In general, how many words is it ok to go under the max word count?
For a supplemental essay I am writing, the limit is 500, and I am just wondering how many words is it acceptable to fall short of that limit.
Nobody will be counting your words and comparing your 350 to someone else’s 400. A good rule of thumb is aim for 75% of the limit. Don’t add just to get close to the limit. Remember that real human beings have to read thousands of these essays. Don’t bore the readers with extraneous information or overly wordy sentence structures. Be direct and concise.
Great answer above. The saying “less is more” applies to essays too. You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway, but neither should you strive to be James Joyce.
“Joyce? She’s my favorite author!” Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) from “Back to School”