Personal Statement - track changes 3 comments left in doc Forum

[jtr2121]

I just submitted my personal statement to 16 law schools, under assumption that the pdf preview on LSAC reflected what your actual application will look like to admissions (per what LSAC states on its website regarding the purpose of the pdf preview). However, after reading an article by the Dean of Admissions of UChicago, it seems that admissions sees a different application than the one in the pdf preview, and can see "track changes" in Microsoft Word if left on. I left on track changes for 3 minor comments in my personal statement. Any input on how to proceed? Should I send an updated personal statement to law schools? Thank you all for your help!

[Cicero76]

I just submitted my personal statement to 16 law schools, under assumption that the pdf preview on LSAC reflected what your actual application will look like to admissions (per what LSAC states on its website regarding the purpose of the pdf preview). However, after reading an article by the Dean of Admissions of UChicago, it seems that admissions sees a different application than the one in the pdf preview, and can see "track changes" in Microsoft Word if left on. I left on track changes for 3 minor comments in my personal statement. Any input on how to proceed? Should I send an updated personal statement to law schools? Thank you all for your help!

Why on earth did you do that....

I guess you should probably send an updated one. That's pretty awkward.

[vuthy]

I actually can't believe this hasn't come up before. Cue collective TLS panic and double checking.

[Nonconsecutive]

I would send an updated statement personally.

[Force J.D.'s]

.

[sidhesadie]

It's been so long since I did my apps I don't remember, but can't you upload a pdf instead of a word doc? If YOU save it as a pdf before uploading it, and then upload the pdf, then there won't be any tracked changes visible, whether you had them on or off.

[midwest17]

It's been so long since I did my apps I don't remember, but can't you upload a pdf instead of a word doc? If YOU save it as a pdf before uploading it, and then upload the pdf, then there won't be any tracked changes visible, whether you had them on or off.

LSAC doesn't allow PDFs.

[Arcticlynx]

It's been so long since I did my apps I don't remember, but can't you upload a pdf instead of a word doc? If YOU save it as a pdf before uploading it, and then upload the pdf, then there won't be any tracked changes visible, whether you had them on or off.

LSAC doesn't allow PDFs.

Yeah this caused me a massive headache with my resume, because LSAC doesn't accept PDF's or Microsoft publisher files and it's nearly impossible to convert a publisher file to a word file without screwing everything up. What if you uploaded it to google drive then downloaded it back into word, would it drop the track changes??

[vuthy]

Part of the problem is that the track changes options can be kind of confusing I think. Like there is one where the changes don't appear on your screen but they do appear if someone else has their settings set up differently. So you send something thinking it's all clear and then it shows up marked up. Surprising that LSAC's preview doesn't account for this.

[TakeABow94]

ok I won't have access to the same type of computer as I had when I first typed up my PS etc, so I can't check whether it's on or off now. I wouldn't know how to anyway.

is it off by default and you have to actively turn it on? So if I've never gone searching for the option, I shouldn't have anything to worry about?

I've already gotten into a few places so that's calming but this thread got me worried about some of the places I'm pending at and my last app of the cycle (Y).

so how do you check?

[iamgeorgebush]

That sucks. I'd resend an updated PS if that's true that they see something different than the preview PDF, although I'm skeptical that they do indeed see something different.

Re: track changes, just hit accept or reject on all the changes, and they disappear. To double-check that the comments aren't in there, look at "Final Showing Markup," "Final," "Original Showing Markup," and "Original" to make sure it's all the same (i.e., without any highlighted changes or comments).

[jtr2121]

For anybody who is concerned about making same mistake: spoke with LSAC today. Law Schools do not see track changes in Microsoft Word documents, and do in fact only see what shows up on the pdf preview (as I initially suspected, given their stated policy on the lsac website)

[d cooper]

Just don't track changes and this won't be an issue. Also, I think an admissions office would "accept all changes" right away as I'm not sure they're interested in seeing previous drafts or anything.

Good to know about them only seeing the PDF preview, though. That's what is transmitted from LSAC to the schools.