Quick question

Colleges & Universities University of Southern California
1

<p>On the common app, it states </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>However, there is a limit of 3500 characters, which allows me to write much more than a single paragraph.</p>

<p>I got a little carried away. Currently, my response that is supposed to be approximately one paragraph is comprised of four paragraphs (~2000 characters, ~300 words). From your experiences, is this harmful? I know there’s a stigma for not following direct instructions such as word/character limits, but in this case the two seem to contradict each other.</p>

<p>Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Write clearly, concisely, and don’t waste words. Make your writing efficient - you don’t need to use all 3500 characters. Write enough to tell your story, but then edit it and remove anything extraneous. Content only, no filler.</p>