can my college essay be more than 650 words

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How to Shorten a College Essay to Meet the Word Limit

The college application essay is one of the most important components of applying to college. Application essays require a lot of time and effort, so you want to make sure you don’t make easy-to-overlook mistakes such as going over your college application word count.

Unfortunately, many students leave their admissions essay as the last step of their application process after studying for the SAT and learning how to request letters of recommendation. High school students don’t have the time, energy, experience, or organizational skills to prioritize their essay word count and word limits when writing their draft and receiving personal statement editing , recommendation letter editing , or cover letter editing , depending on your admissions documents. 

The good news is that being over the word limit in your admissions essay is not the end of the world. You’ve managed to output a lot of writing for your college essay. That’s a good starting point for revisions. All quality and successful admissions essays  go through the revision process, and a big part of the revision process includes reducing word count.

This article will explore the following topics:

How flexible is the college essay word limit?

• Can you go over/under the college essay word count?
• Why staying under application essay word limits is so hard
• How to shorten the length of your admissions essay
• Get help to cut down your college essay word count
• FAQ about how to shorten your essay length: Advice from editing experts

Your essay must stay within the required word limit whether you’re applying directly to your university or through the Common Application, which has become synonymous with the college application process. 

The Common App specifies the word limit required for each essay. Even though this has changed over the years– from 650 to 500 words in the past –the current Common App essay word count is somewhere between 250 to 650 words. 

Can you go over the essay word limit?

You must be careful about staying within the word limit for each application. Look at the essay prompts closely. Unless specified,  never go over the word limit for a college application essay .

It might be impossible to go over the essay word limit

Some universities may allow you to mail in a copy of your admissions essay, but most will use online applications with text fields that may cut off your essay if it goes over the maximum word count.

Admissions officers may just stop reading or toss out your essay

Admissions officers are busier than Santa’s elves during the winter holiday season. They read dozens if not hundreds of essays per day, and most of those will be rejected. If you fail your application, make sure it’s due to the content or something else; failing due to a simple word limit mistake would be a waste!

Following directions is a key component of being a student

If you told someone to do something and you were in the position to enforce it, would you accept the wrong result if 100 other people were waiting and did it right? Of course not. Therefore, the least you can do is to follow any instructions regarding college essay word limits to show admissions officers you will be a competent student at their school.

Can you go under the essay word limit?

While going over the word limit is a clear and decisive issue, it’s a bit trickier to determine how short your college application essay should be. 

Pay attention to minimum word limits and word ranges 

Some essay prompts will have a suggested minimum– for example, 500 to 650 words. As mentioned above, online text input fields may cut you off at the maximum word count. Some may even have some red text reminding you to input at least 500 words. But you should always double-check these word count guidelines.

The essay is your opportunity to shine

Why would you be so lazy as to only write the minimum amount for your personal statement? This is a great opportunity for you to stand above and apart from other applicants, and choosing your words wisely while presenting your story fully is important.

Add some concrete examples

Examples of events and actions can help you meet the correct word count range. This also reduces redundancy in your writing while reinforcing and supporting your main points. College admissions officers love to hear about your unique experiences.

Why do students find essay word limits difficult?

Why staying under essay word limits is so hard

We now know several reasons why keeping your college essay length in the correct word range so you don’t violate any word limit is important. But  why is staying under essay word limits so hard? 

The essay has no structure or organization

The most effective things are stated simply. And the most effective college admissions essays organize, structure, and communicate efficiently. That doesn’t mean your personal statement will be short; it means that each point should be concise. 

For example, split your writing into clear paragraphs. Organize your essay into separate sections for your academic, leadership, volunteer, and personal experiences. Be sure to add a section on extracurricular activities. Make your structure clear to the reader so that word count will only be a minor consideration. 

The essay does not focus on the essay prompt

If you are having difficulty cutting your word count, look for sentences or even entire paragraphs that are not relevant to the essay prompt. Adding unnecessary information is an easy trap to fall into. Your anecdotes or stories might be interesting and funny, but do they help illustrate why you want to attend UC or Stanford? 

The essay lacks proper vocabulary and verb usage

This tip is more subtle but can really help you reduce essay length and word count. When writing, always use the most appropriate verb, preferably one verb only. It will drastically reduce your word count overall. This is because when you choose the wrong verb, you often must add more words to clarify. 

Average/Wordy:   “I hit the ball so hard it went over the fence.” 

Exceptional/Concise:  “I smashed the ball over the fence.”

The verb “hit” is a solely descriptive action verb. It provides no context about the degree to which you hit the ball, which is why “so hard” or other adverbs are naturally added to regular verbs to provide extra information. Changing the verb completely to something more engaging like “smashed” provides all the context you need. And you just saved 4 out of 11 words!

The essay uses a traditional introduction/conclusion structure

Many students applying to college fall into the trap of trying to fit their essay into a traditional structure consisting of an introduction, body, and conclusion.

With only 650 words, you can recover your word count by skipping the formal rigid essay structure. Instead, dive right into your essay. Your content and experiences are the most important components of your application essay, and you need every word.

Tips to reduce the length of your application essay

Here are some simple tips to cut down the length of your essay. Start with some broad admissions essay tips  first and move on to the easier grammar and proofreading-related steps below.

Remove adverbs

Here’s how to find if your admissions essay has a lot of adverbs: Look for “ly” words around your verbs. Often, these types of adverbs are just filler words and a reflection of spoken conversational English rather than accomplishing anything meaningful. Go through your essay and decide if each adverb is truly necessary. 

Unnecessary adverbs:   “ate quickly”, “ran quickly”

Stronger verbs:   “devoured”, “rushed”

Here is a list of common adverbs you can remove to reduce your essay’s word count:

Remove filler words

Filler words are another crutch or may just be used out of habit. Go through your essay right now with “ctrl + f” or “cmd + f” for Mac users and delete every instance of  actually  and  very.  We promise they add nothing important to your writing. 

Example 

Filler words:  “I found myself actually surprised about how much I learned”

No filler words:  “I was surprised at how much I learned”

The word “actually” is pretty much useless. You must clearly state that you were surprised. Further, “finding yourself” is a conversational filler that comes off as unprofessional.

Avoid using too many prepositional phrases

Prepositions are common linking words such as  of ,  to ,  for ,  by ,  from ,  in , and  on . These are highly dependent on the context of your personal statement, especially when you reference narrative elements in your past. Go through your essay carefully and make changes to reword your sentences and cut down your essay word count.

Too many prepositional phrases:  “I struggled to work in a team in order to get a good grade in the group project”

Fewer prepositional phrases:  “I struggled with the team aspect of the group project”

There’s no need to verbalize that you worked in a team or to mention the grad aspect. Furthermore, these prepositional phrases add extra length to your sentences, which will not help you meet the essay word count.

Be clear and concise. Cut down your word count.

Be direct and decisive in your writing

Students are often told to avoid overgeneralizing groups of people or ideas but that they should also be precise in their English writing. This can lead to the author failing to commit to a concept and coming off as unsure or weak.

An overreliance on modifier words such as adjectives and adverbs is often the culprit. 

Too many modifiers:  “Although my high school grades were  sometimes   slightly  less than average, I  was able to  outperform  many  of my classmates, who often struggled to improve.”

Stronger verbs and adjectives:  “Although my high school grades were inconsistent, I later outperformed my classmates, who struggled to improve.”

You can see how the improved version appears more matter-of-fact, consistent, and even confident despite the admission of lower grades. 

Don’t be a narrator 

Do not waste time restating the common app essay prompt or telling the reader what you will discuss next. This would be fine for an informative article (like the one you’re reading now), but not for an application essay. Eliminating these structural road markers will greatly cut down your word count.

Too much narration:  “I will start by discussing my leadership experiences…” or “The next important part of my academic background was my….”

Less narration:  “I gained leadership experience when…” or “One of my academic achievements was…”

Consider college essay editors for extra help

Get help from a professional college essay editor

The college admissions and application essay landscape is very competitive, and this has led students to seek an edge. One reason why application essay editing services are so popular is due to their speed and quality. They free up students to prepare more college applications and focus on the content of their personal statements instead of drilling down things like grammar and essay word limits.

One of the best things applicants can do is write as many college admissions essays as possible without worrying at all about grammar or word count. Organize your essays by the essay prompt category (e.g. “Why X university?” or “Tell us about an obstacle you overcame”).

Then, send ONE type of each essay to a reputable proofreading company that offers  college essay editing services . When you get your changes back, apply them to all essays of that category. This minimizes the cost but gets you the most benefits. 

FAQ: How to shorten your admissions essay

Advice from our editing experts , can a college essay be longer than 650 words.

• The standard word count for the Common app essay is 650 words. Rule 1) Follow any explicit word limit guidelines. Rule 2) Always go under the limit as opposed to over the word limit.

Can you use contractions and abbreviations in college essays?

• Yes. For college application essays, use contractions and abbreviations. 

Do citations count towards the college essay word limit?

• Every word in the text field or on your page counts towards the essay word limit. Avoid using citations in a college essay as it is not an academic paper.

Does the title count towards the college essay word limit?

• Do not restate the essay prompt or add a title to your essay. If you are submitting a separate MS Word document, add the title or essay prompt (along with your name) as the .doc name. 

How many pages is 650 words?

• A 650-word college application essay will be under 1 page.

How do you shorten long sentences?

• Start by 1) eliminating helper verbs and adverbs, 2) removing redundancy, 3) remove filler words such as “very” and “actually,” and 4) make sure every sentence supports the overall point of the paragraph.

How many paragraphs is a 650-word essay?

• A 500-word essay is 3 to 4 paragraphs. A 650-word essay is 4-5 paragraphs. Your essay should be less than 1 page single or double-spaced.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the best college essay length: how long should it be.

College Essays

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, 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. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides seven "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. 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 if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? 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!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis !

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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The Admissions Strategist

Make the most of the common app essay word count: your incredible guide.

Before we begin, you should always abide by the college essay word count. Following the word count means you’ll follow the rules on campus. It’s the little things that count.

If you are applying to colleges using the Common Application (Common App), you will have to limit your  college essay to 650 words . That’s just over one page of single-spaced type.

• For an essay that’s meant to give admissions officers insight into you, how you would contribute to a college campus, and what sets you apart from other applicants, 650 words doesn’t seem like much.

Even if you aren’t filling out the Common App, most college essays set word limits around 500-750 words.

In the rare case there is no established word limit, most experts recommend not exceeding 900 words for a college essay.

How can you make the most of 650 (or so) words? Follow the tips below to write an impressive, effective Common App essay that sticks to the word limit.

1. Narrow down the topic.

The best way to write a concise, effective essay is to  select a topic that’s as specific as possible .

• For example, it would be difficult to thoroughly cover all of your high school volunteer experience in 650 words.

If you attempted to do so, you would likely be forced to leave out all kinds of information. You wouldn’t have enough words to give a close, personal look at your own experiences and how they have shaped you.

If you narrowed this topic down, you might choose to focus on the volunteer work you did with one specific organization. While this is an improvement, it’s still a fairly broad topic.

You could narrow down the topic even more by choosing one specific project, like volunteering at a nursing home.

• Even better would be an essay centered on a particular relationship you formed with a resident in the nursing home, or a favorite afternoon spent with this resident.

As you work on selecting this topic, narrow it down as much as possible.

The more specific the topic, the more likely you will be able to produce a thorough, well-written, and powerful essay.

2. Plan the essay.

The Common App essay word count shouldn’t be a surprise.

Taking time to plan the essay before writing can also help you make the most of your word limit.

As you plan, you should focus on what is essential to include in the essay, cutting information that isn’t necessary or doesn’t add anything important.

To do so, you have to understand the purpose of the college essay:

• To help admissions officers get to know you (beyond the information already included in the application)
• To demonstrate what you might contribute to a college campus
• To set you apart from similarly qualified applicants

You should focus on including information that accomplishes these purposes.

• For instance, you can avoid including too much information that is found elsewhere in the application or that likely applies to most college applicants.

Planning in advance will also help you write an organized, focused essay. This way, you’ll avoid rambling and wasting words as you write your draft.

3. Keep the introduction brief.

This is usually where students go over the Common App essay word limit.

To make sure there are plenty of words left for the “meat” of the essay, it’s important to keep the introduction relatively short.

An effective introduction for a college essay should be engaging, interesting, and brief.

• You don’t need to go into detail about everything you will discuss in the essay.
• Instead, you should provide a brief preview that leaves the admissions officer wanting to know more.

An introduction that’s somewhat intriguing or mysterious can be very effective in a college essay, and this is best achieved with a short, powerful introduction.

The introduction shouldn’t be more than 5-6 sentences unless you have a reason for including key information. Historically, students tend to cram the introduction with too much background detail.

In order to avoid including too much background detail, highlight the critical sentences in your introduction — these are the sentences that create the meaning and essence of the introduction. Evaluate the sentences you didn’t highlight; can you delete them?

As a general rule, if your introduction comprises over 24% of your entire college essay word count, it might be too long.

4. Focus on what’s important.

Regardless of the topic of the essay, it should be largely focused on you. For example, most essays should explain:

• How the essay’s topic has impacted your life
• How the essay’s topic has shaped you as a person
• Why this topic is so significant to you
• What this topic says about you/how it’s linked to your goals and passions

The majority of the 650 words should be devoted to developing these ideas because this is what is most important to admissions officers.

As an example, let’s take a look at one of the prompts for the Common Application.

Prompt #2 for 2018-2019 reads:

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

If you addressed this prompt, a portion of the essay would be spent describing a “challenge, setback or failure” you have faced.

But the majority of the essay should be devoted to explaining how you overcame the obstacle and what you learned from the experience.

• The essay should demonstrate positive qualities you possess, like determination, resilience, and humility.

No matter what prompt you choose, you can generally follow these guidelines.

The most significant number of words should be reserved for reflection on how your life has been influenced or changed, what you have learned, or why this topic matters to you.

This is a good exercise to ensure you’re focusing on what’s important:

• Highlight all the critical sentences in your essay — topic sentences, supporting sentences, storytelling sentences.
• Evaluate the sentences you did not highlight. What are the purposes of these sentences? Are you repeating things? Can you delete these sentences without diluting the meaning of the essay?

Think of words, phrases, and sentences as $100 bills. You want to spend them wisely.

5. Be concise.

Sticking to such a tight word limit requires concise writing. Concise writing avoids unnecessary words and sentences. It’s succinct and to the point.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include details or make interesting use of language. However, word choice should be deliberate. Avoid extraneous words such as:

You can also steer clear of using too many adverbs, and repetition. For example, “The reason for _____________ is because…” is repetitive. You don’t need to say “reason” and “because” in the same sentence, because one implies the other.

Avoiding repetition, unnecessary words, and excessive adverbs can help you write concisely and stick to the word limit.

Also, take a look at phrases, quotes, and aphorisms you use. You don’t want to use phrases and quotes that other authors have written.

You want as many words as possible to have been originally written by you. Anything else takes the focus off your voice.

Last, avoid cliches. Plain and simple.

6. Reread and revise.

By following the first five tips, you should be able to meet the word limit while still producing an effective piece of writing.

If, however, the essay still exceeds the word limit,  you will need to reread and revise .

• You can do this yourself, but you can also enlist friends, family members, or teachers to assist you. Unnecessary details or sentences can be cut, but the focus will likely be on cutting unneeded words.

Look for words that aren’t strictly necessary or don’t add anything of merit to the essay.

• For example, let’s look at the above sentence. If we needed to trim some words from this article, we could delete, “to the essay” from the end of the sentence, making the sentence: “Look for words that aren’t strictly necessary or don’t add anything of merit.”

You already know that we’re talking about an essay, so those last three words aren’t essential.

We could also cut the adjective “strictly” if needed. We’ve shortened the article by four words already.

If you read carefully through your essay and trim non-essential words, reaching the word limit should be a painless process (And if you’ve followed Steps 1-5, there shouldn’t be too many extra words to cut).

Remember our third piece of advice: Students usually exceed the Common App word limit in their introductions. Trim the introduction and then move down.

Recap: Following the Common App Essay Word Limit

To make the most of the word limit, you should:

• Choose a topic that’s as specific as possible.
• Thoroughly plan the essay before drafting.
• Keep the introduction short.
• Focus on what matters to admissions officers.
• Be concise by avoiding repetition, excessive adverbs, and unnecessary words.
• Read and revise, trimming non-essential words if needed.

Following these tips will help you write an engaging and impressive college essay, all while sticking to the word limit.

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My Life in 650 Words: How I Tackled the Common App Essay

It’s the afternoon of August 1st, 2013. I’m staring at six prompts, one of which will soon play a key role in my college admissions process. Which one do I choose?

Is there a part of my life that is so integral to my identity that I must share it with others? I suppose so, but then again, maybe I’m overestimating how interesting of a person I am. A place where I am perfectly content…does my bed count? Hm; I don’t consider myself an adult yet, so I probably wouldn’t be able to write seriously about an event that marked my transition from child into adult.

And so on and so forth, my musings spilled into the next day, then the next week, without much progress in deciding on a topic to write about for my Common App essay, the one ubiquitous piece of writing all colleges and admissions officers will read and get to know me through.

I may be three years removed from the college application process now, but I remember more than enough to empathize: college application season can be ROUGH. In addition to juggling homework, extracurriculars, and an ever-declining social life, you now have the added responsibility of writing a multitude of essays in which you try to encapsulate your entire character in 650 words or less.

It was a lot of pressure. During the spring semester of my junior year, I had started thinking about what I could write about, but not all that seriously. It did help that my English teacher gave us a few writing assignments that were specifically tailored so that we could use them as a potential college application essay, but other than that, I figured my main focus should be getting top grades and finishing up my standardized testing (namely, the SAT subject tests ; fun stuff).

However, by the time August rolled around, I knew it was time to buckle down and at least select a topic, which is how I found myself sifting through the prompts on the first day of August.

When August rolls along, things suddenly seem so much more real; preseason starts, band camp picks up, and all that combined means school is right around the corner. And as an incoming senior that year, I knew along with school also came college applications. I could no longer think about writing my essays in terms of vague conjectures; they were now months away from being due, and I had no choice but to get to work.

How I Chose My Essay Topic

Some people are brimming with ideas, and they just don’t know which one to choose . I wasn’t one of those people. I only had two ideas I felt like I could work with: one about my passion for art, and another about family that could be used as an example of my growth (or “transition,” as the Common App essay prompt put it) into an adult.

While both ideas excited me, I was also cautious in proceeding with either topic, because I had a feeling both could easily become cliché, and that was the last thing I wanted. I worked on both side by side, but never really felt satisfied with either.

A few weeks into the writing, it suddenly occurred to me that I had written a short, autobiographical piece for an art exhibition I participated in the previous year. Revisiting the passage I wrote was like an awakening; it renewed my fervor for art, and not just creating it, but exploring why I enjoyed creating it and what the hobby meant to me.

Once I was struck by inspiration, it seemed like all the other pieces started falling into place: I remembered a quote that my art teacher spoke once that resonated with me, memories of my first chalk drawings began to resurface, and more tidbits that I could use to flesh out my essay.

Of course, just because I had the material now didn’t mean it was easy going from there on out, but when you have an idea that you just feel is right, you will never lose interest; the idea draws you in with its possibilities, urging you to tweak it until you arrive at the best version that you are capable of. So, I ultimately ended up piecing together my artistic experiences, reflections, and hopes into an essay that helped demonstrate the kind of person that I am.

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How You Approach Essay Writing Says Something About Your Personality

I believe that the way we approach our essay writing says something about us: Personally, I recycled something I had already written and expanded it to better answer one of the questions posed by the Common App. To me, this showed that I was capable of taking old ideas, renewing and reinventing them, and then shaping them so that they would best fit whatever goal I had in mind.

On the other hand, one of my closest friends in high school changed her essay idea at least three times before finally settling on an essay topic at the last minute. The essay she would end up turning in to the Common App wasn’t even begun until mid-November, and it was actually based on an event that had happened during the school play (which she co-starred in) at the beginning of that November.

Our friends at the time thought she was a little crazy to throw out a fully drafted essay in favor of a new topic, but we quickly realized that there was method to her madness. Upon reading the essay, we could all see her quirkiness and humor shine through, and we knew that this essay would represent her far better than the essay she had before.

To me, my friend’s somewhat erratic approach spoke to her spontaneity and her willingness to abandon ideas, even if they’re fully formed, in favor of new ideas with more potential that came along. It might make for a pretty twisted path in life, but my friend’s willingness to follow her heart is part of what makes her so uniquely her.

And then there was my best friend, who came up with an essay topic as soon as senior year started, stuck with it, and never looked back. This fit right in with her character, as she is an outspoken person who is not afraid to stand up for those around her and give them a voice when they can’t get a word in. Her confidence and sense of self never ceased to amaze me, and both her essay topic and essay approach reflected just that.

Regardless of how we approached our essays, my two friends and I all were able to produce quality essays that helped us get into colleges that we are satisfied with. How you approach your essays depends on who you are. If you can’t seem to find inspiration right away or are worried about how fitting your topic choice is, I wouldn’t fret. After all, sometimes inspiration strikes late in the game, or it’s been right in front of you all along and was just waiting for you to recognize its full potential.

For more Common App Essay tips, see these posts:

How to Write the Common App Essays

11 Common App Essay Examples

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July 8, 2023

College Essay Length: Go to the Maximum Word Count

Previously Published on September 24, 2017:

College applicants should use the real estate offered in college essays to make their case — all of it! If the maximum word count for a college admissions essay is 650 words, applicants should not write 500 words. They should write 650 words — or pretty close to it.

When you’re a real estate developer in Manhattan, and you’re allowed to build twenty-five stories, you don’t construct ten stories and dedicate the rest of the space for the native pigeons of Manhattan. You build up —twenty-five levels. The pigeons have the skies.

And yet even though it seems only logical that college applicants should use all of the allotted real estate to make their case in essays, to tell their stories, to distinguish themselves in super competitive applicant pools, it never ceases to amaze us how many students write essays that don’t come anywhere near the maximum word count. Instead, they leave the space on the table to the disservice of their candidacies.

Students Should Go to the Word Limit in Every College Essay

It’s not as though students only make the mistake of leaving words on the table in their Common Application Personal Statement . They also often do so in their equally as critical supplemental essays.

If Brown University asks applicants to write a 200-250-word essay on how students would take advantage of the Open Curriculum, as the Ivy League school does on its 2022-2023 application, students should not offer them 200 words. College applicants are not interior designers — blank space does not look lovely. They should submit 250-word essays. 

When Brown admissions officers come across an essay that doesn’t come close to the school’s maximum word count, they’re likely to think, “This student doesn’t love our school enough to put in the work to write an essay just for us. She probably wants to go elsewhere.”

And if that thought crosses the mind of an admissions officer, the odds are strong that the same admissions officer is unlikely to offer that student a spot in the incoming class. And, of course, this doesn’t just apply to Brown — it applies to every highly selective institution in America.

Students Should Use the Maximum Word or Character Count in Short Answers Too

We can’t stress enough the importance of taking advantage of the real estate an applicant is afforded in essays to make their case. But don’t be fooled that an essay only means boxes on The Common Application that allow students to include 100 words or more.

After all, many top schools pose short answer questions too. Maybe they’re called short-takes. On the 2022-2023 application, the University of Southern California , for instance, asks applicants to name their favorite movie of all time, their dream job, favorite trip, and favorite snack, among others.

Students should go up to the maximum character count in these opportunities too — and  opportunities  is the apropos word because they’re opportunities to wow admissions officers, present a window into a student’s world and distinguish themselves from other talented applicants. In short, students should not just name their favorite movie — they should say why concisely.

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The Length Requirements for the Common Application Essay in 2020-21

Learn About the Maximum Word Count for Your Personal Statement

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Students applying to colleges that use the Common Application will typically need to respond to one of seven essay prompts . 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.

Fast Facts: The Common Application Length Requirements

• Your essay needs to be between 250 and 650 words long.
• You can't go over the limit—the online form will cut you off at 650 words.
• The length includes the title, notes, and any other text you include in the online form.
• Use your 650 words to tell a focused story and help the admissions folks get to know you.

History of the Common Application Length Limit

For years the Common Application had no length limit, and applicants and counselors frequently debated whether a tight 450-word essay was a wiser approach than a detailed 900-word piece. In 2011, that decision was taken away as the Common Application moved to a relatively short 500-word limit. With the August 2013 release of CA4 (the current version of the Common Application), the guidelines changed once again. CA4 set the limit at 650 words with a minimum of 250 words. And unlike earlier versions of the Common Application, the length limit is now enforced by the application form. No longer can applicants attach an essay that goes over the limit. Instead, applicants will need to enter the essay into a text box that counts words and prevents entering anything beyond 650 words.

What Can You ​Accomplish in 650 Words?

Even if you take advantage of the full length available to you, keep in mind that 650 words is not a long essay. It's roughly the equivalent of a two-page, double-spaced essay. It's about the same length as this article on essay length. Most essays tend to be between three and eight paragraphs depending on the applicant's writing style and essay strategy (essays with dialogue, of course, might have far more paragraphs).

As you plan your essay, you definitely want to keep the length requirement in mind. Many applicants attempt to do too much with their essays and then struggle to edit them down to 650 words. Realize the purpose of the personal statement is not to tell your life story or to give an exhaustive overview of all of your accomplishments. Let your list of extracurricular activities, academic record, letters of recommendation, and supplemental essays and materials show your range of accomplishments. The personal statement is not the place for long lists or catalogs of achievement.

To write an engaging and effective 650 word or shorter essay, you need to have a sharp focus. Narrate a single event, or illuminate a single passion or talent. Whichever essay prompt you choose, make sure you zero in on a specific example that you narrate in an engaging and thoughtful way. Allow enough space for self reflection so that whatever your topic is you spend at least some time talking about its significance to you.

Again, use the essay to narrate an engaging story. Make sure it highlights something you care about deeply, and be sure to provide a window into your interests or personality that isn't already obvious from the rest of your application.

A Final Word About Essay Length

With the primary Common Application essay, you will need to come in at 650 words or fewer. However, you will find that most supplemental essays on the Common Application have different length guidelines, and colleges that don't use the Common Application will have differing length requirements. No matter what the circumstances, make sure you follow the guidelines. If an essay should be 350 words, don't write 370. Learn more about some of the issues related to essay length in this article:  College Application Essay Length Limits .

Finally, keep in mind that what you say and how you say it is far more important than whether you have 550 words or 650 words. Be sure to attend to your essay's style , and in most cases you're going to want to avoid these ten bad essay topics . If you've said all you have to say in 500 words, don't try to pad your essay to make it longer. Regardless of length, and even if yours is a transfer essay , the best writing will tell a compelling story, provide insight to your character and interests, and are written with crisp and engaging prose.

• Ideal College Application Essay Length
• How Long Should Your Common Application Short Answer Essay Be?
• Topic of Your Choice: Common Application Essay Tips
• The 2021-22 Common Application Essay Prompts
• Common Application Essay, Option 1: Share Your Story
• "Handiwork" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
• "Gym Class Hero" - a Common Application Essay Sample for Option #3
• "Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4
• How to Ace Your University of Wisconsin Personal Statements
• Should an Application Essay Be Single-Spaced or Double-Spaced?
• Sample College Admissions Essay - Student Teacher
• Common Application Essay Option 2 Tips: Learning from Failure
• "My Dads" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
• Common Application Essay on a Meaningful Place
• Common Application Essay Option 6: Losing Track of Time
• Tips for Writing an Essay on an Event That Led to Personal Growth

How to Stick to the Word Count on College Essays

You have a lot to think about when writing your college essay: brainstorming a topic , writing it well, and proofreading and editing it until it represents your best work. And of course, you can’t forget about sticking to the word count.

Keeping your essay short can be challenging. It’s supposed to showcase your best self, set you apart from other candidates, and give some extra insight into your individuality and personality. And you have to accomplish all of this in a limited amount of space?

Don’t worry—sticking to the word count while writing an excellent college essay is certainly possible. We’ll show you how!

What is the word count for college essays?

First, you might be wondering: What is the word count for college essays? The answer varies, but let’s take a look at some general guidelines.

Most college applicants will end up writing the Common App essay. Currently, the Common App asks you to write an essay ranging from 250-650 words . 650 words is just over one page of single-spaced type. When you fill out the application online, it won’t allow you to submit an essay with less than 250 or more than 650 words. So, sticking to the word count is not optional.

If you don’t write the Common App essay, or if you write additional essays, note that most college essays set word limits around 500-750 words. In the rare case that no word limit is specified, most experts recommend staying under 800 words.

Remember that the person reading your essay has read a lot of other essays, so be kind. Say what you need to say as concisely as possible. Here’s how:

Tips to Stick to the Word Count on College Essays

1. “zoom in” on your topic.

The best college essays focus on a specific topic . For instance, you might write about a single moment or event that profoundly impacted you, or a small but meaningful aspect of your life.

When you get specific, you’re able to provide details that are unique to you and your experiences, crafting an essay that no one else could write. Plus, you narrow the scope of your essay, which helps you stay within the word count.

Think about it like “zooming in” with a camera. Maybe you have a broad idea to start with, like family. But you can’t pack all of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences about family into 650 words. If you tried to, your essay would probably feel scattered and unorganized. It wouldn’t give a close, personal look at you or your life.

That means you need to zoom in some more. Let’s take a closer look. Maybe there’s a specific aspect of your family you want to highlight, like the way your family has taught you to speak your mind and stand for your beliefs. This is good, but it’s still pretty broad.

Let’s zoom in again. Get more specific. How has your family taught you to speak your mind? Is there a particular memory that stands out? Now, you decide to write about the spirited debates your family loves to have around the dinner table—and how those debates have shaped you as a person.

Now, that’s a topic you might be able to thoroughly cover in 650 words. And it’s going to be a lot more reflective, meaningful, and personal than a generic essay about “family.”

2. Outline First, Then Write

Once you’ve narrowed the scope of your essay, you’re almost ready to write. One of the most powerful strategies to help you stick to the word count is to create a plan or outline. Map out your essay before you start writing. If you have a plan, you’re less likely to ramble, go off on tangents, and ultimately waste words.

Think about the main purpose of your essay. What do you want the reader (college admissions officers) to know about you when they’re finished? What’s the point you’re trying to make?

As you plan or outline your essay, create a narrative:

• What is the beginning, middle, and end of the story you’re telling ?
• What is your character arc?
• Who were you at the beginning? How were you challenged, influenced, or inspired? What did you learn or how did you grow as a result? Who are you now?

Focus on including information that accomplishes your main purposes and moves your narrative along. If it’s unrelated to any of your key points, you can probably cut it. And if it’s information that’s found somewhere else in your application, you don’t need to include it in your plan.

Having a clear, concise, and focused plan for your essay will help you convey your message without exceeding the word limit.

3. Keep the Introduction Short

The most important part of your essay is the body. That means your introduction doesn’t need to be extremely long. Save your words for the “meat” of the essay, where you’ll really dig into your narrative.

An effective introduction is engaging, interesting, and brief. It provides a glimpse or a preview into what you’ll discuss, but not too much. You want to leave the admissions officer wanting to read more.

In general, an introduction only needs three key parts:

• Hook/grabber (an interesting sentence that immediately engages the reader)
• Necessary background information (keyword: necessary)
• Thesis statement or thematic statement (a clear statement summarizing your overall point)

Because college essays are more creative, you don’t have to follow this pattern exactly. But it gives you an idea of why a solid introduction can be short and sweet. Many students make the mistake of including too much unnecessary background in their introduction. Try to limit your intro to 4-6 sentences, unless there’s other essential information you must include.

If your intro is longer than six sentences, go back and underline or highlight sentences that are essential to the meaning of your essay. Then, review the sentences you didn’t highlight. Can you cut them entirely, or at least shorten them? Can this piece of info wait until the body of your essay?

4. Focus on the Important Stuff

We already mentioned that you want to focus on information that advances your narrative and relates to your main point. You also want to devote most of your word count to reflection and introspection.

When an admissions officer reads your essay, they’re most interested in reading your analysis of your life experiences. Think about questions like:

• What did this event mean to you?
• Why is it significant?
• How has it shaped your life?
• How did you learn or grow from this experience?
• What does the information in this essay convey about you as a person, the way you think, or what you believe in and value?

If you write an essay about a challenge in your life, for example, you want to describe the challenge itself only briefly. The majority of your essay should focus on how you overcame the challenge and what you learned from the experience. It should demonstrate positive qualities that the experience revealed or helped you develop, like resilience, determination, and courage.

So, if it looks like you’re going to exceed the word count, reread. How many of these sentences are telling your story? How many are reflecting on your story? If you have to cut something, cut nonessential storytelling pieces. Include specific details that bring your story to life and tell it clearly without taking up too much space.

5. Eliminate Repetition

Have you included any repetitive words or phrases? Do any of your sentences basically mean the same thing? Reread your essay for repetition, and cut it.

Here’s an example:

It was the hardest decision I had ever made in my life. I wanted to avoid embarrassment, but I also wanted to do what was right. Making matters worse, I was torn between my two best friends. I never expected to face such a tough decision.

The first and last sentences of the paragraph above basically say, “It was a hard decision.” The writer doesn’t need both of them. If you can find sentences in your essay that don’t add any new information, then it’s safe to delete them.

6. Avoid Using Unnecessary Words

Similarly, sticking to a tight word limit requires you to write concisely. Concise writing is succinct and to the point. It avoids unnecessary words and sentences. To write concisely, think of each word as a $100 bill. You want to spend them wisely.

Of course, you don’t want to sound like a robot. Writing concisely doesn’t mean that you need to cut interesting details or doses of personality. Choose your words deliberately, and avoid words that don’t add meaning, like:

In some circumstances, some of these words might add meaning. But if you’re struggling to stay within the word limit, these words should be some of the first to go. Does the sentence make sense without it? If yes, cut it. In using the $100 bill analogy above, where can you save money? What unnecessary expenses could your essay live without?

Avoid Using Unnecessary Words: Let’s Practice!

Let’s look at my first paragraph above:

I’m not trying to stick to a 650-word limit, but what if I was? What could I cut? Here are some ideas:

• The word “Similarly” doesn’t add any information. I could just say, “Sticking to a tight word limit requires you to write concisely.”
• In the third sentence, I could delete “To write concisely.” You already know that the topic of this paragraph is concise writing. It would still make sense to say, “Think of each word as a $100 bill.”
• In the final sentence, I could say, “Spend them wisely” instead of, “You want to spend them wisely.” Deleting those two words doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence. In fact, it makes the sentence clearer and more direct.

Now, let’s look at my third paragraph:

If I had to cut something, what could I cut? Here are some suggestions:

• In the first sentence, I could shorten “In some circumstances” to “Sometimes.” It means the same thing and saves me two words.
• In the second sentence, I could delete “some of,” making the sentence, “But if you’re struggling to stay within the word limit, these words should be the first to go.” “Some of” doesn’t add meaning, and deleting it makes the sentence stronger. Plus, I said “some of” in the previous sentence too, so it sounds repetitive.
• I could delete “above” from the question, “In using the $100 bill analogy above, where can you save money?” You probably know the analogy is above. And even if you don’t know, it’s not essential information.
• The final sentence asks, “What unnecessary expenses could your essay live without?” I could delete “unnecessary” because it has the same meaning as “could live without.”

Hopefully, this gives you an idea of how to cut unnecessary words from your essay! As a writer, it’s easy to get attached to the words you’ve chosen. But when it comes to word counts, you must be prepared to trim the fat and delete any words that don’t add meaning.

You should also shorten sentences and phrases whenever possible. For instance, instead of saying, “I wondered if I had made the right decision,” write, “Had I made the right decision?” With the question mark, “I wondered” is implied. Shorter sentences save you words, and they’re often clearer, stronger, and more direct.

7. Ask for Help

If you’ve tried all of these ideas and exercises, but your essay is still too long, ask for help! Ask a friend, parent, teacher, or other trusted adult to read the essay.

Do they see any sentences, phrases, or words that you can cut?

Sometimes, getting an extra pair of eyes on your essay makes a huge difference. An outside perspective is always clearer.

Final Thoughts: How to Stick to the Word Count on College Essays

You might have a lot to say in your college essay, but you have to say it within the required word count. Use strategies like:

• Narrowing down your topic
• Mapping out your essay beforehand
• Focusing on information that supports your main point and advances your narrative
• Cutting repetition
• Cutting unnecessary words and phrases
• Shortening sentences whenever possible
• Asking for a fresh perspective

Believe it or not, using these strategies will also make your essay more engaging and powerful. Not only will you stick to the word count on your college essays, but you’ll also write a clear, concise, and memorable essay for the admissions officers.

Jason Patel is the founder of Transizion , a college counseling and career services company that provides mentorship and consulting on college applications, college essays, resumes, cover letters, interviews, and finding jobs and internships. Jason’s work has been cited in The Washington Post, BBC, NBC News, Forbes, Fast Company, Bustle, Inc., Fox Business, and other great outlets. Transizion donates a portion of profits to underserved students and veterans in of college prep and career development assistance. Jason is a Brazilian Jiujitsu martial artist, outdoorsman, and avid reader. You can find more content on his blog and YouTube channel.

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650 words on college essays.

The life of an admissions officer can be a fascinating one. I spend a lot of time traveling to faraway places to meet students from around the world, voting in committee to help determine each next college class, but I am perhaps most privileged to have a unique glimpse into the personal lives of hundreds of 17 year olds each year via my absolute favorite art form: the college essay. After 5 years I have read thousands of these 650-word windows into the minds of high school students, and can assure you that the college essay comes in many flavors: good, bad, eloquent, conversational, sarcastic, insightful, deep, shallow, hilarious, painful, delightful, disturbing, and so on.

For any high school senior working on their college applications, the essay can seem like a daunting task. For Yale, you’ll even have to write more than one. I hope you see this not as a burden or a hoop you must jump through, but an opportunity: to reflect on your past few years and look ahead to college. The skills of reflection, self-expression, and cogent writing are all ones that will serve you well in college (in fact, they will be critical), so consider this practice. You do not have to be the world’s most eloquent wordsmith to write a successful college essay; the best essays we read are those where the genuine voice of a high school student (that’s you!) comes through loud and clear and we really get a sense of who you are.

When I talk to prospective Yalies about the application process, I am often asked what my favorite essay topic is. I assure you there is no such thing. The quality of a college essay has little to do with topic, and everything to do with reflection and voice. I truly believe I could read 100 essays about the same topic, each of them completely unique and in their own ways excellent and entrancing (or not). There are certainly amusing trends that emerge over time: in the past few years, I’ve seen an uptick in essays reflecting on life lessons learned from Uber drivers. I’m told that 10 years ago, essays explaining what Hogwarts House one belongs in were abundant. I wouldn’t dare say that there are any essay topics you should shy away from, because I’m certain that a great college essay could be written about nearly anything. And it doesn’t matter if we’ve read about it before – only you can write about you.

I do have favorite essays that I can remember, but they have no particular topic in common. Instead, they are the ones where at the end I have a grasp on what it might be like to have a conversation with the writer, to be in the same room as them. This is what we mean when we talk about voice. Revise and edit, but be sure not to lose the sense of individuality that only you can put into words. Have someone proofread, but don’t get too much help. My colleagues and I can tell when an essay is written more by a parent or, dare I even say it, a college consultant than by a student – and I can promise you that those pieces are not very good.

While your grades and test scores will speak for themselves and your teachers and counselor will write on your behalf, the essays are your opportunity to really take control of your application. Every required bit of writing should be considered precious real estate on your applications; think about what you want us to know about you, and do your best to work that information into the space allotted. It is through these essays that your admissions officer revels in your successes, shares in your disappointments, gets to know – forgive the cliché – the real you. So get writing. We can’t wait to hear from you.

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How long should a college essay be?

Bonus Material : PrepMaven’s 30 College Essays That Worked

If you’re a high school student preparing to apply to top schools, you might already know that one of the most important parts of the application process is your college admissions essay. Because the personal essay is so crucial, you’ll want to make sure you perfect it before sending it out to admissions committees. 

We’ve helped thousands of students gain admission into selective colleges through college essay coaching, and in this blog post we’ll guide you through how the length of your essay affects your chances of admission. 

By using this guide alongside our other college application essay guides on brainstorming and formatting , you can perfect your college application essay and maximize your chance of acceptance. 

Another great starting point is our collection of 30 real, proven sample essays that worked to secure top-tier admissions for our past students, which you can download free below. 

Download Thirty College Essays that Worked

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What is the word limit on the Common App Personal Statement? How long should your final essay be? How long should your first draft be? How do you cut to get to the word count? How do you add more to get to the word count? Next steps

What is the word limit on the Common App Personal Statement?

The Common App’s personal essay has had the same maximum word count for years: you get 250-650 words for the entire essay. While you don’t have to hit this limit exactly, the Common App portal will not accept anything longer than 650 words. Any part of the college essay beyond the 650 words will simply not paste in.

Though the Common App is by far the most common college application essay, accepted by the majority of universities, there are a few other personal essay word limits you should be familiar with. 

The University of California system is the most important other one to know: it asks you to respond to four “Personal Insight Questions,” each of which has a maximum of 350 words. 

Other college application essays you’ll write, like supplemental essays, will vary widely in length, though will often cap you at somewhere between 150 and 250 words. Of course, you’ll have to ensure you double-check each essay question’s specific maximum and minimum word count. 

How long should your final essay be?

We can’t stress this enough: the best common application essay responses are at or near the maximum word count . The personal essay is your chance to tell the admissions committee about what makes you unique, and it should actually feel difficult to condense your personality and interests into a mere 650 words. 

With very rare exception, the most successful college admissions essays are between 600 and 650 words. If your personal essay comes out shorter than that, you’re simply not maximizing the opportunity provided to you. In other words, you need to really sit down and think about what could be expanded, what else you could say to make a strong impression on admissions officers. 

Below, we’ll talk about the different stages of the drafting process. Even though the personal statement should end up close to 650 words, that does not mean your first draft should be at the same length. We’ll also offer some advice on how to both shorten and expand your admissions essay.

This advice is backed by decades of experience in crafting successful college application essays, but it is general advice. If you want personalized essay coaching on your specific essays, there’s no better way to get it than by reaching out to us here and getting connected with one of our expert college essay counselors. 

And be sure to read over these real sample essays and note how long each one is: you’ll notice most of the best essays come close to the word count. 

How long should your first draft be?

The easiest way to set yourself up for a college admissions essay that hits the word count is to start long. The truth is that it’s easier to shorten an essay than to add to it. The best way to ensure you don’t find yourself under the word count for your final essay is to start with a first draft that exceeds the word count. 

When we work with students, we advise them to start with a first draft of 850 or more words. We know: that sounds like a lot of writing, but this approach has a ton of benefits for the final product. For one thing, writing more than you have to at first lets you warm up and sharpen your writing skills. 

For another, it pushes you to get all of your ideas on paper. There may be ideas that you don’t initially want to include in your admissions essay: maybe you think they’re unresponsive to the essay question, or maybe you think they wouldn’t interest college admissions officers. 

But the only way to actually know if these ideas will work is to get them on paper. Writing a long first draft ensures you don’t leave any potentially good ideas behind. One of the best things you can do for the first draft of your admissions essay is to get all your ideas on paper, then have someone–like, say, one of our phenomenal admissions essay counselors–read your first draft and tell you what’s worth keeping. 

The truth is that most students will need to cut lots of the things from their first draft of the college admissions essay. If you start your first draft at or near the word count, that’ll make it harder to hit that sweet spot of just under 650 words. 

Your essay’s length might look something like this through the drafting process: 

• Draft 1: around 850 words
• Draft 2: around 750 words
• Draft 3: around 650 words
• Draft 4 and on: just below 650 words. 

Of course, this is just a sample: your own process might be faster or slower, but the gradual shortening of the essay through the drafting process is nearly universal. 

In a nutshell: start with a long first draft, and cut from there as you redraft. 

How do you cut to get to the word count?

So, let’s say you’ve written the first draft of your college admissions essay and gotten to around 900 words. Well done! But now how do you get it down under the maximum word count? How do you decide what deserves to get cut from the essay, and what absolutely has to make its way to college admission officers?

You can think of this process as consisting of three stages:

Start by identifying what is central to your essay. What moments or reflections are absolutely crucial for you to tell your story? Anything not totally necessary to your essay should be on the chopping block. Remember: it is far better to go into detail on a few ideas than to talk about lots of things but without specificity. 

This is the chopping stage: in essence, you eliminate entire moments/sections/paragraphs from your essay. You’re deciding that these elements of your essay simply don’t need to be there. This stage, which is one of the most important in the editing process, should reduce your word count significantly. 

Next, you trim. If you’re certain that all of the content you have in your draft needs to be there for your college admissions essay to work but the draft is still above the word count, you need to trim your existing ideas down to size. 

When we trim essays, we’re not generally removing any of the content. Instead, we’re tactically cutting two words here, a word there. This is precise fine-tuning: can you flip the sentence structure to save yourself two words without losing the flow? Can you cut a helping verb without messing with the grammar of the sentence?

The trimming stage can take a long time, but you’ll be surprised how much you can shorten an essay even if you’re working just one to two words at a time. 

Of course, there’s nothing worse than cutting something that might have wowed an admission committee, or taking out precisely the wrong word in an effort to shorten a sentence. The best way to avoid those mistakes is with an experienced second-opinion: our essay coaches have been through this process themselves, and will be happy to help you avoid any crucial mistakes in these drafting stages. 

If you look at the below essays, you might want to think about all the work that went into ensuring none of this brilliant content got cut out along the way. 

How do you add more to get to the word count?

Ideally, you won’t have this problem: if you follow our initial drafting advice, you’ll be worried about cutting, not adding. 

But if you’re already in the later drafting stages and are struggling with getting up to the maximum word count, there are a few things you can do without adding new content. 

The biggest is simply to add more detail! This is, at the end of the day, what makes a strong college admissions essay: the specific, vivid details from your own life. It’s basically the time-tested adage of “show don’t tell.” 

Instead of saying, for example, “I was nervous as I prepared to perform in the school play,” you’d be better off writing something like, “As I waited my turn to take the stage, I felt my knees grow weak. Was I going to make a fool of myself out there? Had I really rehearsed my role enough?” And so on: it’s the same basic information, but more detailed, more interesting, and longer. 

Ultimately, all suggestions on adding to reach a word count will circle around this same basic idea: more detail. But again, we recommend sidestepping this whole problem by beginning with long drafts overflowing with specific details and content. 

If you’re preparing to write your college essay, your next steps are pretty straightforward. First, make sure you’re well-prepared by reading our guides on brainstorming and essay formatting. Then, read over a few sample essays from the 30 real college essays we’ve collected below. Then: write that long first draft!

We know, we know: it’s easy to say “Write a first draft of 850+ words,” but it can be a lot harder to actually do it. That’s why we’ve got a brilliant team of college essay tutors, all of whom have been accepted to elite universities and all of whom are ready to help you craft the perfect application essay as soon as you reach out. 

Mike is a PhD candidate studying English literature at Duke University. Mike is an expert test prep tutor (SAT/ACT/LSAT) and college essay consultant. Nearly all of Mike’s SAT/ACT students score in the top 5% of test takers; many even score above 1500 on the SAT. His college essay students routinely earn admission into their top-choice schools, including Harvard, Brown, and Dartmouth. And his LSAT students have been accepted In into the top law schools in the country, including Harvard, Yale, and Columbia Law.

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Does my Common App essay need to be exactly 650 words? Is it OK if it's longer or shorter?

3 answers by expert tutors.

Barbara B. answered • 10/21/19

English Teacher aiding students to successfully complete applications

If your essay is longer than the limit, the application process cuts off the extra words when you submit it. Therefore, colleges will receive an incomplete essay.

Paige F. answered • 10/17/19

The College Essay & Application Guru- Oxford Grad

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. Of course, you still need to make sure you've written a complete essay that tells the admissions committee something important about yourself- something not previously mentioned in your application. The essay is a chance for admissions to get to know you as a person not just a resume. Although I'm new to Wyzant, I've spent the last six years coaching students on all aspects of admissions, so I have loads of of other tips to share on writing college essays if you're looking for additional help.

Abby K. answered • 10/16/19

Writing coach/editor with 25 years of experience and MA from Harvard

Your essay must not be longer than 650 words, but it can be shorter. Anything over 500 words is fine, as long as your essay is thoughtful and complete.

If your essay is running short, add relevant details and descriptions that help the reader get a better glimpse of the situation and your personality. Do not add fluffy adjectives, redundancies, or grandiose closing statements such as "Your university will make my dreams come true." This is likely off the topic of your story, and well, it's not memorable because a zillion essays end this way.

If you need help brainstorming topics, revising, or finalizing your essay I'd be glad to help. I'm a published writer wot over ten years of experience tutoring college applicants as well as degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard.

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Hi all! I'm starting to work on my college essays and I was curious about how many words I should be aiming for in my essay. Are there any general guidelines or suggestions? Thanks!

When it comes to college essays, different schools may have different word count requirements, which you can usually find on the school's application instructions or their website. However, the Common Application's personal statement has a word limit of 650. It's a good idea to stay within that limit, ensuring that you fully answer the prompt while still being concise.

As a general guideline, aim to write an essay between 500 to 650 words. An essay that's too short might not provide enough depth, while an excessively long essay can be tough to engage with. It's important to strike a balance, conveying your unique story or perspective in a focused and engaging way. Remember, quality often trumps quantity. Good luck with your essays!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

"No More Than 650 words"

<p>Since the common-app has changed its regulations, I guess this would be a time to discuss this. </p>

<p>Before the common-app said “approximately 250-500” words, meaning there was no limit (technically). Now, however, it says NO MORE than 650 words. </p>

<p>Is this a limit?</p>

<p>Right now my essay is ~800 words after lots of revising (original draft had ~1000). Would it be a really bad idea to send in this many words if I really can’t get it down without taking away necessary sentences? Will the common-app even allow more than 650? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>No, I don’t believe so. </p>

<p>I think they used to limit you at 500 words. </p>

<p>In my experience, cutting things down like that just doesn’t work. The writing gets choppy and you lose a lot. I don’t think you should go from 1000 words to 650…it’d probably be better to just write a different essay.</p>

<p>In years past, while students were given a word limit, they could upload a document that pretty much ignored the limit. The new common application no longer allows for uploaded documents. Students must type their essay into a text box that will have a character limit. So, your essay really cannot exceed 650 words.</p>

<p>See:<a href=“ http://www.leaprogram.com/collegebound/2013/05/common-app-changes-coming[/url] ”> http://www.leaprogram.com/collegebound/2013/05/common-app-changes-coming&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt ;

<p>I think u’d better not write more than 650 words.</p>

<p>^^ Or, if you don’t, your 800 word essay will be cut-off in the middle of a sentence, wherever that 650 word-limit cuts it off.</p>

<p>Common app also says it’s a limit, not a goal. You could definitely write a perfectly good essay that’s 450-500 words and call it a day.</p>

<p>Yeah there are more stringent limits this year. It must be under 650</p>

<p>Even if you could, you’d never want to push the rule more than a sentence or two (regardless if there are a few famous cases of doing so). I just shows that 1) you can’t follow directions or worse, think they don’t apply to you, or 2) you can’t do the work to get it into shape or you are picking an ‘story’ too large for the scope of the 650 words.</p>

<p>Seems like a good opportunity to show that you can follow directions.</p>

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