Hello all. I am currently writing my St. Andrews essay and am having a hard time limiting my word count down to 400. I was originally at 585 words, then managed to get it down to 515, and now 458. Is 458 O.K. or should I work closer to 400? I believe that my essay is well written and meets all of the requirements of the essay, so I don’t think its a matter of the admissions counselors not enjoying my essay, but I am worried that I will be penalized no matter what.
All answers are welcome! Thank you.
Well, on online forms you can’t put in more words than the limit, so you will be forced to cut it down.
Are you using the UCAS? If so that’s a character count.
Never exceed the word count.
I am applying to St. Andrews via the direct application. It just says maximum four hundred words. I’ve read in several places that some schools look towards the “10% rule” meaning that as long as the extra words aren’t more than 10 percent of the essay, it is fine.
Have someone else look at it. You are married to certain words and reading it like a song in your head at this point. Someone else could probably cut it down for you without impacting intention. I believe in strictly following word counts.
If a school gets a lot of qualified applicants, a quick way to pare down the number of apps is to reject those who can’t follow simple directions. If the maximum is 400 words, cut it to 400 words.
I’ve heard a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, although I haven’t been able to verify it. It goes something like, “I would have given a shorter speech if I’d had more time to write it.” It’s important to be able to state your case succinctly. Follow the guidelines.
If it “just” says MAXIMUM 400 words, then 400 words had better be the maximum.
Having lived half my adult life in the UK, they don’t mince words and they mean what they say.
I’d get it down. 1 to 2 or even 3 over may not make a huge difference, but 58 is significant.
@MaineLonghorn, though lots of people have said it since, I think that it was Pascal who said it first (in 1657): Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.