As Shakespeare so wisely pointed out, being concise is critical for good writing. I've edited a lot of personal statements over the last few months, and I deliberately recommend a word count of 800 or fewer for a couple of reasons:
First, I've found that 750 to 800 words is just the right balance of content and streamlining: Over that number lends itself to a meandering admissions essay. Second, your reader is likely reviewing scores of applications. S/he is looking to limit time, while still getting a good flavor for your candidacy. Don't burden your reader with verbiage.
Having trouble being brief? Here is some guidance:
1) Avoid flowery language. You can omit many non contributing phrases or sentences if you follow this guideline.
2) Read through your writing aloud. Oftentimes doing so will make clear what can be cut.
3) Imagine AMCAS, AACOMAS, or ERAS are charging you $10 per word. How would you keep costs down?
4) Avoid constructions like "I was able to..." and "I chose to..." Instead of "I was able to publish...," try "I published..."
5) Cut out unnecessary prepositions: "As a volunteer at the university..." can change to "As a university volunteer...."
6) Use abbreviations to your advantage, but only after you define them the first time they are introduced: "At the University of Southern California (USC), I wrote..." Then, you can use "USC" to your heart's desire, avoiding unnecessary characters.
