Word Counter for College Application — Free
Word counter for college application essays — free, online, no upload, runs entirely in your browser. The Common Application caps the personal statement at 650 words; UC essays at 350 each; most supplemental essays at 250. This counter shows live word, character, paragraph, and reading-time counts so you stay inside every limit. Paste your draft, watch the counter update on every keystroke, and rewrite confidently knowing exactly where you stand. Nothing is sent to a server — your essay stays private on your device.
How to word counter for college application
- Paste or type your text into the editor above.
- Counts and stats update live as you type — no button to press.
- Copy the result or save your work to a file when you're done.
Common use cases
- Hitting word and character limits for academic, blog, and social posts
- Estimating reading time for newsletters and articles
- Cleaning up text pasted from Word, Notion, or Google Docs
- Counting characters for SEO meta titles and descriptions
- Tracking writing progress against daily or per-section goals
Frequently asked questions
What's the Common App essay word limit?
The personal statement is 650 words maximum and 250 minimum. The counter highlights when you cross either threshold.
Does the counter handle UC PIQ essays?
Yes — each UC PIQ has a 350-word limit. The counter works for any custom limit you need.
Is it private?
Yes. Your essay never leaves your browser. We don't log, store, or transmit anything.
Does it count words like Common App does?
Yes — it uses the same whitespace-based word definition. Hyphenated words count as one.