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).
How long is a one page essay? Yeah, you know that your paper should be one page long but have no idea how many words it should actually have. Well, if you type and double-space your one page essay, it will have something like 250 words. If your paper is single spaced, you will have approximately 500 words. On our blog, you will also find useful information about other types of essays and 5 paragraph essays.