<p>Hi, I am almost done composing my essay on the challenging an idea prompt and I am worried about its length. I have written about 450-500 words . Is that too short?? Especially if I am applying to top-tier schools(Stanford SCEA) and Ivy Leagues?</p>
<p>It’s not about how long (or short) it is, it’s all about what it says. You could write a fantastic essay that barely meets the minimum word count. That applies to top-tier, middle-tier and bottom-tier schools.</p>
<p>How you ended up with your 450-500 words can be important, too. Better essays tend to have been originally written somewhat longer than they end up.</p>