You have hit send and submitted all of the necessary documents for your regular decision applications.  You decide to read your essay one more time (just to torture yourself) and you discover it, an error!!  What do you do?  Is it too late to send in a corrected copy?  The answer is….it depends.  Whether you find an error on your application or you decide to take the January SAT or February ACT one more time, the chance your updated information will make it to your file before a decision is made varies from school to school.
If you do need to submit updated information, the best thing to do is to send it directly to the person who is responsible for your application.  Contact the admissions office and ask which counselor covers your high school.  Email that person the new draft of your essay or your updated standardized test scores as soon as you receive them.  You should also not be shy about sending in updated grade information on courses or any new honor you received after you sent in your application.  You can also send the updated information to a general admissions email and put a hard copy in the mail, just to make sure it is received.
The tricky part about submitting new additions to your application is that there is no guarantee the admissions staff will see it before a decision is made on your file.  Also, some schools may not accept new standardized tests scores if the test was taken after the application deadline.  However, some schools will make every effort to be sure the information is reviewed.  When I reviewed applications, our school had a great system in place to make sure updated information was received by the counselors and in some cases, the new information (especially updated test scores) made all the difference.  So, don’t be shy!  It does not hurt to try!
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant