<p>Hello, I am applying to UChicago RD (was going to apply EA, but did not like my essays enough to feel confident applying). I putting the finishing touches on my UChicago essay, which is actually a film script (I got okayed by my regional admissions officer). I wanted to show my love for film, and writing a script is something true to me. However, the funny thing is that, since a script is usually a minute per page, I wrote a script for a 5 minute short, so the script is about 5 pages long. Not only that, but it is also over 1000 words, way over the suggested word limit. Do you think that will be fine?</p>
<p>Keep in mind two things.</p>
<p>First, there is no word limit to the essay; as you said, it’s only a ‘suggested’ word limit. Lot’s of people get accepted with essays over the 500 word limit, so why shouldn’t you have a chance with your essay?</p>
<p>But keep in mind the people who read your essay are human. If your essay isn’t captivating, they’ll certainly get annoyed at the length of your essay. The longer your essay goes, the higher risk you face of the annoyance factor coming in, which is never a good thing. If your essay is 1000 words long, make sure it NEEDS to be that long. Sometimes less is more. If you can, try to make your script more concise. Sometimes a shorter essay is better than having a long winded gimmick. </p>
<p>That being said, I haven’t read your essay, and your essay structure may be brilliant and the thing that garners you an ‘accepted’ stamp :)</p>
<p>It’s hard to make a captivating short film of this subject matter in 1-2 minutes. </p>
<p>But thanks for the tip. Probably be a good idea to cut own on the monologues.</p>
<p>GiveMeReason:</p>
<p>I’d advise you to take care in taking on a script format for your essay. A good short script is notoriously difficult to get “right” and very few people, even professionals, hit the mark. </p>
<p>To use a Star Trek reference, a successful short is the “Kobayashi Maru” of screenwriters, in that it is an almost impossible puzzle to solve. You only have 5 - 10 pages (three acts) to introduce a protagonist, set up his/her conflict (and payoff) and resolve it in an emotionally satisfactory ending. </p>
<p>This is not a simple task and you should ask yourself whether your cause would not be better served using a more conventional essay. </p>
<p>Obviously, I don’t know you and your script may very well be fantastic, but do weigh all the factors here.</p>
<p>@OP:</p>
<p>Couldn’t you pair that script with a supplemental art material? Ex. a short film?</p>
<p>**Edit: Found a past prompt that suggested a script for the essay:
P.S. Please tell me you’ll go through with this!</p>
<p>"Modern improvisational comedy had its start with the Compass Players, a group of University of Chicago students who later formed the Second City comedy troupe. Here is a chance to play along. Improvise a story, essay, or script that meets all of the following requirements:</p>
<p>It must include the line “And yes I said yes I will Yes” (Ulysses, by James Joyce).
Its characters may not have superpowers.
Your work has to mention the University of Chicago, but please, no accounts of a high school student applying to the University—this is fiction, not autobiography.
Your work must include at least four of the following elements: a paper airplane, a transformation, a shoe, the invisible hand, two doors, pointillism, a fanciful explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem, a ventriloquist or ventriloquism, the periodic table of the elements, the concept of jeong, number two pencils."</p>
<p>But… I realistically have about two weeks to do it, because they want the Arts supplement by the 15th on January. And I want it to be a good short film. Lol this isn’t a bad idea actually.</p>