Most schools are serious about their assigned essay lengths. You can exceed the limits by 50 words or so, but 100 words is pushing it. That's especially true at Harvard, where the essays are very short.
Also, writing a long diatribe for the optional essay (which usually goes something like, "Tell us anything else you think we should know.") is a sure way to tick your reader off. I've heard a dozen admissions directors asked about the optional essay, and every one of them said the same thing: "Don't use it unless you have to. And if you have to, then be brief." |