{"id":27632,"date":"2015-02-19T21:39:13","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T04:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/4-tips-for-overcoming-word-count-limits-on-essays\/"},"modified":"2015-02-19T21:39:13","modified_gmt":"2015-02-20T04:39:13","slug":"4-tips-for-overcoming-word-count-limits-on-essays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/4-tips-for-overcoming-word-count-limits-on-essays\/","title":{"rendered":"4 tips for overcoming word-count limits on essays"},"content":{"rendered":"
This guest post is by Jessica Burlingame, a senior admissions consultant with The MBA Exchange<\/em><\/div>\n
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“The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter,” <\/strong><\/em>wrote philosopher Blaise Pascal in 1657.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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“How can I answer this essay question in 300 words? Or in 75 characters?”<\/strong><\/em> ask today's MBA applicants facing tough application questions and ever-shortening word-count limits. <\/strong>(For instance, those seeking to enter Stanford in 2010 were allowed up to 1800 words, spread over three essays, to make their case for admission; applicants for 2015 entry have just two essays and only 1100 words to do the same.) <\/div>\n
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Sacrificing specificity or detail in the essays is not an option. Ruthlessly making every word count is essential. Consultants and editors at The MBA Exchange<\/a> drive towards this goal with our clients every day. Here are 4 of our favorite “word-count hacks” – easy maneuvers to reduce length and preserve content:<\/div>\n
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1.\t<\/span>“In order to” uses three words, when one word – “to” – almost always suffices.<\/div>\n
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2.\t<\/span> “As well as:” see above. “And” almost always works – and saves precious words for you to describe the experiences and attributes that set your candidacy apart from your competitors’, instead of filling your essays with words that don’t. <\/div>\n
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3.\t<\/span>"Able to" is a phrase that not only wastes words but also dilutes impact when describing a particular strength or skill.<\/div>\n
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4.\t<\/span>Featuring content in an essay that already appears in the resume or short-answer question consumes space and will seem tedious to busy adcom readers.<\/div>\n
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While these guidelines can help, the most powerful essays result from a thoughtful, rigorous process of self-evaluation, outlining, drafting, review and refinement prior to submitting your applications. As deadlines approach, we remain available to partner with you on these tasks, including a final review via our valuable AppCheck <\/a>service. <\/div>\n
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Please contact us<\/a> with any questions. (And there's no word-count limit!)<\/div>\n
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