Can writing my name incorrectly in 10th grade jeopardize my whole future?!

Applying to College
1

<p>Okay this is a very weird and dumb story. Please bare with me because I may not attend uni because of it.</p>

<p>When I first registered for the SAT in tenth grade, I did not gave any form of "legal" ID since I was underage to get a national ID and I didn't have my own passport. I was put on my mom's passport.</p>

<p>I made the stupidest mistake ever.</p>

<p>I asked my dad what I should I write as my name he said "However you write your name is fine, I will copy paste that into your passport when you get one."</p>

<p>And So I did. </p>

<p>I remembered how my father said that our family name was that of a very respected figure in my country, and based on that I wrote my name as (My first name) (My family name)</p>

<p>Now, I am a senior. When I went to get my national ID, and made my passport, I realized that none of my father's legal documents bare our family name because over here, in the Middle East, the father's and grandfather's name are the most important.
So in turn, many people have documents that never mention their family names.</p>

<p>The problem is MY SAT SCORES ALL BARE MY FIRST NAME AND FAMILY NAME ONLY!</p>

<p>HOW CAN I POSSIBLY APPLY TO UNI WITH SCORES AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON BUT MY FIRST NAME?!!?!!?!!?</p>

<p>I thought it was all cool to change my name on the college board profile once I give in photo identifications of my "new" name, which isn't really new, just that I want to add my father's and grandfather's names.</p>

<p>But after submitting all the required documents, I found them sending me an email saying that </p>

<p>" While we have your identification documentation on file (passport and copy of your school id) we have noted that you have tested multiple times under the name Yamin Al Refai. Performing this update to your name is a security risk.</p>

<p>Therefore we are requesting additional information regarding how you were able to 5 times under a different last name. Were you using different identification to enter in to the test center? Did you have a name change performed by legal means? Whatever the case, we need you to submit the additional documentation to support why your last name is significantly different than what you are requesting we update it to.</p>

<p>Please supply this explanation as well as the additional documentation to support a last name change if that is what occurred."</p>

<p>I AM FREAKING OUT! WHAT SHOULD I DO!</p>

<p>I contacted them via phone and told them I do not have any official legal documentation baring my family name. The lady that answered me said that I should give in my former school ID with my Family name (the one I used to enter the test center with) along with a letter from my school backing up the name change</p>

<p>However, she said THAT SHE CANNOT GUARANTEE ME ANYTHING.</p>

<p>She said that all this will go her supervisor who will make the final decision.</p>

<p>No way I can repeat all those SAT's again and get the same good scores! Plus, I will be missing all my college deadlines anyway! </p>

<p>It would kill both me and my parents if all my three years of hard work go to waste like that!!!</p>

<p>Please tell me that there is hope!!</p>

<p>My mom has been crying her eyes out for 2 days, and I am just ruined.</p>

2

<p>I think you should be fine. Especially since the SAT requires pictures and signatures. Keep up with it.</p>

3

<p>I really do hope so…</p>

<p>But the lady didn’t seen encouraging at all.</p>

<p>Like it was a huge problem</p>

4

<p>It is a huge problem for her because there is a lot of paperwork at her end. She needs to be able to prove to anyone who might ask her in the future that you really are who you say you are and that there just was a name mix up. And, there are lots of name mix ups. So she is probably sick and tired of dealing with this kind of thing.</p>

<p>Be very cooperative. Turn in everything that you are asked for. Follow up. Stay patient. It will probably work out in the end, it will just take time.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

5

<p>Yeah I did that.</p>

<p>I went today and got a letter from my school, a student ID form, and my school director will email the letter from her email as well.</p>

<p>I provided them with a full explanation as well of all what happened.</p>

<p>This is so stressful.</p>

6

<p>I’m sure you will be fine as long as you follow up on it and email the schools you are applying to. Best of luck!</p>

7

<p>Thank you so much.</p>

<p>But in my home country that would be a huge prob if I don’t change the name to match the passport </p>

<p>My school director assured me that I won’t be able to attend uni in my country without matching passport and score report names so…</p>

<p>Let’s pray and hope!</p>

8

<p>Change the passport to match the name.</p>

9

<p>like it’s that easy?!</p>

<p>I would if it were. I asked. It’s really hard to change the passport especially that my father does not have the family name I put on his passport</p>

10

<p>Anyone else have any sort of advice?</p>

11

<p>I don’t think you should be worrying. Just explain in your college apps that your legal name/SAT name/other names may be different and give a short summary of your circumstances. If possible, though, I would try to change the name on the passport.</p>

12

<p>okay so I got a reply 5 days ago saying</p>

<p>"We have successfully updated your account to reflect the change that you requested regarding your name.</p>

<p>…</p>

<p>As for your previous registrations and scores, we are unable to go back and change your name on those score sheets as you have alsready tested under the last name: “Sparrow” and this would pose as a security risk. What you will need to do is contact your designated institutions as you have done us, and explain the name discrepancy regarding the score reports you have already sent. This will help the institution in pairing your scores to your file with the correct name. You could also provide these insitutions with the documentation/explanation you have supplied to us. Contact your admissions counselor at your designated institutions for further assistance with your record on the institutions end."</p>

<p>What’s that supposed to mean?!</p>

<p>However, I logged into my account and viewed my unofficial score reports and they had my changed name on them?!</p>

<p>What shall I do?!!</p>

13

<p>

It means they are suggesting you send all score reports under all names to the institutions to which you are applying (will will of course incur additional fees) and then contact the institutions to explain the situation so they can match your scores to your application.

I suggest you send all score reports under all names to the institutions to which you are applying (will will of course incur additional fees) and then contact the institutions to explain the situation so they can match your scores to your application.</p>

<p>If the names have been changed on all the scores, then of course you will only have to send one score report. If, when you attempt to send, only some of the scores appear as being sent then you will continue by logging in to each of your accounts and sending the respective scores.</p>

<p>It seems a straightforward process.</p>

14

<p>You are fine now. It just will require you to be VERY organized and VERY diligent in your communications to every college to which you apply. You need to make sure you write a very clear letter to each school listing the name(s) under which your SAT scores were taken, and the name(s) under which your actual college application is taken. Your date of birth will match.</p>

<p>I would also recommend that you fax a copy of this letter to each school, and then email the same letter to the admissions officer who is in charge of your geographic area.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

15

<p>I wish I were :(</p>

<p>but the thing is but it doesn’t work like that in my country!!!</p>

<p>For my reports to be accepted by my country’s universities, they should be stamped by the Amid East and the my country’s ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both of which will not accept them without my full name them. Especially recently after the turbulent political situation in my country.</p>

<p>I just want to make sure that any further report that I will order will bare that changed name, although I have been told by people who changed their names that any official report will, indeed bare, the account’s name.</p>

<p>I dunno though…</p>

16

<p>If you have your former school ID along with a letter to prove that i’m sure you’ll be fine.</p>