I applied early action to a few schools about two weeks ago, and I feel like my application sounds confusing and like I’m lying. For one, I put odd hours for my volunteer club work. I said that I was active for 34 weeks per year ( about the length of a school year) and that I volunteered one hour per week, but I also said that members of the club volunteer 15 hours per year. Any reader knows that the numbers don’t add up, but I didn’t know what to do. I put those numbers because I thought the application was asking for how long the club is active during the year. Also, in my essay, I stated that I earned 2 Bs during my junior year. I was confused when I wrote this. I earned 2 Bs during the first semester of my junior year, but I earned an A in one of those classes and a B in the other the next semester. I wasn’t sure if I should put 2 or 3, but my parents told me to put 2 and now I’m really worried. Should I contact the schools to fix my application? Am I worrying too much??
Yes, you can write and tell them you want to clarify a couple of things. It can’t hurt but might help.
As someone who reads scholarship applications, getting hours of ECs wrong is a common error, and inconsistencies do hurt the applicant. We don’t go back to request clarification.
You’re worrying too much. Adcoms read the entire file and try to put together a whole picture very fast. Lots of kids have something that’s officially some hours expectation, but they take on an additional task or role and their hours add up. Or they aren’t sure how to calculate. I don’t think this discrepancy is some major, fatal red flag.
15 vs 34-- t’s not that many hours, either way. Maybe this is some EC that only needs you for few hours annually, but it’s not like you wrote 340 hours for some minor engagement.
Same for the B explanation. They’ll look at the transcript and see reality. Different kids can count semester vs full year differently. It’s not a show stopper.
Even if they get confused, they’ll move on to the rest of your app.