How can I trim down on words to get my essay below the word count-limit?

Answer 1

rimming down a college essay to fit within a word count limit can be challenging, but it's also an opportunity to refine your message. As an educational consultant, I've helped students condense their essays effectively while preserving their voice and impact. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Identify Your Core Message

1. Ask Yourself: What is the main takeaway or theme of my essay? Does every sentence contribute to it?
2. Action: Eliminate tangents, repetitive ideas, or anything that doesn't directly support your central narrative.

2. Combine Sentences

1. Goal: Merge sentences where possible without losing clarity.
2. Example:
3. Before: “I joined the robotics club because I wanted to learn new skills. This club taught me teamwork and problem-solving.”
4. After: “Joining the robotics club taught me teamwork and problem-solving while helping me develop new skills.”

3. Cut Redundancies

1. Action: Remove words or phrases that repeat ideas unnecessarily.
2. Example:
3. Before: “The experience was incredibly unique and unlike anything I had ever done before.”
4. After: “The experience was unique.”

4. Eliminate Filler Words

1. Common Offenders: very, really, that, just, quite, in order to, etc.
2. Example:
3. Before: “I really wanted to create something that could solve a problem.”
4. After: “I wanted to create something to solve a problem.”

5. Reevaluate Descriptions

1. Ask Yourself: Are the details essential, or can they be implied?
2. Example:
3. Before: “The sunny day, with its bright blue sky and soft white clouds, set the perfect backdrop for the event.”
4. After: “The sunny day set the perfect backdrop for the event.”

6. Shorten Transitions

1. Action: Use simpler or fewer transition words.
2. Example:
3. Before: “As a result of this experience, I realized…”
4. After: “This experience taught me…”

7. Focus on Active Voice

1. Goal: Replace passive constructions with active voice to save words.
2. Example:
3. Before: “The project was led by my team.”
4. After: “My team led the project.”

8. Cut Introductory Phrases

1. Action: Get to the point more quickly.
2. Example:
3. Before: “I think I have always been someone who values creativity.”
4. After: “I’ve always valued creativity.”

9. Ask for a Second Opinion

1. Action: Have someone else read your essay to highlight parts that feel overly detailed or unnecessary.

10. Final Refinement

1. Action: Do a "surgical edit" by reading each sentence and asking:
2. Does this add value to my essay?
3. Can I say this in fewer words?

Example Trim:

Before (80 words):

"Volunteering at the food bank opened my eyes to the struggles of food insecurity. I met families who shared their challenges, and I realized how important it is to address these issues. This experience shaped my desire to pursue a career in public policy to make meaningful changes and help those in need."

After (47 words):

"Volunteering at the food bank exposed me to the struggles of food insecurity. Meeting families inspired my pursuit of a public policy career to address these challenges and create meaningful change."

By focusing on clarity and cutting unnecessary detail, you’ll get your essay below the word count while keeping your message impactful and concise. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out . Take care and good luck!

1. Dr. Christal-Joy J. Turner

Answer 2

I advise my students to write freely in their first essay draft without worrying too much about the word count. This helps students to get all of the important information and details about their topic on the page. Then, in the revision process, we focus on trimming the essay down to meet the word count requirements. I love this step in the writing process because it's a wonderful way to teach my students how to write concisely and powerfully.

Here are three recommendations for cutting words while maintaining the most important elements of your essay:

1. Look for repetition. Within each paragraph of your essay, be sure that every sentence contributes a new idea. It's common for students to repeat a similar sentiment using slightly different wording in the first and last sentences of each paragraph. Read your paragraphs carefully and cut any sentences that repeat ideas that you've already established in your essay.
2. Get straight to the point of each sentence. Instead of, "I nodded my head in agreement," try, "I nodded." Instead of, "I felt satisfied in that moment because something I had worked so hard for finally paid off," try, "I was satisfied with the work." If extra words are unnecessary to the point and emotion of your sentence, they can be cut. Look out for tag-ons such as, "The fact that," "I feel like," and "Another reason for." These parts of sentences can almost always go.
3. Remember your focus. There's so much that students want to say, especially in their Common Application essays, that it's easy to veer away from the essay prompt. Come up with a thesis statement for your essay that answers the essay prompt and summarizes everything you want to write. Then, make sure that every sentence in your essay builds toward this thesis. Any bits that are unrelated to your main point can be cut.

If you need help revising your essay, don't hesitate to reach out! I'd be glad to help.