Penn states show that you need to limit your essay to 500 words, but i have 650 word essay, is that fine?
Try to cut it down at least to 550 or so, if you want to be safe about it. Surely there are filler sentences and other less useful bits you could delete.
Are you just applying to Penn State NOW?
YES
As in, you are applying now for Fall 2016?
Do you realize you’re two months past the priority deadline??
the deadline is January 31…
go ahead and check the website… http://admissions.psu.edu/apply/deadlines/
thanks for your help!
To answer your question, I think it is absolutely important that you are close to the limit. Whenever I used to edit essays (please don’t send me more), the major, major task of “editing” was deleting words, passive phrases, sentences, and even whole paragraphs. The major mistake that students make with their essays is to think that everything is important in telling the story. Leaving out details and streamlining the language is much more important that telling “the WHOLE story.”
I know people who read essays that will literally stop reading at the limit. If your essay makes no sense without the last 150 words, you should have learned to follow instructions. Sometimes, that is more important than what you write. Can you follow instructions.
Your question is akin to saying if I drive 65 in a 50 zone is that OK? It really depends upon if you get caught and who catches you.
Do whatever it takes to cut it down to 500 words or less. Being able to follow directions is part of being a capable student. Why would you want to give them an easy reason to toss your app in the “no” pile???
The deadline (despite being the “late” deadline) has already passed by now.
Use active voice whenever possible/suitable in college essays. Cut out ‘to be’ verbs. While this isn’t necessary always (can sometimes detract from the tonality; research papers are the place where active voice doesn’t work a lot of the time), it does help cut down the amount of words you use and make the piece sound much stronger in voice and concision. You will want to use passive voice when aiming to sound speculative.
Also yes you need to stay within the limit. This is an issue as you should respect and oblige the fact that AdComs have limited time to read essays. Imagine if you had to go through thousands of applications to find that many of the students wrote much more than you had planned?
LOL Hope you are not interested in engineering though. Your bridge must fill the allotted space-no more and no less.
They give you a limit because they want you to stick to it.
They give you a deadline because they want you to stick to it.
I’m confused. While majors and campuses may be limited, there does not appear to be a deadline on the link. It says applications submitted after January 31 are admitted on a rolling basis.
Your chances are much reduced after the priority deadline (Nov 30) and even further after the deadline OP is talking about. They’ve been filling spots since September. They can’t possibly take as many people now as they did before the priority deadline.
11,000 apps were submitted this year on November 30 alone. If you submit now you’re behind all of those people plus thousands more.
They will make up their minds within the first 150 words.
oh wow, didn’t know that…