Why do college admissions nitpick typos/grammatical mistakes...

Colleges & Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>... when they make them on their own applications? This is a part of the Common App Duke Supplement. (I haven't changed it at all- it's a direct copy and paste):
**
The following questions are optional - and yes, they truly are optional! If you choose not to answer them, you chance of admission will not be affected. **</p>

<hr>

<p>can you catch the mistake?</p>

2

<p>your chance, instead of you chance?</p>

3

<p>That was it. </p>

<p>I think every student who’s worried they won’t get in because they made a mistake on their application should e-mail the admissions office about this and flood their inboxes</p>

4

<p>How do you know that they nitpick or to degree they nitpick such mistakes? I’ve personally never heard any admissions officers comment on that. </p>

<p>I would think that most admissions officers would understand the occasional typo or grammatical mistake because applicants are only human after all. But consistently misspelling words or making egregious errors in grammar would show a lack of attention to details and a lack of professionalism and pride in one’s own work. That can reflect badly on an applicant. </p>

<p>Often when admissions officers advise against make certain kinds of errors it’s not because they are the grammar nazi or your 8th grade english teacher’s second cousin, it’s because those kinds of errors can give the wrong impression about an applicant to the reader. And when they have to read through 20K applications from people they usually haven’t met, impressions are everything.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>I’d be willing to bet that Duke wasn’t at fault for that grammatical error, but rather common app…Somehow the transmission got messed up. At least, Duke has the question correctly worded on its own website: [Duke</a> University Admissions: How to Apply](<a href=“http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/apply-essay.html]Duke”>http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/apply-essay.html)</p>

<p>But I could be wrong…</p>

6

<p>I bet you’re right… guess that ruins the plan for all those nervous kids out there :(</p>