Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get to somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range. College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.
Other Question and Answers that can be helpful for you
1. How long should my supplemental essay be?
These supplemental essays tend to be around 250 words, though some may be just as long as your main essay. For example, UPenn requires lengthy special program supplements.
2. How long should an academic essay be?
The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper or thesis. In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write.
3. How long does it take to write a 600-word essay?
While a simple 600-word essay may take 2 hours to write for an average writer, a technical task of the same length may take 5 hours. A 1200-word essay can take as short as 4 hours to write and as long as a day, depending on the technicalities and skills of the writer.
4. How long should your paragraphs be?
“Well-developed” certainly means the paragraphs can be long, but even two long paragraphs shouldn’t exceed 500 words or so. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt. But what’s the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?