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How long is the Common App essay?
The Common App personal essay has a limit of 650 words, and the application will not accept fewer than 250. At 650 words that is 1.3 single-spaced pages, or about 2.5 minutes for an admissions reader.
Work it out
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 2.6
- Reading time
- 2 min 44 sec
- Speaking time
- 4 min 20 sec–5 min
- Typing time
- 16 min
- Paragraphs
- 3–7
- Sentences
- 33–43
- Characters with spaces
- about 3,900
Write it in the word counter with a limit of 650 words.
Open the word counterCommon App essay in pages and minutes
| Length | Single-spaced | Double-spaced | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 words | 0.5 | 1 | 1 min 3 sec | 1 min 40 sec–1 min 55 sec |
| 650 words | 1.3 | 2.6 | 2 min 44 sec | 4 min 20 sec–5 min |
Estimates for US Letter or A4 with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins and ordinary paragraphs; reading at 238 words a minute, speaking at 130 to 150.
How the limit works
You paste or type the essay into a box in the application, which counts words and stops you at 650. The prompts change rarely; there are usually seven, the last letting you write on a topic of your choice. Formatting such as italics may not survive pasting, so keep the essay to plain paragraphs.
The Common App’s own advice is that 650 is a limit, not a goal. In practice most strong essays use most of the space, between about 550 and 650 words, because a full story with reflection needs it.
Using 650 words well
- One story, told closely. A single episode with detail beats a summary of your achievements, which the rest of the application already lists.
- Reflection is the point. Leave 150 to 200 words for what changed in you and why it matters.
- Draft long, cut hard. Many applicants write 900 words and edit down; the cuts are where the essay gets good.
- Count the way the form counts. Paste your draft into the word counter with a limit of 650; it counts hyphenated words and contractions as one word, like most forms.
Questions and answers
What is the Common App essay word limit?
650 words, with a minimum of 250.
Does the title count toward the 650 words?
There is no separate title field, so anything you put in the box counts. Most applicants skip a title.
Can I go over 650 words?
No. The form will not accept more than 650 words.
How many paragraphs is a 650-word essay?
Often five to eight. Personal essays use more, shorter paragraphs than academic ones.