I just realized that I forgot one punctuation mark in an essay that I had submitted to a prestigious+selective university a few days ago (think 10%). My teachers say that they were able to learn a lot about me from reading it, so I hope that the content isn’t cliche or bad. However, I have SAT 1 scores & GPA in the lower 25% (2100,3.8), sub-700 SAT 2’s, and “generic” extracurriculars with no “official leadership positions” (most clubs are supervised by teachers, and the ones that aren’t already have their only 1-2 spots been filled in). The majority of my time actually went to volunteering, which seems generic from an outside perspective, but is actually one of my biggest passions that I hope to continue in college. I am also an unhooked, non-URM applicant.
Given my situation, did the missing punctuation mark crush my chances at the school? Also, can anyone suggest some “match” schools for me? Preferably with an above-average Econ or Business program that has some presence on the street (a.k.a. semi-target) and an undergrad population of 4k+.
No school is going to reject you over a missing punctuation mark. Remember, the people who are reading your application are human and will understand that typos happen. You’ll be fine.
It will not signify whatsoever. But the rest of the package doesn’t seem promising unless you are downplaying it. Move on to filling in the rest of your list since you have applied already and will be in limbo until acceptances. Focus on the other schools.
We need more information about what you are looking for in a college and what you can afford if we are going to offer constructive suggestions. To start with, where did you ED and what did you like about the place?
Sadly, based upon the OP’s posting history, this is a real post and a real reflection of his/her anxiety level and lack of perspective.
OP: please go and de-stress in some fashion-- your gonna blow a gasket. Treat yourself better. You’ve worked hard. Relax, enjoy yourself. You deserve it.
You’ve got very good grades and scores. I guarantee you most of the readers aren’t even going to notice the missing punctuation. I hope you wrote about your volunteer work somewhere on the application. Most students don’t actually have that much. I know that this is probably the most stressful thing you’ve ever done. But right now you just have to wait and hope for the best.
Adcoms read tons of applications a day. They won’t even see the missing punctuation mark.
However the rest of your application isn’t a standout, unless you forgot to mention you attend an inner city/deindustrialized rustbelt/rural school, come from a state that sends few students to that particular school (Nebraska, Hawai’i…), etc.
Possibilities:
Beside Ithaca, cited above, think Geneseo, Marist, Dickinson, Villanova. If you want NYC, Fordham, perhaps Baruch (apply to Macaulay). If you don’t need financial aid, UConn, Penn State, TCNJ, Pitt, UMaryland are all good possibilities.
From my high school with your stats, Marist and Ithaca are safeties. Bucknell is shy of 4000 but has an excellent business program. If your application can truly reflect serious hours of volunteering, and your passion for same, I think that your lack of leadership positions will not be an issue.
You will be fine. A college will not fault you for one punctuation mistake. Your credentials seem very good and it looks like you will have a lot of options come decision time. Just be confident in yourself and do not worry about what you can’t control. You will end up where you are suppose to and it will all work out in the end just stay positive and always perceiver. Best of Luck!
To console you, it seems that the Common App has a glitch, and when studetns put their essays inot the common app, it is randomly generating ?'s all over the place. This happened to my daughter and other people. Chill out a bit:-)
I laughed then felt bad because I realized you were serious. Don’t worry, calm down, take a deep breath, and acknowledge what a wonderful person you are. You’ve accomplished a bunch and are set to do more, but you can only do that if you don’t give yourself a stroke before you’ve had the chance.
In my Dartmouth Supplement, I had rephrased one sentence and only deleted part of it before substituting the alternate conclusion. It now reads with one extra word (“had”) that makes no sense whatsoever. I was worried for a few minutes then let it go. If an institution doesn’t understand mistakes like that, they don’t fit me (and Dartmouth does fit me, I hope).
