What what happens if you have already submitted your application, but then you discover an error? Can you make changes to a college application after submission?
The short answer is yes. So don’t panic!
Some instances in which you might want to make changes to a college application:
- Your mom decided to read your essay “one more time” and found an error. Send admissions offices an updated version of your essay and ask them to replace it with the copy submitted with your application.
- Your history grade improved from the C reported on your first quarter grades to a respectable B because you aced your last exam. Kindly ask your history teacher to write a few comments about your improved grade and sign it. Scan the letter and email it to all of the schools you have applied to and put a hard copy in the mail.
- The mayor of your city has just recognized a non-profit organization that you helped create. Cut the article out of the newspaper and mail it into the schools you applied to, along with a letter. If you can provide a link to the article, send an email in as well.
How to make changes to a college application
In most cases, you cannot actually change the application. Once it is sent, you cannot alter it. You probably even made a declaration when submitting saying something to the effect that “I understand that once I submit my application, it cannot be changed.”
So the only way to make the change is to contact the admissions office. You will need to write an email.
Who shall I contact to make changes on a college application?
Preferably, you’ll write to the admissions officer who is going to read your application. Most admissions offices read by geographic reason, and most admissions website will have a tool for you to look up the admissions officer who is responsible for your state and your high school. So take the time to look up who this person is. You may even find a bio on the website that tells you a bit about that person.
Once you have found that person, compose an email. It doesn’t need to be long or involved. It just needs to state the facts and request an alteration.
So if you need to resubmit your essay because it was all messed up, attach a PDF copy of it.
If it was something you inadvertently left blank but wanted to answer, give the answer in the same format in which the original question was answered. For example, if you left out an activity, provide the activity in the email in the same format that is required on the application. On the Common App, there are specific character limits for each of the blanks, and required information about when you participated in this activity. Follow that same pattern exactly.
If you answered a question wrong (i.e., you wrote your test scores incorrectly, or you clicked the wrong box for citizenship), just explain the error concisely and provide the new, corrected response.
Do NOT spend a lot of time apologizing. Do express regret, but do so without a lot of wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. Just apologize, and then express gratitude to the recipient of your email for taking the time to make the correction.
Accidents happen. Things go wrong. People make mistakes. Generally, admissions officers are understanding of these little goofs, and are happy to make the changes in your file.
In fact, it’s better to recognize the mistake early and make the correction than to let the admissions officer read the incorrect information and make a judgment on your application before you have a chance to communicate the error.
So if you find a mistake, correct it! It is possible to make changes to a college application even after it is submitted.
Remember that it is important to provide colleges with all of the information they need to make an informed decision about your application. Just because application deadlines have passed, does not mean that you can not submit additional information.
Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant
