How strictly should I follow the Fordham supplemental essay word limit?

Follow Fordham’s word limit closely. If the application system lets you paste something slightly over, that does not mean Fordham wants you to ignore the limit. In most cases, schools set limits because they want to see that you can answer clearly and make choices about what matters most.

A few words over usually will not ruin your application, but I would still trim it. Being within the limit looks more polished and respectful of the prompt. If you are noticeably over, that can come across as not following directions, which is an avoidable negative.

For a Fordham supplement, the best move is usually to keep the personality and cut repetition, setup, or explanation that the reader can already infer. Often the most memorable lines are the specific details, so keep those and shorten the transitions or general statements around them.

A good test is this: if a sentence sounds nice but does not directly answer the prompt or reveal something distinct about you, cut or compress it. You can also replace longer phrases with simpler ones and remove any point you make twice in different wording.

If you want a practical target, aim to be at or just under the stated limit, not above it.