College essays and word limits
The limits that admissions actually enforce, and the tools to hit them exactly.
Every application has a hard limit and most students find out the real number late. The Common App main essay is 650 words, UCAS gives you 4,000 characters split across three questions in 2026, and the UC personal insight questions are 350 words each. Going over is not allowed; going far under reads as not caring.
Paste your draft into the essay checker to see it against the exact limit, or use the word counter as you write. If a teacher asks for pages instead of words, the words-to-pages calculator converts by font, size and spacing.
Tools
Essay Length Checker
Check your college essay length against the real limit: Common App 650 words, UCAS 4,000 characters, UC PIQ 350 words, or your own.
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Word Counter
Count words and characters as you type, plus sentences, paragraphs and reading time. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
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Character Counter
Count characters with and without spaces, see how many you have left for X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google titles or an SMS, and fix the case in one click.
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Words to Pages Calculator
How many pages is 1,000 words? Pick your font, size and spacing and convert words to pages or pages to words.
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Paraphrasing Tool
Reword an essay, email or paragraph in your own words. Formal, simple, concise or academic, with the meaning kept intact.
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Text Summarizer
Summarize an article, chapter, paper or job description into key points. Bullets, a short paragraph or a one-line TL;DR.
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UCAS Personal Statement Limits 2026 - All 3 Questions Explained
From 2026 entry UCAS replaced the single personal statement with three required questions sharing one 4,000-character budget and a 350-character floor on each. Here is how to split the allowance, what the form will not warn you about, and how the limits compare abroad.
7 min read
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Common App Essay Word Limit 2026-27 Explained
The Common App personal essay still runs 250 to 650 words for 2026-27, but the Additional Information box is capped separately at 300. Here is what the platform counts as a word, a worked budget across a three-part essay, and how the same draft maps onto the UC questions.
6 min read
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How Many Pages Is 1,000 Words? (Reference Table)
A 1,000-word document runs about two pages single-spaced and four double-spaced — but your font moves that by more than half a page. Full reference table from 250 to 10,000 words, both directions, plus reading and speaking time.
6 min read
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How Many Words Is a 5-Minute Speech?
About 700 words, if you speak at a normal pace and do not stop. The useful version of the answer accounts for pauses, slides and laughter, which is why a 700-word script routinely runs seven minutes on the day.
5 min read
Common questions
How many words is the Common App essay?
650 words maximum and 250 minimum. The form counts words the same way most word counters do. Aim for 500 to 650; there is no bonus for hitting the cap exactly.
What is the UCAS personal statement limit in 2026?
4,000 characters including spaces, now split across three structured questions. Line breaks count. The essay checker on this site counts characters the way UCAS does.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About two pages single-spaced or four double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman or Arial. Fonts, margins and spacing move it, which is why the calculator lets you pick them.
Do headings and titles count toward the word limit?
For the Common App and UC PIQs, everything you type in the box counts. For a class essay, follow the instructor; when in doubt, assume the title does not count and the body does.