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How to Write a 250 Word Essay
By
Maria Geiger
Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.
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Have you come across a 250 word essay in a scholarship or college application? These shorter essays can be tricky for students because of the limited word count. In this guide, you will learn how to write a successful 250 word essay with our step-by-step process:
- Outline your essay in bullet points
- Only answer the question being asked
- Don’t worry about the word count in your first draft
- Proofread
Let’s dive in so you can complete your 250 word essays!
Outline your essay in bullet points
An outline is a good move for writing most scholarship essays, but is an absolute necessity if you are writing a short 250 word essay. This will allow you to answer the essay prompt in the simplest, most concise way. My suggestion is to think about the essay in five bullets:
- Hook the reader with an engaging first line and introduce your response.
- Expand on point 1
- Expand on point 2
- Expand on point 3
- Conclude your essay with a meaningful last line
The resulting bullet points may not craft the perfect essays. As a result, you will probably need to smooth it out a bit and include some transitions. This is totally fine, but be careful how much you add onto the essay. Try to stick to your five bullet outline as much as possible.
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Only answer the question being asked
In essays, it can be tempting to meander. After all, the writing process is a creative one and once you get going, you may wind up in a completely different place. Discipline is the key to shorter essays and you will need to focus on only answering the question being asked.
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Don’t worry about the word count in your first draft
I know that this seems counterintuitive, but hear me out! For some students, it may actually be even better to write an essay without thinking about the 250 word count at all.
If you choose to go this route, you will have to spend some time cutting down on your word count. However, sometimes it does make sense to overwrite and then edit out the fluff that is not necessary.
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Proofread (and proofread again!)
Even though a 250 word essay is short, it is still an essay that requires an editing and proofreading process. Generally, writers are their own worst proofreaders. So once you finish your essay, ask someone else to read it to ensure another set of eyes glances over everything.
Don’t forget to check on the word count as you proofread and edit your essay! Good luck, writers!
Also see: Can you use the same essay for multiple colleges?
Key Takeaways
See Also: How to write an essay about yourself
Frequently asked questions about how to write a 250 word essay
How long is a 250 word essay?
Is 200 words a lot for an essay?
How long is an average college essay?
