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Personal statement in an editor with a live word counter chip row showing 647 of 650 words

UC publishes its Personal Insight Question word count and prompt list officially. UC Personal Insight Questions.

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College Essay Word Count

Every college admissions essay you might write, with its usual word range.

By essay type

Personal statement (Common App): 250 to 650 words. Enforced.
Personal statement (Coalition): 500 to 650 words. Enforced.
UC Personal Insight Question: up to 350 words each, four questions.
Why-us essay: 150 to 300 words. Some schools 500.
Community / diversity essay: 250 to 500 words.
Activity or extracurricular essay: 100 to 250 words.
Short-answer supplement: 50 to 150 words.
Additional information section: 300 words guideline, 650 hard cap.

Where the range comes from

Admissions officers spend 4 to 8 minutes per essay. A 650-word essay is at the top of what one officer will absorb in a first read. A 150-word supplement is at the bottom of what develops an idea past the prompt. Ranges balance depth against reader attention.

How to hit the range

Draft loose, cut hard. First drafts run 40 percent over. Cut opinion adjectives (“deeply”, “truly”, “incredibly”) and stage-direction phrases (“I began to think about”, “it made me realize”). Cut every sentence that recaps a sentence you already wrote.

Try the counter

Paste each draft into the live counter and check the word count and reading time as you tighten. For the Common App essay in particular, see the Common App essay word count guide.

Common questions

Do titles count?

On the Common App, yes. On University of California's Personal Insight Questions, the title field is separate. When in doubt, cut the title and lead with the first sentence.

What is the "Additional information" section for?

A 300-word guideline, 650-character hard cap on the Common App. Reserve it for context that does not fit anywhere else: a disruption, a family circumstance, a bureaucratic quirk. Do not use it as another essay.

Do supplements share the personal statement's 650?

No. Each supplement has its own limit set by the school, typically 100 to 300 words. The Common App form enforces each field separately.

What if I go under the minimum?

The Common App floor is 250 words. Under 400 usually reads unfinished; strong essays land 620 to 650.

Do admissions officers really only spend 4 to 8 minutes?

Yes, on a first read. The strongest essays are ones a reader wants to spend longer with. Write for the reader who has 60 seconds; earn the next 5 minutes.