I MADE A TYPO.

<p>Okay, when I tell you I proofread the living hell out of my supplement essay, I seriously did.
I looked over it once more, and then I submitted the app last week.
Well, paranoid me decides to read the essay today. I'm not sure why I did that.
but.
the sentence reads, "He was the lead singer of mediocre rock band."
It's supposed to say, "He was the lead singer of a mediocre rock band."
I may have actually had more than one typo. Hopefully not, but after I saw that one, I couldn't bring myself to continue reading the essay.
I don't even know if I'll ever be able to reuse the essay later on for a different school down the line because I'l have to edit it again, and I have this crippling fear of finding a second typo. One typo seems potentially forgivable, but two would seriously land my application in the reject pile despite all other accomplishments I've made in the past four years. All of it in the trash bin for one missing article. It sounds insane, but hey, the college application process is more competitive than ever. </p>

<p>So basically, am I going to get rejected?
I guess not even that. Is Harvard going to think I'm dumb/irresponsible for making such a stupid mistake even though I read the essay 100 times, and I should have slept on it one more night and proof read it once more the next day, but because I'm so dumb and irresponsible, maybe those characteristics bleed over into the rest of my academic work and I'll be dumb and irresponsible when I get to Harvard as well, and since their acceptance rate is so small, why even take a chance on a dumb and irresponsible student?</p>

<p>Keep in mind I'm a URM from Louisiana, and the content of the essay was actually pretty darn good. Additionally, I had ZERO typos in my common app essay, which was also very good, and brought two of my proof readers to tears.
Is this one typo going to be the bane of my existence?
Should I just roll over, give in, and start applying to my safeties?
I really didn't want to have to do that until after the holidays. </p>

<p>Better start working on my RD applications.
The dream is dead.
but I guess Harvard and I just weren't meant to be, and if I had to make a typo to find that out, then that's cool. </p>

<p>NYU... here I come.
Someone please convince me that they don't reject people for having a typo in their supplement essay.
If so, I would feel really stupid for contacting the admissions office about it. but I gotta do what I gotta do to give myself the best chance at admission, you know? </p>

<p>Please relax. I had to read your sentence 3 times to even see the mistake. You certainly may be rejected, but to fret over that is unwarranted. The readers will be looking for your story, your narrative, your voice. Not every jot and tittle. The app is a vehicle to convey information. It’s not a slippery road atop sheer cliffs. </p>

<p>^^ I agree. Don’t sweat it. If they want to accept you, missing an article isn’t going to change their minds. Incidentally, I’ve heard that the best way to finish proofreading an essay is to read it backwards - i.e. from the last word to the first. Idk if this works though because I’ve never tried it. :)</p>