Impact of Typos on Applications

A single minor typo like a missed capitalization in your college application essay typically won't impact your admission chances at schools like Boston University. Admissions officers review thousands of applications and understand that small errors occasionally occur. They're primarily focused on evaluating your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and the overall strength of your essays rather than scrutinizing every punctuation mark.

For minor typographical errors such as a lowercase "summer," you should not contact the admissions office. Sending an email about such a small mistake could actually draw unnecessary attention to the error and might make you appear overly anxious or lacking confidence. Admissions officers are looking for students who will contribute meaningfully to their campus community, not perfect proofreaders.

However, if you discover a significant error that could affect the evaluation of your application, such as a wrong grade, incorrect test score, or misleading information about your activities, you should absolutely contact the admissions office to correct it. In these cases, send a brief, professional email explaining the error and providing the correct information. The key is to distinguish between consequential mistakes that could affect your admission decision and minor typographical errors that won't influence the outcome.

Moving forward, focus your energy on other aspects of the college admissions process rather than dwelling on small typos. If you're still working on applications for other schools, consider having multiple people proofread your essays before submission and reading them aloud to catch potential errors. Remember that admissions officers are looking at your application holistically, and a single lowercase letter won't determine your future.