How to Write a Common App Essay Part 2: Word Limit & Structure
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Looking at curating a Common App essay for undergraduate admissions abroad? Check out this article which discusses in detail about how to write a common app essay part-2 for admissions and how can applicants go about it in the right manner.
Examples of Structures that fit the Common App Essay Word Limit
If you are an undergraduate applicant, trying to create that outstanding Common Application Essay (Common App), then you may find the word-limit restriction a bit challenging. With the stringent guideline of 650 words maximum, a lot of students find this troublesome. While you may wish to write a lot about yourself, it is not possible to fit everything in your essay. Therefore, it is important to analyse what part of your personality, background, or experiences you wish to highlight in the Common App Essay word limit of 650 words. You may also want to refer to the importance of word limits in a college essay here.
In this article, we have focused on two powerful structures that you can follow to make your topic work within the prescribed Common App Essay word limit:
- The Journey
- The Montage
Let us see how to use these example structures one by one. They will help you to create an outline for your Common App Essay. However, before picking a structure, you should have a particular topic in your mind that you wish to write about in your Common App Essay. You can get help from our guide on the Best Common App Essay Topics to decide on your unique idea. Assuming that you have a strong topic in your mind, it is time to decide which structure will be best for you, to write your content within the Common App Essay word limit.
Predict your IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE in just 4 steps!
Answer the following questions:
Which of the following best describes what you are writing about?
Q. A story about a particular incident or time in your life that had an impact on you
This will involve a change or transformation; it shall fit prompts 2, 3 or 5
Q. An interest, value, or personal quality that you have sustained over time
This will be focused on a consistent part of your life; it shall fit prompt 1 or 6
If your story relates to point No.1, the Journey Structure will be best for you. For Point No. 2, go for the Montage Structure
Also, check out the other types of college essays.
The Journey Structure
As you have decided to write about a significant incident or time in your life, you may want to tell your story chronologically. You may find this natural and easy, but you may end up crossing the Common App Essay word limit, even before you get to the learning aspect of your experience. This is because you may spend too much of space on the story itself, without reflecting on what you have learned from it.
To avoid this, break free and jump through time to get to the main point, which is the purpose of the Journey Structure.
- Introduction: In your essay, the introduction or the ‘hook’ has two objectives: first, to grab the reader’s attention, and second, to show what is going to be the focus of the rest of the essay. Therefore, avoid any generic beginning. Open your essay describing the moment or the circumstances right before you get to the major challenge, decision or accomplishment. This will serve as a prelude to the major event. Further, elaborate on the important experience in the middle of your introduction. For example, if you are writing about a time when you stood up for yourself, start by describing the situation that led you to a particular decision.
TIP: Your introduction should be focused on you! Talk about a scene where you actively made a decision, faced a challenge, or accomplished something.
- Section One: Following your introduction, step back a bit, and give the reader some context. Describe your thought process or outlook before you went through the particular experience. (Summarizing here will help you to stay within the Common App Essay word limit.)
- Section Two: After outlining the ‘before’, return to the original experience and write the complete story about the incident here. What decision did you make? Why did you make it and how did you overcome the challenge?
- Section Three: The major part of your essay. Describe how your experience shaped you as a person. Reflect on your learning and growth here. Answer ‘How would I have done things differently if I had not experienced this event?’
- Conclusion: Conclude by showing how your learning has guided you to succeed. Relate how your lessons will help you to succeed in college and afterwards.
Also Read:
The Montage Structure
If you are planning to write about a specific talent or interest that has been a major part of your life for a long period of time, you may again have a lot of things to write. As you may end up exceeding the Common App Essay word limit, take help from the Montage Structure. Similar to a montage in a film, it allows you to bind vivid moments together to give an overall impression.
- Introduction: To begin a montage essay, define the overall theme in the introduction. Trying to create an imagery will be ideal here. For example, if you are writing about growing up in a mixed-ethnicity family, you may start by giving a vision of the conversation of your family at the dinner table. End your introduction with a sentence that previews the overall theme of your essay. For example: “Negotiating between two cultures, at the dinner table, has made me into an everyday diplomat, able to shift between points of view, and communicate across boundaries.”
- Sections one to three: In the middle of your essay, consisting of two to three sections, give insights into the different aspects of your quality or interest.
TIP: Each section should discuss a positive trait. The ‘dinner table diplomat’ might have a paragraph about empathy, a paragraph about communication, and a paragraph about boundaries.
- Conclusion: Conclude by reinstating your overall message, and connect your talents, qualities, or interests as the supporting factors that will help you to achieve success in your academic life and as a person.
TIP: If possible, return to your original opening image to create a sense of completion.
Related article: How to Write a Common App Essay Part 1
About the Author
Brad is a Co-founder and the CEO of Prompt – the #1 provider of admissions essay feedback in the world. Prompt's 150 writing coaches provide instructional, actionable feedback to help students improve their essays' content, structure, clarity, and grammar. He has advised hundreds of students who gained acceptance at highly-selective universities, and his team works with over 5,000 students per year on admissions essays. Brad is a former McKinsey Consultant and holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Management Science from MIT.
How to Write a Common App Essay FAQs
Q. What happens if your college essay is over the word limit?
A. First of all, it will create a negative impression about you. This may be translated as carelessness or insincerity on your part. Further, if you exceed the word limit of an essay, and write 750 words when the Common App Essay word limit is 650 words, then your essay may get cut short while uploading or the portal may not accept the essay beyond the 650th word. In other cases, the admission committee may not read your essay past the prescribed word limit.
Q. What should I avoid while writing a Common App Essay?
A. The things you should always avoid while writing a Common App Essay are:
- Never rehash your academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
- Never write about a general topic
- Never start with a preamble.
- Never end with a ‘happily ever after’ conclusion
- Never pontificate or preach
- Never retreat into your thoughts
- Never hold back.
Q. What is the best line spacing for an essay?
A. Line spacing matters if you are preparing a word document and need to upload the PDF or submit a hard copy. You can use single spacing in that case. However, in a majority of cases, you will need to copy-paste the content in the space provided on the admission portals, where you need not worry about the formatting of the document.
Q. How do I format my Common App Essay?
A. The Common App Essay word limit is 250-650 words. Ideally, follow a five-paragraph essay structure for your Common App Essay; leave an empty line between each paragraph to separate them. Type your essay in an MS Word document, use a serif font like Times New Roman, Ariel or Calibri with font size of 11 points and single spacing. Avoid any fancy formatting, capitalisation, bold, underlined, and italics. Keep your margins ‘Normal’ (1-inch on all sides).
Q. Is the Common App Essay limited to 650 words?
A. Yes, there is a limitation on the word limit and you should adhere to it strictly. While the Common App Essay word limit has been 250-650 words for several years, it is always better to look for official guidelines given to you. Navigate the ‘Common App’ tab on your Common App account and click on ‘Writing’; there you will find the exact Common App Essay prompts and instructions for the particular year in which you are applying.
Q: What GPA is required for the University of South Dakota?
The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.
Q: What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?
There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.
Q: Is MIT costly for Indians?
MIT is not costly for Indian students. Applicants can study BTech program at affordable tuition fees as compared to other BTech colleges in the USA. The MIT BTech fees is around INR 50 L to INR 52 L.
Q: What is the maximum and minimum score in GRE to get admission for MS in USA?
GRE is a popular standardised test for getting admission in MS program in the world. However, there are many universities in the USA that offer admission to MS courses without GRE scores. There is fixed minimum or maximum GRE score for admission. However, even if your GRE score is below the average for a particular program, you may still be considered for admission if you have strong qualifications in other areas. It is adviseble to check university website for the exact information.
Q: How much is the application fee for Alabama University?
The Alabama University application fee for International students vary by application type. Mentioned below are the application fee for UG and PG applications at Alabama:
- UG: USD 40 or INR 3,342.14
- MBA: USD 80 or INR 6,684.28
Q: Is it hard to get into the UTSA in San Antonio Texas?
According to various sources, University of Texas San Antonio has an overall acceptance rate of around 87% which makes it somewhat selective for international student admissions. Some of the general requirements to be considered for admission are given as follows:
- SAT/ACT scores
- Overall Student's GPA
- Letters of Recommendation
- High School Class Rank
- Additional Academic Records
Q: Is Texas Wesleyan hard to get into?
As per the US News and World Report, Texas Wesleyan University acceptance rate is 58%. This shows that the university's admission process is relatively selective. Therefore, some students may find it harder to get into the university. Also, international students are advised to check the minimum eligibility for their courses before applying. Please note that the data on the acceptance rate given above is taken from an unofficial source, therefore, it is subject to vary.
Q: What is the OHIO Excellence Scholarship?
First-year students who are new to the Athens campus of Ohio University are considered for the OHIO Excellence Scholarship. The factors that are considered to grant this scholarship are academic achievement, financial need, and individual contributions to the incoming first-year class. This is a merit-based scholarship and the award amount for this scholarship varies up to USD 6,500 annually.
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