Essay Character Counter
Paste your text for live character counts (with and without spaces), plus words, sentences, and paragraphs.
- Words
- 0
- Characters (no spaces)
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Reading time
- —
250 and 500 words are typical scholarship prompts; 650 is the Common App limit.
Making tight character limits count
Character limits are stingier than word limits: a 150-character activity description is barely twenty words. Lead with the verb ("Led 12-person robotics team to state finals"), drop articles where you can, and spend your characters on numbers and outcomes rather than adjectives.
Tracking a word limit instead? Use the word counter
Common questions
Do character limits include spaces?
Usually yes. Most application portals count every keystroke, spaces and punctuation included. This tool shows both counts so you're covered either way.
How many characters is 500 words?
Roughly 2,500-3,000 characters including spaces, since English words average about five letters plus a space. A 650-word Common App essay lands around 3,500-4,000 characters.
Where do character limits show up?
Activity descriptions (the Common App allows 150 characters per activity), short-answer fields, scholarship application forms, and personal statements on portals like UCAS (4,000 characters). Tight character limits reward specific nouns and verbs over adjectives.