SoP mistake affecting waitlist status?

[caedar]

I recently checked my application to my top choice school, and I noticed that I made a grave mistake on my SoP: in my 'canned' part of the SoP (part of my SoP went to all schools, and then at the end I tacked on more specific to what I was interested in at that school), I forgot to change the name of the school from what it had been before, so in one part of the SoP it states the name of a different school, and in the tailored part it has the correct name. I'm currently on the waitlist, and I'm afraid that this may affect their decision. Should I email the admissions adviser and notify them that I am extremely interested in the school regardless of the mistake, and that the error shouldn't be taken as a sign of indifference, or has the damage already been done?

Edited March 29, 2010 by caedar

[ROM]

I'm sure this kind of thing happens pretty often...whether or not it's a "grave mistake" probably depends on the personalities of the admissions faculty more than it being a reflection of your true capabilities and potential.

If it were me I'd probably leave it alone. It'd be kind of petty of them to waitlist you if you were otherwise qualified just because you made a typo. Professors should know how stressful it is to apply to many grad programs at once. Additionally, it might not have been as glaring as you think. Pointing out might hurt your case.

What you might do is send an email to the right person expressing your enthusiasm for the program and ask something specific about the program (not "when am I going to find out about my spot on the waitlist/my admission"). Just make sure you get the school's name right this time. Wouldn't hurt to name it more than once (correctly), too. This way you prove you actually know where you were applying, that you want to be there, and if they really were that superficial, it might serve as an indirect way of making up for your mistake.

[sciencegal]

I made a similar mistake on my Berkeley application, I got the degree letters wrong (one of those ScM versus MS, PhD versus ScD things). I was sure I blew it. Nope, I got in!

I wouldn't mention the mistake. However,

I think an email to the program is usually a good idea for any waitlisted student, especially if you haven't had much contact with the department. If you will definitely attend if admitted, tell them that. If you are really excited at the possibility of being accepted, tell them that. If you've visited since you wrote your SoP mention how much you enjoyed it and what you learned. Questions you could ask include an email address for a current student to ask them about student life. Showing specific interest in the department and making an effort to email (without being annoying or rude) could help you get off the waitlist (especially if it unranked).

Edited March 29, 2010 by sciencegal