Check your word and character count
Paste your essay and instantly see if you meet application word and character limits.
Check your word and character count
River's Word & Character Counter shows you exactly how many words and characters your essay contains. Paste your text and instantly see counts with and without spaces, helping you verify you meet application requirements. Common App limits essays to 650 words. AMCAS limits most meaningful experiences to 4,000 characters including spaces. UC PIQs require exactly 350 words. This tool ensures you stay within limits before submitting, avoiding the frustration of essays that get cut off mid-sentence.
Unlike word processors that sometimes count differently than application systems, this counter follows the same rules applications use. You see total word count, character count with spaces, and character count without spaces. The tool helps you identify whether you need to cut content or have room to expand. No more wondering if you are at 649 words or 651, or whether that character limit includes spaces or not. Get accurate counts instantly.
This tool is perfect for all students applying to colleges, graduate schools, or scholarships with strict word or character limits. Use it throughout your writing process to track progress toward limits, and use it as a final check before submitting. It works for any length text from short supplements to long personal statements. Stay within limits and avoid having application systems cut your carefully crafted endings.
Why Word and Character Limits Matter
Application systems enforce word and character limits strictly. If you exceed the limit, the system cuts off your text wherever the limit falls. You might lose your conclusion, your final sentence, or the end of a crucial paragraph. Worse, readers see that you did not follow directions, suggesting carelessness or inability to write concisely. Staying within limits shows you can follow instructions and communicate effectively within constraints. These are skills colleges and graduate programs value.
Different applications use different counting methods. Some count words only. Others count characters with spaces. Still others count characters without spaces. Common App uses word count and allows up to 650 words for personal statements. AMCAS uses character count with spaces for medical school applications. UC PIQs require exactly 350 words each. Always check which metric your specific application uses. Staying safely below the limit by 5-10 units gives you buffer for counting variations.
Meeting word limits requires revision skills. If you exceed limits, cut ruthlessly. Remove redundant phrases, replace wordy expressions with concise alternatives, and eliminate sentences that do not directly support your main point. If you fall short, add specific details and examples rather than padding with filler words. Good writing respects constraints. Learning to write powerfully within limits is valuable practice for all future academic and professional communication. Constraints force clarity and precision.
What You Get
Accurate word count following application system rules
Character count with spaces (for AMCAS and similar applications)
Character count without spaces (for applications using this metric)
Instant results showing whether you meet common limits
Clear display of all count metrics in one place
How It Works
- 1Paste your textCopy your essay or text into the tool (any length)
- 2Get instant countsSee word count, characters with spaces, and characters without spaces immediately
- 3Check against limitsCompare your counts to your application requirements
- 4Adjust as neededCut or expand your text to meet limits perfectly
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this counter show different numbers than my word processor?
Word processors sometimes count hyphenated words or contractions differently than application systems. This tool uses counting rules that match most application platforms. If you see small differences between this tool and Microsoft Word or Google Docs, trust this counter because it follows application system logic. The differences are usually minimal, but using the same counting method as applications ensures you stay within limits.
Should I aim for exactly the word limit or stay under?
Aim for 5-10 words or characters below the maximum to give yourself buffer. Counting variations between systems can cause problems if you hit exactly the limit. For Common App's 650-word limit, aim for 640-645 words. For character limits, stay 10-20 characters under. This buffer ensures your text does not get cut off even if the application system counts slightly differently. You do not lose anything by being slightly under, but exceeding the limit can cost you your conclusion.
Do character counts include punctuation and spaces?
Depends on the application. Most medical school applications using AMCAS count characters with spaces, meaning every letter, number, punctuation mark, and space counts as one character. Some other applications count characters without spaces. Check your specific application requirements. This tool shows both metrics so you can verify either way. When in doubt, the with spaces count is more common for most applications.
What if my essay is over the limit?
Revise to cut unnecessary content. Look for redundant phrases, wordy expressions, and tangential sentences. Replace phrases like in order to with to. Cut adjectives that do not add meaning. Remove entire sentences that do not directly support your main point. Often, cutting forces you to write more precisely, actually improving your essay. Do not just delete your conclusion to meet the limit. Cut evenly throughout to maintain your essay's complete argument and structure.
Can I use this for supplements and short answer questions too?
Yes. This counter works for any text length. Many supplements have 100-250 word limits. Short answer questions might allow 50-150 words. Use this tool to verify you meet any word or character requirement for any application component. It is especially useful for applications with multiple short responses where you need to track limits separately for each question. Check each piece of writing individually to ensure all parts of your application respect limits.
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