how long should a micro essay be

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How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What Is the Ideal Length?

What’s covered: , personal statement length vs. supplemental essay length, are college essay word limits hard, what if a college essay word count isn’t given, what if you need to submit a graded paper, where to get your essays edited.

Students often spend hours agonizing over the best topics for their college essays. While it’s natural to wonder whether your personal statement is original or compelling enough, there’s one aspect of the process that shouldn’t cause you undue stress—how many words should a college essay be? Fortunately, with a little research, you can uncover the ideal college essay length for all your applications.

Unlike high school assignments, which typically have a strict page requirement, most colleges provide a word limit or word range for their application essays. This practice helps ensure that essays are the same length regardless of font or formatting. A good guideline is that students should strive to get as close as possible to the upper limit of the word range without exceeding it. Keep reading to learn more about best practices for college essay length.

How many words should a college essay be? Personal statements are generally 500-650 words. For example, the Common Application , which can be used to apply to more than 800 colleges, requires an essay ranging from 250-650 words . Similarly, the Coalition Application , which has 150 member schools, features an essay with a recommended length of 500-650 words.

650 words is the most common limit for your personal statement, but some schools may ask students to write more or less. For example, ApplyTexas , a platform used to apply to Texas public universities and other select colleges, requests essays with requirements that vary by school. For example, students applying to UT Austin will need to submit an essay of 500-700 words, along with three short-answer questions of 250-300 words each.

On the other hand, the University of California (UC) application includes a Personal Insight section with eight prompts . Students are asked to respond to any four of these prompts, with each response topping out at 350 words.

Additionally, some schools request a few supplemental essays, which are typically shorter than a personal statement. These questions are designed to gain more information about a student’s interests and abilities, and may include topics like your reasons for wanting to attend their school, your desired major, or your favorite activity.

Most schools require 1-3 supplemental essays, though some may require more or none at all (see our list of top colleges without supplemental essays ). These essays tend to be around 250 words, but some may be just as long as your main essay. For example, Cornell requires applicants to write a second supplemental essay (of 650 words max) that is specific to the program they’re applying to. The exception to this is the Cornell College of Engineering, for which applicants are required to compose two supplemental essays of 250 words max each.

For best results, keep your essays within the word range provided. While you don’t have to hit the count exactly, you should aim to stay within a 10% difference of the upper limit—without including fluff or filler. For example, if the school requests 500 words, try to ensure that your essay is between 450 and 500 words.

For the Common App, try to stay within 550-650 words, even though the given range is 250-650. Any submission shorter than 500 words will make it look as though you simply didn’t care enough to give your best effort. An essay shorter than 500 words won’t be long enough to truly share who you are and what matters to you.

Exceeding the word count isn’t an option—the application portal cuts off anything over the maximum number of allowed words. This is something you want to be particularly careful of if you’re drafting your essay in a Word or Google document and pasting it into the application.

Although most schools provide applicants with a specific word count, some offer more general guidelines. For example, a college may ask for a particular number of pages or paragraphs.

If you aren’t given a word count, try to adhere to the best practices and conventions of writing. Avoid writing especially short or overly long paragraphs—250 words per paragraph is generally a safe upper limit. If you’re asked to write a certain number of pages, single- or double-spaced, stick to a standard font and font size (like 12-point Times New Roman).

In the event that the college doesn’t offer any guidelines at all, aim for an essay length of around 500 words.

While essays are the most commonly requested writing sample, some colleges ask for additional pieces of content. For example, Princeton University requires students to submit a previously graded paper for evaluation .

Princeton offers guidelines that cover length, but if another school requests an old paper and doesn’t offer length requirements, a paper ranging from 3-5 pages should yield the best results. The goal is to select a paper long enough to showcase your writing skills and unique voice, but short enough that the admissions officer doesn’t get bored reading it.

Is your essay effective while staying within the required word count? It’s hard to evaluate your own writing, especially after rereading it numerous times. CollegeVine’s free Peer Essay Review provides an opportunity to have your essay reviewed by a fellow student, for free. Similarly, you can help other students by reviewing their essays—this is a great way to refine your own writing skills.

Expert advice is also available. CollegeVine’s advisors are prepared to help you perfect your personal statement and submit a successful application to your top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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How Long Should a Thesis Statement Be?

Crafting a perfect thesis requires a blend of creativity and precision. This sentence is the core message of your prep and outlines the trajectory for the ideas. It’s not merely a summary, but a focused assertion that leads your composition. ‘How long should a thesis statement be?’ is a regular query among students and scholars. Recognizing the optimal thesis length is critical when crafting a brief composition or an extended investigation.

Perfect Thesis Statement Length

When deciding how long a thesis statement should be, a simple word count is usually influenced by the extent of your project. Consider these guidelines:

•  Short Essays: For 5-8 page papers, usually a single, effectively constructed proposition is often sufficient. 
•   Longer Papers: For more extensive essays, a two-sentence claim might be enough to fully express your key argument. 
•  Word Count: Write a solid sentence between 20 and 50 words, based on your subject's complexity. 

You should confirm that your central idea is direct, succinct, and focused, irrespective of how long is a thesis. The perfect argument’s length can vary, so identifying the right balance between conciseness and details is vital to maintaining its precision and interest.

The Role of the Thesis Statement

Identifying how many sentences is a thesis statement helps students create a more precise and effective argument. Before exploring examples, it's important to grasp the length of the statement and why it matters. A well-defined thesis not only addresses the central issue but also guides the audience on what to expect from your prep.

The response to ‘How long is a thesis paper?’ can be influenced by the thesis depth. A succinct and appropriately detailed core idea impacts your message’s effectiveness. An overly extended sentence may confuse readers, while a very brief one might omit essential details. Achieving the true balance is key to maintaining reader engagement.

Thesis Statement Examples

When thinking about how long should a thesis be in an essay, tailor it to fit the depth of your prep. For brief tasks (5-8 pages), a single, succinct key point often suffices. For longer essays, a two-sentence claim may be more appropriate. View some examples illustrating both approaches:

•  Short Essay Example: “In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the pursuit of knowledge leads characters to dangerous extremes, resulting in their downfall.” 
•  Long Essay Example: “While Frankenstein explores the dangers of unchecked ambition, it also offers a nuanced view of scientific discovery, suggesting that the true peril lies not in knowledge itself but in its pursuit.” 

These examples reflect how the claim’s length should stick to the paper’s scope and maintain conciseness and concentration.

See some well-crafted examples for a brief opinion essay:

•  While online instruction offers flexibility and accessibility, educational institutions must ensure rigorous standards and provide adequate support to prevent inequities in student learning outcomes. 
•  Stricter gun control laws are important for reducing gun violence and guaranteeing public safety, as they help prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands and reduce the frequency of mass shootings. 
•  Legalizing marijuana would not only generate significant tax revenue and reduce the burden on the criminal justice system but also augment public health by providing safer, regulated access to cannabis.     

These sentences demonstrate ‘How long does a thesis statement have to be’, impacted by the discourse’s complexity and scope. Tailor your central claim to your prep’s demands, ensuring it is neither too brief nor excessively elaborate.

Revising Your Thesis Statement

Revising your main idea is just as essential as crafting it initially. How long is a thesis statement supposed to be? What should its tone be? As you advance in the investigation, your understanding of the matter may evolve, leading to changes in key arguments. Revisiting and refining your central idea is critical.

‘How long are thesis statements’ can vary significantly based on your prep’s specific needs. Regular revision helps keep your central argument consistent with your assignment’s content and objectives.

Final Thoughts

To wrap up, the central claim’s length is crucial for shaping your paper’s structure and clarity. For a short or extended piece, aim for a concise comprehensive thesis, typically between 20-50 words. By carefully considering how many sentences should a thesis statement be, you can build a captivating main proposition that effectively leads your audience. Also, think of how long are thesis statements to strengthen your key proposition. If you require any assistance perfecting your central claim, discover our tools such as the precise AI Essay Detector and the swift College Essay Generator to develop your writing.

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To go from blogger to freelance writer/memoirist can be a leap, but you can traverse the gap easily by writing Micro Memoir. I have a class coming up that will get you into the groove.

I’m often asked if there are any tips I can share about Micro Memoir, since I had my own Tiny Love Story i n the New York Times , and several of my students have as well. Here are a few of my Estelle’s Edges when it comes to writing micro memoir:

*Make sure that you are telling a complete story. It should be encapsulated in 200 words or less (or in some cases much less) but it is not a fragmented story.

*Every sentence needs to be interesting and add to your piece. This is not the place to add in throwaway sentences or unnecessary dialogue. If it adds to the story, great. If not, scrap it.

*Think of your deepest, most profound memories and experiences and see if you can boil them down into just a few sentences. Make sure to capture your emotions, and use plenty of description and sensual language (I mean language of the senses).

I’m excited to be teaching a new class for NYU online where I will share my tips and we will also have so much fun crafting several ready-to-submit Micro Memoir essays. I’ll also have editors from several publications share advice on crafting short essays, and what they are looking for. Sign up is over, but there will be another class later this year. And read more about it below. And while you’re at it, make sure to follow me on TikTok, where I give publishing advice.

MICRO MEMOIR: WRITING YOUR LIFE IN 200 WORDS OR LESS

If you haven’t been published before, try your hand at micro memoir—the hottest new category in publishing. Micro memoirs are very short standalone pieces, often exploring a moment in time, drawn from personal experience. The best micro memoirs combine truth-telling with narrative tension and are specific, not general. Whether you are a blogger or an aspiring one, whether you are a memoirist, want to get published for the first time or are a widely published author looking to update your skills, you will leave this class with six ready-to-publish micro memoir CNF pieces. We will review published examples of micro-memoir (in  The New York Times Tiny Love Stories  (100 words),  Metropolitan Diary  , River Teeth’s  Tiny Beautiful Things , and more) to see why they entertained, resonated with or compelled the reader, and practice creative nonfiction writing techniques like listing, using description and detail, the six-word memoir exercise, and free association. You will also learn valuable advice on crafting your work, while gaining insight and advice via recorded video interviews from editors working in the micro memoir space. Students will write at least six creative nonfiction pieces geared to specific publications and receive feedback from classmates and the instructor. At the end of the class, students will be invited to participate in a live online reading session, where they can share what they’ve written.  This course is delivered in an online, self-paced (asynchronous) format. The instructor interacts with students and facilitates group discussions within NYU’s online learning platform. There are weekly deadlines for lesson and assignment completion. More details

YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH

• Six creative non-fiction micro memoir pieces.
• Knowledge of the growing micro memoir publishing market and where to submit your micro memoir
• Memoirists and aspiring memoirists
• Writers and aspiring writers of all levels
• The curious and creative 
• Add Micro Memoir: Writing Your Life in 200 Words or Less Course to Wishlist

4 Responses to “Micro Memoir: What You Need to Know”

I love your commitment to writing life, Estelle.

Thank you, Carol!

Cool opportunity! Congrats on getting this set up.

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GRADE LEVEL

High School

Students will practice short form nonfiction writing by composing a micro essay describing how a piece of literature has influenced their understanding of the world around them. 

ANCHOR STANDARDS

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5

PENNSYLVANIA CORE STANDARDS

ELA CC 1.4 B ELA CC 1.4 E ELA CC 1.4 F

• Stories can shape our perspective on the world around us.
• Writing is a multi-step process that involves gathering ideas, drafting, revising, editing, and rewriting.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How do writers vary writing when they compose for specific purposes and audiences?
• How does the writing process strengthen writing?
• How do writers use figurative and/or descriptive language to impact an audience?
• Precision of language and the use of specific vocabulary are key factors to consider when writing.
• Writing is a recursive process.

Theme Support Evidence Influence Voice Prose Poetry Cliché Colloquialism

Simple Sentence Compound Sentence Complex Sentence Imagery Audience Metaphor Simile Hyperbole

Synonym Tone Mood Fragmentation Repetition Action Verb Passive Voice

COMPETENCIES

• Use the writing process to develop and strengthen writing.
• Incorporate vivid and sensory details through word choice and literary devices.
• Compose short form nonfiction with a sharp, distinct focus.

Writing utensil Paper Sticky notes Tape/tacks for wall (optional) Computers with Internet Access (optional) Micro Essay Rubric (optional)

SUGGESTED ONLINE RESOURCES

Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction (" The Watch " by Lisa Groeb Braner)

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

The structure of a micro essay is used in many places: exams, presentations, application essays, blog posts, abstracts, and elevator pitches. Micro essays, or flash essays, utilize the classic essay form while highlighting the importance of word choice and clarity. Over the course of this lesson, students will be guided through a freewrite, draft, and and revision to create a piece under 500 words that responds to the prompt: "Describe how a piece of literature (fiction/nonfiction/poetry/play/graphic novel) has redefined your behavior, attitude, worldview, and/or personal perspective.”

CLASS PREPARATION

Prior to class, ask students to identify three pieces of published literature that resonate with them. These pieces could be fiction/nonfiction books, graphic novels, plays or poetry, but should be selected for their influence on the students. Request that they return to class with the titles of three pieces of literature. If available, invite the students to bring the texts to class.

BRAINSTORM/FREEWRITE

Begin class with a freewriting exercise. Each student will need several pieces of blank paper and a writing utensil. If desired, students may also type responses. Reminding students that they were asked to identify three pieces of literature, ask students to write the titles at the top of the page.

Establishing a focus.  Have students take a moment to quietly consider the three literary items they have chosen:

• Why are these important to you?
• How do/did they resonate with you?
• How do these pieces of literature link to something within your life, your past, or your future?

Write these questions in a space where students can see them clearly and refer to them when freewriting.

Freewrite. Given these questions. invite students to freewrite (Elbow, 1-7) as follows:

Write for 7-10 minutes without stopping, rereading, or talking. Ignore all rules of grammar. Do not feel the need to write in complete sentences or with proper spelling. The goal is to get subconscious thoughts onto paper and increase the flow of thought. Even if one’s train of thought wanders, write the titles of three pieces repeatedly until the flow of ideas returns. Keep writing for the entire time.

As the teacher keeps track of the allotted time, students are to quietly freewrite. In the final minutes, invite students to finish their thoughts and set their pencils/pens down.

Review your writing . Take a few minutes and ask students to read their writing. Do their literature selections have anything in common? Any common thread or theme? Ask students to circle phrases or descriptions that they like. Invite students to share the common thread, fun phrases, or descriptions that emerged with the class.

Select one . Ask students: Which piece did you enjoy writing about more than others? Select one title and write it at the top of a new sheet of paper.

Invite students to linger on that piece of literature:

• Envision the text – feel the heft of the book, see the cover or graphic art, imagine watching the play performance or hearing the poetry.
• Recall the content of the piece. What stands out to you – the characters, language, or themes?
• Consider the time period in which you read the piece of literature. Memories are often fragmented – what images, emotions, people, or settings come to mind?
• How did the literature influence your understanding of the world around you? How did it challenge a belief, offer insight, or change your perspective?

Again, write these questions in a place where students can see them during the second freewrite.

Second freewrite. In this freewrite, the focus is on conveying the essence and importance of a selected piece of literature. Again, ask students to write for 7-10 minutes and conclude with an invitation to complete their thoughts.

Reread. Ask students to review their freewriting:

• What phrases or images appeal to you?
• Circle or highlight these to reference later when writing your first draft.

Think-Pair-Share . Either with a partner or as a class, invite students to share a bit of their freewrite:

• What piece of literature did you choose?
• How does this piece of literature speak to you?
• The process of writing activates a retrieval process. What did you uncover, connect, or learn while writing?

TRANSITION TO MICRO ESSAY

These freewrites provide an initial planning thought process for the composition of a micro essay. A micro essay is a form of expository writing. It is a framed snapshot that emphasizes the economy of expression. In utilizing shorter paragraphs, the writer’s word choice and sentence structure become essential elements in the succinct communication of ideas.

For this micro essay, invite students to respond to the prompt:

Describe how a piece of literature (fiction/nonfiction/poetry/play/graphic novel) redefined your behavior, attitude, worldview, and/or personal perspective.

As with any form of writing, knowing the conventions of the form and practicing will improve writing. Share examples of micro essays. These could be from PACFTB Wordstruck , application essays, or selections from Brevity (consider “ The Watch ” by Lisa Groeb Braner).

Micro essays often open with little introduction and a great first sentence. The content, while minimal, is focused and the details provided create an image or emotion for the reader. In some instances, the writing follows an hourglass structure: opening with a broad statement or image, quickly narrowing to a distinct focus, and then connecting and ending broadly once again. The voice of the writer is distinctive and reflects a well-defined perspective.

Establishing first draft. In one sentence have students answer how this piece of literature redefined them. This sentence should guide the focus of the micro essay. The content of the micro essay will reveal the impact of the piece of literature on the writer. Writers are to assume that the audience is familiar with the selected piece of writing. Any references to the chosen text are to be used for illustration or connection.

Ask students to write the first draft in one sitting. The completed draft should be 300-500 words (approximately one page, single-spaced in 12-pt font). Concentrate only on a few select details that illustrate how the writer’s behavior, attitude, worldview, or personal perspective were altered by the piece of literature.

Homework. With a completed first draft, ask students to review their writing in a series of readings. This focused revision process examines content and organization as well as word choice. If desired, students can consider a third reading to focus upon style. As an alternative to homework, teachers may select to pair students together or to create stations for focused feedback using these criteria.

The feedback from these readings should be used to compose a final draft.

First Reading: Content and Organization

Goal: confirm the essay is focused, contains illustrative examples, and maintains reader interest.

• Assume that readers are familiar with the text. Does the writing avoid summarizing the selected piece of literature?
• Are there concrete personal examples that illustrate how this piece of literature redefined the writer?
• Does the piece alter sentence structure to maintain interest (simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex sentences)?

Second Reading: Word Choice

Goal: confirm the essay is within word count and that word choice contributes to meaning and impact.

• Consider the impact of revising for brevity. Does every sentence contribute to meaning? Omit duplicated concepts, excess explanations, clichés, and colloquialisms.
• Review nouns and verbs for clear and precise word choice.
• Review the verbs, are they action verbs? Circle conjugations of to be (am, is, are, was, were). Can sentences be written differently to remove the passive voice?

Bonus Reading: Style

Goal: refine the writing to enhance imagery, emotion, and voice.

• Micro essays benefit from detail and imagery. What should your readers feel or know at the end of the piece? Consider how the use of literary devices, imagery, and pacing can influence the experience of the reader.
• Simile and metaphor can deepen meaning or add personality. Consider how the use of sensory words, hyperbole, or simple repetition can enhance the desired tone and mood.
• Concentrate on a few select details to create a single impression.

Gallery Walk . Remove names from final drafts and place the texts around the room, either on the wall or on desks to create a micro essay exhibit. Allow space for students to linger without crowding. Distribute five sticky notes to respond to the writing. 

These sticky note responses should assist the writer and offer feedback from the community. Suggested response phrases could be:

• favorite lines/word choices: “I like…”
• questions: “I wonder…”
• connections: “This reminds me of...”

Students circulate through the “gallery” silently or with minimal conversation. When the allotted time has expired (approximately 20 minutes), ask students to return to their writing to review comments.

In a virtual setting, a gallery walk can be created through a shared document or storyboard.

Alternatives:

• At times content can be personal. Students may select to have one or more entrusted readers review and comment upon their writing.
• Using the optional rubric , students can review and grade a selected number of peer essays.
• The optional rubric can be used for formal grading.

EXTENSION/FURTHER STUDY

Invite students to:

• Submit to a flash nonfiction journal .
• Create a nonfiction journal as a class.
• Compose a letter to the author/poet/playwright of the selected piece of literature accompanied by the micro essay.

Braner, Lisa Groen. “ The Watch .” Brevity , Issue 33, Summer 2010.

Elbow, Peter. Writing Without Teachers . New York: Oxford UP, 1973, 1-7.

McClanahan, Rebecca. " The Soul of Brevity: Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Brief Essay ." Tampa Review , no. 43, 2012, pp. 117-123,155. 

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Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

Writing a strong college admissions essay

Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

How formal should the tone of your college essay be?

Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

Taking your college essay to the next level

Hear an admissions expert discuss the appropriate level of depth necessary in your college essay.

Student Stories

Student Story: Admissions essay about a formative experience

Get the perspective of a current college student on how he approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about personal identity

Get the perspective of a current college student on how she approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about community impact

Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

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Making much of the moment: A guide to the micro-memoir

How to craft excellent flash nonfiction.

After finishing my last book – a novel I co-wrote with my husband – I planned to get right back on the saddle and begin another novel. I mean, sure, first I’d relax for a week or two, indulge our kids with movie marathons and lazy-morning pancakes, attend to the household repairs, and catch up on correspondence, but then I’d commence a Big New Project.

The relaxing part went off without a hitch. But that reascension-to-the-saddle part was giving me pains. My brain seemed cored of the Big and New. Weeks went by and I wasn’t writing anything besides little personal jottings in my notebook. My husband tried to comfort me: You’ve just spend four years researching and writing a novel; you’re probably still processing. And I reassured myself with something my teacher Miller Williams once told me: “You can’t get pregnant when you’re pregnant.”

But when my pregnancy entered its fifth trimester, I began to get a little panicky. Maybe I should try to return to my first love, poetry. But the poems wouldn’t come out and play. The essay form, always fruitful between projects, also abandoned me. All I was writing was those scribbles in my notebook, strange little snippets of my life.

Yet I was enjoying those snippets. In fact, writing them was giving me the same pleasure I’d gotten from fiction, poems, and essays. I began to consider that maybe I was writing – but in a form I hadn’t recognized as writing. These little clusters of sentences: What if they weren’t supposed to “add up to something” but instead were somethings? What if they were exactly the size they were meant to be? I began to page through my jottings. Some were simply memories that seemed to hold more than themselves. Some were quirky observations. Some were tiny scenes, bits of overheard conversations that, with the surrounding noise edited out, seemed to reverberate. I called these little flash creative nonfiction pieces (the shortest were one sentence, the longest a few pages) “micro-memoirs.” Labeling them allowed me to write more of them, and relax into the joys of them. Unlike the novel, micro-memoirs were low-stakes. If one failed – well, so what? Throw it away, all 30 precious words of it, and write another. Unlike the historical novel, these required no research. And, after spending so much time in the heads of characters, my own head, my own experiences, seemed newly fresh.

And so now I have a book coming out in October, Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs (W. W. Norton). When writer pals hear about my project, they’re intrigued. “It sounds fun!” they say. “I want to try one!” they say. Guess what? It is fun. Want to try one? Read on.

The moving parts of the micro-memoir

A true hybrid, the micro-memoir strives to combine the extreme abbreviation of poetry, the narrative tension of fiction, and the truth-telling of creative nonfiction. The form might be considered a subset of the larger category of “flash nonfiction,” but it’s hard to draw strict lines here, because the recent proliferation of boundary-busting work is accompanied by a proliferation of terms – Anne Carson’s “short talks,” J. Robert Lennon’s “anecdotes,” Sarah Manguso’s “aphorisms,” James Richardson’s “ten-second essays:” all of these could at times be called “micro-memoirs.”

At its most basic, a micro-memoir is written in sentences, drawn from personal experience, and strives to create a world in as few words as possible. How many words is the upper limit? That, too, isn’t uniformly agreed on. Dinty W. Moore, the energetic writer and editor who’s done more for short-form nonfiction than anyone else, accepts essay submissions of 750 words or less for his online magazine, Brevity , so that might be a helpful guideline. But some great examples of the form are much, much shorter. Amy Hempel’s “Memoir,” for example, reads in its entirety: “Just once in my life – oh, when have I ever wanted anything just once in my life?”

Before we discuss further what micro-memoirs are, it might be useful to discuss what they’re not: fragments. Micro-memoirs aren’t slivers of a bigger creation. They’re designed to stand alone; they are, as Lia Purpura writes in her Brevity craft essay “On Miniatures,” “workable things on very small scales” and therefore “radically self-sufficient.”

Nor are micro-memoirs excerpts of, or failed attempts at, longer essays. The size of the prose is the size of their thinking, perfectly realized. One doesn’t read a great micro-memoir and think, “Wow, I’d love to see the fuller version of that,” in the same way one doesn’t see a hummingbird and wish it were an eagle. What a micro-memoir doesn’t say is part of the way it makes meaning. As David Mamet writes, “Omission is a form of creation.”

Making a micro-memoir

One thing the micro-memoir is particularly suited for is an exploration of a moment, particularly a moment that seems small or unimportant, but, when viewed from the right perspective, with the right attention, reveals itself to be central to identity. What are the moments who make us who we are?

To find an idea the right size for a micro-memoir, consider your quirkiest memories. Forget about the big memories, like meeting your beloved or witnessing a tragedy. We know why those events were important to us, and how they shaped us. Telling the story of how you met your beloved, while fun, is a neatly labeled anecdote. You don’t discover something new about yourself while sharing it. So instead of the processed or oft-repeated, consider memories that you retain without understanding why.

Say you have a vivid image of your friend Kimiko driving away from your house with her green scarf rolled up in her car window, the fringe flapping. Why, given all of the things you’ve forgotten about that visit with your friend, does that idiosyncratic image linger in your hippocampus? To find out, stay in the moment. Tease out its emotional complexity. Perhaps you discover the memory carries some strange feeling of dread. Why? Because the scarf is the same color as the lime Jell-O that was sitting on Kimiko’s hospital tray, untouched, the last time you saw her? Or because her breezy wave reminded you of your son’s first bike ride after the training wheels were removed, his wave that caused his bike wreck? Or did you remember the dancer Isadora Duncan, strangled when her long silk scarf was caught in the rear hubcaps of her convertible?

If this memory leads you into a complex cause-and-effect chain – which is to say, plot – maybe you’re looking at the seeds of a short story or longer essay. But if the moment is dignified by white space – if it seems to grow in importance by not being subsumed in a larger narrative, if it doesn’t want to be welded into the upside-down check mark of the Freytag triangle, then, friends, you have the makings of a micro-memoir.

Keep reading Beth Ann’s micro-memoir series:

• Part Two: Ten Tips for Tiny Truths

Beth Ann Fennelly teaches in the MFA Program at the University of Mississippi, where she was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year. She’s won grants from the N.E.A., United States Artists, and a Fulbright to Brazil. Her sixth book, Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs , will be published by Norton on Oct. 10.

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How long should an essay be?

Published March 31, 2021. Updated June 5, 2022.

Essay Definition:

An essay is a focused piece of writing that expresses the writer’s opinion, analyzes a topic, makes an argument, or explains an idea or topic.

Overview of the Length of an Essay:

The required length of your essay will be dictated by your teacher or professor. An essay should present an argument that you can prove in this given length. The shorter your paper, the more focused your topic and essay should be. Do not play with formatting to make the essay appear longer or shorter. If you are too far over or under the required essay length, you might need to refocus your topic. Graduate school papers become quite a bit longer when they reach the level of theses or dissertations. The below numbers are the average lengths for academic essays written at different levels.

• High school: 500-1000 words
• College: 1200-5000 words
• Graduate school: 2500-6000 words

Worried about your writing? Submit your paper for a Chegg Writing essay check , or for an Expert Check proofreading . Both can help you find and fix potential writing issues.

The most important guidelines are the explicit ones given with the assignment. If your teacher has asked for a 7-page paper, then your essay should be seven pages long. That much is obvious.

Read the prompt or assignment carefully. For one thing, remember that teachers are happy to answer your questions but become frustrated when you ask about something that they have answered on the sheet of paper they gave you. (It’s fine to ask them to repeat something they may have said earlier.) For another, some teachers have taken to providing specific and somewhat arbitrary guidelines in an effort to combat plagiarism.

However, the assignment may not have specific rules for you to follow. If this is the case, check to see if other guidelines apply. Your class, school, or university department might have general guidelines for students that you can use.

There’s usually a bit of wiggle room in essay length; slightly shorter or longer is often okay. If you’re uncertain, ask the teacher what they will accept. With that said, keep the following guidelines in mind.

• Don’t go too much over or under the assigned length. Too short a paper fails to fulfill the terms of the assignment. Too long makes extra work for the teacher and indicates that you haven’t chosen a paper topic with the right scope.
• Don’t play with font, margins, or anything else in the formatting in an effort to make your paper seem longer. It doesn’t work. Your teacher has a stack of proper, identically formatted papers that make the smallest deviations really obvious. It also looks dishonest.
• Don’t skimp on the introduction or conclusion in order to shorten the length. These provide the necessary framework for your paper and contribute to its flow. On the other hand, don’t drag these out, either.

Fit the topic to the length and vice versa

The thesis statement for your paper should present an argument that you can prove in the given length. The shorter your paper, the more focused your topic and thesis statement should be. For example:

• A 20–25-page research paper on Hamlet could tackle the play’s presentation of masculinity.
• A 10–13-page paper might look at father-son relationships in the play.
• A 5–7-page paper might take on the competing versions of masculinity of King Hamlet and King Claudius.
• A 3–4-page paper could address the way that Fortinbras’s invasion shapes Hamlet’s self-assessment as a man.

Notice that these topics narrow as the page lengths decrease. Masculinity as a general concept is quite a broad topic, while one character’s view of himself is much more narrow.

Complexity can also inform length. A more ambitious argument will require more space to prove.

What to do if you’re under or over

That depends. Are you in the ballpark, or are you struggling with a major discrepancy in length?

In the ballpark

Questions to ask if you’re under.

• Have you fully justified your argument and explained all of your connections? Make sure that everything in your head is making it onto the page.
• Is there more you can tease out of the evidence that you use?
• Would your paper benefit from additional evidence?
• Do you adequately lead in and out of your paper with a strong introduction and conclusion?

Questions to ask if you’re over

• Have you trimmed wordy phrases and sentences?
• Do you waste time establishing things that you can assume that your reader knows?
• Do you repeat yourself needlessly?
• Do any of your paragraphs re-prove a point without nuancing it?
• Have you been efficient with your evidence? Have you included long quotations or unnecessary facts?

Way over or under

If you’re quite a bit under or over, you will likely have to adjust the argument and scope of your paper.

If you’re under, ask yourself what the next horizon of your topic is. For example, if your paper is on father-son relationships, you could expand out into Hamlet’s vision of masculinity, in which father-son relationships play a crucial role.

If you’re over, ask yourself what the strongest piece of your argument is. Can you use it to focus in more tightly? If the father-son paper needed to go in the other direction, you could narrow the scope to focus on the relationship between Hamlet and King Hamlet or between Laertes and Polonius.

Some approximations by level

The following numbers reflect trends, not rules. They give average lengths for academic essays written at different levels.

Graduate school papers become quite a bit longer when they reach the level of theses or dissertations.

Before you turn in that paper, don’t forget to cite your sources in APA format , MLA format , or a style of your choice.

Key takeaways

• Follow the instructions you’re given for the assignment.
• Don’t go too much over or under in length.
• Don’t manipulate formatting to make the essay appear longer or shorter. (It never works.)
• If you’re too far over or under, try refocusing your topic.

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Deep Dive into Short Forms: Flash Nonfiction

Mar 05, 2019 by Brenda Joyce Patterson published in Writing

It’s fitting, as a poet, that my first published foray into fiction, Let It Go , was a piece of flash fiction. The story clocked in at a brief 286 words.

Brevity is the bedrock of writing flash. I consider flash writing forms as cousins to poetry. Grant Faulkner, the editor of the literary magazine 100 Word Story , describes flash similarly: “I think of flash fiction as being one part story, one part poem.” Flash shares the same mandate as poetry—brevity and distillation. Like poetry, every word counts. Its collective hybrid forms rely on the importance of description carefully chosen to evoke character, setting, time and place.

To understand the literary hydra that is flash, let’s dip into its many faces, names, and word counts. Generally, flash encompasses both fiction and nonfiction. It straddles the line between poetry and longer fiction. Between poetry and long-form creative nonfiction.

The term “flash” refers to the form’s length, which can vary anywhere from six to 2,000 words. Most published flash falls between 300 to 1,000 words. Flash nonfiction, specifically, usually runs between 500 to 1,000 words.

Flash fiction goes by multiple names—microfiction, short-shorts, quick fiction, immediate fiction, and sudden fiction—and rambles through a variety of genres. Flash nonfiction focuses on memoir, essay, and factual writing. It’s also called by more than one name, such as micro essay, flash creative nonfiction, and flash memoir.

At this point, you’re probably expecting me to discuss boring specificities like point-of-view requirements—first person, second person, or third person omniscient. Not so much. Although flash nonfiction is all about the facts, there’s more to it than that. That’s what makes flash nonfiction so exciting.

We read fiction to be transported; we read nonfiction to be amazed. After all, what’s more astonishing than life? The only specificity about flash nonfiction is writing what’s true, writing what’s factual, while using fiction-writing techniques and a poet’s sensibility. Telling the truth with flair.

Where There’s Flash, There’s Flair

A single theme, metaphor, or decisive action becomes the lens a poet uses to lead readers into their poem. In Niya Marie’s The Black Hairstory Lesson , I’m reminded how true that is, too, for flash nonfiction. She uses the ritual of haircare and its place in Black culture as the lens to tell her history or hairstory. In a mere 715 words, she unspools beauty shop culture, pop culture, and her evolving sense of self.

She begins sometime between “the year micro-braided, brokenhearted girls sang Ashanti” and “the year triple-X-tee’d boys-will-be-boys broke down the name of Osama bin Laden”.  Her hairstory frames the relationship with her first and last boyfriend and her personal evolution.

Let’s read:

“He was City Blue down to the socks. Cords of muscle coiled like concertina wire under his brick-brown skin. Irises like dollops of burnt sugar would melt the size-2 Baby Phat right off my peekaboo hips. Whenever his mother worked a double at the hospital, I’d be in her kitchen baking brownies in nothing but a wife beater, just to show her son I could be that girl, his girl, the girl latched onto a boy’s hip as if she’d sprung from it. I wasn’t his first, but I was determined to be his last. I kept my straightened hair shiny as a new penny and swooped it over my left eye like Aaliyah. I got a touch-up every six weeks to mirror the girls who’d come before me and keep pace with the ever eager next-ups.”

That short passage crackles with imagery and is full of detail: City Blue, Baby Phat, Aaliyah, straightened hair and a touch-up. All chosen to best set the scene of urban African-American teens.

For me, Marie’s words sing most true when she describes the transformation of her hair into an artificial sleekness:

“The point of her rattail comb would needle my scalp as she cleaved through sheaves of my blown out hair. I inhaled a flurry of scents: the hair care aisle’s ethnic section uncorked; baby powder, Muslim smell-goods; the bitterness of he-ain’t-shit blues, the sweetness of he-put-it-down arias; smoking metal heated just shy of incandescence; and the lingering pungency of relaxer.”

“Once pleased with the geometry of her parts, Ms. Jackie would relieve the stove of its iron. I’d hear the clink-clink-clank of catch and release, and feel her cooling breath chasing the blackened barrel down the length of my hair. After an hour or three, my strands—lovingly cooked into submission—would cascade over my shoulders like chiffon.”

Marie highlights a unique slice of Black hair culture and, at the same time, evokes a universal moment of female beauty culture.  

Freedom Without, Freedom Within

Flash’s allure is in its brevity and utter openness to other genres. Poets and fiction writers can easily transfer their skills to this different but related form. This makes Marie’s deft use of language—her word choice and its musicality—understandable. About her work overall, she says: “I fancied myself a fiction writer until I encountered a genre-queer called creative nonfiction.”

In The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction , Dinty W. Moore instructs writers on creating their own pieces:

“The brief essay, in other words, needs to be hot from the first sentence, and the heat must remain the entire time. My fire metaphor […] does not refer to incendiary subject matter. The heat might come from language, from image, from voice or point-of-view, from revelation or suspense, but there must always be a burning urgency of some sort, translated through each sentence, starting with the first.”

If flash nonfiction is new to you, I suggest reading the following books and magazines to get started:

• Brevity Magazine —  Dinty W. Moore, editor
• Creative Nonfiction Magazine —  Lee Gutkind, editor  
• Keep It Real: Everything You Need to Know About Researching and Writing Creative Nonfiction —  Lee Gutkind, editor
• 100 Word Story Magazine — Grant Faulkner, editor
• The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction — Dinty W. Moore, editor

Brenda Joyce Patterson is a poet, writer, librarian, and lover of short writing forms. Her poetry and flash fiction have been published in Vayavya , Gravel Magazine , and Melancholy Hyperbole . Along with works by Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Alice Walker, her travel essay “The Kindness of Strangers” appeared in Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Guide to Travel and Adventure.

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Frequently asked questions

How long should a college essay be.

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.

Frequently asked questions: College admissions essays

When writing your Common App essay , choose a prompt that sparks your interest and that you can connect to a unique personal story.

No matter which prompt you choose, admissions officers are more interested in your ability to demonstrate personal development , insight, or motivation for a certain area of study.

The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. All your prospective schools that accept the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student.

Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding your message and content. Then, check for flow, tone, style , and clarity. Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors .

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.

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 you’ve got to write your college essay fast , don’t panic. First, set yourself deadlines: you should spend about 10% of your remaining time on brainstorming, 10% on outlining, 40% writing, 30% revising, and 10% taking breaks in between stages.

Second, brainstorm stories and values based on your essay prompt.

Third, outline your essay based on the montage or narrative essay structure .

Fourth, write specific, personal, and unique stories that would be hard for other students to replicate.

Fifth, revise your essay and make sure it’s clearly written.

Last, if possible, get feedback from an essay coach . Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.

Avoid swearing in a college essay , since admissions officers’ opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it’s safest to try to make the same point without swearing.

If you have bad grades on your transcript, you may want to use your college admissions essay to explain the challenging circumstances that led to them. Make sure to avoid dwelling on the negative aspects and highlight how you overcame the situation or learned an important lesson.

However, some college applications offer an additional information section where you can explain your bad grades, allowing you to choose another meaningful topic for your college essay.

Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:

• Extracurriculars, especially sports
• Role models
• Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
• Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
• Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
• Overcoming a difficult class
• Using a common object as an extended metaphor

It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.

Yes. The college application essay is less formal than other academic writing —though of course it’s not mandatory to use contractions in your essay.

In a college essay , you can be creative with your language . When writing about the past, you can use the present tense to make the reader feel as if they were there in the moment with you. But make sure to maintain consistency and when in doubt, default to the correct verb tense according to the time you’re writing about.

The college admissions essay gives admissions officers a different perspective on you beyond your academic achievements, test scores, and extracurriculars. It’s your chance to stand out from other applicants with similar academic profiles by telling a unique, personal, and specific story.

Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial to avoid distracting the reader from your college essay’s content.

A college application essay is less formal than most academic writing . Instead of citing sources formally with in-text citations and a reference list, you can cite them informally in your text.

For example, “In her research paper on genetics, Quinn Roberts explores …”

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 .

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:

• Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
• Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
• Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
• Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
• Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

You can use humor in a college essay , but carefully consider its purpose and use it wisely. An effective use of humor involves unexpected, keen observations of the everyday, or speaks to a deeper theme. Humor shouldn’t be the main focus of the essay, but rather a tool to improve your storytelling.

Get a second opinion from a teacher, counselor, or essay coach on whether your essay’s humor is appropriate.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

• Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
• Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .

There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic

• Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
• Focuses on you and your experiences
• Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
• Is creative and original

Unlike a five-paragraph essay, your admissions essay should not end by summarizing the points you’ve already made. It’s better to be creative and aim for a strong final impression.

You should also avoid stating the obvious (for example, saying that you hope to be accepted).

There are a few strategies you can use for a memorable ending to your college essay :

• Return to the beginning with a “full circle” structure
• Reveal the main point or insight in your story
• Look to the future
• End on an action

The best technique will depend on your topic choice, essay outline, and writing style. You can write several endings using different techniques to see which works best.

College deadlines vary depending on the schools you’re applying to and your application plan:

• For early action applications and the first round of early decision applications, the deadline is on November 1 or 15. Decisions are released by mid-December.
• For the second round of early decision applications, the deadline is January 1 or 15. Decisions are released in January or February.
• Regular decision deadlines usually fall between late November and mid-March, and decisions are released in March or April.
• Rolling admission deadlines run from July to April, and decisions are released around four to eight weeks after submission.

Depending on your prospective schools’ requirements, you may need to submit scores for the SAT or ACT as part of your college application .

Some schools now no longer require students to submit test scores; however, you should still take the SAT or ACT and aim to get a high score to strengthen your application package.

Aim to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of your junior year to give yourself enough time to retake it in the fall of your senior year if necessary.

Apply early for federal student aid and application fee waivers. You can also look for scholarships from schools, corporations, and charitable foundations.

To maximize your options, you should aim to apply to about eight schools:

• Two reach schools that might be difficult to get into
• Four match schools that you have a good chance of getting into
• Two safety schools that you feel confident you’ll get into

The college admissions essay accounts for roughly 25% of the weight of your application .

At highly selective schools, there are four qualified candidates for every spot. While your academic achievements are important, your college admissions essay can help you stand out from other applicants with similar profiles.

In general, for your college application you will need to submit all of the following:

• Your personal information
• List of extracurriculars and awards
• College application essays
• Transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• Recommendation letters.

Different colleges may have specific requirements, so make sure you check exactly what’s expected in the application guidance.

You should start thinking about your college applications the summer before your junior year to give you sufficient time for college visits, taking standardized tests, applying for financial aid , writing essays, and collecting application material.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

In most cases, quoting other people isn’t a good way to start your college essay . Admissions officers want to hear your thoughts about yourself, and quotes often don’t achieve that. Unless a quote truly adds something important to your essay that it otherwise wouldn’t have, you probably shouldn’t include it.

Cliché openers in a college essay introduction are usually general and applicable to many students and situations. Most successful introductions are specific: they only work for the unique essay that follows.

The key to a strong college essay introduction is not to give too much away. Try to start with a surprising statement or image that raises questions and compels the reader to find out more.

The introduction of your college essay is the first thing admissions officers will read and therefore your most important opportunity to stand out. An excellent introduction will keep admissions officers reading, allowing you to tell them what you want them to know.

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.

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.

In your application essay , admissions officers are looking for particular features : they want to see context on your background, positive traits that you could bring to campus, and examples of you demonstrating those qualities.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

You don’t need a title for your college admissions essay , but you can include one if you think it adds something important.

Your college essay’s format should be as simple as possible:

• Use a standard, readable font
• Use 1.5 or double spacing
• If attaching a file, save it as a PDF
• Stick to the word count
• Avoid unusual formatting and unnecessary decorative touches

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Campus visits are always helpful, but if you can’t make it in person, the college website will have plenty of information for you to explore. You should look through the course catalog and even reach out to current faculty with any questions about the school.

Colleges set a “Why this college?” essay because they want to see that you’ve done your research. You must prove that you know what makes the school unique and can connect that to your own personal goals and academic interests.

Depending on your writing, you may go through several rounds of revision . Make sure to put aside your essay for a little while after each editing stage to return with a fresh perspective.

Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your language, tone, and content . Ask for their help at least one to two months before the submission deadline, as many other students will also want their help.

Friends and family are a good resource to check for authenticity. It’s best to seek help from family members with a strong writing or English educational background, or from older siblings and cousins who have been through the college admissions process.

If possible, get help from an essay coach or editor ; they’ll have specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and be able to give objective expert feedback.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

• What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
• Whom do you admire most and why?
• What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

In a college application essay , you can occasionally bend grammatical rules if doing so adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity.

However, use standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

Write concisely and use the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay and make sure it’s the right length . Avoid adding definitions unless they provide necessary explanation.

Use first-person “I” statements to speak from your perspective . Use appropriate word choices that show off your vocabulary but don’t sound like you used a thesaurus. Avoid using idioms or cliché expressions by rewriting them in a creative, original way.

If you’re an international student applying to a US college and you’re comfortable using American idioms or cultural references , you can. But instead of potentially using them incorrectly, don’t be afraid to write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Provide context for any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might be unfamiliar with.

College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

Admissions officers use college admissions essays to evaluate your character, writing skills , and ability to self-reflect . The essay is your chance to show what you will add to the academic community.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in your application , especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays about specific topics, such as why you chose that specific college . Scholarship essays are often required to obtain financial aid .

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Ideal College Application Essay Length

Can you go over the Common App length limit? How long should your essay be?

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The 2019-20 version of the  Common Application has an essay length limit of 650 words and a minimum length of 250 words. This limit has remained unchanged for the past several years. Learn how important this word limit is and how to make the most of your 650 words.

Key Takeaways: Common Application Essay Length

• Your Common Application essay must be between 250 words and 650 words.
• Don't assume shorter is better. A college requires an essay because they want to learn more about you.
• Never go over the limit. Show that you can follow instructions and that you know how to edit.

How Strict Is the Limit?

Many wonder whether they can go over the limit, even if only by a few words. What if you feel that you need more space to communicate all of your ideas clearly?

650 words is not a lot of space in which to convey your personality, passions, and writing ability to the people in admissions offices—and the title and any explanatory notes are also included in this limit. The holistic admissions processes of most schools prove that colleges really do want to get to know the person behind your test scores and grades . Since the essay is one of the best places for showcasing who you are, is it worth it to go over?

Most experts recommend adhering to the limit. The Common Application will even prompt its applicants if they exceed the word count to prevent them from going over. Most admissions officers have stated that, while they will read all essays in their entirety, they are less inclined to feel that essays over 650 accomplish what they set out to do. In short: any of the prompts can and should be answered in 650 words or fewer.

Choosing the Right Length

If everything from 250 to 650 words is fair game, what length is best? Some counselors advise students to keep their essays on the shorter end, but not all colleges place the most value in succinctness.

The personal essay is the most powerful tool at your disposal for showing readers your personality without meeting them. If you've chosen a focus that reveals something meaningful about you, you're probably going to need more than 250 words to create a thoughtful, introspective, and effective essay. However, it isn't essential to hit the 650 mark, either.

From the Admissions Desk

"There is no need to meet the full word count [650] if the essay captures what the student would like to share. Visually, you want to make sure the essay looks complete and robust. As a general rule, I would suggest the essay be between 500-650 words."

–Valerie Marchand Welsh Director of College Counseling, The Baldwin School Former Associate Dean of Admissions, University of Pennsylvania

Each of the Common App essay prompts creates different writing challenges, but no matter which option you choose, your essay should be detailed and analytical, and it should provide a window into some important dimension of your interests, values, or personality. Ask yourself: Will the admissions officers know me better after reading my essay? Chances are, an essay in the 500- to 650-word range will accomplish this task better than a shorter essay

In general, the length of an essay does not determine its effectiveness. If you have answered the prompt in its entirety and feel proud of your work, there is no need to stress about any particular word count. Do not pad your essay with filler content and tautologies to stretch it out, and on the flip side, don't leave important sections out in the interest of keeping the essay brief.

Why You Shouldn't Go Over the Essay Length Limit

Some colleges will allow you to exceed the limit set by the Common Application, but you should avoid writing more than 650 words in all cases for the following reasons:

• College students adhere to guidelines : If a professor assigns a five-page paper, they don't want a 10-page paper and you don't have 55 minutes to take 50-minute exams. The message that you send to a college when you write a powerful essay in 650 words or fewer, even when they accept longer submissions, is that you can succeed under any conditions.
• Essays that are too long can leave a negative impression: Essays over 650 may make you appear over-confident. The word counts have been established by experts for a reason and writing more than you are allowed might make it seem like you think what you have to say is more important than other applicants, who have to follow the rules. Avoid seeming self-important by stopping yourself from going overboard.
• Good writers know how to edit and cut : Any college writing professor would tell you that most essays become stronger when they are trimmed. There are almost always words, sentences, and even entire paragraphs that don't contribute to an essay and can be omitted. As you revise any essay you write, ask yourself which parts help you to make your point and which get in the way—everything else can go. Use these 9 style tips to tighten up your language.

College admissions officers will read essays that are too long but may consider them to be rambling, unfocused, or poorly-edited. Remember that your essay is one of many and your readers will wonder why yours is longer when it doesn't need to be.

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How Long Should an Essay Be? A Guide for Different Types of Essays

(Last updated: 5 April 2024)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

For undergraduate students in the UK, grappling with the expectations surrounding essay length can be challenging. How long should your essays be? Does the brevity or verbosity of your essay impact your grade? Understanding the optimal length for various types of undergraduate essays can greatly assist in crafting well-rounded and effective academic papers. In this guide, we'll explore the appropriate lengths for different types of undergraduate essays to help you in your academic journey.

Understanding Essay Length Guidelines

Before delving into the specifics of essay lengths, it's crucial to recognise that guidelines may vary across disciplines, institutions, and even individual tutors. While most of the time your professors stipulate specific word counts or page requirements, in other cases, they may offer more leeway. Additionally, the complexity of the topic, the depth of analysis required, and the purpose of the assignment can all influence the suitable length of an essay.

Types of Undergraduate Essays

Short Answer Essays (300-500 words)

Short-answer essays typically demand concise responses to precise prompts or questions. They require clarity, brevity, and precision in your writing. Focus on directly addressing the main points without unnecessary elaboration. Each paragraph should contribute to effectively conveying your ideas within the limited word count.

Analytical Essays (800-1200 words)

Analytical essays entail an in-depth examination and interpretation of a particular topic, text, or issue. These essays necessitate a more substantial word count to explore complex ideas, provide evidence, and develop coherent arguments. Strive to present a clear thesis statement, support it with relevant evidence, and engage critically with the subject matter.

Literature Reviews (1000-1500 words)

Literature reviews involve summarising and synthesising existing scholarly sources on a specific research topic. While they may not necessitate original research, they demand a comprehensive understanding of the literature and the ability to analyse and evaluate various perspectives. Aim to organise your review thematically or chronologically, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps for future research.

Research Papers (1500-2500 words)

Research papers involve conducting original research to address a research question or problem. They require extensive background research, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Given the complexity of research papers, a higher word count allows for a more thorough exploration of the topic, detailed methodology description, and nuanced discussion of findings.

Tips for Meeting Length Requirements

• Plan and Outline : Before writing, outline your main points and arguments to ensure coherence and relevance. This helps prevent unnecessary digressions and keeps your essay focused.
• Revise and Edit : Review your essay multiple times to eliminate redundant phrases, clarify ambiguous sentences, and ensure consistency in tone and style.
• Be Concise : Use clear and concise language to convey your ideas effectively. Avoid unnecessary verbosity or repetition.
• Evoke Emotion or Intrigue : Tap into the emotional or intellectual curiosity of your readers by crafting a title that evokes emotion, prompts reflection, or poses a compelling question. Consider using provocative language, vivid imagery, or rhetorical devices to capture readers' attention.
• Engage with Sources : In analytical and research essays, engage critically with scholarly sources to provide context, support your arguments, and demonstrate intellectual rigour.

In conclusion, the appropriate length for an undergraduate essay depends on the type of assignment, the complexity of the topic, and the expectations of your professors. Remember, clarity, coherence, and relevance are paramount regardless of the word count. With diligent planning, research, and revision, you can effectively convey your ideas and contribute meaningfully to scholarly discourse.

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The Complete IB Extended Essay Guide: Examples, Topics, and Ideas

International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB students around the globe fear writing the Extended Essay, but it doesn't have to be a source of stress! In this article, I'll get you excited about writing your Extended Essay and provide you with the resources you need to get an A on it.

If you're reading this article, I'm going to assume you're an IB student getting ready to write your Extended Essay. If you're looking at this as a potential future IB student, I recommend reading our introductory IB articles first, including our guide to what the IB program is and our full coverage of the IB curriculum .

IB Extended Essay: Why Should You Trust My Advice?

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma, and I happened to receive an A on my IB Extended Essay. Don't believe me? The proof is in the IBO pudding:

If you're confused by what this report means, EE is short for Extended Essay , and English A1 is the subject that my Extended Essay topic coordinated with. In layman's terms, my IB Diploma was graded in May 2010, I wrote my Extended Essay in the English A1 category, and I received an A grade on it.

What Is the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Extended Essay, or EE , is a mini-thesis you write under the supervision of an IB advisor (an IB teacher at your school), which counts toward your IB Diploma (learn more about the major IB Diploma requirements in our guide) . I will explain exactly how the EE affects your Diploma later in this article.

For the Extended Essay, you will choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay on your findings . The essay itself is a long one—although there's a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit.

Keep in mind that the IB requires this essay to be a "formal piece of academic writing," meaning you'll have to do outside research and cite additional sources.

The IB Extended Essay must include the following:

• A title page
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography

Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories , or IB subject groups, which are as follows:

• Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
• Group 2: Language Acquisition
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: The Arts

Once you figure out your category and have identified a potential research topic, it's time to pick your advisor, who is normally an IB teacher at your school (though you can also find one online ). This person will help direct your research, and they'll conduct the reflection sessions you'll have to do as part of your Extended Essay.

As of 2018, the IB requires a "reflection process" as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IB calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are not only mandatory but are also part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research methods.

According to the IB, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." Basically, these meetings give your supervisor the opportunity to offer feedback, push you to think differently, and encourage you to evaluate your research process.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short 10- to 15-minute interview between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report, which factors into your EE grade.

Here are the topics covered in your viva voce :

• A check on plagiarism and malpractice
• Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
• Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then be sent to the IB to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

We'll help you learn how to have those "lightbulb" moments...even on test day!  

What Should You Write About in Your IB Extended Essay?

You can technically write about anything, so long as it falls within one of the approved categories listed above.

It's best to choose a topic that matches one of the IB courses , (such as Theatre, Film, Spanish, French, Math, Biology, etc.), which shouldn't be difficult because there are so many class subjects.

Here is a range of sample topics with the attached extended essay:

• Biology: The Effect of Age and Gender on the Photoreceptor Cells in the Human Retina
• Chemistry: How Does Reflux Time Affect the Yield and Purity of Ethyl Aminobenzoate (Benzocaine), and How Effective is Recrystallisation as a Purification Technique for This Compound?
• English: An Exploration of Jane Austen's Use of the Outdoors in Emma
• Geography: The Effect of Location on the Educational Attainment of Indigenous Secondary Students in Queensland, Australia
• Math: Alhazen's Billiard Problem
• Visual Arts: Can Luc Tuymans Be Classified as a Political Painter?

You can see from how varied the topics are that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to picking a topic . So how do you pick when the options are limitless?

How to Write a Stellar IB Extended Essay: 6 Essential Tips

Below are six key tips to keep in mind as you work on your Extended Essay for the IB DP. Follow these and you're sure to get an A!

#1: Write About Something You Enjoy

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. For example, I just love British theatre and ended up writing my Extended Essay on a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. (Yes, I'm definitely a #TheatreNerd.)

I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC's School of Dramatic Arts program. In my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay; thus, I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship.

But how do you find a topic you're passionate about? Start by thinking about which classes you enjoy the most and why . Do you like math classes because you like to solve problems? Or do you enjoy English because you like to analyze literary texts?

Keep in mind that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing your Extended Essay topic. You're not more likely to get high marks because you're writing about science, just like you're not doomed to failure because you've chosen to tackle the social sciences. The quality of what you produce—not the field you choose to research within—will determine your grade.

Once you've figured out your category, you should brainstorm more specific topics by putting pen to paper . What was your favorite chapter you learned in that class? Was it astrophysics or mechanics? What did you like about that specific chapter? Is there something you want to learn more about? I recommend spending a few hours on this type of brainstorming.

One last note: if you're truly stumped on what to research, pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career . That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your college essays (and it will prepare you for your studies to come too!).

#2: Select a Topic That Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. You need to write about something specific, but not so specific that you can't write 4,000 words on it.

You can't write about WWII because that would be a book's worth of material. You also don't want to write about what type of soup prisoners of war received behind enemy lines, because you probably won’t be able to come up with 4,000 words of material about it. However, you could possibly write about how the conditions in German POW camps—and the rations provided—were directly affected by the Nazis' successes and failures on the front, including the use of captured factories and prison labor in Eastern Europe to increase production. WWII military history might be a little overdone, but you get my point.

If you're really stuck trying to pinpoint a not-too-broad-or-too-narrow topic, I suggest trying to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison. Once you begin looking through the list of sample essays below, you'll notice that many use comparisons to formulate their main arguments.

I also used a comparison in my EE, contrasting Harold Pinter's Party Time with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in order to show a transition in British theatre. Topics with comparisons of two to three plays, books, and so on tend to be the sweet spot. You can analyze each item and then compare them with one another after doing some in-depth analysis of each individually. The ways these items compare and contrast will end up forming the thesis of your essay!

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant. I compared two plays to illustrate the transition in British theatre, but you could compare the ways different regional dialects affect people's job prospects or how different temperatures may or may not affect the mating patterns of lightning bugs. The point here is that comparisons not only help you limit your topic, but they also help you build your argument.

Comparisons are not the only way to get a grade-A EE, though. If after brainstorming, you pick a non-comparison-based topic and are still unsure whether your topic is too broad or narrow, spend about 30 minutes doing some basic research and see how much material is out there.

If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it may be too narrow. If you're still unsure, ask your advisor—it's what they're there for! Speaking of advisors...

Don't get stuck with a narrow topic!

#3: Choose an Advisor Who Is Familiar With Your Topic

If you're not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, create a list of your top three choices. Next, write down the pros and cons of each possibility (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).

For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher and we get along really well, but he teaches English. For my EE, I want to conduct an experiment that compares the efficiency of American electric cars with foreign electric cars.

I had Ms. White a year ago. She teaches physics and enjoyed having me in her class. Unlike Mr. Green, Ms. White could help me design my experiment.

Based on my topic and what I need from my advisor, Ms. White would be a better fit for me than would Mr. Green (even though I like him a lot).

The moral of my story is this: do not just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor . They might be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. For example, I would not recommend asking your biology teacher to guide you in writing an English literature-based EE.

There can, of course, be exceptions to this rule. If you have a teacher who's passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my theatre topic), you could ask that instructor. Consider all your options before you do this. There was no theatre teacher at my high school, so I couldn't find a theatre-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.

Before you approach a teacher to serve as your advisor, check with your high school to see what requirements they have for this process. Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form , for instance.

Make sure that you ask your IB coordinator whether there is any required paperwork to fill out. If your school needs a specific form signed, bring it with you when you ask your teacher to be your EE advisor.

#4: Pick an Advisor Who Will Push You to Be Your Best

Some teachers might just take on students because they have to and aren't very passionate about reading drafts, only giving you minimal feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts of your essay and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make my Extended Essay draft better.

Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have absolutely no connection to. If a teacher already knows you, that means they already know your strengths and weaknesses, so they know what to look for, where you need to improve, and how to encourage your best work.

Also, don't forget that your supervisor's assessment is part of your overall EE score . If you're meeting with someone who pushes you to do better—and you actually take their advice—they'll have more impressive things to say about you than a supervisor who doesn't know you well and isn't heavily involved in your research process.

Be aware that the IB only allows advisors to make suggestions and give constructive criticism. Your teacher cannot actually help you write your EE. The IB recommends that the supervisor spends approximately two to three hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.

#5: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organization will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about eight to 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. For example, if you were doing a comparison, you might have one third of your body as Novel A Analysis, another third as Novel B Analysis, and the final third as your comparison of Novels A and B.

If you're conducting an experiment or analyzing data, such as in this EE , your EE body should have a clear structure that aligns with the scientific method ; you should state the research question, discuss your method, present the data, analyze the data, explain any uncertainties, and draw a conclusion and/or evaluate the success of the experiment.

#6: Start Writing Sooner Rather Than Later!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Each school has a slightly different deadline for the Extended Essay. Some schools want them as soon as November of your senior year; others will take them as late as February. Your school will tell you what your deadline is. If they haven't mentioned it by February of your junior year, ask your IB coordinator about it.

Some high schools will provide you with a timeline of when you need to come up with a topic, when you need to meet with your advisor, and when certain drafts are due. Not all schools do this. Ask your IB coordinator if you are unsure whether you are on a specific timeline.

Below is my recommended EE timeline. While it's earlier than most schools, it'll save you a ton of heartache (trust me, I remember how hard this process was!):

• January/February of Junior Year: Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options).
• February of Junior Year: Approach a teacher about being your EE advisor. If they decline, keep asking others until you find one. See my notes above on how to pick an EE advisor.
• April/May of Junior Year: Submit an outline of your EE and a bibliography of potential research sources (I recommend at least seven to 10) to your EE advisor. Meet with your EE advisor to discuss your outline.
• Summer Between Junior and Senior Year: Complete your first full draft over the summer between your junior and senior year. I know, I know—no one wants to work during the summer, but trust me—this will save you so much stress come fall when you are busy with college applications and other internal assessments for your IB classes. You will want to have this first full draft done because you will want to complete a couple of draft cycles as you likely won't be able to get everything you want to say into 4,000 articulate words on the first attempt. Try to get this first draft into the best possible shape so you don't have to work on too many revisions during the school year on top of your homework, college applications, and extracurriculars.
• August/September of Senior Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft.
• September/October of Senior Year: Submit the second draft of your EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft.
• November-February of Senior Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate.

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor . (Your teachers will actually take notes on these sessions on a form like this one , which then gets submitted to the IB.)

I recommend doing them when you get feedback on your drafts, but these meetings will ultimately be up to your supervisor. Just don't forget to do them!

The early bird DOES get the worm!

How Is the IB Extended Essay Graded?

Extended Essays are graded by examiners appointed by the IB on a scale of 0 to 34 . You'll be graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points. You can learn more about how EE scoring works by reading the IB guide to extended essays .

• Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

How well you do on each of these criteria will determine the final letter grade you get for your EE. You must earn at least a D to be eligible to receive your IB Diploma.

Although each criterion has a point value, the IB explicitly states that graders are not converting point totals into grades; instead, they're using qualitative grade descriptors to determine the final grade of your Extended Essay . Grade descriptors are on pages 102-103 of this document .

Here's a rough estimate of how these different point values translate to letter grades based on previous scoring methods for the EE. This is just an estimate —you should read and understand the grade descriptors so you know exactly what the scorers are looking for.

Here is the breakdown of EE scores (from the May 2021 bulletin):

How Does the Extended Essay Grade Affect Your IB Diploma?

The Extended Essay grade is combined with your TOK (Theory of Knowledge) grade to determine how many points you get toward your IB Diploma.

To learn about Theory of Knowledge or how many points you need to receive an IB Diploma, read our complete guide to the IB program and our guide to the IB Diploma requirements .

This diagram shows how the two scores are combined to determine how many points you receive for your IB diploma (3 being the most, 0 being the least). In order to get your IB Diploma, you have to earn 24 points across both categories (the TOK and EE). The highest score anyone can earn is 45 points.

Let's say you get an A on your EE and a B on TOK. You will get 3 points toward your Diploma. As of 2014, a student who scores an E on either the extended essay or TOK essay will not be eligible to receive an IB Diploma .

Prior to the class of 2010, a Diploma candidate could receive a failing grade in either the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge and still be awarded a Diploma, but this is no longer true.

Figuring out how you're assessed can be a little tricky. Luckily, the IB breaks everything down here in this document . (The assessment information begins on page 219.)

40+ Sample Extended Essays for the IB Diploma Programme

In case you want a little more guidance on how to get an A on your EE, here are over 40 excellent (grade A) sample extended essays for your reading pleasure. Essays are grouped by IB subject.

• Business Management 1
• Chemistry 1
• Chemistry 2
• Chemistry 3
• Chemistry 4
• Chemistry 5
• Chemistry 6
• Chemistry 7
• Computer Science 1
• Economics 1
• Design Technology 1
• Design Technology 2
• Environmental Systems and Societies 1
• Geography 1
• Geography 2
• Geography 3
• Geography 4
• Geography 5
• Geography 6
• Literature and Performance 1
• Mathematics 1
• Mathematics 2
• Mathematics 3
• Mathematics 4
• Mathematics 5
• Philosophy 1
• Philosophy 2
• Philosophy 3
• Philosophy 4
• Philosophy 5
• Psychology 1
• Psychology 2
• Psychology 3
• Psychology 4
• Psychology 5
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 1
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 2
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 3
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 1
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2
• Visual Arts 1
• Visual Arts 2
• Visual Arts 3
• Visual Arts 4
• Visual Arts 5
• World Religion 1
• World Religion 2
• World Religion 3

What's Next?

Trying to figure out what extracurriculars you should do? Learn more about participating in the Science Olympiad , starting a club , doing volunteer work , and joining Student Government .

Studying for the SAT? Check out our expert study guide to the SAT . Taking the SAT in a month or so? Learn how to cram effectively for this important test .

Not sure where you want to go to college? Read our guide to finding your target school . Also, determine your target SAT score or target ACT score .

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As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography.

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How long should your ebook be (and why)?

March 26, 2021

If you’re putting out an ebook, you might be wondering -- how long should an ebook be? If so, read our tips on ebook length (and reasons), plus pricing ideas.

Choosing an ebook length can feel a lot like Goldilocks when she picks her porridge.

It’s about finding the ebook length that’s just right for your business.

To help you navigate the direction of your next ebook, we follow the lead of the three bears.

More specifically, we’ll head into three different ebook lengths, some examples, plus ebook types and pricing recommendations for each.

Whether you’re writing your first ebook freebie or formatting your umpteenth novel, there’s something valuable for you to glean from our tips today.

Let’s hop to it.

Looking for a place to sell your ebook? With Podia, it’s easy to share your content with your eager audience. Sell it at a price you like or give it away as a free download. Set up your first ebook on Podia today.

Three ideal ebook lengths (plus word counts, type, and pricing)

#1. short ebooks.

If you’re putting together an ebook for the first time and want to test the waters, short ebooks are a great way to get your feet wet.

Short ebook lengths land anywhere from a few pages to several thousand words.

The Write Practice considers a short print book to average 25,000 words , which is around 100 pages.

And when you categorize ebook lengths by genre , the average lengths of short ebooks starts at 123 pages for children’s books and cap out at 519 pages for long and meaty law ebooks.

For our purposes today, we’re going to call the above estimates medium-sized to long ebooks.

We’ll call short ebooks anywhere between a few pages to 5,000 words.

The reason being, these short ebook types are chopped out of the above averages, yet serve a popular and powerful purpose in today’s digital marketing landscape — they make great lead magnets .

You can turn your short ebook into a free giveaway that you can offer your target audience in exchange for their email, which is a popular and effective way to build your email list .

In fact, as far as length, 58.6% of marketers claim short-form written lead magnets work better than long-form.

And a short ebook doesn’t have to come in a short story or traditional fiction or non-fiction ebook format, either.

There’s more flexibility in formatting your short ebook type — from digital guides and cheat sheets to whitepapers and workbooks.

Check out Joy Cho’s What Kind of Business (or Side Hustle) Should I Start? free ebook.

Her ebook is a guide for aspiring entrepreneurs and solopreneurs and walks people through, step-by-step, finding their ideal businesses.

Wondering what topic to feature in your free ebook?

If you’re a blogger , you’ll find at least one golden answer inside your Google Analytics reports. Just check out which articles and topics are the most popular among your blog readers.

You can even offer a creative short ebook as a content upgrade on that relevant blog article, just like Hubspot does on their 10 Business Email Phrases to Stop (& Start) Using With Clients blog article…

…where they allow e-readers to download 25 Proven Sales Email Templates .

Like with any piece of valuable content that you create for your audience, a bit of customer research goes a long way.

Reach out to your audience to guide the topic of your short ebook.

Ask your audience what they want to learn more about and what they need help with. And then ask them to describe their pain points.

All in all:

Creating a short ebook is an ideal option for e-readers who want to spare shorter attention spans and learn something valuable on your topic for free.

If you don’t want to give your short book away as a freebie, our next option might be a better fit.

#2. Medium-sized ebooks

If you want to sell a children’s book, novella, short story, or even shorter non-fiction book, this is a great ebook format to consider. The medium length is a natural fit for supplementing or replacing a print book version of work.

The mid-sized ebook range falls between 5,000 and 20,000 words — although you’ll find a lot of resources out there that vary from this.

For instance, children’s books fall in the 500–600 word space , according to one source.

According to another, children’s books range anywhere between 300 and 40,000 words .

Also, a micro-fiction is around 100 words , a flash fiction between 100–1,000 words, and a short story between 1,000–7,500 words.

As you can tell, word count is all over the map, and all of these may or may not follow the same guidelines.

So we’re all on the same page (pun intended), we’re calling medium-sized ebooks anything priced above $0 that can be ingested in 1–3 sittings.

Our recommended 5,000–20,000 word range is a very general guideline and not a hard rule.

As for pricing, the mid-sized ebooks generally go for anywhere between $0.99 and $9.99 .

That’s the recommended price point range if your ebook is sold using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), anyway. This is a pricing strategy that’s based on the cost of sale (what Amazon charges the self-publisher for each sold unit) and Amazon’s sales commission for selling your ebook.

As a very general example, we include the two bottom-tier royalty ranges  — across multiple retail distributors — in the mid-sized ebook pricing range.

The KDP royalty pricing formula gets pretty complex, so if you want to avoid it altogether, a cleaner (and more profitable) way to distribute your ebooks is by self-publishing and selling your ebooks directly to your e-readers.

Plus, the way the book industry is moving — away from paper books and publishing houses, and toward digital ebooks and self-publishing channels — you have more options than ever to sell ebooks directly to your audience.

(Conveniently, you can streamline the whole process by selling your ebook as a digital download with Podia. Get your free Podia account today .)

Selling platforms aside, the main takeaway is you can charge a lower price ($0.99-$9.99) for medium-sized ebooks than you would a large ebook ($10+).

Another way to quantify the size and price of your ebook is by the depth of your content and how many sittings your e-readers will need to consume it.

For instance, entrepreneur Sheri Graham sells her Intentional Summer Days ebook for $5, which is likely something her e-readers can finish between 1–3 sittings of reading.

In Sheri’s $5-ebook, readers can expect to learn “30 different activities [they] can do with [their] children that relate to being intentional”.

She, of course, doesn’t sell her book by featuring the page quantity, but rather the benefits her e-readers will gain from her ebook.

So, it’s less about length and more about what your e-readers will benefit from ingesting your content.

Ask yourself:

Can it be consumed in 1–3 sittings, or is it more dense than that?

What is the perceived value of the benefit offered inside your ebook’s content?

If the answers are more than three sittings and over $10, then our third ebook length is more likely a better route.

#3. Long ebooks

The third option is a long ebook, which gives your e-readers a deeper, longer reading experience.

For non-fiction ebooks, you can think of it as an expanded piece of content where your audience can achieve their desired results in over three sittings.

If you’re a fiction author, this is likely where your ebook length will land. According to Reedsy, the average word count by genre varies between 35,000 and 95,000 words .

Again, if you’re wondering what topic to cover in your ebook, customer feedback — whether it’s gleaned from your blogging experience or social channel activity — comes in handy.

Find out which topics, issues, and problems resonate the most among your audience channels (i.e., video viewers, email subscribers, social followers, and blog readers) and tailor your long ebook to help solve those specific topics.

You can even leverage your social channels and/or use SurveyMonkey or Typeform to send a survey link with relevant questions that probe for their big pain points.

Regardless of how you do reach out, there’s no better source for informing your ebook topic than your audience itself.

Also, if coming up with a mighty table of contents, which outlines a page count in the hundreds and a 20,000+ word count, sounds daunting to you right now, you’re not alone.

That’s a big ebook to compile.

But, there is a trusty way through it.

Consider this: Write a fast first draft. Pretend you’re writing ebooks in a speeding contest, where you write down as much content as you can in your first draft without worrying about details or even writing “well”.

The purpose of your fast first draft is to get your ideas down in their skeleton form, and then go back and revise at a slower pace. You can always fill in the content gaps, revise, restructure, and reformat as you see fit.

Mentally, this exercise is worth it because the bulk of your overwhelm disappears once you have a first draft in hand, even if it looks starkly different from the final version your e-readers see.

Plus, length may or may not be a selling point, so it doesn’t really serve you to focus on page count or word count.

For instance, length isn’t even mentioned on Full Circle’s The Baby Steps Plan sales page, which features a $49 longer ebook that helps musicians step-by-step become professionals in the music industry.

On the other hand, The Friedman Archives Guide to Sony’s Alpha 6500 is 657 pages long and sells for $26.45.

The point is it’s less about word count and page count, and more about your e-readers’ perceived value and the benefits you bring to your e-readers — be that entertainment or solving a problem.

What’s more, the beautiful thing about selling ebooks (and digital products generally) is you have more flexibility in not only pricing your digital products, but also delivering value to your e-readers.

Case in point: Justin Jackson’s Marketing for Developers print book sells on Amazon for $19.99.

Compare this to Justin’s Marketing for Developers ebook that he sells directly to e-readers for $49.

This version allows him to deliver a range of formats to his customers, like PDF, ePub, Mobi, audio chapters, worksheets, and even code samples.

Pretty diverse, no?

Another diverse quality of long ebooks is the pricing, which runs the gamut.

Friedman Archives’ and Justin’s long ebooks sell in the $19.99 to $49 range, while something like Oakstone’s Comprehensive Review of Neurology academic ebook sells for $995.

While textbooks are their own ball game, it illustrates the point: like most things for sale in your business, pricing is all about the perceived value and the benefit you deliver to your customers.

So try it out, and if it doesn’t work, you can always change your pricing later. Nothing is set in stone when you’re running your own show.

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If you're not ready to publish your own ebook just yet, you can also consider making a free product that you give away as a lead magnet . That way, when you do have an ebook for sale, you can promote it to a list of people who are already familiar with your work.

You can also promote the work of other people through affiliate marketing. Learn more about some of the highest paying affiliate programs to find products that are a good fit for your audience.

Match your ebook length to the right business goal

There are many benefits to creating and selling ebooks, especially if you leverage the strengths in each length.

It’s a nice balance between delivering value to your e-readers and adding to your bottom line, whether that means more audience members, customers, or revenue.

To recap the three ebook lengths:

#1. Short ebooks fall between a few pages and 5,000 words and make great lead magnets that you can offer as a freebie to grow your email list.

#2. Medium-sized ebooks range between the 5,000- and 20,000-word mark, typically a read between 1–3 sittings. Pricing averages between $5 and $10.

#3. Long ebooks offer a deeper dive into your subject matter, reaches upwards of 20,000 words, or several hundred pages, and can be digested in 3+ sittings. Pricing is over $10.

May your ebooks be successful at every length.

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About the author

Cyn Meyer was a content writer for Podia , an all-in-one platform where online courses, digital downloads, and communities scale with their creators. Cyn also enjoys playing music, helping retirees live active, healthy, engaged lifestyles, and hopping into the ocean.