[Eugenia Gabrielov]

500 words is not a lot. I'd say maybe 2 snack-sized paragraphs? Nothing too extreme.

I like to think of the essay as a way to highlight the immensely unique methods your team uses and its specific impacts, quotes, etc. However, the summary is more general information that the judges could probably get by asking any one preson on your team to summarize while in the pits or something. Simple, concise answers are the focus of this process.