How long should a college essay be?

RReaders in Stanford's admissions office had their own view of how long a Common App personal essay should be, and it was not the 650-word limit printed on the form. Most students treat that limit as a target. They write to 649, then cut a sentence to make room for a better one, on the theory that every available word is another chance to say something.

The readers saw the essay from the other side of the desk, late in a long day in reading season, with a stack that never seemed to shrink. What the last few lines of an essay cost an applicant in that moment is something few students ever stop to consider.