<p>just a comment from the cheap seats: If I were the Dean of Admissions, I woulda suggested a length of ~250 words which, on the surface, appears less daunting, and might scare away fewer interested kids (experiencing college essay burnout). </p>
<p>But in practice, it is rather difficult for most high schoolers to make a salient point in ~250 words, so it would be harder to complete.</p>