Typos-every applicant's worst nightmare

[intlrlns]

I've just submitted my applications to WWS, HKS and SIPA. Looked back at my SOPs and found a typo in all the applications!! I missed deleting 'the' in one of my sentences and never noticed it when proofreading! Neither did the others who looked at my essays..I'm hoping that this mistake will go unnoticed but I've already given up on my chances at these places  

Any words of wisdom on terrible this looks in an application? Definitely going to be careful for the rest but my mind is a little uneasy now....

[ridofme]

I'm just going to give you a little emotional support here, seeing as you appear to have created a gradcafe account just to get some feedback on this typo! I totally get that anxiety levels are high as the wait drags on. I certainly have been doing some crazy obsessing. But I think your concerns that you won't get in anywhere are unfounded. We avoid typos to demonstrate that we are conscientious and diligent, and have a firm grasp on the technical aspects of the English language. I don't think accidentally deleting the word 'the' suggests that you lack these qualities. It shows that you are human, and that one tiny error slipped by in the editing process. I'm going to wager that even the greatest world leaders of our time have, on occasion, deleted or added a word in something they've written. If any school based its admissions decision on such a small, obviously inadvertent error, that would be shameful. 

 

Long story short: you'll be fine.  

[waltlaa9]

I second ridofme's response. Also, as an anecdote, when I applied to my first professional position I realized after submitting my application that I had the wrong date on my cover letter -- a completely random month and the previous year -- because I had edited and revised an old cover letter saved on my computer. I agonized over that mistake, but then still got the job due to the substance and quality of my overall application. 

[alf10087]

I'm just wondering how did you "just submit" your application to HKS when the deadline was like November 30th.

[MPPgal]

Don´t worry especially if you are an international, on my first personal statement (SPEA at IU) I had a typo and I already got accepted so you should be fine!

[HumbleBee]

Believe when I say the admissions people can see beyond one typo...

 

Given how neurotic you are about this, you sound perfect for all the school's you've applied to.

[intlrlns]

I am a little neurotic, unfortunately. I guess it comes from really wanting to get in....I've been careful about proof reading since then and because I did my undergrad+job in the US there are no excuses to count as international Thanks for your all your thoughts and comments. I discovered this forum a bit too late...
 

I'm just wondering how did you "just submit" your application to HKS when the deadline was like November 30th.

I actually noticed the typo when sending out my SIPA application (due later) which used some material from the other SOPs... 

[alf10087]

Exactly the same happened to me. I noticed I was using a wrong word like in the 6th application. Fortunately, the word was used only on the statements of two of the previous ones.

 

So basically in my 6 applications, 2 of them have a typo. I was very angry, as I spent like exactly one week proofreading every statement and application in order for everything to be perfect.

[pete-mc]

Applying: Princeton WWS, Duke Sanford, JHU SAIS, Tufts Fletcher, Georgetown MSFS, GWU Elliot

 

May I ask why you didn't apply to HKS? (waltlaa9)

[pete-mc]

Exactly the same happened to me. I noticed I was using a wrong word like in the 6th application. Fortunately, the word was used only on the statements of two of the previous ones.

 

So basically in my 6 applications, 2 of them have a typo. I was very angry, as I spent like exactly one week proofreading every statement and application in order for everything to be perfect.

 

Alf, congrats on getting in at GPPI. Which other schools are you waiting for now? I know you also applied to HKS like me.

[alf10087]

Thank you John. I am still waiting from LBJ, Wagner, SIPA, HKS and Goldman.

 

In Wagner I was one of the 7 semi-finalists for a fellowship, and I did not advance to the next phase (only 3 were chosen). However, they informed that the total pool of applicants for that fellowship was of over 250 applicants, so that probably means I am a competitive candidate. Therefore, my confidence of at least getting an admit there is strong.

 

Interestingly, I always felt that my applications to GPPI and Wagner were the weakest. I hope that's a good omen.

 

How about you?

[Giddens]

I'm not from your discipline and have only heard back from 2 schools, but they were both fully funded acceptances and I had typos (small ones..one was actually an extra the) on both applications. I'm sure if everything else is strong, you'll be fine with a minor error. 

[pete-mc]

Thank you John. I am still waiting from LBJ, Wagner, SIPA, HKS and Goldman.

 

In Wagner I was one of the 7 semi-finalists for a fellowship, and I did not advance to the next phase (only 3 were chosen). However, they informed that the total pool of applicants for that fellowship was of over 250 applicants, so that probably means I am a competitive candidate. Therefore, my confidence of at least getting an admit there is strong.

 

Interestingly, I always felt that my applications to GPPI and Wagner were the weakest. I hope that's a good omen.

 

How about you?

 

For your info, I saw someone who got in at Wagner (deadhead47). Maybe you can follow up with him:

 

I'm also still waiting to hear from HKS. I withdrew my other applications as I realized HKS is the only school I want to attend (I'm mid-career, so it's a bit different as I'm already more settled).

[whats_the_point]

I'm a little late to this discussion, but I have some experience with this. I applied for an MPA program this year (I already have an MSc from the LSE) and when I was looking through my old SOPs, I noticed that I had misspelled a word on the SOP I sent to the LSE. So as others have pointed out, a typo in it of itself probably won't affect the outcome of the application, if the rest of the application is strong, you're probably okay.