<p>Does the 500 word limit for the essay include prepositions? Someone told me that prepositions and articles do not count toward the limit. </p>
<p>BTW, I have no idea what to write about for my essay. Topis 1-5 on the common app don’t really apply to me because I live a boring life. So any suggestions would be great!</p>
<p>If worst comes to worst and you still have nothing to write about, write about your favorite movie/book.</p>
<p>Also, if I choose my own topic for the essay, am I suppose to write what the topic is at the top of the essay? Or do I just select option 6 on the common app?</p>
<p>I just checked of the box for my essay and never made any mention to it anywhere else, so that should be fine. Also, I know some people inculde prepositions and others don’t when doinga word count, so I guess it’s all good to do it if you want but don’t use that excuse if say your essay was 650 words long and w/o preposition it’s in the low 500’s just to act as if you were in the right bounds.</p>
<p>Another question: Does it matter how early you submit your application? Do people who submit earlier have better chances? Or as long as you submit by deadline it’s all even? </p>
<p>Also, does anyone know any good books/guides to writing a good college admission essay?</p>
<p>Unless the school works off rolling admissions then there is no advantage in mailing applications early, just as long as you get it by the deadline all should be fair. As to writing a good essay just write about what you know best - yourself. No book out there can tell you this, but if you still feel the need to get a book just go on amazon and search some of the basic words and stick to the ones with the best ratings, usually this works out pretty well.</p>
<p>Here’s my question: the limit is 6000 characters. My 6000 characters is way way way over 500 words. How does this work, and is it so wrong.</p>
<p>Consiglieri: Wait I’m confused, what do you mean? Could you perhaps rephrase your question.</p>
<p>Well the common app says their limit is 6000 characters. My essay is around 5900 characters, but about 1000 words. Which is weird, but true, and includes spaces and fits when I print preview the thing. Is that really bad?</p>
<p>Wait, your essay is about 1000 words?!?!?!?! I would strongly recommend editing this. Though seriously I feel dumb that I’m not understanding your question.</p>
<p>Yeah… I’m rewriting it. I just thought it was weird that so many words fit into their character limit.</p>
<p>Yeah, as long as your essay is no more than 6000 characters it will fit, though your essay would average 11 letter words in a 500 word essay which would be pretty insane.</p>
<p>Hic, you guys make me totally squirm for my inability to churn out essays at the moment…Seriously, how can all you start writing your application essays( in some extreme cases have finished the draft ) so soon ? I mean perhaps we all are hyped-up but how can you find inspiration/ideas for your essays ? I’m so much hard-up for both of them :(</p>
<p>Seriously don’t worry about getting your essays done right now. I mean sure it’s great if you already have some ideas down on paper, but really don’t get too stressed over it. You still have plenty of time, I mean I know I didn’t have an essay down till about early December so it’s really nothing to worry about, over time an idea will come to you and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Yeah, but I just don’t understand what they want. For one of my english classes we wrote a lot of practice college essays last year, but none of them really describe my personality. What are colleges really looking for in an essay?</p>
<p>Ha, thanks Tonyt88 for your comforting words. You’ve definitely strengthened my belief that not being able to turn out a couple of essays at this moment is not something so much atypical :D. But honestly speaking, I’m in a very precarious position, for I’m an ED applicant and there’re only three months left till the deadline to swot up and sit for the SAT I, II and writing essays. Such a tight spot !
Still, did you have to write a lot of the Why X essays and how did you pull them off ? Almost all schools I intend to go for ask for this type of essay, and once again I’m totally stuck. The treatment for this sort of essay is to point out the distinguished features of the school and drivel on why we’re drawn…:D. But you know it’s not that easy and simple to convince the adcoms :)</p>
<p>jotajota: Colleges just want to see you really. Whether it be a big experience in your life, or something that you love to do, or even some random fact about yourself. All they want to see is a picture of who this person could be really, so other than that I really don’t know what to say. Just be yourself and there’s nothing else you really need.</p>
<p>Pygmalion: Hmmm, well I really tried to avoid those types of essays at all costs personally, not going to lie, but I did have to write one nonetheless, and basically I talked about the strength of my major, city, size of the school, perhaps a certain professor, and I often used this quote, that I felt that said school was “elite and not elitist” and that I would appreciate said environment. And so on, so yeah, just fill it with plenty of information to suck up with, though if you have some little anecdote or experience with/at any college then I would definitely include that so good luck :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the help! I started brainstorming some ideas today and one really hit me as something that might work as an essay. I ended up just scribbling two pages of ideas on that topic and even broke a pencil I was writing so fast. Tonyt88 if you don’t mind could I send you my idea to see if you think it might work?</p>