500 Word SOP

[lolopixie]

<rant> I have a perfectly polished and absolutely fantastic 1200ish word SOP. It meets the criteria for all but 2 of the programs that I intend on applying for. Give or take a few words based upon the information that I am putting in as school specific information. The one program that I have the MOST to say about why their program is awesome and why I want to go there only allots for a 400-500 word SOP. Tragedy strikes. I want to tell you EVERYTHING that is in my SOP, but I just have to take it out. NO. I've been working on it tonight to shrink my SOP down to 500 words. I'm rewriting some sections and completely taking other sections out, but I feel like they are missing out on information!!! I'm not duplicating any information that is in any of the other parts of the application, but I am still over. Arghhhhh. I know it is extremely early to be posting about SOP anxietites, but I'm working on them now so I can enjoy my fall!!! Darn you programs and your excercises in writing concisely! </rant>

[Historiogaffe]

I submitted a 761-word SOP to a program that asked for 500, and was accepted to it with pretty great funding. They'll take longer as long as you really aren't repeating anything, every sentence matters, etc. etc. The only place I encountered a real problem with word limit was in an online application with a textbox for the SOP that would not accept more than however many words/characters.

[lolopixie]

I submitted a 761-word SOP to a program that asked for 500, and was accepted to it with pretty great funding. They'll take longer as long as you really aren't repeating anything, every sentence matters, etc. etc. The only place I encountered a real problem with word limit was in an online application with a textbox for the SOP that would not accept more than however many words/characters.

Very good to know! I got it down to about 680. One page single spaced. I'm still working on editing it out, but I'm glad to know that you did that and got accepted. Makes me feel a little better.