Seniors: are you in the process of writing your college essay?  If not, you probably will be soon.  To many, 500 words sounds like a lot of information that you have to share about yourself.  However, the students surveyed in this article by the New York Times would disagree.

The length of the college essay on the Common Application was open ended and students could share as much about themselves as they liked.  This year the format changed due to students submitting essays that Admissions Counselors felt were too long.  The essay is now capped at 500 words, leaving some students wondering what happens if they submit an essay of 530 words.  What do counselors at the Center for College Planning tell students?  If you submit an essay that has 530 words, you should be fine.  If you go far above the word count limit and send an essay that has 800 words then you did not follow the directions outlined in the application and it may not be looked upon favorably by the Admissions staff.  The long and short of it; don’t worry about having a couple extra words in your essay, but do try to stay in the ballpark of what is requested.

If you would like to learn tips to write your college essay, attend The College Essay Workshop hosted by the Center for College Planning in our Concord office.  The next session is on Friday, December 9 at 3:30 p.m.  For more information and to register, please click here.

Start your college essay today,
Val