How long college admission essay

What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you?

What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? Share an essay on any topic of your choice. Ultimately, your essay should excite and inspire you, as well as those who read it.

Not all Common App essay prompts are created equal. Of the seven prompts, some will no doubt work better for you than others. Lisa Mortini, assistant director of admissions at New York University Abu Dhabi, asks students to think about what version of themselves they want to present to schools and to trust their instincts. Do you want to give us insight into a hardship you faced and conquered? This is the same advice given by Thea Hogarth of College Essay Advisors : "Once you have determined the story you really want to tell, you'll know which prompt will make a good fit.

All of the Common App options are broad enough to accommodate almost any story. Students tend to go one of two ways with the Common App essay: They either write way too much and struggle to trim it down, or they write way too little and end up sounding superficial and generic. The Common App essay word count range is words. But just how long should your statement be?

Admissions Blog advises aiming for around words. And former Tufts University admissions officer Becky Leichtling concurs. Details are everything when it comes to the Common App essay, which is why so many experts suggest anchoring your essay in a single anecdote or story.

Meredith Reynolds, associate director of admissions at Tufts, similarly recommends that applicants emphasize specifics in their essays. In terms of structure, Benedict advises approaching the Common App essay one step at a time.

In other words, discuss specific moments from your life. Relate conversations you've had. Describe how something felt or looked. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email.

Allen Grove. College Admissions Expert. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated December 30, Don't assume shorter is better. A college requires an essay because they want to learn more about you. Never go over the limit. Show that you can follow instructions and that you know how to edit.

Students are asked to respond to any four of the questions, with their answers topping out at words. Additionally, some schools request a few supplemental essays, which are typically shorter than a personal statement.

Most schools require supplemental essays, though some may require more or none at all see our list of top colleges without supplements. These supplemental essays tend to be around words, though some may be just as long as your main essay.

For example, UPenn requires lengthy special program supplements. Students applying to the Computer and Cognitive Science: Artificial Intelligence Program for the academic year were asked to write words explaining their interest in the major.

For best results, keep your essays within the word range provided.