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HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:23 pm
by JennBNYC
So, after using the same resume for 5 schools, I realized I made an error. For one of my extracurricular activities I put "Fall 2004 - Spring 2004." It SHOULD have been "Fall 2004 - Spring 2005."

I guess it's better than misleading them by indicating I participated longer than I did, but what I put doesn't make sense chronologically...and it's incorrect.

Do I email admissions to let them know about my error?
Do I let it go and hope they don't notice? (However, those school specifically asked for the details of participation, so they'll be more likely to notice :-/)
Do I let it go, hoping NOT to draw attention to it?

Of course I notice this AFTER doing 5 of them...sigh.

Insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:27 pm
by ARTfulDodger
I would email them and inform them of the error.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:33 pm
by 2014
I think they will figure it out. I'm pretty sure that they will care about what you did and whether you did it for longer than a couple of weeks. Your correction is not needed to prove that.

Also they might not even notice the error, in which case you pointing it out might make yourself look worse since typos are not a good thing to adcomms.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:39 pm
by JennBNYC
See, this is what's stressing me out, lol. We have one vote for "contact" and one for "don't" ...sigh.

I'm so torn....

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:42 pm
by ARTfulDodger
Okay...how about this...contact them and send a corrected resume. Apologize for the mistake and leave it at that.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:48 pm
by Hattori Hanzo
Email them the revised copy and explain the mistake. Most often the person who gets the email is in admin and the file will be updated with the correct version before the ad. comm. gets to read it.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:49 pm
by jarofsoup
If you can send them an "updated" resume that includes the correction that would be good.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:01 pm
by JennBNYC
Thanks so much for the input!

One last question (I hope!):
Who do I address this letter to? I found admissions email addresses for the schools I botched, but do I say "Dear Admissions Committee Member:"? "Dear Admissions Representative:"?

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:02 pm
by MrAnon
Do absolutely nothing. It is doubtful they do anything more than take a quick glance at the resume. They may barely look at it. If your LSAT and GPA are on the money, and you qualify for student loans, then you are admitted, plain and simple. If they are not then you are out. You could submit a resume featuring 3rd grade level writing in crayon with a 3.6 from Jerry's College of Air Conditioner Repairmen and a 178 LSAT and you know what? You could get into virtually any T1 school except for a couple ivies.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:05 pm
by JennBNYC
MrAnon wrote:Do absolutely nothing. It is doubtful they do anything more than take a quick glance at the resume. They may barely look at it. If your LSAT and GPA are on the money, and you qualify for student loans, then you are admitted, plain and simple. If they are not then you are out. You could submit a resume featuring 3rd grade level writing in crayon with a 3.6 from Jerry's College of Air Conditioner Repairmen and a 178 LSAT and you know what? You could get into virtually any T1 school except for a couple ivies.
That's part of the problem. Some of these schools are reaches and I obviously wanted an absolute polished resume, however, that is not the case. I get your point though.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:26 pm
by Hattori Hanzo
I was in the same situation last year and I used the generic "to whom it may concern". FYI I got very nice replies and my file was updated within 4-5 hrs @ all the schools I sent the update to.

Re: HELP: Error on Resume - worth emailing schools about?

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:31 pm
by JennBNYC
Hattori Hanzo wrote:I was in the same situation last year and I used the generic "to whom it may concern". FYI I got very nice replies and my file was updated within 4-5 hrs @ all the schools I sent the update to.
That's good to hear. Thanks!