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CC Resources for Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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10-17-2009, 01:20 PM
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#1 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 155
| Word count questions (several threads merged)
Some of mine are right in the limit of 200-250 words. But the MIt app also says that 200-250 is just a suggestion, and it still lets me enter in my essays that are significantly longer.
I'm a bit confused as to what MIT is looking for here. Will I be grilled if I have 500 substance-filled lines? Does the lower word count mean that they want firect essays that explicitly answer the question or is there still room for me to write my essays as I would a short story?
I went to an MIT info session a few weeks ago and they said to use your discretion. I'm obviously not writing 1000 word essays for a 200 word response but I feel like I can't effectively/descriptively write about a specific event of my life in 200 words.
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10-18-2009, 12:26 AM
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#2 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 60
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The system won't let you put in a long essay. If you try anything larger, the system won't let you cut and paste. My son tried to put in a long essay in the extra section and it rejected it until it was in the correct word count. So you have no choice but to shorten it.
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10-18-2009, 03:11 AM
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#3 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Turkey
Posts: 113
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just send the same question few days ago More Space at answer to the question about major?
there is lots of threads like this, yet still no exact answer.
Its your choice after all, you can summit parts you wanna exceed limits on paper to get around the online app auto-word counter
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10-18-2009, 10:41 AM
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#4 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 155
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On the online app it allowed me to cut and paste something way larger than 250 words though. It didn't even give me a red message at the top of the screen.
The short answers, on the other hand, warn me if I've put something larger than 150 words in and actually tells me to edit my response
Last edited by JDong217; 10-18-2009 at 10:50 AM.
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10-18-2009, 02:18 PM
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#5 | | Member
Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Where Mark Twain wanted to die (Cincinnati)
Posts: 464
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I wouldn't go over 300. 500 is pretty egregiously over the suggestion.
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10-18-2009, 08:56 PM
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#6 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 121
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In my opinion, 500 words is way too far over. But if you're some 25 words I don't its a problem.
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10-19-2009, 09:47 PM
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#7 | | College Rep
Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mass. Inst. of Technology
Posts: 31
| Definitive answer! Definitive answer!
Hi. This is McGreggor, from MIT Admissions. I oversee our selection process, and I've seen a number of questions here regarding word limits for our short response questions. Some "rules of thumb" might be helpful, but, in general, your common sense is going to be your most valuable asset.
Remember, these are just rules of thumb!
ROT 1: 90 words equals 100 words equals 110 words.
ROT 2: If the short answer prompt asks you to abide by a word limit, you should abide as much as possible by that limit. 200 words for a 100 word question is about 100 words too many!
ROT 3: The font size gets smaller and smaller as you add more and more words. Theoretically, you can fit in hundreds of words into a short answer section; we won't be able to read it, though. I've seen 300 words crammed into space devoted to 100, and it's not pretty, folks.
ROT 4: We ask five short answer questions which allow you to explore multiple parts of your personality. In total, this amounts to upwards of 950 words. Should you feel the need to use more space, you are more than welcome to submit an additional OPTIONAL essay in the supplementary essay space. You can also use this space to submit your research abstract if you have one, your big essay from the Common App if you have one, or whatever you like. Key word here: OPTIONAL!
For me, it's been helpful to think of these short responses in terms of produce. An overly-edited, overly-wrought, super-polished essay is a bit like limp celery that's been in the crisper too long. The best responses tend to be like the crispy celery you just got from the supermarket: fresh, green, and with plenty of your personality imbued in them. Don't overanalyse, don't overthink, and you'll do fine.
-McGreggor
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10-20-2009, 12:40 AM
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#8 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 836
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@McGreggor
What do you mean, "You can also use this space to submit your research abstract if you have one, your big essay from the Common App if you have one, or whatever you like. Key word here: OPTIONAL!"
If you are referring to the additional information space, it only allows for around 250 words, which is definitely shorter than the usual 500 word Common App essays.
I was planning to just mail an additional essay instead
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10-20-2009, 05:29 PM
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#9 | | College Rep
Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mass. Inst. of Technology
Posts: 31
| Thanks for the update, Djokovic! We're fixing that issue with word limits
Hi, Djokovic. Thank you for bringing up that issue re: word (actually character) limit for the optional essay. We looked into it today, and some "vintages" of the application had an unintentional character limit on that particular question. We've updated the application so that this question on all "vintages" will now allow you to write up to 750 words. We expect the update will be available tomorrow afternoon, and I'll post when it's in place.
Many thanks for pointing that out, Djokovic, and please accept my apology for the inconvenience. For the record, there's no difference between a supplementary essay submitted on paper or one submitted electronically with the Part 2.
-McGreggor
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10-20-2009, 06:52 PM
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#10 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 836
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@McGreggor
Ah thank you very much! I'm always glad to help.
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10-20-2009, 07:31 PM
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#11 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 185
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Eh... I actually stopped working on my commonapp essay because it was going to be useless for MIT since it said 200-250 words...
Can we submit supplemental essays for the RD round if we get deferred?
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10-21-2009, 04:43 PM
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#12 | | Member
Join Date: May 2009 Location: United States
Posts: 519
| MIT supplement clarification?
In the supplement essays, when it says 100 words or less, is there a strict cut off at 100 words? I have about 125words in one of them, and would prefer not to cut it down...
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10-21-2009, 05:35 PM
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#13 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chicagoland, IL --> Cambridge, MA
Posts: 356
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The general consensus is that, while the essay lengths are guidelines, you shouldn't go too much over them. Right now, you've written 25% more than you've been given space for - I'd definitely try to cut it down to 110 words at max. While it's not a significant difference, going way over the posted limit doesn't really show that you're respecting the guidelines that MIT has asked you (and all the other applicants) to follow.
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10-22-2009, 02:34 PM
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#14 | | College Rep
Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mass. Inst. of Technology
Posts: 31
| Update regarding supplemental essay space!
Hi, folks. We have updated the application so that all of the "vintages" have unlimited space for the supplemental essay. Note that although there is no word limit, there is a space limit of one page. Hopefully, your supplemental essay isn't >1000 words! Remember, this is a supplemental part of the application, completely optional, and that the vast amount of information provided in the rest of your application is quite sufficient for the admissions committee.
Thanks, guys, for pointing out the issue, and sorry for the brief inconvenience.
-McGreggor
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10-22-2009, 03:18 PM
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#15 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 121
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Thank you very much for the help.
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