'Buffer' in the word count of essays

It also depends on the exact wording of their prompt. If they say "write an essay of 1000 words" or "about 1000 words," then, yes, you'd be safe to go a little over. But, as abhimahna suggests, 2-5% over is better If they provide both word count and page count guidelines, make sure you're within both. So, it might still be okay to go a little over 1000 words if you're not going over 3 double-spaced pages. But, yes, some programs will use things like going over the word count by even a single word as an excuse to reject you. They do this for one of two reasons: 1.) They get so many applicants that it's an easy way to cull the pile they have to read. 2.) It shows that you can't follow directions, and that you can't write concisely. If they think you should only need 1000 words to address their prompt thoroughly and you need more, it's probably because you're going beyond what they're asking for, or because your writing is wordy/awkward. Now they might not be right in thinking that; it could be you have extenuating circumstances and you really do need more words to explain them. But as someone who has graded a lot of essays, I'm telling you this is what's going to be going through their head. If you do have a situation where you think you need more than 1000 words for a GOOD reason, email admissions and ask if it's okay given your situation.