How long should your IELTS writing task 1 & task 2 be? Learn how the examiner counts your words and the recommended length of your IELTS essay. This page contains information about:
- IELTS Writing Word Count Rules
- Recommended Essay Length
- Word Count Warning
- How Words are Counted in IELTS writing
IELTS Writing: Word Count Rules
- IELTS have set a task of writing OVER 150 words for IELTS writing task 1 and 250 for writing task 2.
- However, there is no upper word limit.
- While the under word count penalty has been removed, writing an essay that is too short will lower your score. Click here: penalty removal and short essays
Recommended Length of an IELTS Essay
- Always write over the word count as this is the best way to approach your IELTS writing.
- Aim for around 170 – 190 for writing task 1 and about 270 – 290 for writing task 2. This will mean you have developed your writing sufficiently for the higher scores in terms of words, but you must still ensure that each sentence is relevant and focused.
- Don’t write too much. Aim for quality rather than quantity. This means focus on writing excellent English and organising your information rather than writing a long essay in task 2. The also applies to your report in task 1 academic or your letter in task 1 GT.
Watch this video to learn more about how long your IELTS essay should be:
Will you get a higher score for a longer essay in IELTS?
The answer is very simple = no. IELTS is look for a highly relevant, focused essay. If you try to add information that is not 100% relevant to your task, you will get a lower score.
Don’t try to add a hook to your introduction to make it interesting. You don’t get more points for interest. You get more points for being focused and concise.
You do not get a higher score for a longer essay.
Warning for IELTS Writing Word Count
- If you copy the information given by IELTS for your introduction, the examiner will not count those words. This means you might be under the word count. So, always paraphrase your introductions. This lesson shows you how to write an introduction for IELTS writing task 2 by paraphrasing.
- How to check how many words you have written – you don’t have time to count each word you have written, so you should count the lines instead. Knowing the length of your handwriting on the official writing answer sheet will help. Watch this video lesson to learn about practicing with the official writing answer sheet.
More IELTS Writing Tips & Lessons
10 Sentences to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 2
How many Paragraphs for an IELTS Essay
How to use the Official Answer Sheet for IELTS Writing
All IELTS Writing Task 2 Lessons, Model Answers, Tips & Free Videos
Main IELTS Pages
Develop your IELTS skills with tips, lessons, free videos and more.
- IELTS Listening
- IELTS Reading
- IELTS Writing Task 1
- IELTS Writing Task 2
- IELTS Speaking
- Vocabulary for IELTS
The shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 200 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 600 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 200 and 650 words.
Is it okay to go over word limit in college essay?
Most college essays have a stated word-limit. … You need to follow directions, but as long as the college’s online application doesn’t cut you off, it’s fine to go over the word limit by 10-20 words in a short essay, and maybe by a few sentences in a long essay.
How strict are word limits on essays?
There are no strict word limits. We suggest that for the first essay (where you choose one of the seven prompts), the extended essay stay around 650 words. While we won’t as a rule stop reading after 650 words, we cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention for as long as you’d hoped it would.
How many words is too much for a college essay?
Use the real estate you’re given in college essays. If the maximum word count for a college admissions essays is 650 words, applicants should not write 500 words. They should write 650 words — or pretty close to it.
Can your college essay be over 650 words?
The current word count is between 250 and 650 words. The online application won’t accept essays that are below 250 words or over 650 words. Your essay must stay within the word count limit. … This word count gives you enough space to write an in-depth essay about your chosen topic.
What does 200 word limit mean?
Originally Answered: What does max 200 words in an essay mean ? It simply means that they want a precise yet detailed essay practically impossible to write satisfactorily. If you go overboard, they cut marks, if you are under the limit, your essay isn’t good enough.
Is 700 words too long for a college essay?
The shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 200 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 600 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 200 and 650 words.
What does around 1500 words mean?
1500 words is about 3 pages single spaced or 6 pages double spaced. Word counts of 1000 words, 1500 words, etc. … Examples of 1500 word count pages are medium form blog posts, news articles or short pieces of journalism. Answer: 1500 words is 3 pages single spaced or 6 pages double spaced.
What does maximum 500 words mean?
What does a maximum of 500 words mean? A 500-word essay usually means a 500-word essay. … In other words, if you’re asked to write 500 words, your essay could be a little under or a little over; I like so stay within the range of 450–550 words.
How long should a college essay be 2020?
Your essay needs to be between 250 and 650 words long. You can’t go over the limit—the online form will cut you off at 650 words. The length includes the title, notes, and any other text you include in the online form. Use your 650 words to tell a focused story and help the admissions folks get to know you.
Does a 500 word essay have to be exactly 500 words?
500-word essays do not have to be exactly 500 words, but they should be as close as possible.
Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you’ve read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?
Whether you’re a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we’ll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren’t sure how long a specific essay should be.
How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit
You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there’s a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.
In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.
College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.
For example, the University of Illinois says:
«You’ll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you’ll answer will depend on whether you’re applying to a major or to our undeclared program, and if you’ve selected a second choice. Each response should be approximately 150 words.»
As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!
Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!
How Flexible Is the Word Limit?
But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?
Can I Go Over the Word Limit?
If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it’s explicitly allowed for a few reasons:
-
First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you’ll have to trim down anyways.
-
If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.
-
Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it’s just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you’ve been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!
Can I Go Under the Word Limit?
If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it’s probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.
However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you’re writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.
Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.
Don’t let this sinister hand stop you from writing everything you have to say!
What If There Is No Word Limit?
Some colleges don’t give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:
Writing Sample
Some colleges don’t provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.
«Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay.»
While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B, Amherst clarifies, «There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages.»
So even though there’s no word limit, they’d like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn’t very limiting.
Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.
Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We’ll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you’ll have a unique essay that you’ll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.
Don’t leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:
Implicit Length Guideline
Sometimes, while there’s no word (or even page) limit, there’s still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?
See, for example, this Wellesley supplemental essay prompt:
«When choosing a college community, you are choosing a place where you believe that you can live, learn, and flourish. Generations of inspiring women have thrived in the Wellesley community, and we want to know what aspects of this community inspire you to consider Wellesley. We know that there are more than 100 reasons to choose Wellesley, but the «Wellesley 100» is a good place to start. Visit The Wellesley 100 and let us know, in two well-developed paragraphs, which two items most attract, inspire, or energize you and why. (Not-so-secret tip: The «why» matters to us.)»
There’s no page or word limit here, but it does say to respond «in two well-developed paragraphs.» This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. «Well-developed» certainly means the paragraphs can be long, but even two long paragraphs shouldn’t exceed 500 words or so. That’s what I mean by an «implicit» word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.
But what’s the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?
Treasure Hunt
There is also the classic «treasure hunt» prompt. No, it’s not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It’s a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.
For example, the University of Chicago provides six «Extended Essay» prompts. You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.
However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page, they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays:
“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won’t, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we’re only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”
So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.
Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length
If you really can’t find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you’re at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won’t), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).
In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It’s a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you’re wondering, that’s about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!
«See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!»
The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you’re too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.
What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it’s one of the most common word limits, after all!
Here’s guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:
-
If it’s a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn’t matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.
-
There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you’ll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.
-
You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with «admissions essay word limit.»
-
If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.
With this advice, you can be sure you’ve got the right college essay length on lockdown!
Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!
What’s Next?
Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do’s and dont’s to getting college essay advice.
If you’re lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas. And here’s our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!
Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis!
Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We’ve written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:
Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!
About the Author
Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.
Published on
January 28, 2019
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
December 6, 2021.
The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper or thesis.
In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.
In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.
Table of contents
- Essay length guidelines
- How long is each part of an essay?
- Using length as a guide to topic and complexity
- Can I go under the suggested length?
- Can I go over the suggested length?
Essay length guidelines
| Type of essay | Average word count range | Essay content |
|---|---|---|
| High school essay | 300–1000 words | In high school you are often asked to write a 5-paragraph essay, composed of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. |
| College admission essay | 200–650 words | College applications require a short personal essay to express your interests and motivations. This generally has a strict word limit. |
| Undergraduate college essay | 1500–5000 words | The length and content of essay assignments in college varies depending on the institution, department, course level, and syllabus. |
| Graduate school admission essay | 500–1000 words | Graduate school applications usually require a longer personal statement and/or statement of purpose detailing your academic achievements and motivations. |
| Graduate school essay | 2500–6000 words | Graduate-level assignments vary by institution and discipline, but are likely to include longer essays or research papers. |
How long is each part of an essay?
In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.
The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.
The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.
Using length as a guide to topic and complexity
The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement, which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.
A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.
As you make an outline of your essay, make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.
The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading.
Can I go under the suggested length?
You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:
- Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
- Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
- Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
- Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
- Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.
Can I go over the suggested length?
In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.
Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:
- Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
- Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
- Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
- Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
- Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion. These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S.
(2021, December 06). How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay. Scribbr.
Retrieved April 14, 2023,
from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/length/
Is this article helpful?
You have already voted. Thanks 
Your vote is saved
Processing your vote…
The word count of your essay mostly depends on your educational level, subject, department, course, and tutor’s instructions. This piece of writing is normally shorter than research papers or dissertations. But how long should an essay be exactly?
Generally, the length requirements are indicated in your assignment sheet. It can be words, paragraphs, or pages given as a range (300–500 words) or a particular number (5 pages). If you are not sure about your essay’s length, the number-one tip is to clarify it with your tutor. Also, if you’re not sure how to write an essay, we have a detailed guide on that topic, just follow the link.
We will review all the factors you must consider when it comes to an essay’s length, but here’s a quick answer to questions like, “How many words in an essay or how many paragraphs does an essay have?”
An essay is five paragraphs long on average, which is around 400–700 words.
The tips below relate to academic essays that are given as a writing assignment. Everything that concerns admissions essays will be discussed in the following section.
- Three is the minimum number of paragraphs for essays (intro, body, and conclusion).
- The most common structure for a basic paper is the five-paragraph essay.
- The length of the introduction and conclusion paragraphs is always proportionally smaller.
- Each body paragraph must cover only one central idea, which is your topic sentence.
- A double-spaced page with text written in Times New Roman (12pt) usually contains about 275 words.
- A single-spaced page can fit double the amount, which is about 550 words.
How long should each essay part be?
If it’s a short essay (400–1000 words), each paragraph usually contains 100–200 words. The introduction and conclusion should be roughly the same in length and shorter than the overall word count of the body section.
According to Jennifer Duncan from The Writing Centre (the University of Toronto at Scarborough), for a 1000-word essay, its introduction and conclusion should be 4–5 sentences each. If your word count must be bigger, the length of these sections can be several paragraphs or even pages.
You might have seen conversion tables that say, “This number of words equals this number of paragraphs.” They all are based on a fixed length for each paragraph and are not very accurate. Yes, an essay that’s 400–800 words long can be converted like that. But, when your paper is bigger than a thousand words, your paragraphs can scale along, which means their number won’t grow exponentially with the overall essay size. For instance, if a 700-word essay comprises five paragraphs, a long essay (2000 words) won’t necessarily have fifteen paragraphs.
How long should a college essay be?
Here, “college essays” imply essays written for admissions. Admissions essays are quite different from the ones you get as homework. Usually, their chief goal is to show to the board that you are a worthy applicant. All the details about such essays should be publicly available on the college’s website in the appropriate section. But, if you don’t know the word count requirement and can’t find it, you still have some options. Below is a quick answer to the “how long is a college essay” question.
An average college essay is about 500 words long.
Admissions essay length tips
- Once you open the college’s site, look for phrases like “essay questions,” “information about supplemental essays,” “application instructions,” etc.
- As a rule, admissions essays are short (250–600 words) because board officers have to go through a lot of them daily.
- Do not exceed the given range by too much: if it says 500–550 words, the maximum length would be 600.
- When exceeding the word limit, your essay may not even end up being read to the end, so be mindful.
What if there are no length guidelines?
Sometimes colleges will not indicate a length limit for their essay prompts. But, don’t worry just yet because there are several ways to deal with this situation.
1. You need to send a sample of your writing.
They might have several options for applicants. Amherst College provides you with a choice: you can either (Option A) write a response to one of the quotations from the list or (Option B) submit a graded paper that best shows your writing skills. The last option implies that you have a set of papers to choose from, so you’re limited by their word count. But usually, there’s a page that contains guidelines for paper samples.
2. You can understand how long it should be from the description.
In its essay prompt guidelines, Wellesley College doesn’t give you a range of words or pages. Instead, it says, “in two well-developed paragraphs.” That means paragraphs can be quite long but within a reasonable limit, which is about 450–500 words. So this is when you’ll need to estimate or even guess a bit.
3. You need to search for the length requirements.
It can happen that essay length guidelines are not on the same page as the prompts. However, once you google, you can find posts on forums and social networks that discuss these essay writing requirements. You can also try searching “long” or “length” within the college site by typing “site:yourcollegewebsite.com” with those words.
4. You must call the admissions office.
If word limit instructions are nowhere to be found, you should call the admissions office. Even if they don’t have an exact number, they can tell you how long an essay should be based on the ones they had received before.
Mini-FAQ
How many sentences are in an essay?
Sentence length will vary based on the paper type you’re working on. In narrative essays, you have to tell a story, which means sentences can be very long (up to 50 words). But general advice would be to keep sentences shorter than 25 words. Considering that, a 500-word essay would have somewhere between 20 to 45 sentences.
Why should I meet length requirements?
In short, you do. Unfortunately, the education system is “lazy” in this regard. Even though minimum length requirements force students to stretch their writing by adding fluff and verbose phrases, if those restraints were no more, some students would abuse that and submit essays far too short. Although some educators give a small margin over or under the word count, it’s better to write within the given range.
How many sentences should my paragraphs have?
Your introductions and conclusion are usually smaller than body paragraphs. Hence, they will contain fewer sentences. For a 300-word paper, the first and last paragraphs will be about 3–5 sentences each, and every main paragraph will consist of 5–7 sentences.
The list of references
Here, you may find additional information on the topic:
- Paragraph Length — Aims Community College
- Writing Introductions and Conclusions — the University of Toronto at Scarborough
sample from HTML program and PDF book
1. You should make every effort to stay within any word limits that have been set for an essay assignment. One important part of the exercise is that you should produce an answer to the question within set limits.
2. You will not normally be penalised if your essay is a little too short – so long as your argument is written in a concise style and you have covered all the topics which a full answer requires.
3. Similarly, an essay that is just slightly too long will not normally be penalised – so long as all your arguments are relevant to the point of the question.
4. However, you should avoid producing essays which greatly exceed the word limit. The longer you go on writing, the more likely you are to stray away from the point of the question. You will not normally be rewarded just for the quantity you produce.
5. An essay which seriously exceeds the word limit (say, by more than twenty or thirty percent) could be returned to you by your tutor as unacceptable. The argument could be made that you are not staying within the set limits, and you are possibly taking an unfair advantage over other students who have stayed within them.
6. Quotations should not normally be counted as part of the word limit – but the total amount of material from secondary sources should be so small that the proportion is insignificant.
7. You do not need to make a detailed count of every word (or pencil totals in the margin as ‘proof’). Use the word-count feature of
your word-processor to get an idea of the total. If it doesn’t have a counter, just make the following calculation for a rough estimate of your total word count:
words per line × lines per page × pages
Too long
8. If an essay is too long before you produce your final draft, its length may be reduced by rigorous editing. Consider some of the following possibilities.
9. Eliminate any repetitions in your basic argument. If you cover the same point from more than one perspective, retain only the most important parts of the discussion, and delete the others.
10. You might consider shortening your introduction, certainly if goes on for much more than 200 words. In some extreme cases it might even be better to go straight to your argument.
11. Check your prose style and try to make the expression of your argument as concise as possible. If necessary, shorten the length of your sentences by removing any words which are not essential to the argument. Cut out anything which introduces a conversational tone.
12. Reduce the number of illustrative examples. Each major point of your argument should normally be illustrated by one or [at the most] two examples of evidence which are then analysed or discussed. If you have more, you should just retain the most convincing and relevant. Eliminate the others.
13. Shorten any illustrative quotations to the absolute minimum. Most essays should not need long quotations from secondary sources – if only because it is your own argument which is more important. Select just those few words which make your point.
Too short
14. If on the other hand your final efforts have produced an essay which is shorter than the required length, you obviously need to do some extra work on it. Consider the following steps.
15. Go back to the start of the essay planning process and generate more ideas and topics on the subject in question. Try to think of new approaches or aspects of the subject which you might have ignored or forgotten.
15. Look closely at the question again. Ask yourself if you have followed all its instructions and covered all that it has asked for.
16. Make sure that you have provided an explanatory introduction and conclusion to the essay. Don’t waffle just for the sake of filling up the space. Introduce your argument succinctly and make sure that you have explained its relevance to the original question.
17. It might be that you have produced an argument which is not well enough illustrated by examples which are analysed and discussed. Make sure that you have sufficient evidence and explanatory examples to prove your point. Do not let an argument stand alone without proof.
18. Make sure that you have explained the relevance of your argument to the question which was originally posed. In other words, you must demonstrate the connection between your examples and the subject in question.
© Roy Johnson 2003
Buy Writing Essays — eBook in PDF format
Buy Writing Essays 3.0 — eBook in HTML format
More on writing essays
More on How-To
More on writing skills
Colleges require students to submit a written essay as part of their application or learning process. Basically, college essays are short papers that require learners to respond to question in a clear manner. In this case, writers must meet the correct word length to receive good grades. Then, going beyond or below the required college essay word limit creates a negative impression about authors. In particular, credible papers should have a short introduction and conclusion. Also, each of these sections should take-up 10% of the overall word limit. However, the body section should take-up approximately 80% of the stated length. In turn, a minimum paragraph length should be 50-100 words and follow a sandwich rule, which requires one to use at least four sentences. Besides, writers must ensure that a college body paragraph contains a topic sentence, relevant evidence, accurate explanations, and a concluding and transitioning statement. Hence, students must understand the basic college essay length of how long should it be with its word limit.
General Guidelines on College Essay Length
College students communicate their thoughts through essays. Basically, the length of a college essay plays a crucial role in enhancing the learner’s ability to express opinions or support a topic effectively. In this case, writers should ensure that each sentence contributes to a central idea or thesis statement. Moreover, 1-page college essays should contain approximately 250 words. In turn, this word limit can allow one to organize ideas in five paragraphs. Because students communicate their thoughts or arguments through writing, the length limit contributes toward enhanced communication. However, by answering the question of how long should a college essay be, the length limit of such a paper varies from 250 to 1000 words, depending on assignment instructions.
Usual Range of a Word Count for College Essays
1. Word Limit of Traditional College Essays
The length of college papers varies in size, depending on prompt instructions. For example, the average length of a common college essay is 500 words, which is approximately two double-spaced pages. Also, a short version of a college essay is 250 words. However, professors may require learners to write college essays for 750 or 1000 words to make papers for about 3 pages in length on extended essay topics. In this case, college students may submit papers that meet such criteria. Besides, answers to essay questions or body paragraphs should contain between 200 and 800 words. As for long college papers, such papers should be between 1000 and 2000 words. In turn, these lengths and word limits help students to organize their papers with compelling answers to prompt questions.
A. Other Features of Traditional College Essays
The length limit of ordinary college essays ranges within 250-1000 words to avoid vagueness when communicating an intended message. For instance, college lecturers, professors, and tutors give assignment prompts that require students to respond accurately and straightforwardly by following a typical essay structure with a traditional essay outline. In this case, learners should use short word limits to organize the most compelling evidence to support the arguments presented. Moreover, a brief scope prevents one from including vague and weak ideas in a paper. As a rule, students should make sure to fully explain and analyze each example included in a paper as evidence. In turn, this approach helps to address a single idea in each paragraph. Hence, college essays should have a short length that allows students to communicate effectively.
2. How Long Should a College Application Essay Be
College application essays vary in size when compared to ordinary assignments. Basically, the length of a college application essay should be between 200 and 650 words. For instance, a college committee requires students to submit short personal papers that express their interests and inspirations. Moreover, this word range provides adequate space for students to convey their personality, passions, and writing abilities to the admission or selection panel. Since a college application essay has a strict word length, one must ensure that titles and other explanatory notes fall within a required word limit.
A. Why College Application Essays Should Be From 250 to 650 Words
Colleges require students to submit application essays that range between 250 and 650 words because such papers allow committees to learn more about students. In particular, the shorter length of application essays gives aspiring students adequate space to express their interests and unique personality traits. Besides, admission committees use such application paper length to determine if students can follow instructions effectively by meeting a word limit and providing strict and clear messages. In turn, going beyond or below a word limit may lead to possible rejection by admission committees from a practical perspective. Hence, short college application essays intend to allow admission committees to learn more about applicants beyond test scores and grades.
Length of Each Part of a College Essay
An ordinary college essay should have three main parts that help to communicate an intended message. Basically, these three sections include an introduction, body, and conclusion. Moreover, each of these three parts should have a different length. In turn, a college admission essay should have the same length but containing another type of content. However, the rule for observing a traditional word limit should be similar in all the instances. Hence, word limits that students should remember when they cope with writing their papers are:
I. Introduction of a College Essay: 25-100 Words
The introduction of an ordinary essay should contain approximately 10% of the overall word length. For instance, the introduction should give a clear overview of a topic and help readers to develop a picture of what to expect in the body section. In this case, students should provide a brief background of body paragraphs to avoid going beyond the 10% limit. Then, one should include a clear thesis statement in the introductory section. Basically, these details should take-up a small part of a college essay. However, if a paper contains 1000 words, students should write the introduction in 100 words.
II. Body Section in a College Essay: 200-800 Words
The body section of a college essay should contain approximately 80% of the entire word length. In this case, the body section includes several paragraphs that support a thesis statement. Moreover, each body paragraph must contain relevant evidence and explanations. Hence, students must ensure that the essay’s body covers the largest space. In turn, if a college paper has 1000 words, writers should spend 800 words for body paragraphs to explain the main ideas.
III. Conclusion of a College Essay: 25-100 Words
The concluding paragraph should take up 10% of the essay’s word length. For instance, the concluding section should contain a summary of the main points communicated in a college essay. In practice, students should restate a thesis statement and recapitulate the significant issues discussed. Hence, this information should take-up a small portion of a college essay limit. In turn, if a college paper contains 1000 words, learners should write a conclusion by using 100 words.
How to Pay Attention to Paper Requirements
Students must pay attention to essay requirements given by lecturers or admission committees. For instance, ignoring basic instructions may lead to lower grades or rejection. In turn, professors and admission officers focus on identifying the learner’s ability to observe instructions and determine word limit requirements by providing clear and strict messages. Hence, guidelines that students must keep in mind when writing a college paper are:
1. Minimum Length Requirement
The college essay’s minimum length refers to the least number of words that a student must write. Basically, instructors and admission officers give students a range of words that must be used for writing a college essay. In this case, writers cannot submit a college paper with lesser words than a minimum length. Hence, failure to meet a minimum length requirement of a college essay leads to losing points or denial from admission.
2. Maximum Length Requirement
The maximum length requirement refers to the highest number of words that a paper must contain. In most cases, lecturers and admission officers do not grade the content beyond the maximum number of terms indicated in the instructions. Moreover, students should observe this word limit to avoid unnecessary penalization or deduction of marks for failing to follow instructions. As a rule, learners should not exceed 10% of the whole word count of a college paper length. In turn, if such an essay must be 500 words, students must not exceed a whole word count of a paper more than 550 words.
Possibilities to Go Over or Under a Word Limit in Colleges Essays
Some educational institutions allow students to go over or under the given limit. As a rule, one should either surpass or fall behind a given word limit with 10%. However, one should avoid these possibilities because of the following reasons:
1. Ways of Adhering to Guidelines
Students must demonstrate their ability to adhere to rules. When professors instruct students to complete an essay in 250 words, they do not want one to submit three typed pages. Instead, they expect learners to present a powerful piece that communicates a central message in one double-spaced page. Hence, writers should overcome such an issue by adhering to a stipulated word limit.
2. Negative Impression
Lengthy essays with no sense make readers develop a negative perception of authors. For instance, submitting college papers that go beyond an established word limit makes writers appear overconfident. Basically, such cases may occur in college application essays. Moreover, long pieces may force admission officers to think that such applicants cannot organize their thought clearly. In turn, such negative impressions may lead to a possible rejection of a lengthy application essay.
3. Poor Editing Skills
Going beyond given word limits shows that a writer has poor editing skills. For example, outstanding students can edit and remove unnecessary details. In this case, learners should demonstrate these skills by reviewing their works to reduce the number of irrelevant words and enhance the clarity of the essay’s message. Also, rereading through a college paper reveals words, sentences, or paragraphs that do not contribute to a paper. In turn, one should eliminate such vague details to ensure that a written piece meets the necessary word limits.
How to Work Out With a Length Limit of a College Essay
Students should rely on a fair editing process to meet a required word count limit. For example, students should remove weaker evidence, in-text citations, or arguments to reduce the number of words if they go beyond those stated in paper instructions. In other instances, learners should define new and robust evidence to support the main points when college essays contain fewer words than needed. Moreover, students with practical editing skills should check if each paragraph appears relevant to a central argument. Then, writers should ensure that each body paragraph addresses one point related to a thesis statement. In turn, such an approach helps to control the number of words that one must use for a college essay.
1. Word Count Filler
Word count fillers refer to details that a student adds to a college essay to meet a requested length of words. In particular, learners should ensure that all word count fillers remain relevant to a topic. Unfortunately, many students make a mistake of using irrelevant words in their works to achieve a required count. As a result, this approach lowers the essay’s quality through a distortion of the main message.
2. Plagiarism
Students should avoid all forms of plagiarism because it shows a lack of originality. Basically, plagiarism exists when a student uses information from external sources without acknowledging it effectively. Besides, plagiarism leads to a punishable academic crime. In this case, students should paraphrase or quote information by using acceptable academic guidelines or writing formats, such as APA 7, MLA 8, Harvard, or Chicago//Turabian, among others. Similarly, they should include an in-text citation for the mentioned, summarized, or translated evidence to overcome all plagiarism cases.
3. Abstract
Some college essays may contain an abstract, including a summary of the main ideas presented in the body section. As a rule, a college abstract should contain between 100 and 200 words, and it is not counted for the essay’s word limit. Basically, this rule applies regardless of the paper’s length. In turn, learners should write an abstract after completing a paper and ensuring that they deal with all the necessary guidelines.
Good and Bad Strategies to Meet a Length Requirement
Students use different methods to meet a word limit required in a college essay. For example, some of the bad strategies that writers use to complete the essay’s length include using wordy sentences, including irrelevant details, and copy-pasting. Basically, these methods lead to plagiarism and vagueness in an intended message. However, one may use acceptable practices, like adding strong evidence while removing weak ones. In this case, students should identify irrelevant details during the editing process. Besides, writers should add more substantial pieces of evidence to support central claims.
1. Dealing With an Unspecified Word Limit
Students may come across strange circumstances where instructions fail to stipulate the word limit’s exact number. In such a case, learners must submit a college essay with three paragraphs to meet a minimum length. Basically, students should include the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. In turn, these three sections should add up to 250 words in total or one double-spaced page.
2. Coping With a 5-Paragraph Essay
While colleges require a five-paragraph essay, students should attain a minimum length of 500 words. In this case, one should follow the basic requirements of 5 parts of an essay – introduction with three body paragraphs and ending with a concluding section. Besides, three body paragraphs may have the main argument, counterargument, and rebuttal paragraph if it is a persuasive essay. In turn, students must submit a persuasive essay that proves a specific point to be more valid.
3. Determining Discussion Posts
A discussion post refers to a one- or two-paragraph essay that requires students to express their thoughts briefly. Basically, discussion post responses are popular these days because they help learners to acquire critical thinking skills. Despite their short length, discussion posts are useful in showing how students perceive a situation. Besides, they allow writers to express their thoughts toward a subject.
Defining a Length of a Paragraph in a College Essay
College essays should have body paragraphs that contain a reasonable length. As a rule, a typical body paragraph should contain four or more sentences from 50 to 100 words. In particular, a section must contain a topic sentence, supporting evidence, explanation, and concluding and transitioning statement. Moreover, students must be sure that these four sentences follow a sandwich rule, which enhances the main ideas’ communication. However, one should not use a paragraph that fills an entire page, or it must not exceed 150-200 words. In turn, such practices affect the essay’s readability.
Summing Up on College Essay’s Length Limits
College essays allow students to communicate their thoughts or arguments through writing. In this case, the length limit of college essays contributes toward enhanced communication. Basically, learners must write their papers by following basic word count limits and ensure that they meet assignment instructions. In turn, failing to follow instructions may lead to undesired outcomes, like loss of grading points and rejection of college admissions. Hence, some tips that one should consider:
- The length of typical college essays ranges between 250 and 100 words.
- The length of a college application paper ranges between 200 and 650 words.
- College students should rely on practical editing skills to meet the necessary word count and avoid plagiarism.
Connect us with your school principal! We make sure students get the career help they need. Click here to learn how we do it!
Before we begin, you should always abide by the college essay word count. Following the word count means you’ll follow the rules on campus. It’s the little things that count.
If you are applying to colleges using the Common Application (Common App), you will have to limit your college essay to 650 words. That’s just over one page of single-spaced type.
- For an essay that’s meant to give admissions officers insight into you, how you would contribute to a college campus, and what sets you apart from other applicants, 650 words doesn’t seem like much.
Even if you aren’t filling out the Common App, most college essays set word limits around 500-750 words.
In the rare case there is no established word limit, most experts recommend not exceeding 900 words for a college essay.
How can you make the most of 650 (or so) words? Follow the tips below to write an impressive, effective Common App essay that sticks to the word limit.
1. Narrow down the topic.
The best way to write a concise, effective essay is to select a topic that’s as specific as possible.
- For example, it would be difficult to thoroughly cover all of your high school volunteer experience in 650 words.
If you attempted to do so, you would likely be forced to leave out all kinds of information. You wouldn’t have enough words to give a close, personal look at your own experiences and how they have shaped you.
If you narrowed this topic down, you might choose to focus on the volunteer work you did with one specific organization. While this is an improvement, it’s still a fairly broad topic.
You could narrow down the topic even more by choosing one specific project, like volunteering at a nursing home.
- Even better would be an essay centered on a particular relationship you formed with a resident in the nursing home, or a favorite afternoon spent with this resident.
As you work on selecting this topic, narrow it down as much as possible.
The more specific the topic, the more likely you will be able to produce a thorough, well-written, and powerful essay.
2. Plan the essay.
The Common App essay word count shouldn’t be a surprise.
Taking time to plan the essay before writing can also help you make the most of your word limit.
As you plan, you should focus on what is essential to include in the essay, cutting information that isn’t necessary or doesn’t add anything important.
To do so, you have to understand the purpose of the college essay:
- To help admissions officers get to know you (beyond the information already included in the application)
- To demonstrate what you might contribute to a college campus
- To set you apart from similarly qualified applicants
You should focus on including information that accomplishes these purposes.
- For instance, you can avoid including too much information that is found elsewhere in the application or that likely applies to most college applicants.
Planning in advance will also help you write an organized, focused essay. This way, you’ll avoid rambling and wasting words as you write your draft.
3. Keep the introduction brief.
This is usually where students go over the Common App essay word limit.
To make sure there are plenty of words left for the “meat” of the essay, it’s important to keep the introduction relatively short.
An effective introduction for a college essay should be engaging, interesting, and brief.
- You don’t need to go into detail about everything you will discuss in the essay.
- Instead, you should provide a brief preview that leaves the admissions officer wanting to know more.
An introduction that’s somewhat intriguing or mysterious can be very effective in a college essay, and this is best achieved with a short, powerful introduction.
The introduction shouldn’t be more than 5-6 sentences unless you have a reason for including key information. Historically, students tend to cram the introduction with too much background detail.
In order to avoid including too much background detail, highlight the critical sentences in your introduction — these are the sentences that create the meaning and essence of the introduction. Evaluate the sentences you didn’t highlight; can you delete them?
As a general rule, if your introduction comprises over 24% of your entire college essay word count, it might be too long.
4. Focus on what’s important.
Regardless of the topic of the essay, it should be largely focused on you. For example, most essays should explain:
- How the essay’s topic has impacted your life
- How the essay’s topic has shaped you as a person
- Why this topic is so significant to you
- What this topic says about you/how it’s linked to your goals and passions
The majority of the 650 words should be devoted to developing these ideas because this is what is most important to admissions officers.
As an example, let’s take a look at one of the prompts for the Common Application.
Prompt #2 for 2018-2019 reads:
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
If you addressed this prompt, a portion of the essay would be spent describing a “challenge, setback or failure” you have faced.
But the majority of the essay should be devoted to explaining how you overcame the obstacle and what you learned from the experience.
- The essay should demonstrate positive qualities you possess, like determination, resilience, and humility.
No matter what prompt you choose, you can generally follow these guidelines.
The most significant number of words should be reserved for reflection on how your life has been influenced or changed, what you have learned, or why this topic matters to you.
This is a good exercise to ensure you’re focusing on what’s important:
- Highlight all the critical sentences in your essay — topic sentences, supporting sentences, storytelling sentences.
- Evaluate the sentences you did not highlight. What are the purposes of these sentences? Are you repeating things? Can you delete these sentences without diluting the meaning of the essay?
Think of words, phrases, and sentences as $100 bills. You want to spend them wisely.
5. Be concise.
Sticking to such a tight word limit requires concise writing. Concise writing avoids unnecessary words and sentences. It’s succinct and to the point.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include details or make interesting use of language. However, word choice should be deliberate. Avoid extraneous words such as:
- Basically
- Actually
- Very
- Really
You can also steer clear of using too many adverbs, and repetition. For example, “The reason for _____________ is because…” is repetitive. You don’t need to say “reason” and “because” in the same sentence, because one implies the other.
Avoiding repetition, unnecessary words, and excessive adverbs can help you write concisely and stick to the word limit.
Also, take a look at phrases, quotes, and aphorisms you use. You don’t want to use phrases and quotes that other authors have written.
You want as many words as possible to have been originally written by you. Anything else takes the focus off your voice.
Last, avoid cliches. Plain and simple.
6. Reread and revise.
By following the first five tips, you should be able to meet the word limit while still producing an effective piece of writing.
If, however, the essay still exceeds the word limit, you will need to reread and revise.
- You can do this yourself, but you can also enlist friends, family members, or teachers to assist you. Unnecessary details or sentences can be cut, but the focus will likely be on cutting unneeded words.
Look for words that aren’t strictly necessary or don’t add anything of merit to the essay.
- For example, let’s look at the above sentence. If we needed to trim some words from this article, we could delete, “to the essay” from the end of the sentence, making the sentence: “Look for words that aren’t strictly necessary or don’t add anything of merit.”
You already know that we’re talking about an essay, so those last three words aren’t essential.
We could also cut the adjective “strictly” if needed. We’ve shortened the article by four words already.
If you read carefully through your essay and trim non-essential words, reaching the word limit should be a painless process (And if you’ve followed Steps 1-5, there shouldn’t be too many extra words to cut).
Remember our third piece of advice: Students usually exceed the Common App word limit in their introductions. Trim the introduction and then move down.
Recap: Following the Common App Essay Word Limit
To make the most of the word limit, you should:
- Choose a topic that’s as specific as possible.
- Thoroughly plan the essay before drafting.
- Keep the introduction short.
- Focus on what matters to admissions officers.
- Be concise by avoiding repetition, excessive adverbs, and unnecessary words.
- Read and revise, trimming non-essential words if needed.
Following these tips will help you write an engaging and impressive college essay, all while sticking to the word limit.
Learn how we can help you and your school with college and career guidance!
Fill Out Our Form!