Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around how admission committees count the number of words in applicants' statements of purpose, particularly concerning the treatment of contractions, hyphenated words, and references. Participants express concerns about adhering to word limits and the potential consequences of exceeding them.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
- Exploratory
Main Points Raised
- One participant is concerned that word processors may count certain "words" differently than admission committees, specifically mentioning contractions and hyphenated terms.
- Another participant suggests that if the word count exceeds the limit by a small margin, it may still be accepted, but questions whether this is based on experience or just a guess.
- Some participants propose contacting the school directly to clarify their specific word counting policies, noting that different institutions may have varying methods.
- There is mention of the importance of including fieldwork or references in the statement, with uncertainty about whether these will be counted towards the word limit.
- One participant argues that admissions committees are generally not strict about word counts and are more interested in the content of the statement rather than the exact number of words.
- Another participant emphasizes that strict word limits, such as those for grant applications, are enforced differently and may involve specific online forms for counting.
- It is noted that references are typically not included in the word count unless specified otherwise.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a mix of opinions, with some believing that word counts are strictly enforced while others argue that admissions committees are more lenient. There is no consensus on how word counts are handled across different institutions.
Contextual Notes
Participants highlight the lack of uniformity in word counting practices among different schools and the potential for varying interpretations of what constitutes a word.
Who May Find This Useful
Individuals preparing statements of purpose for graduate school applications, particularly those concerned about word limits and formatting.