You’ve clicked submit on your Common Application, and look over it with pride, pleased with all of the work you have done. As your eyes skim over your application, they suddenly widen. You’ve made a mistake!
While we know you checked (and rechecked) your Common App before submitting mistakes can and do happen. In this article, we’ll explore the steps you can and should take to rectify any mistakes you made with your application. Let’s get started!
Step One: Don’t Panic
This is cliched advice, but it’s given often for a reason. Take a moment, breathe, and relax. A single mistake won’t cost your future, and won’t cause a college to reject you out of hand. While you should avoid making mistakes where possible, nobody’s perfect; that’s why accidents happen.
Begin by assessing how bad the mistake actually was, and whether action is really needed on your part. There are a few possibilities:
- A minor typo. Maybe you misspelled the name of a club you were part of or an award you won. This is fine, and you don’t need to do any major stressing; a typo of this sort will not impact your application.
- A major typo. You misspelled something important, like your name or address. This will require a correction.
- A non-typo error. Maybe you entered a grade wrong for a course, a wrong score for an exam, or made some other error which will impact your application as a whole. These may need to be corrected.
Once you have assessed the magnitude of the error, you can choose the correct course of action to proceed.
Step Two: Fix it in the App
You should always fix the mistake in the application itself as soon as you notice it. This will prevent it from being a problem for future applications you submit. It will also let you consider what corrections may be necessary for the mistake in question if it isn’t a simple typo or misclick.
If a college has not yet downloaded your application, then fixing it in the app itself may resolve the error before admissions officers receive it. Generally, colleges download applications immediately after submission, but there is occasionally a delay. In these instances, you may be able to correct the error in the app itself.
Step Three: Submit a Correction
If the mistake is something that really does need to be fixed, then you can submit a correction directly to the college in question. Begin by reaching out to the admissions office directly, calling them to see what their policies are for corrections to your application. Each college has their own policies, and there are nuances to how they accept corrections.
Generally, after applying, colleges give you access to a student portal where you can see the status of your application, or submit corrections if need be. In most cases you will be able to submit your correction here. You should do this in as simple and straightforward a way as possible.
Write a brief statement explaining what the error is, and what should be there instead. This can generally be only a sentence or two.Admissions officers already have a lot to read when reviewing applications, and you don’t want to add to this unduly.
Once this is submitted, congrats, you have fixed the error.
How to Prevent Errors on your Common App
The ideal, of course, is to submit an application completely free from errors. WHile there are ways to correct an application, you don’t need the added stress that comes from doing so. Mistakes do happen; you’re only human after all, but there are some concrete steps you can take to avoid errors. Here are our top tips:
Fill out the Application Early
The Common App opens each year on August 1, though applications are not due until much later, you can begin filling out the application as soon as it’s open. This ensures you won’t be rushing to meet the deadline, which is one of the most common sources of errors. Further, it will give you extra time to go back and proofread what you have filled out before, to make sure all of the information is correct.
Note that the Common App resets each year on August 1, so you can’t begin filling it out before that point.
Proofread Your Application
You should not do this immediately after filling it out, but instead after a week or so. Taking time in between will let you approach it with fresh eyes, and allow you to catch mistakes you otherwise would have missed. This is another reason to complete your application early, so that you have time enough to go back and review it.
Have Someone Else Proofread it
It can be difficult to spot your own errors at times, which is why getting some outside help can be a great thing. Having a parent, tutor, or even a friend review your application can show you errors you may have missed. If working with a friend, you can both review each other’s applications.
We review all our student’s applications for this reason.
Final Thoughts
To err is human, and mistakes can and do happen when completing your college applications. While you may need to correct them, just making a mistake is not the end of the world, and admissions officers understand and are willing to hear your correction. While it’s best to avoid these if you can, we know how tricky college applications can be.
If you’re looking for help with your own application, then Ivy Scholars can help. Schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help you navigate the ins and outs of the college admissions process. We’ve assisted thousands of students get into the schools of their dreams, and are always happy to hear from you.
