To Write or Not To Write

When it comes to your college essay, you may need surgical precision to slice out out the unneeded words.

A pen. A pencil. A computer. A scalpel. Can you apply the old Sesame Street jingle, “one of these things is not like the other, one of these things does not belong” to these four items? Sure, in most case, the last is incongruous. Yet, when it comes to your college essay, you may need surgical precision to slice out out the unneeded words.

I’m often asked: do the word limits count? I answer with this question: do you really want to find out that they count after you submit 232 words more than were requested?

My advice is simple: obey the rules. Submitting an essay that is way over the word limit simply because you can is foolish. It’s possible that not only your mom but also your guidance counselor and principal are blown away by your essay. But can you predict that it will captivate an admissions officer who is reading her 79th essay of the day? Are you sure she will continue reading your carefully crafted, creative but lengthy essay? Perhaps she might glance at her watch and sigh as she notices the remaining stack of applications on her desk. She might even conclude that your inability to follow simple rules proves you are either too arrogant or too stupid to earn admission. Having said that… I would not worry about an essay of 505 words.

Candace Plotsker-Herman guides students so that they can produce extraordinary applications featuring gripping essays, a compelling brag sheets, and persuasive recommendations that will transform COMMON APPLICATION into an UNCOMMON APPLICATIONS. Visit www.UncommonApplication.com to learn more.