Question: I realized after I submitted my Common App to almost all of my schools that I had accidentally put the number of hours I did PER DAY for an extracurricular instead of per week like I was supposed to. This made my hours go to 1/5 of what they are supposed to be. An example is that I put 8 hrs per week when it should have been 40 hrs per week. How can I go about correcting this, or should I not?
There seems to be a significant difference between the hours you actually served and the hours that you wrote on your application … a difference that might work against you (at least slightly) at decision time, if you don’t correct it.
So I suggest that you send a brief note (either by email or snail mail) to every college to which you’ve already applied. You might want to keep it light and “cute” … e.g., try something like this:
Although I’m acing calculus and English, it seems like I’ve forgotten how to multiply … or maybe I just can’t read! The number of community service hours I recorded on my application was the DAILY total when the application actually asked for the WEEKLY total. So the figures you received are just 20% of what they should be. Sorry for the confusion at a busy time of year for you.
This certainly isn’t a big deal, but it makes sense to provide the colleges with accurate information, given that you spend a lot of time doing community service, which won’t be apparent from your applications without the amendment.
(posted 1/10/2013)
That’s why you want to use your authentic voice when writing any college essay.
So what’s the problem? A student has shared an ess…
I recently visited Washington University in Saint Louis and was lucky enough to set up an interview. By speaking with peers of mi…
Note: Click here for 10 Summer Programs You Can Still Apply For or keep reading to learn more about academic index scores.
Podcasts can offer a wealth of information to busy students, particularly when it comes to the college admissions process. We…
Decision Day occurs each year on May 1st and is the deadline for students to inform the college of their choice of their intent t…
Ascent offers cosigned and non-cosigned student loans with exclusive benefits that set students up for success.
Explore Now!Want to find money for school that doesn’t need to be paid back? Access insights and advice on how to search and apply for scholarships!