<p><em>sigh</em></p>
<p>both of mine are over, and in the 850-word range; i double-checked with two college counselors and three English teachers; all of them said my essay shouldn’t be cut down, and that the length would not be a deterrent for acceptance (and, since they’ve been getting kids in for years, i feel like they know what they’re talking about).</p>
<p>i figure, if i get rejected from yale because my essay was ~200 words too long, i’d probably be happier in another school that avoids that kind of excessive nitpicking. granted, i just spent two days trying to cut it down to no avail, so maybe i’m biased. 
</p>
<p>good luck to everyone!</p>