Essay word count

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hitmis: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 104; Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:32 amFollowed by: 1 member; Location: Mumbai; Thanked: 7 times; GMAT Score:680

by hitmis » Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:18 am

Hi everyone.

Although most schools publish a word count, since we upload documents that contain our essays, there is actually no text box enforcing word counts.

So my question is by how many words is it acceptable to overshoot the max limit ?

Say the Kenan Flagler ones are 500 words, the Haas is 750, so while a 50 word overshoot for KF would seem too much, it wouldn't for Haas. What's the thumb rule ?

regards

https://footprintsilived.blocked/

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Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process | Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:18 am

Ttronn: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 41; Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:27 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 6 times; GMAT Score:760

by Ttronn » Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:13 pm

I've heard that anything under a 10% overshoot is considered acceptable unless it explicitly states the passage will not be read past the 500th word etc. Personally, I tend to err on the side of caution and consider a 5% overshoot to be the max. Remember conciseness is valued.

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Kaneisha Grayson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 213; Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:15 amFollowed by: 31 members; Location: Austin, TX; Thanked: 44 times; GMAT Score:620

by Kaneisha Grayson » Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:33 am

Hi Hitmis,

Feel free to go a little bit over the word limit if you must. 10% seems a bit much to me, but I don't think it would be detrimental to your application.

I have a video called Kaneisha's Word Count Weight Loss Program: Whip Those Wordy Essays Into Shape! (https://theartofapplying.com/word-count- ... istration/) that would probably be pretty helpful to you in writing more concisely.

I also currently offer word count essay editing as a service: https://theartofapplying.com/word-count- ... -coaching/

Good luck!

Kaneisha

Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
https://theartofapplying.com

Want free advice that actually works? Sign up for my weekly MBA, MPP, and JD newsletter here: https://theartofapplying.com/newsletter/

My clients have earned over $3.1 million in fellowships from Harvard and other top MBA, MPP, and JD programs since 2010.

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hitmis: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 104; Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:32 amFollowed by: 1 member; Location: Mumbai; Thanked: 7 times; GMAT Score:680

by hitmis » Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:16 pm

Thanks everyone.

Thanks Kaneisha. I did attend your fantastic webinar on word count. I would recommend it to everyone. I use techniques you showed!

regards

https://footprintsilived.blocked/

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