Often, college admission boards require applicants to write essays with a specific word count. But if they don’t specify the length, it leaves a student asking how long should a college essay be?
Use this comprehensive post to find an answer to what is a good length for a college essay? And whether you can exceed or go below the word limit, as well as what to do if there are no specific guidelines on how long the college essay should be.
How Long Should a College Application Essay Be?
College admission essays are slightly different than tasks assigned as homework. Their primary purpose is to convince the admissions officer that you are the right fit for that institution and that you can handle the demands of that course you are applying for.
You might write a perfect college essay only for it to end up being tossed because you failed to adhere to the provided specifications. Part of ensuring that your essay doesn’t end up in the rejection pile is to write it within the requested word limit.
So how long should a college essay be in 2022? It depends on the academic level, program, and school you are applying to, as each institution sets its own unique requirements. Some schools might request a longer essay, especially for graduate programs or technical courses.
The standard length is 500-1000 words for graduate admission essays and 150-600 words for an undergraduate essay. The maximum and minimum word count is set to make sure that all essays have some form of word length uniformity regardless of font size, line spacing, or font type.
But have you ever noticed a difference between the word count in one writing program or platform and another? The word count on your college essay can be more or less than the specified number because of the writing platform you are using. For example. Google Docs may have a different word count than Microsoft Office.
Can You Exceed Or Go Under The Word Limit?
College admission officers want applicants that can adhere to all the stipulated rules. Therefore, it’s best not to exceed the specified word limit. Otherwise, your application might end up in the rejection pile simply for failing to follow directions. Answer the prompt or question within the word limit.
Besides, if you go over the maximum count and copy and paste the words into a text box, it might not allow the essay to go through. Worst case scenario, the extra words might be cut off, and if they are a crucial part of your essay, it might put you at a disadvantage. In such a case, you will be forced to spend extra time trimming the essay down to make it perfect. Furthermore, the admission officer may also fail to read the essay to the end.
If you go under the word limit, it shows to the admissions board that you don’t care about the application or have nothing important to say that will convince the school to accept you. Always hit the minimum requirement by expanding your main points or elaborating with more details or examples.
So before submitting your application essay, check that you have met the specified word count minimum and maximum. You can even go further and use free word counter tools available online.
How Long Should My College Essay Be In Terms Of Pages?
Counting the written text in an essay in the number of pages is misleading. This is because page counts include words in charts, graphs, headers, and footers. Contraction, phrases that combine symbols, numbers, and characters read more than one word. Thus, you might have a lengthier essay if you use this option.
The solution to this problem is to count words from a specific platform that has been requested by the school so that you can use it when writing your college essay.
What If the Word Limit Has Not Been Specified?
Rarely will schools fail to indicate the length of their essay prompts. But in case they don’t conduct a quick online search for the word requirements. Check the school website, especially the section on how to apply.
You can also use online forums or social networks that specifically discuss college essays. Quora is a great place to find an answer or post a question. Overall, use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Calibri and a font size 11 or 12. Keep it simple to allow your writing to take center stage.
Does A College Essay Have To Be 5 Paragraphs?
Effective organizational structure is crucial in ensuring the ideas in the essay flow smoothly and naturally. But your college essay doesn’t have to be in 5 paragraphs. How you break down your essay and the number of sections it will have is up to you.
Can you write a college essay in 2 days?
It is possible to write an essay last minute as long as you are a seasoned writer. If you are not, it’s best to seek help from Acemyhomework, which has experts trained to meet tight deadlines and who give clients original and flawless college admission essays within the stipulated deadlines.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the right word count for a college essay is important for the applicant because you might be using a writing app, platform, or program that results in more or fewer words. So hopefully, this post has helped answer how many words in a college essay you should have.
In case you have so much to say that you believe it will be impossible to fit it all within the specified word limit, contact us, and we can help you write the correct college essay length. We have experienced writers that will answer the prompt without exceeding the limit.
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