<p>Vadox, this is not the case…a huge number of people got in whose essays are around 750-800 - myself included. Sure, if an essay has a certain thing to say and this can be done in 500 words, I do agree with you that it is best that the word count is down, but some essays require further development, and I am sure that all adcoms would prefer a lengthier but more developed and insightful essay than a short one, which still has room for exploration.</p>