Well, most active and passive basses when you don't use EQ are very similar. After all, the front end of your head is basically an active preamp! An active bass merely moves part of that EQ circuit into the bass where it more convenient to adjust while you are playing.
In the Common Application, it says that the Personal Essay should be at least 250 words, and attached on a separate sheet (presumably, if you're submitting it online, you attach a one-page file).
A common guideline is that students have 10% leeway to go long: if your essay is to be 2500 words, you are fairly safe going over the count by 250 words, so long as your writing is compact and your argument is good. Itâs smart to check with your marker before you rely on this rule, though.