650 words for all c colleges…I can’t find one that says 500
Yes, it is 650 words. No confusion at all. Time is short.Quickly submit your application with supplement essay - if not submitted already. Best wishes for my friends- all ED applicants.
Wait…“Time is short.Quickly submit your application with supplement essay - if not submitted already. Best wishes for my friends- all ED applicants.”…are you…is this…SABOTAGE??? Subtle…
loooooooool. I’m calling admissions again to clarify for a second time. I’m not submitted my application until October 30th
Yeah from that I kinda read, “Submit your unfinished applications so I’ll have a better chance, hahahahah screw you ccers!!!” I’d hope that the original poster didn’t mean that, but if you look at the wording of that post that’s what it kinda sounded like…maybe I’m just paranoid…
Anyone else think the application portal to check materials and such is completely crap? Whenever I click on financial aid checklist, it kicks me out of the site. Also, I submitted my 650 word supplement. How do they expect people who submitted early to fix their essay when it was their fault and they are just fixing it now.
ANNOUNCEMENT: I emailed the admissions office on friday, and they got back to me today. They told me to stick to the 500 word maximum.
Whoops too bad already submitted my app on Friday
Literally the only people who will have submitted 500 words are the people who called because on CA and on their website it says 650.
GOOD NEW EVERYONE
I CALLED AND THEY SAID 650 IS FINE
They said 500 was a guideline just so that no on exceeded the 650 limit so if you’re essay is under 650 you’re perfectly fine!!!
Yay!!
This is such bs. I called today and now their story is what garortristan said above. They seem to be revising history, since the Common App clearly said 500 MAXIMUM before, not as a “guideline.” I mentioned this to the lady on the phone and argued that this was inequitable but they are sticking with this story. They must think their applicants are not too bright. It does seem ridiculous that an Ivy League university that has been in business for 150 years would be this sloppy with the application process.
Just called CALS admissions, she said 650 words
I also called the Admissions at Hum Ec and they said you can submit a 650-word essay under the Supplemental Information section on the Cornell website if you already submitted a 500-word essay under the Common App. What is pissing me off is that no one I have talked to has acknowledged that they made an error and caused some considerable stress. Considering how much emphasis they put on the essay at the information session, this is more than a little aggravating.
@NICE8X - that is not entirely true. As of 10 days ago, and as recently as last week, the Common App and the Cornell website’s link said 500 words.
I think you all are overreacting a bit. At this point just do what you can, obviously they will have to take this 500 vs 650 word issue into account. I’m submitting what I have and they can do what they choose. As I said before, if this institution rejects applicants over a confusion they created right before the ED deadline, then said institution probably isn’t worth the trouble.
I agree-no one should stress about this. If you wrote a really good 500 word essay then you’re good. If you wrote a really good 650 word essay then you’re also good. Let’s not argue about this. 
Please don’t think I’m arguing. I’m just frustrated (and venting) because my daughter worked hard to get it down to 500 words and if Cornell would just say, “yes, we made a mistake, feel free to submit another essay,” that would go a long way. Instead, they are reinventing history here.
Guys I’ve submitted both my common app and my supplement essay already-- my common app was 615 and my supplement was 632. Don’t stress, it’s 650 max for both. And I seriously doubt the supplement word limit varies from college to college.