word limit for css essay

Ben Marshall

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Truncate Text Length with CSS

Experience the power of CSS to limit text length. Learn how to employ ellipsis for a clean, concise web design that speaks volumes.

Limiting text length with CSS is our goal today. We’ll master the max character & lines length, manage text overflow, and bring order to your designs!

See the Pen Max Character Length with Ellipsis Using CSS by Ben Marshall ( @bensmarshall ) on CodePen .

In the example above, it’s showing two different ways to use CSS to limit text length.

• A combination of max-width , text-overflow , width & white-space . With this option, you’re defining the max-width of your element to display a single truncated line of text.
• Using the line-clamp property. Here you’re defining the max number of lines you’d like to display.

Simplicity at its finest! This bit of CSS is your one-stop solution to text truncation. It’s about keeping text neat & design tidy, no matter the character count!

Table of Contents

Css: limit text length methods, using the max-width technique, using the line-clamp technique.

Limiting text length with CSS used to require dirty hack that made you want to take a shower afterwards. Well, get ready to be squeaky clean with a couple of different modern CSS techniques . In this article, I’m going to do a dive deep into the world of limiting text length with just CSS . We’ll explore how to effectively manage your text display, set maximum character & line lengths, and incorporate the ellipsis property for a clean, readable web design. Ready to become a CSS truncation expert? Let’s get started!

Let’s dive headfirst into the world of using CSS to limit text length. Even though CSS doesn’t come with a built-in maximum character length setting (I know, I was bummed too), don’t fret! I’ve got some wicked cool tricks up my sleeves.

First things first, we’re going to make friends with a handful of properties:

• max-width – Sets the maximum width of an element.
• overflow – Sets the desired behavior when content does not fit.
• text-overflow – Sets how hidden overflow content is signaled.
• white-space – Sets how  white space  inside an element is handled.
• line-clamp – Truncates text at a specific number of lines.

But before we dive into the code, let’s look at some advantages to these CSS text truncating techniques.

Why Truncate Text with CSS?

In short, because it’s better than some dirty JavaScript or backend code solution like PHP. It’ll help your design stay clean and consistent while providing users with a cue that there’s more to the eye than what they see.

• Say Hello to Readability : With our buddy, the ellipsis, we can tell our users, “Hey, there’s more to this story!”. It keeps our designs slick, uncluttered, and as easy to read as your favorite comic book.
• Keepin’ It Tidy : Truncation with an ellipsis is like that magic broom from Fantasia. No matter how long your text is, the layout stays neat and clean. It’s a life-saver for responsive designs where every pixel counts.
• Enhancing User Experience : We all hate it when text overflows and looks like a mess, right? Thanks to the ellipsis property, we can keep everything neat and tidy. No distractions, just pure, unadulterated text.
• Saving Space Like a Pro : If you’re designing for mobile interfaces or any space-conscious scenario, truncating text with an ellipsis is like having a mini black hole. It’s the perfect way to save space without losing meaning.
• Visual Cues are Cool : An ellipsis is more than three dots, it’s a visual cue! It nudges users gently, hinting that there’s more juice to squeeze out of your text.
• Flexibility and Control : With CSS, you’re the boss. You’ve got the power to decide how and when your text gets cut short. It’s all about having the right tools to make the magic happen.
• Ease of Use is Key : Using the ellipsis for text truncation in CSS is as easy as pie. Trust me, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be using it left, right, and center!
• Cross-Browser Compatibility : From Chrome to Firefox, from Edge to Safari, the CSS ellipsis for text truncation is loved by all. Your design stays consistent, no matter where it’s viewed.
• No More Layout Breakdowns : We all have nightmares about long strings of text breaking our perfect layouts. But with an ellipsis, those nightmares become a thing of the past.

Now, isn’t setting the max character length with just CSS the coolest thing ever? It’s like giving your text a trendy haircut, keeping it stylish and neat.

The max-width CSS property is a nifty tool that lets you limit the width of an element. It’s like setting a boundary for how wide your element can be. You can use it to make sure your content doesn’t extend beyond a certain number of characters. It’s quite handy when you want to maintain a consistent layout and prevent content from spilling over.

To see how it works, check out this code example:

In the above example, the element with the class my-element will never exceed a width of 300 pixels. This allows you to control the size and layout of your content effectively.

Handling Overflow with overflow

Now, what happens if your content exceeds the width you set with max-width ? That’s where the overflow property comes into play. By setting overflow to hidden , you ensure that any content beyond the element’s padding box is clipped and becomes invisible. This keeps your design neat and tidy.

Here’s an example of how to use the overflow property:

With the overflow: hidden rule, any content extending beyond the defined width will be hidden from view. However, you might want to give your users a hint that there is more content available.

Adding the Ellipsis with text-overflow

To let users know that there is additional content hidden, we can employ the text-overflow property. When combined with the overflow property, it adds a stylish ellipsis (“…”) at the end of the visible text to indicate that there’s more to see.

To apply the ellipsis effect, include the following CSS rule:

Now, when your content exceeds the maximum width, the ellipsis will appear at the end, giving users a visual cue to indicate that there’s more content to explore.

Ensure a Single Line with white-space

When you want your text to appear as a single, unbroken line, the white-space property comes in handy. By setting it to nowrap , you prevent line breaks and collapse sequences of whitespace. This is particularly useful when you have limited space and want your content to stay compact.

Here’s how you can use the white-space property:

With white-space: nowrap , your text will stay in a single line, even if the content within the element exceeds the specified width.

And there you have it! By using the max-width , overflow , text-overflow , and white-space CSS properties together, you can control the width of your elements and add a sleek ellipsis effect when necessary. Your content will look great and remain compact, even with limited space.

If you want to dive deeper into CSS or explore related topics, here are some external resources for you:

• MDN web docs: max-width
• MDN web doc s: overflow
• MDN web docs: text-overflow
• MDN web docs: white-space

This solution allows developers to truncate text based on the number of lines vs. the width of the container. It’s a pretty straight-forward solution to truncating text with CSS and adding an ellipsis automatically to convey there’s more to the story.

Learn more about the line-clamp property in my article on modern CSS .

Wrapping Up

So there you have it! By combining a few CSS properties, you can become the master of controlling max character length and adding that stylish ellipsis effect. It’s like wielding a powerful tool to tame your overflowing text.

In this article, we explored how properties like max-width , overflow , text-overflow , and white-space can work together to give you the control you need. They allow you to set boundaries for width, hide excess content, display the ellipsis, and even keep your text in a single, unbroken line.

If you want to dive deeper into CSS properties, I highly recommend checking out the Mozilla Developer Network’s CSS property reference . It’s a treasure trove of information that will expand your CSS knowledge beyond max character length and ellipsis.

Remember, CSS is all about creativity and experimentation. So don’t be afraid to play around, tweak those properties, and see what magic you can create. Whether you’re building a personal blog or a professional website, mastering max character length and ellipsis in CSS will add that extra touch of elegance to your designs.

So go forth, my friend, armed with the knowledge of CSS properties and armed with the links I’ve provided. May your websites be sleek, your text well-controlled, and your users impressed. Happy coding!

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CSS Essay Writing and Acing Strategies (By: Saeed Wazir)

“To write is human, to edit is divine.” — Stephen King

Writing is both physical and mental endeavor. Apparently, writing an essay seems to be very difficult. Why writing a paragraph, a mini essay or a full-fledged essay are challenging and grueling task given the fact aspirants to competitive exams are university graduates? Is it due to the complex phenomenon of English as a second language or the problem lies with the very education system and teaching methodologies?

A million dollar question is: Why students join 5-marla academies or a single classroom for acing CSS English essay , in particular, and the rest of the subjects, in general? Based on my practical experience in CSS English classes , majority of students are graduates from well-reputed universities seeking tutorship and teaching desperately. Does it signify that teachers at the level of higher education are either unwilling or incapable of equipping students for the insurmountable future challenges or students due to lack of interest and career counseling miss on important philosophical and practical dynamics of their studies ?

ESSAY writing is a struggle between a writer and a topic.

Keeping in view students’ inherent needs and common difficulties, I have decided to come up with pragmatic, practicable and comprehensive techniques, strategies and plans for acing Essay and Précis papers in a systematic way. They are as follows:

Table of Contents

I. Understanding the syllabus and requirements of the Essay and Précis papers

The first and foremost duty of any aspirant is to read the syllabus designed by the FPSC thoroughly and carefully. CSS essay writing is, in terms of syntax and semantics, is fundamentally different from other academic exams. The paper of Précis and Composition comprises grammar, vocabulary, passage, précis, narration ,voices, correction, etc. All these important concepts require methodical and smart strategies to master as they are being taught from the very prep classes.

II. Decoding the salient differences between journalistic and essay writing

Due to extensive reading of newspapers, magazines, research papers and treatise ,aspirants inculcate media, press and journalistic writing norms which are fundamentally different from an academic essay writing requirements. CSS essay writing is based on standardized, formal and correct English rules and regulations. Faced with barrage of questions in CSS English classes and on social media, I have come up with iron-clad, water-tight differences between the two genres of writings.

A. Journalistic writing 1. An advanced, calibrated and up-front ‘executive summary’— a series of discussion 2. Headings and sub-headings 3. Bullet points 4. Focus on the 5-Ws format-‘who, what, where, when and why’ 5. All information is delivered in the first paragraph 6. No attempt to summarize 7. No conclusion Due to immense significance, Essay is dealt in Roman III rather than B.

III. Overall Essay layout as per FPSC/CSS standard: Essay writing Stages: The Writing Process

On the contrary, CSS ESSAY writing is different from journalistic writing altogether .The following differences are enough for understanding.

A. Invention or Pre-writing 1. Understanding the Assignment 2. Setting limits a. Length b. Purpose c. D. Audience d. Occasion e. Knowledge 1. Moving from subject to topic 2. Getting started: Free writing 3. Focusing on a topic: Questions for probing 4. Brainstorming 5. Making an informal outline 6. Formulating a thesis a. Implying a thesis b. Arriving at a thesis B. Stage Two: Arrangement 1. Formal outline-Numbering a. Romans b. Capital letters c. English digits d. Small letters

1. Introduction a. Stating thesis statement b. Creating interest c. Introducing subject

2. Body a. Unity of thought b. Cohesion and coherence c. Well-developed and sufficiently supported d. Pattern of development-Cause and effect format

3. Conclusion

C. Stage Three: Drafting and Revision 1. Compiling and writing one’s initial draft 2. Carefully revising essay 3. Meticulously revising one’s rough draft 4. Systematically revising the second draft 5. Clinically reviewing the final draft

IV. Selection of relevant materials for mastering and learning the skills and demands of the papers

Most importantly, the papers are set in manners that focus on cognitive and mental aspects of candidates who sit this exam. They study cheap, regurgitated and commonly available stuff which results in lack of clinical and holistic understanding of complex, intricate aspects of style(writing norms) and subjects matter(knowledge base).

V. Understanding key terminologies and writing norms Different forms of discourses in the FPSC essay paper

Note: I will write full articles on Expository, Argumentative, Narrative, Descriptive and Cause and Effect essays separately on the pages of CSS Times .

A. Exposition or Expository for of discourse 1. Forms used in Expository Writing a. Descriptive/definition b. Process/sequential c. Comparative/contrast d. Cause/effect e. Problem/solution f. Classification 2. Major features of exposition a. Anecdotes b. Comparisons c. Quotations d. Statistics e. Descriptive details f. Definitions g. Charts and graphs(Avoid this in CSS essay)

A. Argumentation 1. Deduction argument(Syllogism-From general to specific) 2. Induction argument (Hypothesis- From specific to general) 3. Evidence and its features a. Relevant b. Representative c. Sufficient

B. Description 1. Types of description a. Objective description –literal picture of one’s subject b. Impressionistic/subjective description-personal vision or one’s emotional response 2. Types of descriptive language a. Objective language – Precise and factual language b. Descriptive language -Rich and suggestive language –striking phrases or vivid comparisons –Figures of speech 3. Selection of details –Displaying details not telling events

C. Narration 1. Narrative details 2. Narrative variety 3. Narrative order

D. Topic dissection in terms of theoretical and practical aspects 1. Meaning-Literal meaning or strict verbal interpretation 2. Spirit- the real meaning or intention 3. Range- Relevance 4. Direction clarity- a general way in which something is developed; a trend or tendency 5. Organization-Unity of thought

VI. Failure to understand Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence

A. What thesis statement is? 1. Single statement in opening paragraph 2. Writer’s position or explanation 3. Claim and its support B. What thesis statement is not? 1. A question 2. An announcement 3. A known fact C. Requirements of thesis statement 1. Purpose a. Expository b. Analytical c. Argumentative 1. Thesis and body support each other 2. Specific and clear language

D. What is topic sentence 1. The first(usually) sentence in a paragraph 2. Mini-thesis for the paragraph 3. Provide a sketch of the essay’s argument 4. Introduce the topic of the paragraph 5. Most important sentence in a paragraph/ a focus sentence 6. Identify the main idea and point of the paragraph 7. Supporting details in the 8. Not be too general or too specific

VII. Understanding linguistic technicalities and sensitivities

These are the most essential building blocks of a sentence. They bring about heightened impact, persuasion, effectiveness and rhetorical gracefulness. Due to lack of systematic studies and internalization of their implementation in rigorous writing sessions, they render essay writing uninteresting, patchy and unconvincing. The following aspects of stylistic spectrum should be mastered in true letter and spirit.

A. Grammar 1. Parts of speech 2. Tenses 3. Sentences and types 4. Punctuations 5. Narration and voices 6. Sentence Correction

B. Vocabulary

Vocabulary tends to be currency of communication .Poor, offensive and collocationally-misplaced vocabulary is considered one of the major causes of failure, says the FPSC reports. Diction, sugar-coated words and idiomatic items embellish one’s writing resulting in uniqueness and dynamism .The following aspects must be improved from all angles.

1. GRE words 2. Idioms 3. Pair of words 4. Proverbs 5. Analogy 6. One word substitutions 7. Synonyms and antonyms 8. Phrasal verbs 9. Phrases 10. Grouping of Words

VIII. Grueling, continued and systematic writing practice

A. Daily paragraph writing

First of all, understanding paragraph writing is important. My strategy in classes is I make my students write 40 paragraphs,10 on introduction,10 on body and 10 on conclusion. At a later stage,10 paragraphs are written in a fashion that encompass introduction, body and conclusion. When students master the art of paragraph writing, they feel at ease to start writing small,mini essays successfully.

B. Mini essay writing

Mini essays serve as an important link between paragraph and full-fledged essay. Due to inadequate knowledge and inherent fear of writing correct English, students consider full essay writing a herculean task. To make it easy, it’s better to write mini essays comprising 5,6 or 7 pages.

C. Full-fledged essay writing

After mastering the art of paragraph and mini essay writhing, students take the challenge of professional and prolific essay writing head-on. They deem writing as an interesting activity rather than boring and complex phenomenon.

D. Practicing comprehension reading

According to Hari S. Truman, “if you cannot convince them, confuse them. This is pertinent when it comes to reading. Comprehension passage warrants thorough understanding and errors-free language. The most important strategy is to practice any solved samples and compare them with each other. E. Practicing précis writing This is the most important pillar of academic writing.It is better to understand its principles and practice as many passages as possible.

IX. Getting your writings checked by CSS English expert or any person having understanding of writing norms

According to experts of creative writing ,to write 10 pages it is required to read 500 pages( a bit exaggeration).Writing is an evolutionary process and calls for continued reading and proper checking, evaluation and assessment from English language experts. Getting scripts checked pave the way for prolific and professional language skills.

X. Major errors committed in essay writing

Now I am going to first bifurcate errors in two broad sections and then put them in general categorization for complete understanding. Some errors are forgivable while others are unforgivable. Errors are bound to happen, but their magnitude and occurrence should not blur the chances of getting at least pass marks. Blunders are to be avoided.

A. Semantics/Content Mistakes/Knowledge base/Subject matter

1. Materials and contents do not match the topic 2. Flawed, wrong structure 3. An absence of thesis statement

B. Syntax/Style of writing/Stylistic Issues

1. Habitually using repetitive words and expressions 2. Failure to differentiate between informal or too formal writing 3. Unprofessional and improper sentence structure

C. General categorization of errors 1. Spelling mistakes 2. Subject-verb agreement 3. Punctuations misuse 4. Run-on sentences 5. Sentence fragments 6. Wordiness 7. Squinting modifiers 8. Adjective/adverb confusion 9. Pronoun Confusion 10. Double negative 11. Dangling construction 12. Sequences of tense 13. Mechanical error with a quotation 14. Small and capital letters 15. Faulty sentence structure 16. Sentence Sprawl 17. Split Infinitives

These errors need to be rectified and should be avoided in writing.

XI. Four golden rules for acing the FPSC essay paper

A. Answering and understanding the topic holistically B. Using one’s own words C. Supporting statement with evidence D. Observing word limit

XII. Self-evaluation and self-assessment once the task of writing an essay is finished

A. Thesis statement

1. Make sure the following requirement are fulfilled

a. Clear and specific b. Thesis signposts the direction your essay follows c. Thesis is consistent with the body of d. essay e. Ideas and information do not digress from the original direction and range

B. Body Paragraphs

1. Unified 2. Coherent 3. Well developed 4. Particular pattern of development 5. Facts or examples or smoother transitions 6. All the points support your thesis

C. Introduction and conclusion 1. They reinforce your thesis in their entirety

D. Sentences

1. Effective 2. Interesting 3. Varied in length and 4. Structure

1. Accurately express your ideas

Note:When all the above-mentioned requirements are fulfilled,it is guaranteed you have written cogent and telling piece of writing.

XIII. Suggested readings

• Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy
• Practical English Usage by Michael Swan
• Exploring the World of English by S.Saddat
• Wren and Martin (HSEG&C)
• Good Essay Writing by Peter Redman
• 600+Common Mistakes T.J.Fitikides(Common Mistakes in English)
• Authentic books and extensive readings

Tailpiece: This piece of writing is dedicated to my parents who stand by be me through thick and thin despite many challenges. The only thing they say to me is: Move on, forget about the colorful past and architect your own destiny. Hands off great mom!

About the author

Saeed Wazir

Saeed Wazir mentors students of CSS Essay, Précis and Current Affairs and specializes in English literature, language and linguistics from NUML. He has perused Media studies at NUST. He qualified PMS three times in a row. He serves at federal universities as marking instructor. He has been mentoring CSS English students for the last seven years and runs Facebook page: CSS Essay, Précis with Saeed Wazir. He is based in G 9/2 ,Islamabad and runs special batches of CSS Essay Précis both On-Campus and Online. He could be reached at csspms55@gmail. com and WhatsApp plus Phone no 03450997822. He contributes to CSS Times, Daily Times, Dawn, Foreign Policy and IPRI. He evaluates Online Essays, Précis and Comprehension.

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• Writing Tips

The Word Limit in Academic Writing (and How to Stick to It)

3-minute read

• 24th September 2016

Even the phrase “word limit” can cause panic among students . For some it’s the challenge of writing enough, while others find it hard to stick within the limit given. In either case, it can lead to spending more time worrying about the length of your paper than the content!

But why do college papers come with set word limits? And what should you do to ensure you don’t write too much or too little?

Why Have a Word Limit?

There are two main reasons that academic papers usually come with a word limit:

• Fairness It’s impossible to grade two papers of vastly different lengths (e.g., 20,000 compared to 2,000 words) on the same scale. The word limit makes sure that everyone taking the same class knows what is expected of them.
• Communication Skills As well as testing your knowledge, college papers are about communicating clearly and concisely. Setting a word limit forces you to consider what you’re saying more carefully, helping you to develop your writing skills.

Sticking to the word limit is, therefore, part of being a good academic, since being a long way over or under could suggest you’ve misjudged the scope of the essay topic or that you’re having trouble communicating your ideas.

How to Stick to the Word Limit

Although many colleges give you roughly 10% leeway on the word limit, you should aim for your finished paper to be as close to the suggested word count as possible. If you find yourself writing too much, you can reduce the word count by:

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• Editing out repetition, redundant words and padding phrases
• Cutting down long or unnecessary quotations
• Reducing the number of examples or case studies used (if you’ve included several)
• Using the active voice instead of the passive voice

More generally, you should re-read your work and eliminate anything that isn’t directly related to the question you’re answering. As well as helping you stick to the word limit, this will make your work more focused, which could boost your grades.

How to Increase Your Word Count

If you’re struggling to write enough, the temptation might be to add padding phrases like “in my opinion” or long block quotations until you hit the minimum word count. But this will simply detract from the clarity of your writing.

Instead, the answer is usually to go back over your work and look for things that could be improved with a little additional attention. This might involve:

• Addressing anything from your essay question that you’ve overlooked
• Adding illustrative examples to support a point
• Considering different sources and views on the same issue
• Using short quotations as evidence for your arguments

Moreover, whether you’ve written too much or too little, getting someone else to read your work and offer feedback is a fantastic idea (especially if you ask a professional for help). This will help you to identify areas that could be expanded or cut in the next draft, so eventually you should be able to get your essay to the required length.

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How to Collect notes for writing a great CSS essay?

‘Essay writing’ is one of the key papers which determines a candidate’s overall score in the CSS Exam. However, most of the candidates scores less in this paper due to less literary and scholarly writing skills. An essay paper has ten topics out of which candidates must choose one. The CSS Essay word limit ranges between 2500-3500 words on the topic.

Essentials of Essay Writing

Candidates need to ensure the following essentials for writing high scoring CSS Essay

• Structure of an essay
• Expressions of Ideas-Principles of a standard essay
• Outline of an essay
• Grammatical Accuracy and English proficiency with ample vocabulary

Structure of an Essay

The CSS essay exam is not just about jotting down points and writing random thought haphazardly. A standard essay constitutes majorly of three parts:

Introduction/Background The introductory part should compel and introduce the topic to the reader.

Body The candidate should use one paragraph to write about one aspect of the topic in body

Conclusion The last one or two paragraphs must summarize the whole essay highlighting the major aspects .

Collecting notes for CSS Essay Exam

Now that we have covered the essentials and structure of an essay but the question remains there that how to collect material for CSS essay? Following are some of the sources of material for CSS English Essays.

• Essays written by experts in famous newspapers and magazines. Understand and get an idea of how they frame the ‘Introduction’ and Conclusion Passage. Jot down the main points and make your CSS Essay notes out of it.
• To Collect CSS Essay notes candidates should consult official documents like Quarterly reports of SBP, Economic Survey of Pakistan, treaties and agreements.
• To attain high scoring CSS Essay , candidates should also gather notes from the reports of international agencies like WB, IMF, ADB, UN and USAID.
• For Islamic related essays candidates can read and make CSS Essay notes from Friday features in Dawn Newspaper.
• Current Affairs which is a bimonthly print magazine of culture, politics and arts. Each issue of the magazine has insightful analysis and reporting.

Books for high scoring CSS essay

Aspirants can also consult the following books of essays for CSS 2021

• High Scoring CSS Essays 2020 Edition
• How to write great essays by Lauren Starkey
• Better Writing Now by Francie D. Galko
• CSS English Essay Online Preparation Series
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• College essay

How Long Should a College Essay Be? | Word Count Tips

Published on September 29, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on June 1, 2023.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit. If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

You should aim to stay under the specified limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, if you write too little, it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Table of contents

Word count guidelines for different application types, how to shorten your essay, how to expand your essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Each university has a different suggested or required word count depending on which application portal it uses.

Some application portals will allow you to exceed the word count limit, but admissions officers have limited time and energy to read longer essays. Other application portals have a strict limit and will not allow you to exceed it.

For example, in the Common App , the portal will not allow you to submit more than 650 words. Some colleges using the Common App will allow you to submit less than 250 words, but this is too short for a well-developed essay.

For scholarship essays , diversity essays , and “Why this college?” essays , word count limits vary. Make sure to verify and respect each prompt’s limit.

Don’t worry too much about word count until the revision stage ; focusing on word count while writing may hinder your creativity. Once you have finished a draft, you can start shortening or expanding your essay if necessary.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

On some application portals, you can exceed the word limit, but there are good reasons to stay within it:

• To maintain the admissions officer’s attention
• To show you can follow directions
• To demonstrate you can write concisely

Here are some strategies for shortening your essay.

Stay on the main point

It’s good to use vivid imagery, but only include relevant details. Cut any sentences with tangents or unnecessary information.

My father taught me how to strategically hold the marshmallow pierced by a twig at a safe distance from the flames to make sure it didn’t get burned, ensuring a golden brown exterior.

Typically, my father is glued to his computer since he’s a software engineer at Microsoft. But that night, he was the marshmallow master. We waited together as the pillowy sugary goodness caramelized into gooey delight. Good example: Sticks to the point On our camping trip to Yosemite, my family spent time together, away from technology and routine responsibility.

My favorite part was roasting s’mores around the campfire. My father taught me how to hold the marshmallow at a safe distance from the flames, ensuring a golden brown exterior.

These college essay examples also demonstrate how you can cut your essay down to size.

Eliminate wordiness

Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay. If a word doesn’t add value, cut it.

Here are some common examples of wordiness and how to fix them.

Use a paraphrasing tool

If you want to save time, you can make use of a paraphrasing tool . Within the tool you can select the “short” mode to rewrite your essay in less words. Just copy your text in the tool and within 1 click you’ll have shortened your essay.

If you’re significantly under the word count, you’re wasting the opportunity to show depth and authenticity in your essay. Admissions officers may see your short essay as a sign that you’re unable to write a detailed, insightful narrative about yourself.

Here are some strategies for expanding your essay.

Show detailed examples, and don’t tell generic stories

You should include detailed examples that can’t be replicated by another student. Use vivid imagery, the five senses, and specific objects to transport the reader into your story.

Reveal your feelings and insight

If your essay lacks vulnerability or self-reflection, share your feelings and the lessons you’ve learned.

Be creative with how you express your feelings; rather than simply writing “I’m happy,” use memorable images to help the reader clearly visualize your happiness. Similarly, for insight, include the follow-up actions from your lessons learned; instead of claiming “I became a hard worker,” explain what difficult tasks you accomplished as a result of what you learned.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

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College Essays

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides seven "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you're too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it's one of the most common word limits, after all!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis !

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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Working within word limits: A short guide

• Short on word counts
• Last minute panic scenario!
• Further references on working within word count
• Acknowledgements

In adhering to the word limit, it is always a good idea for you to roughly plan first how many sections or paragraphs you will need for the essay. From there, you will be able to estimate how much you have to write for each section or paragraph. 

The general rule of thumb is to allocate 10% of the word limit for the introduction and 10% for the conclusion. This rule will leave 80% for the body paragraphs or sections.

Here is the breakdown:

Introduction - 10%

Paragraph 1 - 20%

Paragraph 2 - 20%

Paragraph 3 - 20%

Paragraph 4 - 20%

Conclusion - 10%

In writing a dissertation, the allocation of word limit might differ slightly. The weightage depends on the depth of each chapter.  For example,

Literature review - 25%

Methodology - 15%

Findings - 20%

Discussion - 20%

Remember that normally the references and appendices are not included in the word count. 

• Next: Short on word counts >>
• Last Updated: Nov 20, 2023 2:10 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bham.ac.uk/asc/wordlimits

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Assignment length requirements are usually given in terms of numbers of words.

Unless the lecturer tells you that these limits are strict, it is normally acceptable to be 10% above or below this word limit (so, for example, a 2000 word assignment should be between 1800 and 2200 words). If the assignment uses the words “up to” (as in “up to 2500 words”) that usually means that you cannot go above the limit.

Use the tool below to calculate the acceptable range for an assignment (based on +/- 10%).

Unless the lecturer tells you otherwise, the word limit does not include ‘administrative’ sections of the assignment: the cover or title page, table of contents, table of figures, reference list, list of works cited, bibliography, or any appendices.

The word limit that you are given reflects the level of detail required . This means that if your assignment is too long, you're either taking too many words to explain your point or giving too many / too detailed examples. If your assignment is too short, either there is more to the answer than you have written or the assignment has not gone into enough detail about the answer.

• Don't try to remove single words from your assignment. It is unlikely to reduce the assignment's length significantly, but it may confuse your argument . Instead, aim to remove or condense whole sections of your assignment.
• You should not include something just because it is a fact, or just because it is included in your course materials. Include something only if it is relevant to your argument.
• Be direct. State your point rather than writing many paragraphs to ‘lead up’ to it.
• Go back to the question . Which sections relate to the point and which are secondary?
• Go back to the plan . Which paragraphs fit in the overall structure? Which paragraphs overlap and can be combined?
• Remove sections where you
• Over-explain your point
• Over-specify your point
• Repeat yourself
• Write off-topic or ramble
• Remove multiple examples where one or two are sufficient.
• Remove hedging language that adds little to the argument (e.g., it would seem that, it is possible that).

If you are often over the word count you should look at your writing style. See writing concisely for more.

Explain your argument fully

• Make sure every argument in your head and in your plan is on the page.
• Would a general (i.e., non-specialist) reader understand your point? Have someone else read over your assignment and ask you questions about it. What do they think is missing?
• Are there gaps in your argument?
• Does each point logically follow the last one, or do you jump over important points?

Look for the ‘hidden’ answer

• What theories do you think the marker expects?
• How does this relate to the materials from lectures and study guides? Use the course information in your answer to the assignment question.
• Are there complications or contradictions in the argument or in your research? Explain them and explore them.

Flesh it out

• Define any special terminology you've used that a general reader would not be familiar with.
• Illustrate with more examples and/or quotations.
• Contextualise and explain the quotations you use. How do they relate to your argument?

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