The former limit began as an experiment four years ago. It had been placed under intense scrutiny and denounced by college admissions officers who complained that any essay above 500 words becomes too-drawn out and not very well-written. A 500-word limit allows for roughly a two-page essay, doubled-spaced.

On the other hand, counselors from a variety of schools have complained that the 500-word limit will not give students ample space to present their writing prowess.

The Outreach Advisory Group, which is charged with reviewing suggested changes to the common application, provides critical feedback on the new change to theword limit. Outreach directors Scott Anderson and Rob Killion state that they are “simply returning to the practice of the prior 31 years.” The Common App has previously experimented with 750, 1000 and infinite word limits.

The Counselor Advisory Committee and a Member Advisory Committee unanimously agreed that the absence of a word limit confused students and caused them to write as much as they could, hurting their chances of getting accepted. Alleviating the work of admissions officers was also a secondary goal of the two committees.

The committees also emphasized that any proposed changes to the writing limit would have been met with some level of criticism, and that the 500 word limit is the best choice due to its long history in the college admissions process.

The word-limit cap may have good intentions, but its reinstatement seems a little too soon. A 4-year experimental period seems too short for substantial data.

Especially for a purpose as strenuous and important as college admission essays, such a low word cap as 500 seems excessive. Having only 500 words to describe such a life-changing event will be difficult. Conversely, only the most desperate of high school seniors would submit a 2000+ word essay.

The 500-word cap should be changed back to an unlimited word limit. That way, students can submit higher word counts if they deem it necessary, while still submitting concise essays if they choose. This will allow for more diversified essays, which will add variety to the application process, something colleges have strived for since the very beginning.

If anything, this puts a lot more pressure on the students. Students will now have to meticulously choose their words, as redundancy or wordiness may cost them valuable space. College essays already take weeks or even months to prepare, and to add even more pressure and limitations on them seems superfluous.

Regardless of my opinion, the decision has passed. Starting in 2012, colleges will only accept Common Applications with essays of 500 words or fewer.
I guess I can’t submit my Extended Essay to colleges.