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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 to Write a Two Page Essay Quickly

Last Updated: March 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 98,135 times.

Writing a two page essay can be a daunting task. After all, writing takes specific skills and a lot of practice. If you are well-organized and have a specific plan, it can be done both successfully and quickly. College students, high school students, and people in most professions have to write from time to time (or every day). For many people, writing can be stressful. It helps to have a system in place to help make the process as efficient (and painless) as possible.

Getting Organized

• If your instructor has given you a clear prompt, decide now how you will approach the question. For example, if the given assignment is "Write an essay on the women's movement. Was it successful?", you will need to decide which side you are going to take. Once you narrow your focus, your essay will be much easier to organize.
• If you have a much broader assignment, it will be up to you to focus your topic. For example, if your assignment is "Write about something that interests you", you will not want to make the topic of your essay "Sports," especially for a short two-page essay. Choose a very specific topic, such as "Tailgating in the American South."

• It's unlikely that you will need further research for a two-page paper, but if you aren't sure about the requirements, ask your teacher.

Drafting Your Essay

• For example, if you're supposed to write a two-page essay about something that interests you, think about who your audience is (and how much explaining you'll have to do), what is the most relevant information, and why your topic is interesting to you.
• Branching is another technique you can use while creating your thesis. Try to imagine your topic as a tree. Write your basic idea in the middle of your paper, and then "branch" out from there, adding ideas and thoughts to your central topic.
• Another approach to try is brainstorming. To do this, write down anything and everything you know or need to know about your topic. Don't edit yourself, just get some thoughts down on paper. Once you can see your ideas, they will start to take shape. It's often helpful to do this before you try to write a formal outline, as you'll have a better idea of what you want to cover.

• For example, if you were writing an essay about college sports, a poor thesis would be, "College sports are very controversial in many ways." This is too vague, and it does not clearly take a position to argue. It will leave your reader wondering what argument you are making in your essay.
• An example of a strong thesis for the same topic might be, "College athletes should be paid a salary for playing their sport." This is more successful because it indicates the topic you will address. It's also limited enough that you can adequately discuss it in a two-page paper.

• You don't necessarily need to do a formal outline to start with. Brainstorming or making a list-type outline, where you list out ideas that are related to your topic without putting them in a specific order, can help you know what you want to write about.
• Once you have listed the ideas that support your thesis, you'll have a better sense of how to organize them.

• Note that not all teachers prefer or even accept this type of thesis, which is often referred to as a "multi-prong" or "three-prong" thesis. However, this type of thesis is often appropriate for very short writing assignments such as a two-page essay. If you're not sure what your teacher's preferences are, ask before you begin writing.
• It's helpful to list specific examples in your outline, so that you know what evidence you have for each point. This can also be helpful to show you whether you have gaps or imbalances in your approach. For example, do you have just one example for one point, but three for another point? It would be better to use roughly the same number of examples per point, or even see if the less-supported point could be incorporated elsewhere.

• One type of citation is known as parenthetical documentation. For this method, you provide information about the source within the text of your essay. An example of this would be, "Brown argues that Einstein's theory of relativity is the most important scholarly achievement of the twentieth century (292)." The name Brown refers to the author of the book in this example, and 292 is the page number where this information is found. There are different ways to cite various sources, so make sure you know how to properly credit all of the sources you plan to use. [1] X Research source
• Sometimes you may be asked to use footnotes or endnotes. While less common in brief essays, some teachers and bosses prefer them. Footnotes and endnotes include more thorough information about the source used. Often, when they replace parenthetical documentation, a Works Cited page is not required. [2] X Research source

Writing Your Essay

• Make sure that each body paragraph has a topic sentence . This sentence makes it clear to your reader what each paragraph is about. For example, if you were writing an essay about the labor force during World War II, you might say, "Women were an important part of the workforce in World War II because they learned new jobs that were previously reserved only for men."
• Include specific supporting examples in each body paragraph. For instance, if you were writing an essay about the labor force during World War II, you might say, "Many women became welders during World War II, which illustrates that gender roles in the workplace were changing."

• Start off with a broad contextual statement, but don't make it so broad as to have no relevance. Statements that begin like "Throughout history" or "In modern society" are "fluff" statements and don't provide any real context for your argument.
• A good way to think of your introduction is as an inverted pyramid. Start with the broad statement that sets the scene, and then narrow down until you reach your thesis.
• Include your thesis statement at the end of the conclusion.
• Spend some time on your first sentence. It should be interesting and grab the attention of your reader. Try starting with a fascinating example or an exciting quotation.
• Use your conclusion to tie together the strands of your argument. In some cases, such as persuasive essays , it's appropriate to include a call to action. You can also return to an anecdote or theme you brought up in the introduction to give your paper great symmetry.

• Watch out for the passive voice. Beginning writers often use the passive voice because it's wordier, which may be mistaken for "fancier." Here's an example of the passive voice: "It is believed by many that today's growing social violence is being caused by video games." Be verbs are often signs of passive voice. Reword it actively this way: "Many people blame video games for today's growing social violence." This is a clear grammatical order: People (subject) blame (verb) video games (direct object).
• Avoid wordy constructions such as "It is believed that" or "This is suggestive of that." You can communicate these ideas more clearly and concisely: "People believe that" or "This suggests that."

• Some short essays may be more appropriate in the first-person, using "I." If you've been assigned to write a personal or persuasive essay, the first-person voice is often more personal and effective than using third-person.
• Aim for parallel structure in sentences. Often, sentences end up sounding clunky if you ignore parallel structure. For example: "Paying college athletes is more important than to give them scholarships." Convert the infinitive "to give" to the gerund form "giving" for parallelism: "Paying college athletes is more important than giving them scholarships."

• Here are some examples of transition words: similarly, in comparison, as a result, otherwise. During the editing process, you can try using several variations to see which best fits your style of writing. [8] X Research source

Editing Your Essay

• Be aware that the "grammar check" in word processors is often incorrect about issues, and may even suggest changes that make your writing incorrect. Don't rely only on technology.

• There are several methods for creating a title. One idea is to begin your title with a question, such as "How..." or "Why...". Another method is to choose a specific example that occurs within your paper and use that as a starting point for your title. [10] X Research source

Community Q&A

• Take a break if you need to. Writing takes a lot of practice! Ask for help if you need it, and just keep practicing and editing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative
• ↑ https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documentation-guide/chicago-style/footnotes-and-endnotes
• ↑ https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/body-paragraphs
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines
• ↑ https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/2021-05/accs_elements-and-structure-of-an-essay_rev2016.pdf
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/list-transition-words.html
• ↑ https://researchguides.uic.edu/c.php?g=252299&p=1683205
• ↑ https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf

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2 Page Essay: Examples, Topics, & Word Count

What does a two page essay look like? If you’re a student, you’ve probably asked yourself this question. 2 page essays are usually assigned to check one’s ability to formulate their thoughts. A two page essay word count is 450 to 500 words (12 pt double-spaced). A paper of 2 pages usually consists of 5 to 6 paragraphs.

When choosing a topic for a 2 pages essay, remember that it is quite a short piece. That’s why your topic shouldn’t be too complicated. You might want to focus on football, bullying, basketball, or responsibility.

If you’re searching for 2 page essay examples, look at the list below. We’ve gathered a collection of A+ samples for you to get inspired. Knock them dead!

2-page Essay Examples: 41812 Samples

Repairing donated children books.

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The Articles of Confederation. Nullification and Secession

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Early Musique Concrète Co-Composition: Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, John Cage, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Otto Luening

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The Way to Rainy Mountain: Analysis of the Text

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Organizational Behaviour: Leading Human Resources

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Globalization: Metaphysical Perspective of the Western Industrialized World

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Navy White Hat Eulogy Essay

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Debate: Fingerprinting and Background Check vs. Invasion of Privacy

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Report of an Orchestra Concert

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The Case in Huntingdon as One More Cause to Talk about Inequality

Where rampages begin: the issue with the school shootings.

• Subjects: Sociology Violence

Love is women’s whole existence

How did it feel being a governor.

• Subjects: Government Politics & Government

Innovation Of The Workplace

• Subjects: Business Employees Management

Sense of Humor: How Does It Help?

• Subjects: Emotions Family, Life & Experiences

Approaches To Capacity Planning And Control

A clockwork orange by anthony burgess, the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring and its production by means of detailed planning, storyboarding, and collaboration.

• Subjects: Art Film Studies

Changes in Life: Positive and Negative Effects

• Subjects: Life Philosophy Philosophy

“Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway

The virtue of moving forward in “a rose for emily” by william faulkner, travelling along the oregon trail, a new dawn: the abolishment of slavery in the usa, “city of god” (2002) by fernando meirelles, discovering cumberland island.

• Subjects: Geography Sciences

Common Sense and Related Writings

How serfdom saved the woman’s movement.

• Subjects: Literature World Literature

An Overbooking Problem in Calgary

• Subjects: Business Company Information

Disguise: Does It Reveal More than It Hides?

• Subjects: Psychology Social Psychology Deviations

Challenges of HRM: Conclusion & Solutions

• Subjects: Business Managerial Duties

The Types of Plate Tectonics Essay

• Subjects: Ecology Environment

Exhaustion in Victim Care Professions

• Subjects: Psychological Issues Psychology

Effects of the New Deal on America

Self-reliance: the communal past as a model for the future, evaluation of operant conditioning theory by b.f. skinner.

• Subjects: Behavior Management Psychology

Gambling in Four Perspectives

Metamorphoses by ovid: the character of phaeton, team leader: exploiting new opportunities, the government is invading people’s privacy, the gain of consciousness in the “epic of gilgamesh”, the neo-vygotskian approach to child development.

• Subjects: Education Pedagogy

Quality Management for Organizational Excellence

Some thoughts on what is to be done.

• Subjects: Historical Literature Literature

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Maximum Input and Output

• Subjects: Psychologists Psychology

Oral versus Written Administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale

Freud’s theory of personality development and ocd.

• Subjects: Development Psychology

How to Prevent School Violence

Plato’s theory of forms: summary essay.

• Subjects: Philosophical Theories Philosophy

Accounting in Business

• Subjects: Accounting Business

Stylistic Analysis of Film Script

Blanchard and fiedler leadership models, juvenile justice system in “sleepers” film by barry levinson, segway ht: business model and planning.

• Subjects: Business Case Study

Do People Choose What They Are Attracted To?

‘sociometric stability and the behavioral correlates of peer acceptance in early childhood’, “the visitor” by thomas mccarthy, the book of genesis: towards understanding creation theology, the long voyage by jorge semprun, google refused trademark for nexus one.

• Subjects: Business Marketing

Roman Civilization: Senate and Augustan Regime

• Subjects: Ancient History History

The Cold War and Its Influence on Europe

• Subjects: Eastern Europe History

Objective Personality Tests

A critical evaluation of criteria for a successful presidency from a citizen’s perspective.

• Subjects: Politicians Politics & Government

“Brain Plasticity and Behavior” by Bryan Kolb, Robbin Gibb, and Terry E. Robinson

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Neurology

China Town – New York

• Subjects: Entertainment & Media Journalism

Use of Performance Appraisals as a Reward System

Status, role, primary groups, and secondary groups in social interactions between different racial and ethnic groups, paris and its tourist places.

• Subjects: Countries Studies Sciences

ART VITALIS The New Jersey New Music Forum – CONCERT REPORT

Socrates: his life, philosophy, & death.

• Subjects: Historical Figures History

After the Oil Crisis, a Food Crisis? Global Rising Food Prices and Their Effects

• Subjects: Economics Finance

The Importance of the Logical – Mathematical Intelligence in Mathematics Teaching

• Subjects: Approach to Learning Education

Do People Inherit their Personality?

Conceptual approaches to learning and performance, rise of christianity in europe and islam in the middle east.

• Subjects: Religion Religion History

Chicago: Crossroads of America

• Subjects: Art Art Exhibitions

My life in Western Europe in 600 AD

• Subjects: History Medieval History

US-China: The Art of Negotiation

• Subjects: Business Business Critique

The Problem with Mr. Gunes

• Subjects: Literature Plays

Pursuit of Happiness by Women in Modern Day America

• Subjects: History Women Studies

UN Summit in New York: Ending Global Poverty

Important characteristics for effective teaching.

• Subjects: Education Pedagogical Skills

Principle of Observation

Data analysis and maintenance.

• Subjects: Data Tech & Engineering

Leon Golub: Historical witness

• Subjects: Art Artists

Technology and Communication Connection: Benefits and Shortcomings

What makes airplanes fly the industrial revolution, heredity and natural selection.

• Subjects: Genetics Sciences
• Words: 1108

Formative Assessment: Gauging the Outcome of Educational Activities

• Subjects: Education Education Theories

Innovation, creativity and design

• Subjects: Business Entrepreneurship

Marketing environments and their effects on business

Total quality management in the hospitality industry, eddy cue as a creative thinker, the ethical dilemma – how to make the right decision.

• Subjects: Family, Life & Experiences Personal Experiences

The Major Medical Causes of Maternal Deaths and Ways to Reduce It

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Healthcare Research

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• Subjects: Gender Studies Sociology

Spotlight on Plagiarism Phenomenon

• Subjects: Education Writing & Assignments

Story of Jacob and Esau

Marlow in “heart of darkness”, simplicius simplicissimus: the thirty years’ war period.

• Subjects: History Western Europe

First Look into Human Development in United Arab Emirates

Learning to see & learning to listen, contrasting an online class to a traditional class, why i am studying engineering.

• Subjects: Engineering Tech & Engineering

Water Resources Management

• Subjects: Environment Environmental Management

Solving the Raised Issues: Gateway Resort Ltd

Measuring economic health, understand buying trends and the psychology of consumer behavior.

• Subjects: Brand Management Business

Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Scribner (May 11, 2010)

Blood clot risk from stents seen in african-americans, marketing: sales function.

• Subjects: Business Financial Marketing

A Critical Discussion of the Family Medical Leave Act

• Subjects: Family Law Law
• Words: 1001

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College essays are an entirely new type of writing for high school seniors. For that reason, many students are confused about proper formatting and essay structure. Should you double-space or single-space? Do you need a title? What kind of narrative style is best-suited for your topic?

In this post, we’ll be going over proper college essay format, traditional and unconventional essay structures (plus sample essays!), and which structure might work best for you. 

General College Essay Formatting Guidelines

How you format your essay will depend on whether you’re submitting in a text box, or attaching a document. We’ll go over the different best practices for both, but regardless of how you’re submitting, here are some general formatting tips:

• There’s no need for a title; it takes up unnecessary space and eats into your word count
• Stay within the word count as much as possible (+/- 10% of the upper limit). For further discussion on college essay length, see our post How Long Should Your College Essay Be?
• Indent or double space to separate paragraphs clearly

If you’re submitting in a text box:

• Avoid italics and bold, since formatting often doesn’t transfer over in text boxes
• Be careful with essays meant to be a certain shape (like a balloon); text boxes will likely not respect that formatting. Beyond that, this technique can also seem gimmicky, so proceed with caution
• Make sure that paragraphs are clearly separated, as text boxes can also undo indents and double spacing

If you’re attaching a document:

• Use a standard font and size like Times New Roman, 12 point
• Make your lines 1.5-spaced or double-spaced
• Use 1-inch margins
• Save as a PDF since it can’t be edited. This also prevents any formatting issues that come with Microsoft Word, since older versions are sometimes incompatible with the newer formatting
• Number each page with your last name in the header or footer (like “Smith 1”)
• Pay extra attention to any word limits, as you won’t be cut off automatically, unlike with most text boxes

Conventional College Essay Structures

Now that we’ve gone over the logistical aspects of your essay, let’s talk about how you should structure your writing. There are three traditional college essay structures. They are:

• In-the-moment narrative
• Narrative told over an extended period of time
• Series of anecdotes, or montage

Let’s go over what each one is exactly, and take a look at some real essays using these structures.

1. In-the-moment narrative

This is where you tell the story one moment at a time, sharing the events as they occur. In the moment narrative is a powerful essay format, as your reader experiences the events, your thoughts, and your emotions with you . This structure is ideal for a specific experience involving extensive internal dialogue, emotions, and reflections.

Here’s an example:

The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona Nikitchenko. Until that day, the infamous Nazi regime had only been a chapter in my history textbook; however, the conference’s unveiling of each defendant’s crimes brought those horrors to life. The previous night, I had organized my research, proofread my position paper and gone over Judge Nikitchenko’s pertinent statements. I aimed to find the perfect balance between his stance and my own.

As I walked into committee anticipating a battle of wits, my director abruptly called out to me. “I’m afraid we’ve received a late confirmation from another delegate who will be representing Judge Nikitchenko. You, on the other hand, are now the defense attorney, Otto Stahmer.” Everyone around me buzzed around the room in excitement, coordinating with their allies and developing strategies against their enemies, oblivious to the bomb that had just dropped on me. I felt frozen in my tracks, and it seemed that only rage against the careless delegate who had confirmed her presence so late could pull me out of my trance. After having spent a month painstakingly crafting my verdicts and gathering evidence against the Nazis, I now needed to reverse my stance only three hours before the first session.

Gradually, anger gave way to utter panic. My research was fundamental to my performance, and without it, I knew I could add little to the Trials. But confident in my ability, my director optimistically recommended constructing an impromptu defense. Nervously, I began my research anew. Despite feeling hopeless, as I read through the prosecution’s arguments, I uncovered substantial loopholes. I noticed a lack of conclusive evidence against the defendants and certain inconsistencies in testimonies. My discovery energized me, inspiring me to revisit the historical overview in my conference “Background Guide” and to search the web for other relevant articles. Some Nazi prisoners had been treated as “guilty” before their court dates. While I had brushed this information under the carpet while developing my position as a judge, it now became the focus of my defense. I began scratching out a new argument, centered on the premise that the allied countries had violated the fundamental rule that, a defendant was “not guilty” until proven otherwise.

At the end of the three hours, I felt better prepared. The first session began, and with bravado, I raised my placard to speak. Microphone in hand, I turned to face my audience. “Greetings delegates. I, Otto Stahmer would like to…….” I suddenly blanked. Utter dread permeated my body as I tried to recall my thoughts in vain. “Defence Attorney, Stahmer we’ll come back to you,” my Committee Director broke the silence as I tottered back to my seat, flushed with embarrassment. Despite my shame, I was undeterred. I needed to vindicate my director’s faith in me. I pulled out my notes, refocused, and began outlining my arguments in a more clear and direct manner. Thereafter, I spoke articulately, confidently putting forth my points. I was overjoyed when Secretariat members congratulated me on my fine performance.

Going into the conference, I believed that preparation was the key to success. I wouldn’t say I disagree with that statement now, but I believe adaptability is equally important. My ability to problem-solve in the face of an unforeseen challenge proved advantageous in the art of diplomacy. Not only did this experience transform me into a confident and eloquent delegate at that conference, but it also helped me become a more flexible and creative thinker in a variety of other capacities. Now that I know I can adapt under pressure, I look forward to engaging in activities that will push me to be even quicker on my feet.

This essay is an excellent example of in-the-moment narration. The student openly shares their internal state with us — we feel their anger and panic upon the reversal of roles. We empathize with their emotions of “utter dread” and embarrassment when they’re unable to speak. 

For in-the-moment essays, overloading on descriptions is a common mistake students make. This writer provides just the right amount of background and details to help us understand the situation, however, and balances out the actual event with reflection on the significance of this experience. 

One main area of improvement is that the writer sometimes makes explicit statements that could be better illustrated through their thoughts, actions, and feelings. For instance, they say they “spoke articulately” after recovering from their initial inability to speak, and they also claim that adaptability has helped them in other situations. This is not as engaging as actual examples that convey the same meaning. Still, this essay overall is a strong example of in-the-moment narration, and gives us a relatable look into the writer’s life and personality.

2. Narrative told over an extended period of time

In this essay structure, you share a story that takes place across several different experiences. This narrative style is well-suited for any story arc with multiple parts. If you want to highlight your development over time, you might consider this structure. 

When I was younger, I was adamant that no two foods on my plate touch. As a result, I often used a second plate to prevent such an atrocity. In many ways, I learned to separate different things this way from my older brothers, Nate and Rob. Growing up, I idolized both of them. Nate was a performer, and I insisted on arriving early to his shows to secure front row seats, refusing to budge during intermission for fear of missing anything. Rob was a three-sport athlete, and I attended his games religiously, waving worn-out foam cougar paws and cheering until my voice was hoarse. My brothers were my role models. However, while each was talented, neither was interested in the other’s passion. To me, they represented two contrasting ideals of what I could become: artist or athlete. I believed I had to choose.

And for a long time, I chose athlete. I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse and viewed myself exclusively as an athlete, believing the arts were not for me. I conveniently overlooked that since the age of five, I had been composing stories for my family for Christmas, gifts that were as much for me as them, as I loved writing. So when in tenth grade, I had the option of taking a creative writing class, I was faced with a question: could I be an athlete and a writer? After much debate, I enrolled in the class, feeling both apprehensive and excited. When I arrived on the first day of school, my teacher, Ms. Jenkins, asked us to write down our expectations for the class. After a few minutes, eraser shavings stubbornly sunbathing on my now-smudged paper, I finally wrote, “I do not expect to become a published writer from this class. I just want this to be a place where I can write freely.”

Although the purpose of the class never changed for me, on the third “submission day,” – our time to submit writing to upcoming contests and literary magazines – I faced a predicament. For the first two submission days, I had passed the time editing earlier pieces, eventually (pretty quickly) resorting to screen snake when hopelessness made the words look like hieroglyphics. I must not have been as subtle as I thought, as on the third of these days, Ms. Jenkins approached me. After shifting from excuse to excuse as to why I did not submit my writing, I finally recognized the real reason I had withheld my work: I was scared. I did not want to be different, and I did not want to challenge not only others’ perceptions of me, but also my own. I yielded to Ms. Jenkin’s pleas and sent one of my pieces to an upcoming contest.

By the time the letter came, I had already forgotten about the contest. When the flimsy white envelope arrived in the mail, I was shocked and ecstatic to learn that I had received 2nd place in a nationwide writing competition. The next morning, however, I discovered Ms. Jenkins would make an announcement to the whole school exposing me as a poet. I decided to own this identity and embrace my friends’ jokes and playful digs, and over time, they have learned to accept and respect this part of me. I have since seen more boys at my school identifying themselves as writers or artists.

I no longer see myself as an athlete and a poet independently, but rather I see these two aspects forming a single inseparable identity – me. Despite their apparent differences, these two disciplines are quite similar, as each requires creativity and devotion. I am still a poet when I am lacing up my cleats for soccer practice and still an athlete when I am building metaphors in the back of my mind – and I have realized ice cream and gummy bears taste pretty good together.

The timeline of this essay spans from the writer’s childhood all the way to sophomore year, but we only see key moments along this journey. First, we get context for why the writer thought he had to choose one identity: his older brothers had very distinct interests. Then, we learn about the student’s 10th grade creative writing class, writing contest, and results of the contest. Finally, the essay covers the writers’ embarrassment of his identity as a poet, to gradual acceptance and pride in that identity. 

This essay is a great example of a narrative told over an extended period of time. It’s highly personal and reflective, as the piece shares the writer’s conflicting feelings, and takes care to get to the root of those feelings. Furthermore, the overarching story is that of a personal transformation and development, so it’s well-suited to this essay structure.

3. Series of anecdotes, or montage

This essay structure allows you to focus on the most important experiences of a single storyline, or it lets you feature multiple (not necessarily related) stories that highlight your personality. Montage is a structure where you piece together separate scenes to form a whole story. This technique is most commonly associated with film. Just envision your favorite movie—it likely is a montage of various scenes that may not even be chronological. 

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée , while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “ Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

This essay takes a few different anecdotes and weaves them into a coherent narrative about the writer’s penchant for novel experiences. We’re plunged into her universe, in the middle of her Taekwondo spar, three years before the present day. She then transitions into a scene in a ballet studio, present day. By switching from past tense to present tense, the writer clearly demarcates this shift in time. 

The parallel use of the spoken phrase “Point” in the essay ties these two experiences together. The writer also employs a flashback to Master Pollard’s remark about “grabbing a tutu” and her habit of dorsiflexing her toes, which further cements the connection between these anecdotes. 

While some of the descriptions are a little wordy, the piece is well-executed overall, and is a stellar example of the montage structure. The two anecdotes are seamlessly intertwined, and they both clearly illustrate the student’s determination, dedication, reflectiveness, and adaptability. The writer also concludes the essay with a larger reflection on her life, many moves, and multiple languages. 

Unconventional College Essay Structures

Unconventional essay structures are any that don’t fit into the categories above. These tend to be higher risk, as it’s easier to turn off the admissions officer, but they’re also higher reward if executed correctly. 

There are endless possibilities for unconventional structures, but most fall under one of two categories:

1. Playing with essay format

Instead of choosing a traditional narrative format, you might take a more creative route to showcase your interests, writing your essay:

• As a movie script
• With a creative visual format (such as creating a visual pattern with the spaces between your sentences forming a picture)
• As a two-sided Lincoln-Douglas debate
• As a legal brief
• Using song lyrics

2. Linguistic techniques

You could also play with the actual language and sentence structure of your essay, writing it:

• In iambic pentameter
• Partially in your mother tongue
• In code or a programming language

These linguistic techniques are often hybrid, where you write some of the essay with the linguistic variation, then write more of an explanation in English.

Under no circumstances should you feel pressured to use an unconventional structure. Trying to force something unconventional will only hurt your chances. That being said, if a creative structure comes naturally to you, suits your personality, and works with the content of your essay — go for that structure!

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How Long Is an Essay? The Ultimate Essay Length Guide

It’s safe to say that most students struggle with the word limit within an essay. Sometimes, it’s hard to find ideas for a text and meet the word requirement for every part of the paper. With so many factors influencing essay length, it’s easy to get confused.

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Luckily, our custom-writing team has your back. In this article, our custom-writing experts will answer all your questions regarding essay length. We will also help you write papers with an ideal number of words!

📜 Is Essay Length Important?

📏 essay parts: recommended length.

• 🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer
• 📑 Essay Length & Formatting
• ❓ Different Academic Levels FAQ
• 📚 Essay Length: Different Types
• ⭐ Other Aspects
• 📝 Essay Examples

🔍 References

Often, the phrase “word limit” causes panic among students. After all, if an essay is too long or too short, your grade will be lowered. However, in reality, there’s nothing to worry about. When it comes to words, limitations are beneficial for both the students and the professors.

Let’s see what exactly it means.

Many people believe that the longer an essay is, the better. However, according to Frontiers, research shows that it’s a bias that couldn’t be further from the truth. A perfect-length paper is one that allows students to express their ideas and showcase their knowledge fully while keeping it clean and simple.

What Influences Essay Length

Various factors determine the length of an essay. Here are the most important ones:

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Let’s start with the essentials. Usually, assignment length is given as a number of words rather than pages. Unless your supervisor or instructor mentions any specific limitations, it’s acceptable to be 10% below or above the word limit.

It’s also worth knowing the 80/20 rule . According to it, the body should constitute 80% of the text, while the intro and the conclusion take up the remaining 20%.

Keep reading to learn more about the recommended length of each essay part. The main numbers are shown in the table below:

How Long Should an Introduction Be?

An introduction is the first section and the face of your essay. For that reason, it needs to be compelling and well-thought-out. Usually, it consists of 3 to 5 sentences or 50 to 80 words .

An introduction must have a hook, some background information, and a thesis statement. While the attention grabber and the thesis are usually brief, you may need 2 to 3 sentences for the background. To avoid going overboard, try to stay on topic and don’t add any filler.

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How Long Is a Body Paragraph in an Essay?

The length of a body paragraph may vary. Sometimes, it can be limited to a single sentence. In other cases, it may take up a whole page. Usually, it’s recommended to have between 80 and 200 words (5-8 sentences) per body paragraph.

Since the paper’s body contains the most information, it’s necessary to explain and support your ideas properly. That’s why it’s no big deal if your body paragraphs go slightly over the word limit.

How Many Body Paragraphs Should Be in an Essay?

Like the word count, the number of paragraphs is determined by the type of paper and its topic. The minimum is 1. Generally, however, the body consists of 3-5 paragraphs , 1 for each argument.

To improve your paper’s structure, ensure that there are as many paragraphs as there are points in your thesis statement. Each one should have a purpose and support your arguments. If there’s any fluff, it’s better to get rid of it.

How Long Should a Conclusion Be?

Like the introduction, the conclusion consists of 50-80 words . It’s essential to keep it simple and only mention the central ideas. A weak concluding sentence may affect the reader’s understanding of the topic and spoil the overall impression of your paper.

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🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer: Best Tips

Undoubtedly the essay’s content is more important than the number of words you use. But there are times when students go more than 10-15% below or over the limit. Is there a solution to this problem?

Yes, there is! In this section, we will share the most useful tips to help you stay on point with your paper’s word count.

How to Make Essays Longer

Since having enough words is essential for a good grade, we’ve collected the best tips that can help you lengthen your essay without teachers noticing:

• Use relevant quotations.  You don’t need to litter your essay with citations, but using them whenever appropriate is a great idea. For instance, if you’re working on a book analysis, referencing a couple of direct quotes from the source text will make your essay more credible and increase the word count.
• Give examples.  Go through the claims in your paper and provide additional evidence where possible. It will make your essay longer and more informative.
• Use transitional expressions.  Adding transition words and phrases is a natural way of increasing the number of words. It will also improve your essay’s readability. 
• Add more references.  Providing references is always a good idea when writing a formal essay. That way, you will increase the number of words and make your paper more credible.
• Work on your descriptions.  If you struggle to develop new ideas, go over what you’ve already written and consider adding some descriptive words. It’s a great idea for creative essays to include more imagery. 

How to Shorten an Essay

Another struggle of academic writing is cutting down the number of words in your essay to meet a set limit. We are here to tell you that it’s not that hard. Writing straightforwardly and keeping your sentences short is a key to concise content. Here are several strategies you may use to tighten a lengthy essay:

• Choose the active voice.  It takes up less space than passive voice. Using it also makes your writing more professional and compelling.
• Remove needless transitions.  Transitions can indeed maintain the flow of the paper. But some transitional phrases can be easily removed.
• Get rid of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.  Some students tend to overuse adjectives and adverbs. It adds wordiness to their writing.
• Avoid running starts.  Some students like to start their sentences with long phrases like: “there are,” “it is believed,” or “the fact that.” Getting rid of them makes texts much more concise.
• Delete “that.”  In most cases, the word “that” can often be easily removed from texts.

Another cool trick is to use our summarizing tool as essay shortener. Try it out!

📑 How Long Is an Essay Depending on Formatting?

As we mentioned earlier, the essay’s length is usually limited by the number of words. But sometimes, a teacher may ask you to write a specific number of pages. This is trickier because the amount of text you can place on the page depends on the formatting. By using the font size and spacing properly, it’s possible to make the paper visually longer or shorter. Let’s discuss it in more detail.

Essay Spacing: How Does It Affect the Length?

• Adjusting the spacing between lines.  Try to make the changes as slight as possible. For instance, if you were asked to double-space the paper, use 2.1 or 2.2 spacing instead. Another option is to slightly extend spaces between paragraphs.
• Extending the margin size.  You can increase the right and bottom margins by a quarter to make very subtle changes in length. For example, if the margins are 1 inch , you can set them at 1.25 inches instead. 
• Increasing the spacing between characters.  It is less noticeable than the line spacing. Still, try not to overdo it and keep the numbers between 1.2 and 1.5 . 
• Adjusting the footer.  Add a footer with page numbers to stretch the bottom margin even further.
• Lengthening the header.  You can extend your header by adding your name, e-mail address, or other relevant information. Another option is double-spacing it.

Length of an Essay: Font and Size

• Using the right type of font.  If your instructor didn’t specify which font you should use, go for the bigger ones. We suggest Arial, Bangla Sangam MN, Cambria, or Quicksand. They will make your text look longer without being too on the nose.  
• Using a bigger font size.  This is another technique that can come in handy. However, be careful and don’t increase your font by more than 0.1-0.5 pt.  
• Increasing the size of periods and commas.   This is one of the less noticeable tricks you can use. For instance, if your paper’s font is 12 pt. , increase it to 14 pt. only for punctuation marks. Italicizing periods and commas will also add several lines of length to your essay. 

What to Do if There Are No Length Guidelines

Sometimes a teacher sets no word limit for a written work. What to do in that case? Well, first, you can ask your professor to confirm if they have simply forgotten to mention it. But if that’s not the case, here are a couple of helpful solutions:

• Think of the paragraph number.  Sometimes, you may be given the number of paragraphs instead of words. In that case, you can decide on the number of words depending on how many paragraphs you have. 
• Think about the topic’s complexity.  The length of your paper is also directly dependent on the theme. If the topic is simple, 4-5 paragraphs will be enough. A more complex issue may require an in-depth explanation, so your essay can be 6-8 paragraphs long.

❓ Essay Length for Different Academic Levels FAQ

The length of the elementary school essay is usually short. Usually, a paper needs to have around 3-5 paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences per paragraph. Primary school essays can be 1-2 paragraphs long.

The word limit for a middle school essay is usually between 300 to 1000 words. The most common essay length is 500 words, which is about 5 paragraphs. However, it may differ from school to school.

The length of the high school essay may differ depending on the school and the complexity of the task itself. Usually, however, a paper can be between 300 to 1000 words long.

The length of the undergraduate college essay often falls within the range of 1500 to 2100 words. It translates into roughly 5-7 pages. 5 pages is the most common essay length at this level.

When it comes to the graduate school admission essay, the word limit is usually between 500 and 1000 words. It’s possible to go slightly over or below the set limit; however, it’s best to stick to the requirements as close as possible.

📚 How Long Should an Essay Be: Different Types

Now, let’s talk about different types of essays. How long should they be? Keep reading to learn about the length of college essays, short and extended ones, scholarship essays, and research papers.

How Long Is a College Essay?

When it comes to a college essay, it’s more important to stick to the word limit than with any other paper. Some teachers may refuse to read it unless it meets all the requirements.

The shortest limit for a college essay is about 250 words which is the shortest length of a Common App personal statement. It’s also rare to see a good college essay with over 650 words . So, an average piece usually has between 150 and 650 words ; you can go over or below the limit by 50.

How Long Is a Paragraph in College Essays?

A college essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs . One paragraph takes about 1/3 of the page, which is roughly 5 sentences . Each sentence corresponds with one of the following components:

• Topic sentence.
• Explanation.
• Transitions.

College Essay Length Requirements: Top 5 Schools

To understand the requirements for a college application essay even better, take a look at the table below. It showcases the top 5 schools and their length criteria for personal statements. Keep it in mind when writing your college essay:

How Long Is a Short Essay?

A short essay is usually 500 words long. Using 12pt Times New Roman font with standard margins and double spacing should result in about 2 pages of text.

Extended Essay Length

An extended essay is different from a short or a standard one. It requires extensive research and thorough explanation. That’s why the upper limit for this kind of essay is 4000 words . In this case, a typical essay length is 3500 words or 18 paragraphs .

Scholarship Essay Length

Generally, scholarship papers have a limit of 500 words , which is 1 page in length. Most scholarship programs provide additional requirements that indicate the minimum number of words or pages. If there are no set limitations, you can stick to the limit.

How Long Is a Research Paper?

Typically, a research paper is between 4000 and 6000 words long. Sometimes, there are shorter papers, which have around 2000 words, or in-depth ones with over 10000 words.

⭐ Other Aspects of Essay Length

When it comes to essay length, many different aspects come into play. Here, we’ve gathered all the essential information regarding an essay’s number of pages, paragraphs, words, and references.

How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

Sometimes, it is more convenient to count paragraphs rather than words. Let’s now figure out how many paragraphs are in essays of different lengths. You may also check out the examples to see what such an essay looks like:

How to Count Paragraphs in an Essay Based on Word Count

You can also count the number of body paragraphs for your essay using the formula below:

Number of body paragraphs (average) = (TWC – TWC*0.16)/100

• TWC – total word count
• 0.16 – an average percentage of total word count for introduction and conclusion
• 100 – an average number of words per paragraph

How Many Pages Are in an Essay?

The number of pages in your essay may vary from subject to subject. But it’s still possible to determine the number of pages based on word count. Check out the numbers below to see the conversions with bonus examples:

You can also use a specialized calculator such as Word Counter to determine a number of pages in your essay.

What Does an Essay Look Like when Typed?

You might be wondering: what do essays of different lengths look like when typed? Well, here’s the table where you can find out the metrics for single- and double-spaced papers.

How Many Pages Are in a Handwritten Essay?

In case you need to turn in a handwritten paper, you should check out the table below.

Counting Words in a Handwritten Essay

If you don’t have enough time to count the words in your handwritten essay one by one, here’s what you can do:

• Count how many words there are in one line. Take the first and last lines and a line in the middle of a page. Let’s say there are 15, 14, and 15 words in them. Then, the average number of words per line is 15.
• Next, count how many lines there are on one page. Let’s say there are 17 lines on a page.
• Take the number of words per line and multiply it by the number of lines per page. In our case, we multiply 15 by 17. So, there are 255 words per page on average.
• Finally, multiply the number of words per page by the number of pages. If your essay has 3 pages, it is approximately 765 words long.

How Long Does it Take to Write an Essay?

It is crucial to know how long writing will take you, especially if you are working on an exam essay or just short on time. Note that you need to consider the time for typing and researching necessary to complete a piece. Research time may vary. Usually, it’s 1-2 hours for 200-250 words .

Below, we’ve gathered the average writing time for average and slower writing speed:

And here are the results in pages:

How Many References Does an Essay Need?

Another essential part of any composition is the reference list. Different academic levels require different references. You’ll find out how many of them should be in your paper in the table below!

📝 Essay Examples: Different Length

Finally, we’ve gathered some excellent sample essays of different lengths. Make sure to check them out!

We also recommend you check out our free essay samples sorted by pages:

• 1-Page Essay Examples
• 2-Page Essay Examples
• 3-Page Essay Examples
• 4-Page Essay Examples
• 5-Page Essay Examples
• 10-Page Essay Examples
• 20-Page Essay Examples
• 30-Page Essay Examples
• 40-Page Essay Examples
• 50-Page Essay Examples

Now you know all about essay length, word limits, and ways to lengthen or shorten your text. If you know other interesting tricks, make sure to share them in a comment! Good luck with your writing assignments!

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What this handout is about

This handout will help you understand how paragraphs are formed, how to develop stronger paragraphs, and how to completely and clearly express your ideas.

What is a paragraph?

Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit” (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea. In this handout, we will refer to this as the “controlling idea,” because it controls what happens in the rest of the paragraph.

How do I decide what to put in a paragraph?

Before you can begin to determine what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you must first decide on an argument and a working thesis statement for your paper. What is the most important idea that you are trying to convey to your reader? The information in each paragraph must be related to that idea. In other words, your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a recurrent relationship between your thesis and the information in each paragraph. A working thesis functions like a seed from which your paper, and your ideas, will grow. The whole process is an organic one—a natural progression from a seed to a full-blown paper where there are direct, familial relationships between all of the ideas in the paper.

The decision about what to put into your paragraphs begins with the germination of a seed of ideas; this “germination process” is better known as brainstorming . There are many techniques for brainstorming; whichever one you choose, this stage of paragraph development cannot be skipped. Building paragraphs can be like building a skyscraper: there must be a well-planned foundation that supports what you are building. Any cracks, inconsistencies, or other corruptions of the foundation can cause your whole paper to crumble.

So, let’s suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis. What else should you keep in mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every paragraph in a paper should be :

• Unified : All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed in the topic sentence of the paragraph).
• Clearly related to the thesis : The sentences should all refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and Behrens 119).
• Coherent : The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for development (Rosen and Behrens 119).
• Well-developed : Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through evidence and details that work together to explain the paragraph’s controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119).

How do I organize a paragraph?

There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with links to brief examples:

• Narration : Tell a story. Go chronologically, from start to finish. ( See an example. )
• Description : Provide specific details about what something looks, smells, tastes, sounds, or feels like. Organize spatially, in order of appearance, or by topic. ( See an example. )
• Process : Explain how something works, step by step. Perhaps follow a sequence—first, second, third. ( See an example. )
• Classification : Separate into groups or explain the various parts of a topic. ( See an example. )
• Illustration : Give examples and explain how those examples support your point. (See an example in the 5-step process below.)

Illustration paragraph: a 5-step example

From the list above, let’s choose “illustration” as our rhetorical purpose. We’ll walk through a 5-step process for building a paragraph that illustrates a point in an argument. For each step there is an explanation and example. Our example paragraph will be about human misconceptions of piranhas.

Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence

Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph’s development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a paragraph’s controlling idea.

Controlling idea and topic sentence — Despite the fact that piranhas are relatively harmless, many people continue to believe the pervasive myth that piranhas are dangerous to humans.

Step 2. Elaborate on the controlling idea

Paragraph development continues with an elaboration on the controlling idea, perhaps with an explanation, implication, or statement about significance. Our example offers a possible explanation for the pervasiveness of the myth.

Elaboration — This impression of piranhas is exacerbated by their mischaracterization in popular media.

Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples)

Paragraph development progresses with an example (or more) that illustrates the claims made in the previous sentences.

Example — For example, the promotional poster for the 1978 horror film Piranha features an oversized piranha poised to bite the leg of an unsuspecting woman.

Step 4. Explain the example(s)

The next movement in paragraph development is an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence. The explanation should demonstrate the value of the example as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.

Continue the pattern of giving examples and explaining them until all points/examples that the writer deems necessary have been made and explained. NONE of your examples should be left unexplained. You might be able to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence in the same sentence which introduced the example. More often, however, you will need to explain that relationship in a separate sentence.

Explanation for example — Such a terrifying representation easily captures the imagination and promotes unnecessary fear.

Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely developed the main idea of the paragraph.

Step 5. Complete the paragraph’s idea or transition into the next paragraph

The final movement in paragraph development involves tying up the loose ends of the paragraph. At this point, you can remind your reader about the relevance of the information to the larger paper, or you can make a concluding point for this example. You might, however, simply transition to the next paragraph.

Sentences for completing a paragraph — While the trope of the man-eating piranhas lends excitement to the adventure stories, it bears little resemblance to the real-life piranha. By paying more attention to fact than fiction, humans may finally be able to let go of this inaccurate belief.

Finished paragraph

Despite the fact that piranhas are relatively harmless, many people continue to believe the pervasive myth that piranhas are dangerous to humans. This impression of piranhas is exacerbated by their mischaracterization in popular media. For example, the promotional poster for the 1978 horror film Piranha features an oversized piranha poised to bite the leg of an unsuspecting woman. Such a terrifying representation easily captures the imagination and promotes unnecessary fear. While the trope of the man-eating piranhas lends excitement to the adventure stories, it bears little resemblance to the real-life piranha. By paying more attention to fact than fiction, humans may finally be able to let go of this inaccurate belief.

Troubleshooting paragraphs

Problem: the paragraph has no topic sentence.

Imagine each paragraph as a sandwich. The real content of the sandwich—the meat or other filling—is in the middle. It includes all the evidence you need to make the point. But it gets kind of messy to eat a sandwich without any bread. Your readers don’t know what to do with all the evidence you’ve given them. So, the top slice of bread (the first sentence of the paragraph) explains the topic (or controlling idea) of the paragraph. And, the bottom slice (the last sentence of the paragraph) tells the reader how the paragraph relates to the broader argument. In the original and revised paragraphs below, notice how a topic sentence expressing the controlling idea tells the reader the point of all the evidence.

Original paragraph

Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Revised paragraph

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Once you have mastered the use of topic sentences, you may decide that the topic sentence for a particular paragraph really shouldn’t be the first sentence of the paragraph. This is fine—the topic sentence can actually go at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph; what’s important is that it is in there somewhere so that readers know what the main idea of the paragraph is and how it relates back to the thesis of your paper. Suppose that we wanted to start the piranha paragraph with a transition sentence—something that reminds the reader of what happened in the previous paragraph—rather than with the topic sentence. Let’s suppose that the previous paragraph was about all kinds of animals that people are afraid of, like sharks, snakes, and spiders. Our paragraph might look like this (the topic sentence is bold):

Like sharks, snakes, and spiders, piranhas are widely feared. Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless . Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Problem: the paragraph has more than one controlling idea

If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the second idea, or split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. Watch our short video on reverse outlining to learn a quick way to test whether your paragraphs are unified. In the following paragraph, the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised paragraph eliminates them and concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the paragraph’s main idea.

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. A number of South American groups eat piranhas. They fry or grill the fish and then serve them with coconut milk or tucupi, a sauce made from fermented manioc juices.

Problem: transitions are needed within the paragraph

You are probably familiar with the idea that transitions may be needed between paragraphs or sections in a paper (see our handout on transitions ). Sometimes they are also helpful within the body of a single paragraph. Within a paragraph, transitions are often single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships between ideas and to create a logical progression of those ideas in a paragraph. This is especially likely to be true within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples. Let’s take a look at a version of our piranha paragraph that uses transitions to orient the reader:

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, except in two main situations, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ instinct is to flee, not attack. But there are two situations in which a piranha bite is likely. The first is when a frightened piranha is lifted out of the water—for example, if it has been caught in a fishing net. The second is when the water level in pools where piranhas are living falls too low. A large number of fish may be trapped in a single pool, and if they are hungry, they may attack anything that enters the water.

In this example, you can see how the phrases “the first” and “the second” help the reader follow the organization of the ideas in the paragraph.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Lunsford, Andrea. 2008. The St. Martin’s Handbook: Annotated Instructor’s Edition , 6th ed. New York: St. Martin’s.

Rosen, Leonard J., and Laurence Behrens. 2003. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook , 5th ed. New York: Longman.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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2 Page Essay Writing Guide with Example

The average length of your school essay is around two pages. It usually contains 600-700 words. Hence, not too much space left for creative thought in 2 page essay examples you may find. It is essential to be able to express your thoughts comprehensively and coherently .

Sounds intimidating? Don’t worry, for we will talk about the peculiarities of writing a two-page essay. Most importantly, there will be a sample essay here in the guide for your reference.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to learn something new!

Our best tutors described all specifics of writing short essays in 500 Words Essay Guide with advanced tips for time-saving. If you gotta get fast and just do you two pages done, just continue reading!

Contents (Clickable)

   What does a Two-Page Essay Look Like?

A two-page essay generally contains the following elements:

• A thesis statement at the end of the introductory paragraph
• Transition words
• Facts and examples
• Introduction, body, and conclusion
• Citations and references list (if the essay requires research)

Of course, we should not forget that an essay should be easy to read. It should not sound too technical with deep words and complex sentence structure.

   Two-Page Essay Outline

1 introduction.

Here are its objectives:

• To attract your readers’ attention.
• To state the topic and subtopics you will cover in the content.
• To provide context and background information on the topic.

Take note: Don’t forget to write the thesis statement as you close your introduction.

This is the “meat” of your essay. Therefore, you should do the following:

• Support your thesis with two to four arguments.
• Arrange those arguments logically.
• Provide evidence and analysis.

3 Conclusion

The concluding paragraph is often underestimated by students. The conclusion should be:

• A summary of your main ideas with a powerful closing statement.

Take note: Your thesis statement should be reasserted in conclusion.

   Two-Page Essay Example

People throughout history have been worried about the emergence of new technological innovations. The invention of the printing press during the 16th century induced the fear that the human brain cannot cope with information overload. With the age of the internet, an individual will get the same fears that he or she hears today in the media. In fact, it has made both positive and negative effects on the functions of the human brain. The internet allows an individual to find a plethora of content, reading materials, and websites at the click of a button. Unfortunately, some content indexed by the internet may be harmful to an individual’s brain and mental health. For example, a person can become addicted to online casinos and poker websites. However, it is difficult to completely blame these gambling websites for causing addiction amongst its users.

Browse and download 2 page essay examples from the most full and up to date Free Online Essay Database at Homework Lab . All the examples of college essays have been donated by the students & verified by our Geeks to boost your writing creativity.

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Nevertheless, the internet enables people to quickly access information at any period of time. The brain optimally analyzes incoming sensory information whether a person watches a group of children playing in the park or a video online. Notably, the human brain does not handle every information coming from the senses. Instead, it is filtered and selected from the person’s past experiences . One must note— however— that the brain is perfectly adapted to cope with information overload, as it has built protection mechanisms against the latter. Moreover, constant access to information online may cause a person’s memory to deteriorate. It should be taken into account that the human memory system is arranged differently. Unconscious processes are the facade of the said system. In that regard, events that have emotional resonance or significance are easier to store in memory in contrast to abstract information or facts. However, the way it affects the development of the brain is unclear. Constant repetition of certain actions and experience are reflected in the structure of the brain. For instance, the cerebral cortex of experienced musicians— a region in the cerebrum responsible for motor skills and memory— differs greatly from other people. It can be gleaned that understanding information helps develop a person’s memory. Alternatively, some studies suggest that an important stimulus for brain development is the diversity of incoming data. In this case, comprehending fascinating information from the internet is much better than learning empty facts and figures. However, even web pages are usually overloaded with information to which an individual ’s short-term memory cannot cope with it. This may have a side effect on a person ’s memory system. Apparently, there is no clear perspective of the issue. A human being’s attention system is complex, as scientists have not established a common ground on how it functions. To begin, there are two-level attention systems — namely the conscious and the unconscious. The former “manages” attention, while the latter is responsible for processing important information coming from a person’s senses. These two-level systems allow an individual to concentrate on a difficult task. Hence, this explains why some people like to listen to music while working. Otherwise, they would be distracted, in which it would prevent them from solely concentrating on their tasks at hand. The internet, however, is capable to easily distract a person. For instance, an individual can easily access an engaging or entertaining content in a matter of seconds. This poses a problem considering that computers are used for work and leisure. Hence, this may require the person to exercise balance and self-discipline. Overall, the usage of the world wide web presently has made a profound impact on the human brain. The internet, despite its disadvantages, interestingly stimulates the functions of a person’s brain. However, self-discipline might be needed in order for people to increase their productivity at work.

Writing a two-page essay might be challenging for you (and perhaps, your other classmates) at first. But you’ll be able to write one in a jiffy with constant practice & exposure.

Besides, we also have professional Geeks to assist you anytime with your academics. Personally, I usually start with defining the best strategy to expand your topics and then help to select the best sources for the essay. Hence, a Geek may help to make your two pages intense and enriched — don’t hesitate to start!

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Paragraphing (Length Consistency)

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Paragraphs are units of thought with one adequately developed idea. Listed here are some rules of thumb to use when paragraphing. As your writing improves, you'll be able to break these "rules" to meet your own needs. Until then, these suggestions can be helpful.

• Put only one main idea per paragraph.
• Aim for three to five or more sentences per paragraph.
• Include on each page about two handwritten or three typed paragraphs.
• Make your paragraphs proportional to your paper. Since paragraphs do less work in short papers, have short paragraphs for short papers and longer paragraphs for longer papers.
• If you have a few very short paragraphs, think about whether they are really parts of a larger paragraph—and can be combined—or whether you can add details to support each point and thus make each into a more fully developed paragraph.

You can check on whether your paragraphs are balanced by looking at your paper.

Some balanced pages:

Paragraph Balance

Unbalanced pages with ideas not equally developed:

Unbalanced Paragraphs

Use the following graphics as a tool to organize your paper with one main idea in each box. Use as many pages and boxes as needed.

Graphics to Help with Balance and Organization

How Long Should My Paper Be?

• Writing Research Papers
• Writing Essays
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

It's really annoying when a teacher or professor gives a writing assignment and doesn't offer specific instruction about how long the response should be. There is a reason for this, of course. Teachers like for students to focus on the meaning of the work and not just fill a given amount of space.

But students like guidance! Sometimes, if we don't have parameters to follow, we are lost when it comes to getting started. For this reason, I'll share these general guidelines pertaining to test answers and paper length. I've asked several professors to explain what they really mean when they say the following:

"Short answer essay" - We often see short answer essays on exams. Focus on the "essay" more than the "short" on this one. Write an essay that contains at least five sentences. Cover about a third of a page to be safe.

"Short answer" - You should respond to a "short answer" question on an exam with two or three sentences. Be sure to explain what , when , and why .

"Essay question" - An essay question on an exam should be at least a full page in length, but longer is probably better. If you're using a blue book, the essay should be at least two pages long.

"Write a short paper" - A short paper is normally three to five pages long.

"Write a paper" - How unspecific can a teacher be? But when they give such generic instruction, it means they really want to see some meaningful writing. Two pages of great content will work better than six or ten pages of fluff.

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Trump grumbled he needed more support at trial. Now his allies are showing up.

In the first two weeks of his hush money criminal trial, Trump largely sat alone, without allies, in a drab Manhattan courtroom. He listened to strangers deliver stinging criticism and former friends reveal unflattering details. And he grew frustrated, convinced his supporters could be doing more to help him.

He complained that “no one is defending me,” according to a source who is familiar with some of the former president's private conversations. He grumbled outside the courtroom that there were no protesters supporting him outside.

On Tuesday, there were signs that his allies are listening to his concerns.

Trump’s son Eric Trump joined him in court — the first time a family member had appeared with him for the trial at 100 Centre St.

Also with him for the first time Tuesday were his strategist and de facto campaign chief Susie Wiles and longtime adviser Dan Scavino. Trump’s legal strategist Boris Epshteyn was by his side two days last week. And Natalie Harp, a communications aide, has been present. 

Two of Trump's higher profile surrogates also attended court — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Club for Growth Chairman David McIntosh. After the trial, Paxton spoke to the press in Trump's defense.

Campaign staff will be mobilizing to Trump’s side, the source said, traveling more frequently to New York as he ramps up his campaigning while out of court.

Trump has complained for days that there were no protesters assembled outside the courthouse, blaming the lack of support on New York police — falsely asserting that protesters were being prohibited from gathering outside the building. (Police have set aside a designated zone across the street in a park for protesters.) On Tuesday, the largest crowd of Trump supporters yet assembled in the morning.

Trump's lawyers have appeared to adjust his courtroom optics, too. Trump now has a stack of papers before him, which he marks up during testimony and brings out to cite during remarks to the press. When lawyers huddle with the judge at the bench, one attorney often remains at the defense table so Trump isn't seen sitting alone — which some have said makes him look small.

Trump’s allies in Washington have stepped up their efforts by going after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case against Trump and who has been spotted a few feet away from the former president in the courtroom.

Bill White, a Trump fundraiser, said he had reached out to the chairs of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees urging them to do more to show support for Trump and defend him. He said he received a polite message from Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan’s office thanking him. Soon after, Jordan, R-Ohio, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, attacked the prosecution as “politicized” and questioned the hiring of a former Justice Department prosecutor who now works for Bragg.

“The people who aren’t defending him, we’re all watching that and remembering,” White said. “Anybody that endorsed President Trump should be out there every day defending him. And he’s right to question why they’re not.”

The source said Trump had praised Jordan’s efforts in recent days. 

Some of his allies also say they're paying close attention.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung, calling the case against the former president "partisan," said the show of support was because of the case.

"President Trump and his allies know the truth is on their side and they will fight these hoaxes at every turn," he said in a statement. "President Trump’s supporters and allies are out in full force, including House leadership on Tuesday, battling against partisan, illegal warfare.”

Robert Hirschhorn, a lawyer and trial consultant, said addressing the optics is important for Trump.  

“Here are the choices: One is he continues to be a grumpy old man, or he can do things to diffuse the jury’s attention,” said Hirschhorn, who helped select the jury in the Robert Durst case (of HBO's "The Jinx" fame) that ended in an acquittal. “And somebody has got the message to him.”

Hirschhorn pointed to the effect of “having Eric there,” and of Trump sitting up straight in court as ways to reframe the jury’s perception. But there’s more he could be doing, he said.

“If this guy was smart, he would have this beautiful, smart, wife in court every day,” Hirschhorn added. “The fact that she’s not there, that sends a message. You can do all that righteous indignation all day long, but you’ve got to walk the walk and talk the talk.”

Hirschhorn said the recent flurry of family and aides and allies alongside Trump could be setting up a dynamic to help bolster his defense in the face of allegations of extramarital affairs.

“Let’s see if on Thursday there’s another family member that shows up,” he said. “Because if I’m his jury consultant, I’m saying how do we convey to the jury that these people are not telling the truth: have your wife in the courtroom.”

Trump has also appeared, at times, to be sleeping in the courtroom, an optic that could work against him with the jury if some begin to believe he isn't taking the case seriously or is wasting their time.

Giving Trump papers to read and notes to take may help offset that.

“When you have a client on trial, it’s an extraordinarily stressful experience,” said Tim Parlatore, an attorney who previously worked on Trump’s defense team in the federal election interference case. “And so you want to make sure that they are as comfortable as you can, within reason, because ultimately, the way that they’re sitting and what their demeanor is something that the jury sees.” 

“Everything you’re doing, the jury is watching,” he added. “It’s smart tactics.” 

Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments that were made to adult film star Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Katherine Doyle is a White House reporter for NBC News.

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• Manor Lords guides

How do market areas and marketplaces work in Manor Lords?

And what does “family request more market area” mean?

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Marketplaces in Manor Lords are where all of the stuff your village needs to survive — stuff like firewood, food, and clothes — gets distributed. They’re not a way to make money, though. Your first exposure to them will likely be when you get an alert saying that a “ family requests more market area for their stall .”

Our Manor Lords marketplace guide will explain how marketplaces work to distribute food, fuel, and clothes.

How marketplaces work in Manor Lords

In order to upgrade your Burgage Plots in Manor Lords , those plots need access to a marketplace supplied with fuel, food, and clothing. Building a marketplace is free , and any family that wants to can set up a stall in that marketplace at no cost (more on this in a second).

Stalls in a marketplace will sell a mix of goods in one of those same three categories of fuel, food, and clothing . It’s unclear exactly what triggers a family to set up a stall in the market, but, generally, it just kind of happens once you build up a surplus of any one type of good.

What does “family requests more market area for their stall” mean”?

When you start seeing the “family requests more market area for their stall” alert, this just means that one of your families has a surplus of goods that they want to sell to the rest of the town. All you have to do is provide them with a marketplace plot by, you know, building a marketplace. So long as there is a marketplace with slots available for stalls, you won’t get this message. Your first marketplace can be as big as you want, but somewhere between 10 and 15 stall slots is a safe bet — you can always add another marketplace later.

Having multiple marketplaces is a better bet than just one big central one because…

Marketplaces are based on priority, not proximity

Marketplaces offer the Burgage Plots around access to whatever’s for sale inside. But just the presence of a marketplace and stalls isn’t enough. Every family — and remember there can be multiple families on each Burgage Plot — requires one fuel and one food per month (in the winter, from December through February, they require two fuel per month).

What’s available in a marketplace gets picked up by families from the surrounding Burgage Plots, not distributed to them. That means the distribution isn’t even across all plots. It’s more of a first come, first served situation (and the ones that are closer just so happen to get there first).

In order to keep everyone happy and their needs met — both to keep your approval from dropping and for upgrading Burgage Plots — you’ll have to have enough food and enough kinds of food for everyone to pick it up from the market before those plots closest to the market come back for the next month’s supply. In the image above, for example, you can see that almost everyone picked up vegetables for the month (except for the plots farthest out), but only the few plots directly touching a marketplace got any berries.

The requirements to upgrade a plot aren’t one-time checks. Those plots require those goods every month thereafter — put another way, now that they have access to two kinds of food, they expect it from then on. Upgrading from Level 1 to Level 2 doesn’t mean that the food requirements for that Burgage Plot increase by one food per family per month — they’ll survive on one — but their approval of you depends on having access to more.

Why aren’t my goods going to the marketplace?

As with everything in Manor Lords , keeping everyone warm and fed involves a lot of moving pieces. Just growing or making food doesn’t always mean it’ll make it to the marketplace and then into your Burgage Plots (and then your families’ bellies).

First, check your granary and storehouse . Everyone will automatically drop their goods in those — different types of food get stored in each — but that doesn’t mean it’ll make it to a market stall. You might have to assign one family (or more, as your town grows) to the granary and storehouse. Those families will both go get stuff to store, but also set up stalls to sell that stuff.

Additionally, check your trading post (if you have one). When you set up a trade route, you establish a desired surplus . This is a way to make sure you don’t export goods you want to keep. This desired surplus applies to the granary and storehouse, so, if you set the surplus to aim for too high at the trading post, you’ll inadvertently prevent those goods from making it to the marketplace.

Hovering over a marketplace plot will show you how many stall locations are unclaimed inside. If you’re running out — or even if your town is just spreading out too far — you can always add another marketplace plot. Manor Lords treats all of the marketplaces in a region as one unit, but the stalls get built wherever there’s people with stuff to sell and others who need said stuff. Spreading out your marketplaces makes it easier for families to get what they need.

• Beginner’s guide
• Burgage Plots
• How to farm
• Marketplaces
• Regional wealth
• Your first town

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