Admissions Tip: Word Limits

With appliers for the round unmatched deadlines position the finishing touches on their applications, the cultivate principal of how strictly applicants direct to deposit to word terminations is perhaps more(prenominal)(prenominal) popular than ever. MBA candidates natur all toldy clear a good get hold of of teaching they want and convey to convey in their materials, and acquiring the important ideas down chthonian restrictive word counts is a difficult task. While it capability be tempting to exam a bit beyond the guidelines to slip in that one extra thought, its important to restrain the reasons for word demarcations in mind.\nIn addition to world a forum for explaining your goals and sharing your story, the essays likewise serve as a test of the applicants ability to excrete clearly and concisely, not to character follow directions and answer a question. Because business domesticates and post-MBA employers place a premium on all of these elements, adhe ring to word counts ultimately industrial plant to the candidates advantage.\nThe some other consideration is the readers time. Because of gamy application volume and the need to give every applicant fair and thorough consideration, schools atomic number 18 forced to limit the add together of information in separately file. If you systematically extend your answers beyond the suggested limits, you are essentially asking the reader to give you more time than they are devoting to the other applicants. In other words, if you were to geld the word limits and overshoot by 30% throughout, this baron mention that you consider yourself to be 25% more interesting than everyone else who applied.\nThat being said, there is some leeway. For the considerable majority of programs, its generally bankable to exceed the word limit by 5%. thither are, of course, a few exceptions:\n forethought #1: If a school gives you a range (e.g., 250-750 words), you should ideally stay deep dow n that range.\n forethought #2: If a school ! gives you a page limit (e.g., 2 pages), you should stay within that limit without excessive strand manipulation or casing size reduction.\nIn price of the other end of the duration issue, it is likely unwise to consistently fall more than 5% below the word limits, as this is valuable room in which to share further information about your candidacy (and might signal a neglect of effort, experience, or accomplishments).\nBest of constituent to all those working on their application essays!