Caught a Mistake in Your Application? Here’s What You Should Do

In the legal world, precision and accuracy are critical. A small error could have profound implications and significant legal consequences.

Given this reality, law school admissions officers are typically unforgiving when it comes to mistakes in applications. Still, mistakes happen—and how you respond to mistakes in your application can make a difference in your admissions chances.

Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach and contributor at US News, recently offered a few tips on how to handle a law school application mistake and what you should do when you catch one.

ASSESS THE SIGNFICANCE OF THE MISTAKE

While admissions officers prefer applicants who can demonstrate strong attention to detail, they typically give applicants the benefit of the doubt when it comes to small, insignificant mistakes.

“They understand that everyone makes mistakes, and they have made abundantly clear that an occasional typo will not affect an applicant’s chances,” Kuris says. “Furthermore, applications are generally read quickly, with less than full attention. An extra letter or repeated word or slight grammatical mistake is likely to go unnoticed.”

More major mistakes, such as duplicating essays across multiple schools, are a bigger cause for concern.

“Many applicants fail to follow directions laid out for their essays and personal statements,” according to Juris Education. “Ensure you stick to the word counts provided and answer the questions being asked. Don’t copy and paste the same answers on multiple applications. Craft essays and personal statements specifically tailored for each school.”

HOW TO ADDRESS A MISTAKE

If you do notice a mistake in your application, it may be worthwhile contacting the law school to address it. Kuris recommends calling rather than sending an email.

“Time is of the essence, since law schools are only likely to let you substitute a document with a new version if your application has not yet been reviewed,” Kuris says. “While it may be tempting to email the school rather than suffer the shame of admitting your error, you’re actually more likely to resolve the situation through a phone call.”

Kuris alsos stresses the importance of limiting your contact to one phone call. Sending multiple follow ups can often do more harm than good.

“At some point, you may need to accept that there’s nothing more you can do but await your results,” Kuris says. “And if you end up rejected, don’t take it personally. If the mistake threw off your whole cycle, it may be worth it to reapply.”

Sources: US News, Juris Education