Yeah, I’m really stupid for doing this. This is by far the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life times infinity. No need to say it… I guess I just need advice on what to do now.
On my common app essay, I wrote about how I went to go tour a certain school and how it impacted me and changed me. I wrote about what learned from that visit and the impact it had on me. The problem is, I mentioned that school by name. I literally wrote about my tour of another school and how seeing the college environment changed me. I think I mention that the name of that school six times because that’s just what the narrative was. At the time, I thought since the focus was on how it impacted me, it would be okay since that’s what colleges would look at, so I took the risk. Now, I realize how stupid it was of me and there’s not much I can really do.
Is there any hope for me… How badly does this affect me…? I feel like my additional information section maybe helps a bit, but… The essay is the main thing. It’s well written, I think… But I’m an idiot for writing about my visit of another school.
I’ve been accepted into two schools:
The school I wrote about and Penn State.
So Penn State didn’t mind that you wrote about the other school. That shows how some schools can care more about *how * you write than the names you mention.
Well, if the school you wrote about has been that meaningful to you, and you were already accepted there (as well as Penn State), then it seems to me you have a good outcome already in the bag and even the worst case (that all other Common App schools turn you down) won’t be the end of the world.
As you now realize, it would have been better to tell the story without naming the school (except perhaps when applying to that school!)… but hopefully it comes across that your story is more about the experience and what it taught you than about the specific school.
You can, of course, revise the essay for additional schools you haven’t submitted to yet. For the ones you’ve already applied to, all you can really do is hope for the best, and know that you already have two terrific options, including the school that made such a significant impression on you.
Are the two schools that you have been accepted to affordable for you and your family? Do they have good programs in the major(s) that you are considering?
“This is by far the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life times infinity.”
If this is true, then you are doing very well. Most of us have managed to do far worse. People goof up sometimes. Of course, I have had a lot more time than you to make mistakes. You might yet have a chance to catch up.
