Can I go over the word limit on college essays?

Can I go over the word limit on college essays?

Whatever you wish to express in a college essay can absolutely be expressed within the word or character count. If the essay calls for only 500 characters, give 500 characters. Write the maximum number of words and characters possible under these limits but do not exceed these limits.

What if my college essay is too long?

Admissions officers will still read your essay even if it’s long, but know that they may already start to form an opinion about you before they’ve read the first sentence!

How much importance is placed on the college application essay?

At the top 250 schools, your essays generally account for 25% of your overall application. This is only slightly behind the 30% for extracurriculars. Essays are actually ahead of the 20% for grades and coursework, 15% for test scores, and 10% for recommendations and interviews.

Do colleges look at essays?

While an essay will rarely take an applicant out of consideration at a college, it certainly can elevate an applicant in an admission committee’s eyes.

What should you not do in an essay?

10 things to avoid in your essayBeing too general/vague structure. Trying too hard to sound academic. Using doubtful sources. Copying and paste – a big NO! Forgetting to quote/reference. Forgetting to proofread. Using “slang wording’ Not following task specifications.