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What do you do if your essay is too short?

5 Helpful Tips for Serious Students

1. expanding the opposing view.
2. adding an additional alternate view (from a neutral or surprising angle)
3. adding another case study or example that pushes your own claim TOO far (and then explaining why your argument is not as weak as that extreme case)

Can my college essay be shorter than 650 words?

Your Common Application essay must be between 250 words and 650 words. Don’t assume shorter is better. A college requires an essay because they want to learn more about you. Never go over the limit.

How can I lengthen my college essay?

You can use these tricks and tips to make your essay longer.

1. Add more details.
2. Essay writing help when you need.
3. Use several examples.
4. Read and confirm every detail is included.
5. Do extensive research.
6. Include more quotations.
7. Use transitional sentences and phrases.
8. Conclusion.

Can you go over the word limit for a college essay?

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.

Is a 500 word Common App essay too short?

The Common App essay requires you write between 250 and 650 words. Hitting the maximum is great, but make sure not to settle at the minimum.

How long should a short college essay be?

Personal statements
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.

Is 400 words enough for a college essay?

In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it’s one of the most common word limits, after all!

How do I make my essays word count longer?

How to Increase Your Essay Word Count

1. Add Examples. Skim through your essay looking for any place you have used an example to make a point.
2. Address Different Viewpoints.
3. Clarify Statements.
4. Find Additional Sources.
5. Use Quotations.
6. Rework Introduction and Conclusion.
7. Page Count.

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 do you write a last minute essay?

Here are 8 smart ways to write your last minute essay and still do a good job at it.

1. #1. Stop Panicking.
2. #2. Stay Away from Distractions.
3. #3. Commit to a Topic.
4. #4. Work on the Outline.
5. #5. Set Mini-Deadlines.
6. #6. Cite References Alongside.
7. #7. Proofread.
8. #8. Get Professional Help.

How do I lengthen my introduction?

The introduction of an essay is usually short, but you can choose to lengthen your introduction by giving a small history about the origin of the topic you are writing. When you conclude, make sure that you touch on every point you had talked in your body but in the summary form.

How do you write a 2 page essay?

Here are some tips to go about your writing task:

1. Don’t procrastinate.
2. Now is the time to sit and write the thoughts.
3. Make up your mind and address the key points.
4. Write with a free mind.
5. Keep a check on the word count.
6. Don’t write anything irrelevant.
7. Write all the paragraphs.
8. Fill out the headings you have penned down above.

What happens if your Common App essay is over 650 words?

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.

Do admissions officers care about word count?

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.

How much under word count 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).

How long should a college level essay be?

250 to 650 words
If your institution doesn’t provide a specific word count, it’s best to keep your essay between the length established by the longer college admissions essay format: 250 to 650 words. Word count is just one factor to consider as you craft your college admissions essay.

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.

How long should you spend on a college essay?

Good essays are deeply personal and show how you think, solve problems, make decisions, and what you’re passionate about. These essays can take anywhere from 20-30 hours as you need to carefully choose a prompt, brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, draft, edit, re-draft, edit again, and so on.

How many paragraphs is a 650 word essay?

3.25-6.5 paragraphs
How Many Paragraphs Is 650 Words? 650 words is about 3.25-6.5 paragraphs for essays or 6-13 for easy reading. A paragraph length typically has 100-200 words and 5-6 sentences.

How long is a 500 word essay?

A 500 word essay will be 1 single-spaced pages or 2 pages double-spaced.