short essay word limit

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• Writing Tips

The Word Limit in Academic Writing (and How to Stick to It)

3-minute read

• 24th September 2016

Even the phrase “word limit” can cause panic among students . For some it’s the challenge of writing enough, while others find it hard to stick within the limit given. In either case, it can lead to spending more time worrying about the length of your paper than the content!

But why do college papers come with set word limits? And what should you do to ensure you don’t write too much or too little?

Why Have a Word Limit?

There are two main reasons that academic papers usually come with a word limit:

• Fairness It’s impossible to grade two papers of vastly different lengths (e.g., 20,000 compared to 2,000 words) on the same scale. The word limit makes sure that everyone taking the same class knows what is expected of them.
• Communication Skills As well as testing your knowledge, college papers are about communicating clearly and concisely. Setting a word limit forces you to consider what you’re saying more carefully, helping you to develop your writing skills.

Sticking to the word limit is, therefore, part of being a good academic, since being a long way over or under could suggest you’ve misjudged the scope of the essay topic or that you’re having trouble communicating your ideas.

How to Stick to the Word Limit

Although many colleges give you roughly 10% leeway on the word limit, you should aim for your finished paper to be as close to the suggested word count as possible. If you find yourself writing too much, you can reduce the word count by:

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• Editing out repetition, redundant words and padding phrases
• Cutting down long or unnecessary quotations
• Reducing the number of examples or case studies used (if you’ve included several)
• Using the active voice instead of the passive voice

More generally, you should re-read your work and eliminate anything that isn’t directly related to the question you’re answering. As well as helping you stick to the word limit, this will make your work more focused, which could boost your grades.

How to Increase Your Word Count

If you’re struggling to write enough, the temptation might be to add padding phrases like “in my opinion” or long block quotations until you hit the minimum word count. But this will simply detract from the clarity of your writing.

Instead, the answer is usually to go back over your work and look for things that could be improved with a little additional attention. This might involve:

• Addressing anything from your essay question that you’ve overlooked
• Adding illustrative examples to support a point
• Considering different sources and views on the same issue
• Using short quotations as evidence for your arguments

Moreover, whether you’ve written too much or too little, getting someone else to read your work and offer feedback is a fantastic idea (especially if you ask a professional for help). This will help you to identify areas that could be expanded or cut in the next draft, so eventually you should be able to get your essay to the required length.

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• College essay

How Long Should a College Essay Be? | Word Count Tips

Published on September 29, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on June 1, 2023.

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. However, if you write too little, it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Table of contents

Word count guidelines for different application types, how to shorten your essay, how to expand your essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Each university has a different suggested or required word count depending on which application portal it uses.

Some application portals will allow you to exceed the word count limit, but admissions officers have limited time and energy to read longer essays. Other application portals have a strict limit and will not allow you to exceed it.

For example, in the Common App , the portal will not allow you to submit more than 650 words. Some colleges using the Common App will allow you to submit less than 250 words, but this is too short for a well-developed essay.

For scholarship essays , diversity essays , and “Why this college?” essays , word count limits vary. Make sure to verify and respect each prompt’s limit.

Don’t worry too much about word count until the revision stage ; focusing on word count while writing may hinder your creativity. Once you have finished a draft, you can start shortening or expanding your essay if necessary.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

On some application portals, you can exceed the word limit, but there are good reasons to stay within it:

• To maintain the admissions officer’s attention
• To show you can follow directions
• To demonstrate you can write concisely

Here are some strategies for shortening your essay.

Stay on the main point

It’s good to use vivid imagery, but only include relevant details. Cut any sentences with tangents or unnecessary information.

My father taught me how to strategically hold the marshmallow pierced by a twig at a safe distance from the flames to make sure it didn’t get burned, ensuring a golden brown exterior.

Typically, my father is glued to his computer since he’s a software engineer at Microsoft. But that night, he was the marshmallow master. We waited together as the pillowy sugary goodness caramelized into gooey delight. Good example: Sticks to the point On our camping trip to Yosemite, my family spent time together, away from technology and routine responsibility.

My favorite part was roasting s’mores around the campfire. My father taught me how to hold the marshmallow at a safe distance from the flames, ensuring a golden brown exterior.

These college essay examples also demonstrate how you can cut your essay down to size.

Eliminate wordiness

Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay. If a word doesn’t add value, cut it.

Here are some common examples of wordiness and how to fix them.

Use a paraphrasing tool

If you want to save time, you can make use of a paraphrasing tool . Within the tool you can select the “short” mode to rewrite your essay in less words. Just copy your text in the tool and within 1 click you’ll have shortened your essay.

If you’re significantly under the word count, you’re wasting the opportunity to show depth and authenticity in your essay. Admissions officers may see your short essay as a sign that you’re unable to write a detailed, insightful narrative about yourself.

Here are some strategies for expanding your essay.

Show detailed examples, and don’t tell generic stories

You should include detailed examples that can’t be replicated by another student. Use vivid imagery, the five senses, and specific objects to transport the reader into your story.

Reveal your feelings and insight

If your essay lacks vulnerability or self-reflection, share your feelings and the lessons you’ve learned.

Be creative with how you express your feelings; rather than simply writing “I’m happy,” use memorable images to help the reader clearly visualize your happiness. Similarly, for insight, include the follow-up actions from your lessons learned; instead of claiming “I became a hard worker,” explain what difficult tasks you accomplished as a result of what you learned.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

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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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How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What Is the Ideal Length?

What’s covered: , personal statement length vs. supplemental essay length, are college essay word limits hard, what if a college essay word count isn’t given, what if you need to submit a graded paper, where to get your essays edited.

Students often spend hours agonizing over the best topics for their college essays. While it’s natural to wonder whether your personal statement is original or compelling enough, there’s one aspect of the process that shouldn’t cause you undue stress—how many words should a college essay be? Fortunately, with a little research, you can uncover the ideal college essay length for all your applications.

Unlike high school assignments, which typically have a strict page requirement, most colleges provide a word limit or word range for their application essays. This practice helps ensure that essays are the same length regardless of font or formatting. A good guideline is that students should strive to get as close as possible to the upper limit of the word range without exceeding it. Keep reading to learn more about best practices for college essay length.

How many words should a college essay be? Personal statements are generally 500-650 words. For example, the Common Application , which can be used to apply to more than 800 colleges, requires an essay ranging from 250-650 words . Similarly, the Coalition Application , which has 150 member schools, features an essay with a recommended length of 500-650 words.

650 words is the most common limit for your personal statement, but some schools may ask students to write more or less. For example, ApplyTexas , a platform used to apply to Texas public universities and other select colleges, requests essays with requirements that vary by school. For example, students applying to UT Austin will need to submit an essay of 500-700 words, along with three short-answer questions of 250-300 words each.

On the other hand, the University of California (UC) application includes a Personal Insight section with eight prompts . Students are asked to respond to any four of these prompts, with each response topping out at 350 words.

Additionally, some schools request a few supplemental essays, which are typically shorter than a personal statement. These questions are designed to gain more information about a student’s interests and abilities, and may include topics like your reasons for wanting to attend their school, your desired major, or your favorite activity.

Most schools require 1-3 supplemental essays, though some may require more or none at all (see our list of top colleges without supplemental essays ). These essays tend to be around 250 words, but some may be just as long as your main essay. For example, Cornell requires applicants to write a second supplemental essay (of 650 words max) that is specific to the program they’re applying to. The exception to this is the Cornell College of Engineering, for which applicants are required to compose two supplemental essays of 250 words max each.

For best results, keep your essays within the word range provided. While you don’t have to hit the count exactly, you should aim to stay within a 10% difference of the upper limit—without including fluff or filler. For example, if the school requests 500 words, try to ensure that your essay is between 450 and 500 words.

For the Common App, try to stay within 550-650 words, even though the given range is 250-650. Any submission shorter than 500 words will make it look as though you simply didn’t care enough to give your best effort. An essay shorter than 500 words won’t be long enough to truly share who you are and what matters to you.

Exceeding the word count isn’t an option—the application portal cuts off anything over the maximum number of allowed words. This is something you want to be particularly careful of if you’re drafting your essay in a Word or Google document and pasting it into the application.

Although most schools provide applicants with a specific word count, some offer more general guidelines. For example, a college may ask for a particular number of pages or paragraphs.

If you aren’t given a word count, try to adhere to the best practices and conventions of writing. Avoid writing especially short or overly long paragraphs—250 words per paragraph is generally a safe upper limit. If you’re asked to write a certain number of pages, single- or double-spaced, stick to a standard font and font size (like 12-point Times New Roman).

In the event that the college doesn’t offer any guidelines at all, aim for an essay length of around 500 words.

While essays are the most commonly requested writing sample, some colleges ask for additional pieces of content. For example, Princeton University requires students to submit a previously graded paper for evaluation .

Princeton offers guidelines that cover length, but if another school requests an old paper and doesn’t offer length requirements, a paper ranging from 3-5 pages should yield the best results. The goal is to select a paper long enough to showcase your writing skills and unique voice, but short enough that the admissions officer doesn’t get bored reading it.

Is your essay effective while staying within the required word count? It’s hard to evaluate your own writing, especially after rereading it numerous times. CollegeVine’s free Peer Essay Review provides an opportunity to have your essay reviewed by a fellow student, for free. Similarly, you can help other students by reviewing their essays—this is a great way to refine your own writing skills.

Expert advice is also available. CollegeVine’s advisors are prepared to help you perfect your personal statement and submit a successful application to your top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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How to Write a Short Essay: Format & Examples

Short essays answer a specific question on the subject. They usually are anywhere between 250 words and 750 words long. A paper with less than 250 words isn’t considered a finished text, so it doesn’t fall under the category of a short essay. Essays of such format are required for personal statements where you need to write about yourself. It might seem easy, but it’s not half.

Expressing and elaborating your idea within the given word limit is the most challenging part of the task. In this article, we’ll explain how to write a great short essay. If you’re working on one of your assignments and need help, keep reading to learn more!

• 📚 Essay Format
• 📝 Essay Template
• ✨ Guide & Useful Tips
• ✅ Essay Topics

🔗 References

📚 short essay format.

A short essay follows a standard essay structure : intro – main body – conclusion. You can be creative with the contents of your paper; however, it’s best to stick to the hamburger essay format when it comes to structure.

These are the benefits of having a standard essay structure:

• You always have a template that can help you organize your thoughts.
• You can estimate how many words each paragraph should include, making the writing process faster and easier.
• You can get a high grade by simply following the instructions.

Below you’ll find more detailed information on how to organize each short essay section.

Introduction

An essay introduction aims to grab the reader’s attention and provide essential background information . It sets the tone for the paper and presents the thesis statement, outlining the essay’s central argument. Here are a couple of advice on how to make your introduction work: 

Body Paragraphs

In the body paragraphs, you present and develop the essay’s main points. Each section focuses on a specific idea related to the topic, providing evidence, examples, and analysis to support the overall thesis statement. Here’s the structure of a paragraph:

A summary aims to condense the key ideas and arguments presented in an essay, allowing readers to quickly grasp the essence of the paper without reading the entire content. A good summary should:

📝 Short Essay Template

Use this easy template to quickly structure any short narrative, argumentative, or informative essay.

• Hook: an intriguing fact, question, or statistic to grab your readers’ attention.
• Background info: something that provides context.
• Thesis statement: the purpose or central argument of your essay presented in one sentence.
• Topic sentence: a paragraph’s opening sentence that expresses its main idea.
• Supporting sentences: evidence, facts, and examples supporting the topic sentence.
• Transition: phrases or sentences that ensure coherence and cohesion in the essay, allowing for a clear and logical progression of information.
• Summary: a brief recap and conclusion to an essay.
• Restated thesis: a restatement of the main ideas and arguments.

✨ How to Write a Short Essay: Useful Tips

Each essay format has different requirements. Below are some tips to help you ensure you’re on the right track with the short essay format.

1. Follow the Short Essay Format

Mastering the format requirements is crucial, especially when writing a concise argumentative essay. While the five-paragraph structure may not be commonly found in literature, it holds great significance in academic writing for several reasons:

• Adhering to this standardized template makes the writing process more manageable.
• The clear guidelines facilitate reading, checking, and evaluation.
• This format accommodates various essay types, allowing students to excel in most academic texts .

Each paragraph in the short essay format plays a distinct role, making it essential to include all components for a cohesive and impactful essay.

2. Make Your Introduction Meaningful

Here’s how you can make your introduction work:

• When writing the opening paragraph of your essay, be very specific about your topic. It will help you sharpen your argument and clarify your intentions.
• To avoid a generic introduction, consider providing an example of the evidence you will use to support your point.
• Lastly, make sure to place your thesis statement as the concluding sentence of the paragraph, signaling to your readers where they can find the main point of your essay.

3. Write a Strong Thesis

Much has been said about the importance of a thesis statement, but crafting a persuasive one can be challenging. In a short essay, a strong thesis statement plays a crucial role. It summarizes the argument you intend to defend in your paper, setting the stage for your essay. Your thesis statement should be specific, intellectually rewarding by presenting new information, and decisive in expressing your opinion . Let’s take a closer look at some examples to illustrate these principles:

• Bad example: There is a vast diversity of opinions regarding abortions .
• Good example: Every woman must have the right to control her pregnancy which means the right to control her own body, health, and life.
• Bad example: Prisons can harm a convict’s further career.
• Good example: Imprisonment deteriorates a convict’s self-confidence and motivation, lowering their chances for new employment.
• Bad example: Orphans become the beloved children in some families, while in others, they never become natives.
• Good example: This essay aims to confirm that the reasons why adopting families don’t accept children lie within the families’ unreadiness for change.

4. Keep Your Introduction & Conclusion Concise

In the realm of short essay writing, brevity is the key. While it may be tempting to use abstract statements as hooks or delve into distant considerations in the conclusion part, keep an eye on the word count. With a maximum of 75 words each, the introduction elucidates the topic and conveys its significance, while the conclusion reiterates the main claim and reinforces the supporting evidence .

5. Make Topic Sentences from Your Thesis

When it comes to short essays, brevity extends to the main body as well. Typically comprising only 3 to 4 paragraphs, each of them focuses on a distinct aspect of the overall argument. To ensure clarity, we suggest splitting the thesis into multiple parts and transforming them into topic sentences for each paragraph. This structured approach will help you avoid confusion and make the paper more digestible for your readers. Additionally, this method simplifies crafting a well-rounded conclusion.

6. Refer to Reliable Sources

When tackling a short essay, it’s crucial to avoid baseless claims and instead focus on substantiating your arguments. Pay special attention to the sources you cite, as even the slightest inconsistency can catch the reader’s eye.

Enhance your essay’s credibility by incorporating several quotations or research-based facts, demonstrating your awareness of the topic. Even in the case of an in-class essay where extensive research may not be feasible, include relevant information or paraphrase passages you have previously encountered. Use indirect quotations if you can’t remember the exact wording.

7. Revise Your Short Essay

With a 500-word count, every word counts! Here are a few tips you may find helpful:

• Take a moment to assess the length of your essay and eliminate any unnecessary words to ensure a faster and more polished result. Consider using our convenient summarizer to streamline your writing further.
• Sometimes it’s hard to spot your own mistakes while proofreading the essay. Our essay-to-speech tool feature can help you identify weak points by reading your paper out loud. This auditory perspective can help you quickly identify and rectify any areas that require improvement.

✅ Short Essay Topics

Selecting an engaging and captivating topic is vital if you want to showcase your writing skills in a single short essay. Below are some examples to inspire your creativity . They’ll help you brainstorm and find the perfect topic that aligns with your interests and allows you to demonstrate your writing skills .

Short Narrative Essay Topics

• How I see a day in my adult life .
• Personal Experience in the Covert Conflict.
• A loss that will never be replenished.
• The Author’s Personal Experience.
• Describe how you would change the school program .
• Higher Education: Personality and Academic Success.
• What is the critical element of success?
• Photography: Hobby of Millions Unique for Everyone.
• My first love and lessons learned from it.
• Mindfulness Practicing: Personal Experience.
• The longest day of my life.
• Writing: Personal Hobby Analysis.
• A place to find peace in the hurricane of events.
• The Sports Coaching Guidelines and Routines.
• An eye-opening situation that changed the way I treat others.
• Innovation in Operation Management – Personal Experience.
• The worst trait of my character.
• Chapter 8 of “Criminology Today” by F. Schmalleger.
• How I met my best friend.
• Importance of Friendships.

Short Argumentative Essay Topics

• Social media can kill a relationship.
• Smoking in Public Places: Should It Be Banned?
• Animals should live in their natural habitats .
• Should People Be Ashamed of Poverty?
• Mandatory Overtime for Nurses Should Be Eliminated.
• The third wave of feminism is about to end with a half-victory.
• The Importance of Variability in the Food Industry.
• Gender Stereotypes: Should Real Men Wear Pink?
• Pharmacies: A big lie that costs a fortune.
• Police Standards Should Be Modified.
• Genetic cloning is immoral.
• Should Smoking Be Illegal?
• College Athletes Should Not Be Paid.
• We will never be equal because we are all different.
• Mandatory Job Drug Test Should Be Allowed.
• The best economic system has not been developed yet.
• Why Marriage Should Be Based on Love and Not Arranged?
• Reasons Why Kids Should Not Play Tackle Football.
• Owning a gun means you can be killed by chance.
• Should Social Media Be Banned?
• The non-family-friendly TV screen.
• Why Immigrants Should Receive Social Services?
• There’s a lot more sport about video games than we think.
• Should Children Be Taught Sex Education in School?

Short Informative Essay Topics

• How have video games affected modern technologies ?
• Infidelity and Societal Impact on Family Values.
• Meaning of Life in “Half a Day” by Naguib Mahfouz.
• Sociological Research Evaluation: Effects of Parental Imprisonment on Children’s Social and Moral Aspects.
• Climate Change Impacts.
• Explain the importance of the Olympic Games for building intercultural links.
• The Importance of Strategic Management and Planning.
• The Network Strategy of USA Today.
• A prominent artist and their masterpiece.
• Organizational Vision and Its Importance for the Staff.
• How to develop reading habits that last.
• The Impact of Electronic Medical Records.
• New and Old Media: Form, Impact, and Accessibility.
• Declaration of Independence and Cultural Issues Today.
• How does alcohol impact the way we behave?
• The Importance of Diet Monitoring.
• Personal Philosophy of Nursing Care.
• Why do teachers need a study plan?
• The Introduction of a Four-Day Work Week.
• Journalist Profession, Its Pros and Cons.
• The role of capitalism in shaping our idea of democracy .
• Teju Cole Personality’s in Modern American Society.
• The Importance of Medical Ethics.
• Tell a story of a famous and successful startup.
• Power of Advertising: Good and Bad Balance’ Importance.
• Personal and Political Pacifism.
• The cultural importance of divination.
• Important Factors in Personal Investment.
• My way of organizing my daily schedule and staying productive .
• The Impact of “The Marrow of Tradition” on Future American Literature.
• Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451”: Themes and Importance of the Book.

❓ Short Essay FAQ

A short essay is an academic paper typically ranging between 200 and 750 words, providing a focused topic exploration. This type of essay follows a standard structure: intro-main body-conclusion, usually presented in a five-paragraph format.

A short essay typically ranges from 200 to 750 words which can be covered in three to five paragraphs. This concise format translates to less than one page of typed content. However, it’s important to note that specific requirements may vary depending on the college, with some specifying a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 650 words. Be sure to review the task instructions to ensure you meet the guidelines.

In a short essay, the number of words is more important than the number of sentences. It means you can use any number of sentences as long as you stay within the required word limit. However, most of the time, a short essay consists of around 20 to 25 sentences.

An introduction needs to grab readers’ attention and provide some background information. It’s best to start your essay with a hook. However, be careful and add only the necessary information since your word count is limited.

• Writing short essays – Concordia University
• Thesis Statements; The Writing Center – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• What Is an Essay Structure? (With 4 Types and Tips) | Indeed.com
• How to Write a Thesis Statement: Writing Guides: Writing Tutorial Services: Indiana University Bloomington
• Topic Sentences and Signposting | Harvard College Writing Center
• Using Topic Sentences | Writing Advice
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How Long Should a Short Essay Be?

Unless you have a specific length requirement, you are unlikely to have a specific length requirement for a short essay in terms of words or pages. Depending on what you’re supposed to write, the words “short,” “brief,” “concise,” or “succinct” can mean two different things in this context. It could be a standard essay given to students in schools, or it could be a supplemental admissions response to a prompt. Let’s start with the first scenario, which is the school assignment.

What is the length of the short essay? In this day and age, everything is relative, and one man’s short might be another man’s long—so let’s put this to rest once and for all.

A short essay is 300-500 words long, which is approximately two pages with double spacing and one page when single-spaced. The 2-page length is based on the assumption that you will be using Times New Roman font (12pt) with standard margins throughout your document.

In high school, a short essay is 250-300 words long. The limit for a short essay can extend to 600 words depending on page length and seniority in grade.

A short essay will vary depending on academic level.

However, a range of 500-3000 words can fit the category. Anything above 3000 words, even for PhD students is a long essay.

Once a paper exceeds 750 words, it becomes a medium length essay. A long form essay is one that is above 2,900 words. If you’re studying for your masters or undergrad, these long essays are usually common.

How many paragraphs should a short essay be?

A short essay should comprise of approximately five paragraphs. The introduction should be very catchy because it will draw the reader’s attention and then they will be able to easily understand your point. It is best practice to include a thesis statement in the opening paragraph of your essay. The three paragraphs in the body of the paper should provide evidence to support the thesis.

Let’s take a look at this number from a different angle. Some short essay samples are available from the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, which include personal statements and application essays written by students who were attempting to gain admission to a number of programs. Locate any short essay samples and after reading through them, you’ll notice that they’re all about 500 words long and are all pretty much the same.

Within that time limit, the applicants were required to explain why they desired to continue their educational careers at that particular institution.

For the most part, short essays follow a traditional structure, which includes an introduction (hook, thesis statement, etc.), a body section, and a conclusion.

You can adequately develop and present an idea in 500 words, which means your paper will be composed of 3–5 paragraphs at the very most.

That’s usually enough time to provide background information, incorporate one central point, and conclude the piece with a final sentence.

Read: Recommended Length of a College Essay

How Long Does it Take to Write a Short Essay?

How long does it take to write a short essay? It takes 30 minutes to write a satisfactory short essay of 300 words. You may need an hour to complete a 500-word short essay due to proofreading, time spent formatting the essay, and the duration needed for citation.

Experts can complete short essays within only 10 minutes.

Other factors can also shape how long it will take you to complete the essay. For instance, if the content of the essay is on a topic you’re not familiar with, it might take some minutes more to come up with what to write up in the paper.

5-Paragraph Short Essay

It is generally accepted that a short essay must have at least five paragraphs to accomplish its goals in order to be considered successful. This number of sections enables you to incorporate your topic or claim, discuss or prove it, and give the reader with a logical conclusion in a structured manner.

The best ratio for each of the main elements of a 5-paragraph essay is 20-60-20. The first and last paragraphs of your essay should be approximately the same length. In addition, three body paragraphs should account for the majority of the text.

The five-paragraph short essay helps to maintain the short length of the essay while also adhering to the formalities of the essay structure—with an introduction, body, and conclusion—while still expressing yourself clearly. In your introduction, you will include one brief paragraph in which you will highlight your purpose or thesis.

This is followed by the body, which consists of three body paragraphs, each of which provides support for your thesis and each of which contains a unique topic sentence.

In the final section, you present your main point and the ways in which you supported it throughout the paper, using different words because you shouldn’t simply copy and paste whatever you had been writing earlier in the paper for your conclusion—it is not recommended.

How many words do you think this will take? Approximately 600—but you can go as high as 900 if you so desire. 900 words, or three pages, is sufficient time to write a five-paragraph short essay that is both safe and effective.

How to Write a 3 Paragraph Short Essay

The three-paragraph short essay is made up of three paragraphs: an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a conclusion paragraph.

The very first paragraph of the essay is the point where you present the central idea, the second paragraph provides supporting evidence, and the third paragraph summarizes every point of the essay and concludes. That is, in essence, the formula for the three-paragraph short essay; however, because it is so brief, you can dispense with the introduction and conclusion entirely, and instead jump right into the main points.

Most of the time, this type of short essay is written with the intention of responding to an essay question provided by your professor, which allows you to get away with simply answering the question and skipping over the typical formalities of the finely-tuned essay.

But what distinguishes this type of short essay from a short answer, if anything? There isn’t much. If you’ve been assigned a short essay, it’s probably best to stick with the five-paragraph format for your writing to avoid confusion.

A Short Answer Question Essay

When writing your application to college, you will most likely be required to write a brief supplemental essay, such as this. It should be shorter than a typical brief essay, with a length of approximately 150–250 words on average.

Short answer essays frequently do not have specific requirements, which makes them difficult to write (like a clearly stated word limit). However, if you’re submitting it online, the system will not allow you to exceed the recommended number — you will simply be unable to submit your document.

In general, one paragraph should suffice for your response; the person who will read your response should have no trouble doing so within sixty seconds. You must make the most of each and every word to succeed in this endeavor. The length of your response will determine whether it is meaningful, and if it is too long, they may choose to skip over it entirely.

A “short” essay does not necessarily imply a lower level of quality or less effort. On the other hand, you must make every word count and pay close attention to grammar, style, punctuation, and tone throughout the document.

If you are permitted to write a 250-word response, this indicates that the school is interested in learning more about your personality. Don’t forget to make your writing interesting and compelling for that overloaded college admission board officer who’s already read hundreds of these responses.

When writing a brief response essay, what is the best length to use? If the instructions do not explicitly state that you must write more than 125–150 words, then aim for that number. This amount of space is sufficient to elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or a personal encounter.

When writing it, don’t overthink what you’re going to say to the board — just be yourself. The primary goal of this brief essay is to demonstrate who you truly are and what values you hold dear to your heart. When someone is being dishonest, it’s easy to tell. Even if a story about volunteering has a greater impact than a piece about your science fair project, the latter is not always the case.

How to Make Your Short Essay Interesting

Although it should be brief, it should be densely packed with information. You can decide to use headings as well as subheadings to break up crucial information and avoid confusing your reader. It is not necessary for the essay to be brief in order for it to contain complex words and eye-catching information. Even in short essays, the reader’s attention should be captured and maintained.

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How Long Is A Short Essay And Should You Write It? (Answered)

by  Antony W

February 16, 2023

We’ve taught you how to lengthen an essay with the intent of making sure your work is as comprehensive, relevant, and in-depth as possible. However, that doesn’t rule out that essays can also be short.

So the question is this:

How long is a short essay exactly?  

Let’s get one thing out of the way first:

There isn’t a strict rule on word limit in essay writing. How much you can write depends on the prompt, the complexity of the topic, the depth of your research, the type of the essay, or your professor’s preferences.

But can an essay still be as short irrespective of these conditions? Yes, it can.

How Long Is A Short Essay And How Many Words Should It Be? 

A short essay should be at least 500 words long .

That’s a one-page document single spaced, or two pages with double-spacing, provided you use the standard formatting required in academic writing.

You go over 3 pages, and your paper is no longer a short essay. 

Keep in mind that even shorter essays must adhere to the standard outline for it to be considered at essay.

A writer must include an opening paragraph, a body section, and a conclusion.

For a 500-word essay, you’ll end with about 3 to 5 paragraphs. There’s a lot you can write in 500 words. Split into 5 paragraphs, you do have ample space to state your claim, defend and prove it, and provide a reasonable conclusion.

Since a short essay is by no means an extensive paper, it should be to the point.

Start with a hook; let your reader know what to expect from the paper even before getting to the body paragraphs. Follow up with background information and lay a framework for effective investigation of a topic or claim.  

You won’t go deep into research because you don’t have enough room to introduce, develop, and summarize your ideas, but you still should remain as relevant and accurate as possible.

When it comes to writing 3 to 5 paragraphs, it’s important to find a good balance between sections so that you end up with a well-written paper.

It makes a lot of sense to write about the same word count for the opening paragraph and the concluding statement, keeping in mind that both cannot be more than one paragraph. Then throw a big chunk of the word count to the body paragraphs. 

Are you feeling stuck on writing your essay and are wondering where to get expert help? Don’t worry, because we have your back. At Help for Assessment, we can help you write a killer essay that will impress your professor and earn you the grades you want. Learn more about our essay writing service here and get started by placing an order.

Short Essay vs Short Answer 

While not a concrete conclusion, some students can easily confuse a short essay with a short answer. But there are differences between the two, as illustrated in the table below.

Writing either of these shouldn’t be difficult or intimidating. The secret to getting the writing right is to not overthink what to write.

Write naturally instead.

Let your ideas flow naturally, so you can provide valuable information that will be hard for a reader to resist. 

Does Short Mean Low Quality? 

No, just because an essay is short doesn’t mean it’s a low quality assignment.

As long as you can make every word count and pay close attention to sentence structure, tone, grammar, and writing style, your short essay should tick.

Remember, the guide for writing a comprehensive essay remains the same. Therefore with a short essay, the only difference is the length of the paper.

While it’s a challenge explaining your ideas broadly to explain your ideas or defend your claim in a short essay, you can summarize your thoughts and still communicate your message.

If it helps, go straight to the point, by providing a clear, immediate response to a question asked or the argument presented.

Can The Body Section Of A Short Essay Be One Paragraph? 

Short essays, especially the ones that are only 300 words long can have at least 3 paragraphs. For you, this means having an opening paragraph, a body paragraph, and a concluding paragraph. 

It’s fine to make the body section of such a short essay one paragraph, not the entire assignment. Provided you stick to the outline, all you have left to do is to present your claim, defend it, and summarize it in a way that makes sense. 

We still recommend breaking the body section into paragraphs if you have more than one idea to present. This ensures clarity throughout your document.

Conclusion 

Short assignments are the kind of response papers that you’ll write often in college.

Your professor will teach you something in class, and then you’ll have to write a response to what they’ve taught or what you’ve read.

Although a short essay won’t demand that you do a lot of in-depth research, your instructor still expects you to demonstrate your knowledge of the topic. This begs for some research, although not as extensive as you would when writing a standard (old /regular), 3 to 6 pages.

Then when introducing, supporting, and summarizing your ideas, do so only in a few words as this is mandatory. 

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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• How Long Should a College Admissions Essay Be?

Sarah Farbman

• January 23, 2024

Throughout the process of applying to college, students must follow many steps and jump through what can feel like ten million hoops before (and even after!) hitting that submit button. But one part of the process looms large in the minds of students and parents alike: the college admissions essay . It feels so open-ended. How long should a college admissions essay be? What should you write about? How should your tone sound? How do you know if your reader will like what you wrote? 

A lot of these questions are subjective and personal, but one is much more clear-cut: essay length. In this post, we’ll go over how long your essay should be, how strict these guidelines are, and what to do if your writing doesn’t fall within the word limit provided.

How long should a college admissions essay be?

College admissions essays vary in length, but you’ll most likely be asked to write somewhere between 150 and 650 words per essay. That’s about a quarter of a page to one full page, double-spaced.

Sometimes, the word limit will be given to you right in the prompt. Take a look at this example from Villanova University:

“Why do you want to call Villanova your new home and become part of our community? Please respond in about 150 words.”

Often, the prompt itself may not state the word limit, but if you’re submitting your application through an online form like the Common App, the word limit will appear in tiny letters underneath the box where you’re supposed to paste your answer. Take a look at this screenshot from the Common App page for the University of Colorado Boulder.

As you can see, the maximum number of words the form will accept is 250, and it won’t allow you to submit fewer than 25 words, even if you want to.

Are college admissions essay word limits flexible?

So now you know how to find the word limits, but how closely do you have to stick to them? Is it okay to write less?

If a college gives you a range of words, your writing should definitely fall within that range. For example, Tufts University asks you to pick one of three topics and write between 200-250 words. In this case, you should write at least 200 words. In this case, writing fewer than 200 words could give the wrong impression for a couple of reasons.

• You may give the impression that you don’t have a lot to say. Since college is, after all, an educational venture, schools are looking for thoughtful applicants who like to mull over new ideas. If you write too little in what is already supposed to be a pretty short piece of writing, you’re not providing the college with evidence that you like to embrace your nerdy side!
• It might seem like you’re not good at following directions or feel that the rules don’t apply to you. Following directions is a significant part of the college application process, partly because there are just so many moving pieces and partly because you want to show that you’re a respectful applicant.

If the prompt only gives an upper limit, aim to write no fewer than 50 words under that limit. So, if the prompt asks you to write up to 450 words, try to write no fewer than 400 words. Again, this will help give the impression that you’re a thoughtful student who takes your time and considers your ideas carefully.

Remember: the point of your college application is to help your reader get to know you and to make a case for why you’d be an excellent fit for a given college or university. Readers already have so little to go on. You want to take every opportunity available to you to share with the reader more information and more evidence that you’re a great student!

What if you go over the word limit?

While some students may struggle to fill an essay, most students have the opposite problem, especially on first drafts; they blow that word limit out of the water!

It is totally, 100% acceptable to exceed that word limit, even by a lot, on your first draft. In fact, it’s crucial when drafting to take away those word limits and just let yourself write without any limits or judgment. That’s often how we, as writers, find our best ideas and figure out what we’re really trying to say.

However, it’s important not to exceed the given word limit on your finished product. For one thing, many colleges use a web-based form, often the Common Application , to collect applications. These forms will not allow you to submit more than the given number of words.

Even if you’re submitting your application in a format that does allow you to technically include as many words as you like, say, as a PDF or Word attachment, admissions readers may well stop reading after they hit the word limit.

Remember, admissions readers must read A LOT, usually under a stringent time limit. They may only have ten or fifteen minutes to read your entire file, including all your essays and letters of recommendation. And then they have to make some notes and repeat the whole exercise with someone else’s file, over and over, all day, for months. A pressed admissions officer simply doesn’t have the time to read the extra words you wrote!

Don’t worry, though, even if your first draft is significantly longer than it’s supposed to be. First drafts are often repetitive and wordy. Most students find that once they have a good idea of what they’re trying to say, it’s reasonably easy to cut words. 

First, review your draft and ensure you only present each idea once. Then, see if reorganizing the paragraphs would allow you to streamline your ideas to cut words. Finally, see if specific phrases can be replaced with shorter synonyms. You’ll see the words start to fall away pretty quickly.

So really, how long should a college admissions essay should be?

How long should a college admissions essay be? Most essay prompts will tell you either the range they’re looking for (e.g., “Respond in 200-250 words”) or the hard upper word limit. You’ll find this either written out right in the prompt or in little gray letters below the part of the application where you’re supposed to paste your answer.

If you don’t see a word limit anywhere on the prompt, don’t fret! Look around the college’s website for an FAQ section. If you still don’t see the answer you’re looking for, call the admissions office and ask!

It’s vital to stick fairly closely to the word limit given. Certainly, do not go over!

Need more advice on your college applications?

The team at Great College Advice has extensive experience in guiding students along the road from high school to college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

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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.

• Have your assignments done by seasoned writers. 24/7
• Contact us:
• +1 (213) 221-0069
• [email protected]

Essay Word Limits: How to Write Within Limits and Consequences of Exceeding

Essay Word Limits

The specifications of essay length are usually in terms of the number of pages or words . Students are required to adhere to essay-length specifications.

When it comes to essay word limits, there are strict expectations in academic essays and there might be consequences when you exceed them. 

This article will explain all you need to know about essay word limits, how to write within the limits, and the consequences of exceeding the limit. 

Understanding Essay Word Limits

1. definition of word limits.

The term word limit can be defined as the specified maximum number of words that you as a student should stick to when writing an essay or any written academic assignment.

Word limits are expressed numerically to show the expected number of words within an essay.

For example, if you have been given a 1000-word limit, ensure that your essay does not exceed it. If it does, it should be with only a few words. 

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2. Purpose of Word Limits

A. resource and time management.

When your instructor sets a word limit, they can appropriately allocate their resources and time for grading tasks. 

Word limits help ensure efficiency and fairness in reviewing or evaluating multiple essays or papers within the given timeframe.

b. Demonstrating Clarity and Consistency

Word limits encourage students to express their ideas concisely and succinctly. It compels them to only focus on the most essential and relevant characteristics of their arguments hence eliminating any redundant or unnecessary information. 

c. Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills

When required to work within a particular word limit, you are forced to prioritize your ideas or points, chose the most convincing evidence or examples to support your claims, and structure your arguments efficiently. 

The process of prioritization, choosing, and structuring helps develop key analytical and critical thinking skills .

d. Standardizing Expectations

Word limits ensure that there is an establishment of uniform expectations for all students.

Such uniform expectations ensure that all students write their essays within similar constraints hence creating a level playing field. 

As such, word limits facilitate the establishment of fair comparison or evaluation of the different essays submitted by students.  

3. Commonly used Word Limit Ranges

A. short answer/response.

When given this type of writing task, you are required to be concise and brief in your response. Typically, the word limit for short responses or answers should range between 50 to 200 words.

b. Academic Paper or Essay

When it comes to academic papers or essays, the word limits may vary depending on the specific instructions or level of study.

Essays for undergraduates have word limits between 500 to 2,500 words while post-graduate level papers have word limits between 2,500 and 6,000 words. 

c. Article or Blog Post

Word limits for blogs and articles vary in word limits depending on the depth of information.

Short articles or blog posts can have 300 to 800 words while the more in-depth ones can be between 800 and 2,000 words. 

d. Application Essay or Personal Statement

Such essays are a common requirement for scholarship applications or college admission. Their word limits range between 250 and 650 words.

e. Grant Application or Research Proposal

The word limit for such pieces of writing depends on the institution or funding agency. Research proposals can have 1,000 to 3,000 words while the more in-depth grant application can have between 3,000 to 10,000 words. 

Reasons for Word Limits

1. time constraints on instructors and examiners.

Examiners and instructors have to grade several essays or papers within a specified duration.

By setting word limits, they can appropriately allocate their resources and time for grading tasks.

Time limits ensure efficiency and fairness while evaluating multiple essays or papers within the given timeframe.

2. Ensuring Concise and Focused Writing

Word limits encourage students to express their ideas concisely. It requires them to only focus on the most essential and relevant characteristics of their arguments hence eliminating any redundant or unnecessary information.

3. Promoting Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills

Word limits also ensure that students prioritize ideas or points, choose the most convincing evidence or examples to support their claims, and structure their arguments efficiently. 

The prioritization, choosing, and structuring help develop key analytical and critical thinking skills.

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4. Testing Students’ Ability to Follow Instructions

Students need to follow instructions since it is an important attribute that leads to success in life. Their ability to follow instructions is also tested through word limits. 

If students fail to adhere to the word limit, it shows their inability to follow instructions. 

How to Write a Long Essay within the Limit

Prioritizing key points and arguments.

When writing a long essay within the word limit , ensure that you prioritize the key points and arguments. Avoid redundant points and arguments that add no value to your essay. 

Using Concise and Specific Language

When writing an essay, an idea that can be presented using concise and specific language can be explained using many unnecessary words.

To avoid going over the word limit, it is essential to use specific and concise language. Do not beat around the bush. Rather, go straight to the point. 

Avoiding Unnecessary Repetition

When writing an essay with a strict word limit, avoid repetition because you will end up writing excess words.

Once you have presented a point, supporting evidence, and other necessary arguments, do not mention it again in your essay unless it is connected with another important point, or you are restating the main points at the conclusion. 

Streamlining the Introduction and Conclusion

The introduction and conclusion should be concise and straight to the point. Do not give too much information within the introduction because that is the purpose of the body.

Additionally, avoid adding new information within the conclusion. Just restate the thesis of your essay, the key points, and the implications of your study. 

Techniques to Stay Within the Word Limit

1. pre-writing and outlining to organize thoughts.

To have a rough estimation of the number of words you may need to write in your essay, it is advisable to pre-write and outline to organize your thoughts.

This keeps you focused on the main points and arguments, in addition to helping you avoid unnecessary information and repetition. 

2. Clear and Concise Sentence Construction

Your sentence construction should be clear and concise in such a way that you are not using unnecessary words to explain something that can be exhaustively explained in a few words. 

3. Effective Editing and Proofreading Strategies

Effective editing and proofreading strategies can help in staying within the word limit. 

Here, you can identify redundancy, repetition, or unclear sentence structures and make corrections by deleting or editing. 

4. Seeking Feedback from Peers or Instructors

Feedback from peers or instructors can help you identify redundancy, repletion, or any other information that does not add value to your essay. It gives you another perspective. 

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Consequences of Exceeding Word Limits

Disqualification or penalties in exams.

When you exceed word limits , you may face penalties in exams or be disqualified. This is because you have failed to follow instructions. 

Risk of Losing Credibility

Exceeding the word limit shows that you have not prioritized your points in addition to failing to follow instructions. As such, you lose credibility as a student researcher. 

Overwhelming the Reader

Giving too much unnecessary information can overwhelm the reader. They expect you to present your points and supporting arguments within the word limit. 

Irrelevant or Redundant Content

When you realize that you have exceeded the word limit, chances are that you have given irrelevant or redundant content. You should proofread and edit your essay to remove such content. 

Wasting Time

Exceeding the word limit is usually a waste of time because most instructors or readers will lose interest in the excess content. You may also lose points. Hence, it is a waste of time to exceed the word limit. 

Importance of Concise Writing

1. utilizing strong verbs and adjectives.

Using strong words and adjectives can reduce the number of words that you could have used to explain something. 

Select them well to ensure that your points and arguments are clear and concise. 

2. Avoiding Excessive Adverbs and Redundancies

It is important to avoid excessive adverbs and redundancies because they end up adding more words to your essay. Instead, use relevant adjectives and verbs. 

3. Eliminating Filler Words and Phrases

Using filler words and phrases in your essay shows that you lack content to explain your points or you do not understand your topic. 

It demonstrates that you only want to fill your essay with words. As such, avoid them and instead practice conciseness in your writing. 

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4. Emphasizing Clarity and Precision in Expression

It is very important to be clear and precise when expressing your ideas and arguments. This not only helps you maintain the word limit but also shows that you understand your topic. 

How to Condense Lengthy Essays

Identifying and eliminating unnecessary tangents.

When you have exceeded the word limit and you wish to correct that, you should proofread and edit your essay to eliminate any unnecessary tangents that add no value to your work. 

Consolidating Multiple Ideas into a Single Point

When proofreading and editing your essay, locate related ideas and consolidate them into a single point. This condenses a lengthy essay. 

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Removing Repetitive Information

Lengthy essays that exceed word limits usually have repeated information. To condense such an essay , locate any repetitive information and delete it. 

Simplifying Complex Sentence Structures

Complex sentence structures can be simplified in such a way that points and arguments can be summarized using fewer words. 

To sum it all up, students need to adhere to essay word limits to avoid facing academic consequences. 

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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How to Meet an Essay Word Limit

Last Updated: October 11, 2022

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 6,695 times.

Sometimes, you may have a word limit for an essay that you need to write. Meeting that limit can be hard, especially if the topic was hard to research. If you'd like to know how to meet the word limit for an essay, then read this article.

• Anytime you get stuck; read it again to see whether any additional phrases or words flow out from reading over it.
• Also, some more thoughts may come to mind if you copy it over, and they probably will follow well from what you already have written.

• Do not start the essay with "Hello, my name is _______ and today I will be writing about ________. Instead, start it with the thing that you will be talking about. That should be the first or second word in the essay.
• Also, do not end your essay with "Thank you for reading this essay." This makes the essay look unprofessional.

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• Remember to cite any other sources you may use. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Know whether you are allowed to go over the word limit. Some teachers may allow this, while some may not. Either way, it's helpful to check. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Harvard Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Harvard Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

If you’re applying to Harvard , you might be wondering how to approach the Harvard supplemental essays. Harvard is one of the most prestigious schools in the United States and the world, and as such is ultra-competitive. As an applicant, you’ll want to take every opportunity to distinguish yourself, starting with the Harvard essay prompts. This may feel daunting, but writing stellar Harvard application essays is guaranteed to make your application shine.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing your Harvard supplemental essays. This includes understanding the Harvard essay requirements and showing you where to find Harvard essay examples. We’ll also go over general Harvard application requirements that you should know, including the Harvard acceptance rate and application deadline.

Want some advice on how to get into Harvard? You’ve come to the right place. Now, let’s go over some quick facts about the Harvard supplemental essays. 

Harvard Supplemental Essays: Quick Facts

Harvard university essay quick facts.

• Harvard acceptance rate: 4% – U.S. News rates Harvard a highly competitive school.
• 5 short-answer questions (200-word limit)
• Restrictive Early Action: November 1st 
• Regular Decision: January 1st 
• Harvard application note: The Harvard supplemental essays for the 2023-2024 cycle have changed from past years. All five Harvard supplemental essays are required for all applicants.
• #1 Harvard Essay Tip: Your essays are your opportunity to show Harvard how you’ve interacted with the world. This includes how your experiences have shaped you into who you are and the kind of impact you hope to make.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

Now that you know the basics about the Harvard application, let’s dive into more information about the Harvard supplemental essays. 

What are the Harvard Essay Prompts?

The Harvard essay prompts for the 2023-2024 have changed dramatically from past years. Previously , Harvard only required a short extracurricular essay. Students then had the opportunity to write an additional essay, choosing between a few Harvard application essay questions. These included topics such as how you hope to use your college education and unusual circumstances in your life.

Now the Harvard supplemental essays are different. According to the latest information for first-year applicants, Harvard requires 5 short-answer essays of 200 words or less. 

Here are the Harvard essay prompts for this year :

Harvard University Essay Prompts

1. harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. how will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to harvard, 2. briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you. , 3. briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are., 4. how do you hope to use your harvard education in the future, 5. top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you. .

If you’ve read the Harvard supplemental essay prompts for their optional essay in years past, these questions may look familiar. Before, students might write one long Harvard application essay that only touched on one of these questions. Now, Harvard is requiring their applicants to succinctly respond to multiple prompts. 

You might find writing multiple Harvard application essays is more intimidating than writing just one. And that’s okay! Even though this is the first year the Harvard supplemental essays are structured this way, these prompts are nothing new. We’ve still got all the information you need to successfully tackle the Harvard supplemental essays..

But before we dive into the Harvard supplemental essay prompts, let’s first talk about your Harvard personal statement. 

Harvard Personal Statement

When you apply to Harvard, your Harvard application must include a personal statement. Both the Common App and Coalition App require you to write a personal statement, choosing from a selection of prompts. This essay is also what the Harvard admissions committee considers your Harvard personal statement. Unlike your Harvard supplemental essays, your personal statement is not school-specific. That means it can be submitted to any school you are applying to.

The 2023-24 Common App prompts are broad, and intentionally so! The prompts are meant to give students the space and opportunity to write about something they care about.

You can write about:

• Your background
• A lesson you have learned
• A time that you challenged a belief
• Something you’re grateful for
• An accomplishment, a topic that fascinates you
• Any topic of your choosing!

Harvard encourages students to write about something they’re passionate about, not something they think would impress the Harvard admissions committee. According to this list of tips about the Harvard personal statement, “The point of the personal statement is for you to have the chance to share whatever you would like with us. Remember, your topic does not have to be exotic to be compelling.”

Whatever you write your personal statement about, it should stand apart from your Harvard supplemental essays. Each one of your Harvard application essays should tell the Harvard admissions committee something new about you. Or, it should elaborate and build upon something that you haven’t had enough time to discuss elsewhere in your application. 

What should I write my Harvard essay about?

There is no one perfect essay topic that will automatically earn you admission to Harvard. The best Harvard supplemental essays will communicate something unique about you, giving the admissions committee a window into who you are. 

One way to come up with ideas for your Harvard supplemental essays is to read successful application essays! In this list of Ivy League essays that worked, you’ll see essays about everything. From AP Biology to Adventure Time to a family member’s hospitalization for schizophrenia. The quality of your writing, and whether the topic is important to you, is more important than the topic itself. 

Harvard personal statement examples

In this guide to past Harvard personal statement examples, you can read essays from previous years. These essays answered many of the same questions Harvard asks today—except using far more words. Not all of these Harvard personal statement examples align with the current Harvard prompts, but they’re still examples of great writing.

Additionally, these Harvard personal statement examples still show the diversity of topics, as well as styles, that Harvard looks for. Though the Harvard essay requirements are different this year, there are many overlapping topics covered in the Harvard personal statement examples. 

Choosing a topic

If you’re still stuck coming up with a topic for your Harvard application essay questions, try a brainstorm! Brainstorming or free writing about the different short answer questions is a great way to generate potential essay ideas.

Strong essays often focus around moments of change or personal growth. Think about an experience you grew from, or maybe one that demonstrates your values and what matters to you. You can also look to your application for inspiration. What aspects of who you are do you feel like your extracurriculars, grades, or potentially test scores leave out? 

Harvard Short Answer Questions

In the next sections, we’ll go over each of the Harvard supplemental essays individually. For each of the Harvard essay prompts, we’ll discuss what the prompt is asking for and how you might approach it. And we’ll give you tips on what to include in your Harvard supplemental essays to make them stand out. 

This year, the Harvard supplemental essays consist of 5 separate short-answer questions. The Harvard supplemental essays are called “short-answer” because of the word limit. You only have 200 words to provide a strong, detailed, and specific answer to the Harvard essay prompts. Limiting your Harvard supplemental essays to only 200 words can be tricky. So, it’s important you choose your topic wisely, consider the important details, and make every word count.

You can look up the Harvard supplemental essays with the Common App’s search tool . By searching for Harvard, or any other college, you can go over their school-specific writing requirements for that college. On Harvard’s website you can find guidelines for your Harvard application, including requirements for the Harvard supplemental essays. 

Now, let’s go over each of the Harvard essay prompts in more detail.

Harvard Essay #1 – Contributing to Harvard

The first of the Harvard supplemental essays is about contributing to Harvard.

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

This question is a bit misleading. Although it’s phrased as a single sentence, there are really two parts to this prompt. What in your life has shaped you into the person you are today? Then, how does that affect what you’ll contribute to Harvard’s community? 

For the first of your Harvard supplemental essays, think about what “diversity” means to you. Maybe it’s where you grew up, your race, your gender or sexuality. Or maybe you’ve had a unique upbringing that falls outside of those identity categories. Once you have identified the piece of your upbringing you would like to share, think about how it’s shaped you. What value has that brought into your life, and how can that part of you enrich Harvard’s community? 

For example, maybe you went to school in a really homogeneous suburb. Think of a place where everyone was the same race and from the same socioeconomic class. Once you recognized that, you tried to do everything you could to learn about different perspectives. Maybe you volunteered outside your community to try and understand the experiences of people outside of that bubble. This intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness is a product of your upbringing that impacts how you’d interact with others at Harvard.

Harvard Short Essay #2 – Intellectual Experience

For the second of your Harvard supplemental essays, you’re asked to focus on the intellectual.

Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you. 

This Harvard application essay should speak to your academic interests and your intended concentration— Harvard’s version of a major . Even if you don’t know what you want to concentrate in, that’s okay! You don’t have to worry about your Harvard supplemental essays defining what you will eventually go on to study. All you need to do is focus on a moment in your education, or in your life, that stimulated you intellectually.

Each of the Harvard supplemental essays are trying to learn something specific about you. In this one, Harvard is trying to see if you are intellectually curious and passionate about learning. As a prestigious university, Harvard puts a huge value on its students having a desire to learn. If you are applying to Harvard, this should be a pretty easy question to answer! 

If something doesn’t immediately come to mind, try asking yourself these questions. What moment made you love English, or Math, or Science? Was it inside or outside of the classroom? Was it a political debate, or a conversation with a family member? An essay topic you didn’t expect to enjoy but ended up adoring? As long as you explain an intellectual passion, there’s no wrong answer.

Harvard Essay Prompt #3 – Extracurricular Activities Essay

If the first two Harvard supplemental essays focused on identity and curiosity, you can think of the third as focusing on action. The next of our Harvard supplemental essays centers around the things you do outside of the classroom. 

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.

You may have already gone into detail about one of your extracurricular activities or other experiences in your Common App. If so, you should consider selecting a different one to speak about here. Having all of these individual Harvard supplemental essays allows you to share so many facets of who you are. Don’t limit yourself by describing the same thing multiple times!

This question is very open-ended. Since you only have 200 words, focus on answering this question succinctly and honestly. Don’t overthink it — simply pick one of these experiences and describe how it has shaped who you are. 

You could talk about grocery shopping with your mom, working at a summer camp, or being the captain of the swim team. What matters most is that you pick an experience that really impacted you. This could be something that inspired a change in your perspective, or helped you develop a new skill. The most important part of question 3 of your Harvard supplemental essays is not which activity you pick. It’s in showing how it has shaped you. 

Harvard Essay #4 – Education and the future

For #4 of your Harvard supplemental essays, Harvard tasks you with envisioning your future. 

How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?

A Harvard education can get you a lot of places. Harvard knows that it’s a renowned institution—there’s a reason that the Harvard acceptance rate is so low. However, you don’t need to inflate its ego by discussing Harvard’s prestige. Instead, think about how a Harvard education will prepare you to make a positive impact in the world.

Also be wary of writing your Harvard supplemental essays in a way that inflates your own ego. Don’t just say you think you’ll be the next Elon Musk or the President of the U.S. Focus less on who you’ll be and more on what you’ll do. Think about what technology you could create to make peoples’ lives easier or policies you could enact to reduce poverty. Many Harvard students go on to achieve amazing things. However, make sure you’re focused on why those things are important and not the achievement itself.

You can also use the 4th of your Harvard supplemental essays to sneak in some “why Harvard” details. Consider mentioning a specific Harvard class or professor that you wish to study under. Maybe five years after graduating, you want to be writing a book with Professor X. And five years after that, you want to be teaching at Harvard on the same topic. 

Harvard Essay #5 – Roommate Essay

This final question for the Harvard supplemental essays gives you an opportunity to chat with an imaginary future roommate. 

Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

In the last of your Harvard supplemental essays, you can get a little creative. Since this question gives you complete freedom over what you include, it can be helpful to save it for last. Then you can look back at your other Harvard supplemental essays and brainstorm what the admissions committee hasn’t heard yet. If you could only describe three things about yourself, in 200 words, what would you say?

Since you’re hypothetically talking to a roommate, don’t be afraid to be more joking or casual—let your personality shine through! But, keep in mind that an admissions officer will still be reading your essay. So long as you’re being appropriate and true to yourself, you get to decide what to share and how to share it!

That being said, don’t mention only things that are superficial. Remember, this is still part of your application, and your reader is deciding whether you belong at Harvard. “I leave my clothes all over my bedroom floor, but I promise to never leave them in the common room,” may be the truth. However, opt for the personal over the mundane! What do you geek out about? How do you like to spend your free time? What Harvard experiences are you most looking forward to?

How to write the Harvard supplemental essays

So, we’ve gone over the individual Harvard application essays. Now let’s talk about some general tips that you could use to answer any of the Harvard essays.

Be specific

Whether you’re writing about your extracurriculars, your upbringing, or Harvard itself, be specific. Generalizations can feel like they let you say more in fewer words. But, they don’t say as much about who you are or your experiences.

Instead of saying “I’ve always been passionate about history,” get specific! There are lots of people who like history—what exactly about history interests you? A specific time period? A social movement? Is it something about the discipline itself? Did you always feel this way about this subject? The more specific you are, the more the Harvard Admissions team can learn from your Harvard supplemental essays. 

This tip also applies to when you’re talking about Harvard. At some point in your Harvard application essays, you’ll want to mention something about why you want to attend Harvard. There are a whopping five Harvard essay prompts, after all! Avoid the obvious, like that Harvard has good academics and is prestigious. Be specific — you can list clubs, professors, majors like Sociology or Economics , or anything else that’s specific to the school. This shows that you’ve done your research and you want to come for a reason, not just the Harvard degree. 

Be yourself

At the end of the day, your Harvard application essays are for Admissions to get to know you better. The more introspective you can be before writing them, the more you can use the essays to demonstrate your values. Since the Harvard acceptance rate is so low, you’re competing against many incredibly qualified applicants. Sure, you might have stellar grades—but so does the average Harvard applicant. Your answers to the Harvard essay prompts are a way to set yourself apart. And the best way to do that is by being yourself. 

When you’re writing your Harvard application essays, it can feel intimidating to try and be “unique.” It can feel like you’ve never had a truly unique experience. But no one is exactly like you, so the more true to yourself you can be, the better! In your Harvard application essays, you don’t need to perform anything that you think Harvard wants to hear. Just be honest and speak about yourself and your experiences.

Show, don’t tell

This tip on perfecting your Harvard application essays is a classic: show, don’t tell. Instead of simply stating the facts or your feelings, you put the reader into the experience using dialogue, imagery, and storytelling. 

For example, you might start your Harvard application essay by saying, “I was the most excited I had ever been.” Instead, could you describe how that excitement felt? Were your palms sweaty? Was your heart racing? Paint the reader a picture so they can imagine what it must have felt like to be there with you.

We know you do only have 200 words for these Harvard essay prompts. However, that leaves more than enough room for an evocative anecdote. Many students place this type of anecdote at the beginning of their Harvard application essays as a “hook.” A hook is something that grabs the reader’s attention, and pulls them into the essay. It makes them want to keep reading. Since the admissions committee will be reading so many essays, using a hook like this can make your essay stand out.

Grammar and spelling

It’s not super exciting, but it is non-negotiable: your Harvard application essays must have perfect grammar and spelling. The Harvard acceptance rate is 4%. You don’t want to let a typo or a run-on sentence be the distinguishing factor between you and another applicant. 

Use spell check, use an online grammar checker, or give your Harvard application essay to a parent or friend. Reading the essay out loud is also a great way to catch typos and grammatical errors. If something sounds wrong when it’s read out loud, you know that you have to go in and fix it. Reading out loud also forces you to look at each word. So, it’s less likely that a copy-paste error like having two “and’s” in a row would slip by. 

Get creative

Don’t be afraid to have fun with your Harvard application essays! The Harvard essay prompts might seem pretty straightforward. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take them in a more fun direction. 

One way to stand out is to get a little creative. Sure, there’s probably such a thing as being too creative. You don’t want to be so quirky that you forget to answer the question, or come off smug. But adding a little natural humor or excitement into your essays is a totally acceptable way to get the admissions committee’s attention. 

If after reading these tips you’re still in doubt, consider reading some Harvard personal statement examples. Keep in mind our Harvard personal statement examples are from before changes were made to the Harvard essay requirements. However, they cover many similar topics as the current Harvard essays. Even though the Harvard essay prompts aren’t exactly the same, and the word count is certainly different, they’re still valuable. Our Harvard personal statement examples can show you how many different ways there are to answer the same questions. And how to write an essay that stands out. 

Does Harvard like risky essays?

Judging from personal experience, yes! When I wrote my Harvard application essay in 2015, they were still asking for the optional extended personal essay. I chose to answer the prompt that asks what your roommate should know about you—similar to the current prompt. 

Instead of writing an essay, I wrote a play/screenplay where I meet my roommate for the first time. It was formatted like a play, with dialogue and stage directions, and set in the Harvard dorms. I researched specific things about Harvard and Harvard Square, and incorporated different places in the dialogue to make it feel more specific. I also shared a lot about myself: my values, quirks, extracurriculars, and more. And I guess they liked it, since I was admitted in the class of 2020!

In general, Harvard is looking for students who aren’t afraid to stand out. This includes students who are intellectually curious and passionate about what they believe in. It might feel harder to get creative in only 200 words. But, since you have five questions, you can always pick one of them and take a risk! Write a poem, use a quote or song lyrics, write with a specific audience in mind. As long as you’re using correct spelling and grammar, and you’re answering the question, the world is your oyster!

What does Harvard look for in applicants?

So what does Harvard look for in applicants? If you want to know how to get into Harvard, you’ll need some idea of what Harvard is looking for. 

First and foremost, you need to make sure you’re answering all of the Harvard essay prompts. And, be sure you’ve fulfilled all of the Harvard application requirements. That means:

• Including your Harvard personal statement
• Answering the Harvard application essay questions
• Meeting all of the Harvard essay requirements
• Submitting all of the required materials.

You also need to carefully observe the Harvard application deadlines, and pick which deadline works best for you. 

Outside of these Harvard application requirements, what else do you need to think about to know how to get into Harvard? Start by thinking about why you want to go to Harvard. It can seem like a simple question, but why Harvard specifically? Why are you a good fit? Why would you excel there? And why do you need to be there, specifically, to reach your highest potential?

Looking for more concrete answers to how to get into Harvard? On Harvard’s website, they provide admissions criteria . Stellar academics are understandably important, but Harvard also considers factors like leadership, character, and community involvement. One way to show Harvard that you embody these factors is through your answers to the Harvard application essay questions. 

When is my Harvard application due?

There are two Harvard application deadlines. Regardless of which deadline you choose to submit by, you’ll need to submit a complete application. This includes:

• Your answers to the Harvard application essay questions
• Your (optional) SAT scores
• Letters of recommendation
• Extracurricular list
• Any other Harvard essay requirements or supplements

One Harvard application deadline is Restrictive Early Action, and the other Harvard application deadline is Regular Decision.

Harvard Restrictive Early Action

The Harvard application deadline for Restrictive Early Action is November 1 . Restrive Early Action means that you can only submit your application early to one institution. Unlike Early Decision, it’s not a binding acceptance. So if you get into Harvard early, you can still apply to other schools Regular Decision. 

You should only apply to Harvard early if you’re confident that you’ve satisfied the Harvard essay requirements. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve answered all of the Harvard application essay questions to the best of your ability. When writing your answers to the Harvard supplemental essays, give yourself enough time to draft and brainstorm. Don’t write your answers the night before the deadline. If you haven’t filled the Harvard essay requirements or answered the Harvard application essay questions, don’t rush! Rather than hurry to submit Early Action, give yourself until the Regular Decision deadline.

Harvard Regular Decision

The Regular Decision deadline is January 1 . This gives you plenty of time to fulfill the Harvard essay requirements, including answers to all five Harvard essay prompts.  This might make for a busy Winter Break, but it’s worth it to make sure that you’ve confidently satisfied all of the Harvard application requirements. 

Additional Harvard Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Hopefully by this point you’re feeling more confident about answering the Harvard essay prompts. Although the Harvard application essay questions are different this cycle, you’ve still got plenty of resources to depend on. 

If you’re still looking for advice on how to get into Harvard, check out our guide that covers every step of the Harvard admissions process. We also have webinars like this one where you can hear from Harvard students about their college journeys. 

Don’t forget that if you’re still struggling with answering the Harvard essay questions, you can read these Harvard essay examples: Harvard personal statement examples from years past. Even though these Harvard essay examples are a little out of date, Harvard personal statement examples can give you a feeling for what kind of essay Harvard is looking for—regardless of the Harvard application essay questions. 

Harvard Essays – Takeaways

Now that you’ve reached the end of our guide to the Harvard supplemental essays, you’re ready to write your own. Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind: 

Harvard University Essay Key Takeaways

• The Harvard application essay questions are different this year. Be sure to check Harvard’s website for the most up to date Harvard application requirements. 
• This year, there are 5 Harvard supplemental essays. Each essay has a word limit of 200 words. 
• When writing your essays: Be specific. Be true to yourself. Show and not tell. Always check your spelling and grammar. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
• Be mindful of the two Harvard deadlines: November 1st (Restrictive Early Action) and January 1st (Regular Decision).
• Wherever you are in your college journey, CollegeAdvisor is here to support you. From guides to Harvard’s extracurriculars , to Harvard personal statement examples and what to expect after you apply, we’ve got you covered. Even though the Harvard personal statement examples aren’t answering the same prompts as this year, they can still be educational. Give them a read and see for yourself! 

Thanks for reading our guide to Harvard’s supplemental essays—now go forth and write!

This essay guide was written by advisor, Rachel Kahn . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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9 Tips on How to Shorten Essay Length

I have often found myself faced with the task of revising my essays to meet strict word limits. Over time, I have unearthed a whole treasure trove of strategies, or rather, tricks, that allow me to reduce the number of words without blurring the essence of my arguments. These methods helped me summarize a paper concisely and increased the overall persuasiveness of my work.

I will share these practical tips to help you master the balance between brevity and substance.

• Identify and Remove Redundancies

This process involves a sharp eye for spotting repetitive information that does not add value to the narrative. It’s about removing unnecessary words that dilute the essence of your message.

For instance, in planning an essay on a debate topic, I first composed, “The topic of the debate was not chosen for the sake of discussion. It was chosen because it was considered particularly important for discussion among the participants.”

After revising, it became, “The chosen debate topic was important for participant discussion.”

This simple act of excising superfluous words not only clarified my argument but also significantly reduced my word count.

• Eliminate Unnecessary Words and Phrases

This technique centers on cutting out filler words that pad your writing without adding real substance, allowing you to streamline sentences effectively.

I know how it feels to be overpowered by the problem of reducing the number of words in my paper. I will deliver an illustration for those who cannot afford to pay for an essay online.

I experienced a sentence bloated with pointless dialect: “In my individual opinion, I truly believe that it is absolutely essential to thoroughly review and deeply analyze every single aspect before making a decision.”

After applying the rule of trimming pointless words and expressions, the sentence became: “I believe reviewing all aspects is essential before deciding”

This revision streamlined my sentence and effectively decreased the word count, displaying the effectiveness of brief composing.

• Use Active Voice Over Passive Voice

My investigation into concise writing led me to appreciate the effect of utilizing active voice over passive voice. This shift not only makes sentences more direct and vigorous but also often results in a more concise structure.

For illustration, while pondering over ‘how short can an essay be’ to effectively compress my essay, I experienced a passive construction in my draft: “The experiment was conducted by the students to understand the chemical reaction.”

By switching to active voice, the sentence transformed into: “The students conducted the experiment to understand the chemical reaction.”

This change made the sentence more dynamic and helped compress my essay by eliminating unnecessary words associated with passive constructions.

• Combine Similar Ideas

The next way to shorten an essay by 50 words, 100 words, or even 200 words is to simply combine similar ideas. This approach requires isolating and highlighting an idea from each paragraph and then combining them. Typically 100% working scheme for shortening an essay without compromising quality. By combining sections that revolve around similar concepts, you’ll organize your argument.

You create a more coherent and convincing narrative. This procedure serves as a bridge that connects related ideas. It also allows you to eliminate unnecessary data to altogether condense the text.

• Focus on Your Thesis

If your essay is too long, make sure that it does not lose its essence. Take time to focus on your thesis statement. A good thesis statement acts like the North Star, guiding every sentence toward its shining light.

The art of brevity is to make sure that every word, every sentence, does justice to, and directly supports, the fundamental argument. To paraphrase effectively, you need to be precise with your vocabulary. Trim away all unnecessary words and leave only the most relevant pieces that serve the thesis. I call this a disciplined approach. Make sure that no paragraph is a black sheep.

• Limit Excessive Examples and Illustrations

When trying to write a short essay, you may run into the problem of having too many examples and illustrations. I used to be inclined to fill my essays with countless examples. It’s a kind of temptation to maximize your expertise in a topic. Of course, you can even apply for an essay editing service , but the main thing is not to dilute the strength of the argument.

In no case do you need to completely abandon examples. It is enough to use them with discretion. A reverse outline is an invaluable tool in this case, as it allows you to retrospectively analyze the structure of the essay. Identify cases where examples may overshadow the main narrative. Avoid situations where several illustrations serve the same purpose.

• Use Shorter Synonyms

This move involves selecting words that succinctly convey the same meaning as their lengthier counterparts, without compromising the essay’s depth or clarity. For your convenience, you can use the word counter on EssayPay. Is it too much? Let’s look at an example of using synonyms.

The original sentence: “The students demonstrated a tremendous amount of bravery.”

Recognizing the potential for brevity, I changed it to: “The students showed great bravery.”

This simple change from “demonstrated” to “showed” and “a tremendous amount” to “great” preserved the original meaning and made the text concise.

I won’t tell you how many words a short essay should have. Each educator has the right to set their own range. But when it comes to shortening the length of the paper, ask for feedback. It’s about bringing totally different points of view to uncover if there are any unnecessary parts to your narrative. You also have the right to hire essay writers , which once again emphasizes the importance of feedback in decision-making.

• Seek External Feedback

When seeking someone to check your essay , consider reaching out to a diverse mix of individuals to gain a broad spectrum of insights. Here are some suggestions on who to ask:

• Peers or Classmates
• Teachers or Professors
• Professional Editors
• Essay Writers
• Family Members
• Friends Outside Your Major

Each person will provide a unique insight into your work. It is helpful to get feedback from multiple people if possible. You will get a comprehensive picture of how your essay can be structured.

• Employ Editing Tools

Technology does not stand still, so there are already modern tools for working with text. With the help of these writing tools , you can shorten sentences and optimize your task. Using this practice will allow you to cut out the unnecessary, while maintaining the main point of your statement.

In my opinion, these few tools stand out for their excellence.

• Grammarly – offers suggestions for strengthening sentences, reducing redundancy, and improving clarity.
• Hemingway Editor –  highlights complex sentences, passive voice, and unnecessary adverbs.
• ProWritingAid – Identifies overused words, readability issues, and sentence length variations.
• WordTune – suggests different ways to phrase sentences, making them more concise or more attractive.
• QuillBot – can help you rewrite sentences or paragraphs to reduce the number of words.

Each of them has unique advantages. Use the tool that suits you best and improve your writing.

• Conclusions

The key is to keep the essay clear and on point. Striving to meet the word limit is not a simple matter of shortening the text. It is a delicate balance, where each sentence is a thread in the great tapestry of our argument.

Brevity in writing does not require compromising on quality. On the contrary, it encourages us to distill our thoughts to their purest form. Limiting the number of words can free us to explore the depths of our creativity.

Remember that every word you choose is a testament to your intentions. Let the strategies we’ve discussed serve as a compass to help you write persuasively.

Arlene McCoy has extensive writing, teaching, and mentoring experience. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in applied psychology. Thanks to her experience, teaching expertise, and genuine passion for writing, she consistently develops high-quality course materials that inspire and engage students.

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