Yes, college essays typically have word limits set by the college or university to which the essay is being submitted.
So let us dig a little deeper
Yes, college essays typically have word limits set by the college or university to which the essay is being submitted. These limits serve several purposes, including ensuring that students can effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas within a specified length and providing admissions officers with a fair and consistent basis for evaluating applicants.
A famous quote by George Orwell encapsulates the significance of word limits in writing: “If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.” This quote emphasizes the importance of conciseness and the need to convey one’s message efficiently, which aligns with the purpose of word limits in college essays.
Here are some interesting facts related to college essay word limits:
-
Varying Word Limits: Word limits for college essays can vary widely depending on the institution and the specific essay prompt. They can range from as low as 250 words to as high as 650 words or more. It is crucial for applicants to thoroughly read and follow the instructions provided by each college.
-
Common Application Essay: The Common Application, used by over 900 colleges and universities, requires a personal essay with a word limit of 650 words. This essay serves as a common platform for students to showcase their personal qualities and experiences to multiple institutions.
-
Supplemental Essays: Many colleges also require applicants to submit supplemental essays in addition to the Common Application essay. These essays often have their own word limits, and their prompts may vary to assess different aspects of the applicant’s profile, such as intellectual curiosity, community engagement, or cultural fit.
-
Purpose of Word Limits: Word limits ensure fairness and consistency in the admissions process by leveling the playing field for all applicants. They demonstrate an applicant’s ability to synthesize information, express themselves concisely, and make an impact with their writing.
Here is an illustrative table showcasing the word limits for college essays in some notable institutions:
| Institution | Word Limit |
|---|---|
| Harvard University | 650 |
| Stanford University | 250-650 |
| Yale University | 500 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | None |
| University of Chicago | 650 |
| Princeton University | 250-650 |
It is important for students to adhere to the specified word limits since exceeding them may reflect a disregard for instructions, while falling significantly below can limit one’s ability to fully express their ideas. College essays are an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their writing skills, personal insights, and passion for learning, so it is essential to carefully craft their content within the given word limit.
Response video to “Does the college essay have a word limit?”
In the video, “Common App Essay Word Limit”, Dr. Josie provides tips for maximizing and cutting down your Common App essay to fit the word count of 250 to 650 words. Her suggestions include avoiding writing the minimum of 250 words and instead aiming for 450 to 500 words while ensuring the content is engaging and substantive. For supplements with a word count of 150 to 200 words, she recommends staying within those parameters. Dr. Josie provides three quick tips for concise essays, including eliminating helping verbs and using key images or symbols for additional content. She also advises students to philosophize a little bit or add context to increase their candidacy and to ensure the topic they choose maximizes their candidacy. Finally, she asks viewers to like, share, comment, and join her community on WriteYourAcceptance.com for personalized feedback and assistance.
There are additional viewpoints
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.
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.
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.
High school essays tend to require a page limit, meaning that your teachers might ask you to submit a five-page paper or an eight-paper paper. However, college essays tend to require a word count. When a college provides you with a wide word count range, it’s best to take advantage of the upper word count limit.
If you still want to know the ideal word count of a college essay, then 500 words are the most common length for a personal statement. All the three standardized portals cap their word requirement at 650 words. However, this is just the absolute limit beyond which your content will be cut off.
For the 2020-21 application cycle, the length limit for the essay is 650 words. That limit includes the essay title, notes, and any other text that you include in the essay text box.
Having said that, a good thumb of rule is to restrict your essay to a 500-700 word limit. In other words, yes, a college essay can be 700 words long only when a word count is not specified. Moreover, in some instances, you would have to abide by a specific page limit.
The essay should be 650 words, which might sound like a lot at first, but you will be surprised by how quickly you reach that limit once you get going. Most of the students I work with end up making cuts to shorten their essays before submitting. The word limit is non-negotiable.
Some answers here assume you are asking about the essay section on the Common App—that you are applying for college. Martin and I assume you are in college already and are concerned about going over the word limit on the essays you write for your courses.
Most importantly, it depends on the content of your essay. If your essay is a bit longer than required but well-written, that’s no problem. But if it’s too long because you’ve stuffed it with cruft and bombast, you’re in trouble.
But first check to see whether the word-count number is a limit, or a goal. If it’s a goal, a minimum or average length for your essay, you’d better hit it or surpass it. If it’s a limit, stay below it unless you have really good things that must be said in order to complete the assignment.
Another thing to consider: one reason we get frustrated with long-winded papers is how time-consuming they are to grade. We have rubrics we must use, and we are looking for specific things in your paper. I don’t mind a …