how strict are the word limits on each essay?

DanAdmiss_Tufts
Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:20:06 +0000

There really aren’t any hard rules. The more concise you are, the better.

And remember that ‘concise’ isn’t just limited to what you write, but the idea you are trying to convey as well. There are some ideas that you just cannot communicate in 200 words, or 500 words, or 1000 words - where if you try to close to the ‘word suggestions,’ you’ll be incoherent, not concise. If you have too much to say, try narrowing your topic/idea.

A good rule of thumb for figuring out if your essays are pushing the boundaries of the advised length is: Can someone standing across the room take one quick look at your essay and be certain that it’s more than the suggestion?

If someone can do that will *all[/] of your essays, then yes, that’s bad.