How long should my college essay be?
A well-written and thoughtful essay—reflecting who you are and what you believe—can go a long way to separating your application from the slew of forgettable ones that admissions officers read. Indeed, officers may rely on them even more now that many colleges are not considering test scores.
Below we’ll discuss a few strategies you can use to help your essay stand out from the pack. We’ll touch on how to start your essay, what you should write for your college essay, and elements that make for a great college essay.
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:
But how long should a college essay be?
Below we’ll talk through word counts for various college essays. Before we do, here’s some general guidance: with personal statements or supplemental essays, colleges will usually give you a maximum or a word count range (like 200-400)—you don’t have to hit the max for every essay, but generally aim for the upper end of the range. If you go over the word count, many application platforms (like the Common App) will simply cut off the excess words.
And it’s understandable that how long your college essay(s) should be could feel confusing at times, since different applications and supplemental essays take pretty different approaches, and sometimes word count is a hard rule, whereas at other times it’s more of a guideline.
While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the , 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."
Hi guys! I've been working on drafting my college essays and I'm not sure about the length. Is there a recommended number of pages or word count I should aim for? I want to make sure I provide enough information without dragging on.
How long should a college admissions essay be?
Some public college systems accept the Common App or Coalition (for example, many schools in the SUNY or CUNY systems take one or both), but the University of California (UC) system has its own application process.
It is no different for a college application essay.
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 , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays:
What is a good length for a college application essay
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).
How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What Is the Ideal Length?
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!
How Long Should a College Essay Be?
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Seeking advice: How long should my 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.