Haha, just wanted to beat the other kids like me submitting questions like grammatical error on College App etc etc.
I applied to Cornell, NYU, and NorthWestern with these mistakes.
I have 3 grammatical errors in total. One where I put in a word that doesn’t make sense and one where I omit one.
Here they are: The term “Big Loss” can taken in the literal sense in that I use this term to describe the loss that occurred to my parents and everything that ensued (Error occurs after end of Big Loss)
My parent’s inability to secure jobs due, the reliance on my sister at her prime age of 24 to support the family, blah blah, the rest of this sentence is grammatically correct. (Please note before the first comma the word “due” doesn’t really fit)
The third one was miniscule so not worried.
I also repeated a word in one of the supplements.
So, I’m usually a meticulous person but due to the predicament I am in, I am not able to work on College Apps until well 12am-4am. I had written this essay way before but had a “great” idea and changed a few things. I swear I proofread it 2x but I guess I glazed over those. I feel dumb. Did I basically ruin my chances?
Also pls no references to clamfart :’(, my mistakes aren’t funny or cool like clamfart was.
P.S Belligerent comments calling me dumb will be ignored, I know this was a mistake otherwise I wouldn’t feel bad…
That ship has sailed. For important factual errors it’s worth it to call/email admissions and correct–once only.
For grammatical errors: One small one would likely be forgiven; three or four looks kinda sloppy.
But you don’t want to submit corrections for those, as you don’t want to call attention to the fact that you proofread your college admissions essay only twice before sending it off.
Live and learn kiddo.
Good luck.
I actually proofread it several times but when I made those changes in one sitting I proofread it 2x in one sitting. Do you think I ruined my chances?
There’s no way to know for sure. I suspect the top 10 schools judge harshly among perfect candidates. Otherwise, no idea who would overlook it and who wouldn’t.
It sure doesn’t help. OTOH Everyone on Earth makes mistakes.
There’s no use agonizing about it now. Go for a walk. Or go to the movies. I just saw Molly’s Game–you might like it; it’s about a perfectionist who falls off the rails.
Not you!
Yea I guess. OTOH, I’m hearing tons of stories of errors with acceptance into great colleges so positive outlook. Thanks.
PS I have done the same thing when making last minute changes based on an overworked mind’s late “inspiration.”
My general advice to everyone, including myself, is: The more important the writing, the less you should change it at the last minute.
I also believe, as an almost religious conviction, that you should begin writing anything important well before the deadline. I mean, well before–at the first opportunity you have a break and can think and outline in a relaxed state.
If that’s months in advance, so much the better.
I also made a grammar mistake on a supplement for NW. I forgot to use the word “to”. It’s unfortunate but I don’t think there is anything we can do at this point. 
The sorts of “grammatical errors” that you describe are not ones that would concern me.
In an otherwise well-written essay, as yours would seem to be (judging by the small sample you provide), an occasional word omission/duplication and/or a mechanical error resulting from a cut-and-paste having gone awry are not nearly as egregious as errors in usage.
If you were to have used “affect” and “effect” incorrectly, or had you not known the difference between “their/their/there” or “your/you’re,” that would be another matter altogether. Likewise, had you begun a sentence “Me and her started a club…” or “My friends and me like to play video games…” I would be the first to be waving a red flag, but the errors that you describe in what appears to otherwise be sophisticated writing are far less concerning.
Remember, people reading your essays are skimming over them quickly; oftentimes the brain will fill in gaps when there are word omissions (I had to read the “Big Loss” sentence a couple of times before I noticed the error, and had you not pointed it out in the first place, it most assuredly would not have registered.) The types of errors you are fretting about are not a big deal in the least.
Take a deep breath, stop beating yourself up, and don’t think about it again.
Ok, will do! Thank you so much for the detailed answer!
…But…use it as a reminder going forward: Slow down and take the time to thoroughly proof read. Sometimes reading s it backwards helps shine a light on the text as it eliminates the brain filling in the gaps (which truly does happen).
take the time to thoroughly proof read i think it is a great advice