title!
hello, i just checked the pdf provided by commonapp after you apply and realized that I accidentally chose the wrong prompt. will this affect my chances? should I email them or just let it be? it was sent two weeks ago.
schools: northwestern (ED), Michigan (EA) if it matters. they are highly selective so I am a little worried.
They are highly selective so you’ll never know if you get rejected the why.
If you don’t answer the question, that’s an issue.
You might email the admission counselor and advise you meant to use whatever prompt it was - the # and description so they can update.
Fix for the rest of your apps.
And it’s a lesson - proof every aspect.
We all make mistakes. Personally I’d let the school know and likely not a huge deal.
Your writing is still your writing. That’s what matters.
Yes, email your admissions counselor at the schools and let them know.
Hmm, perhaps I’m wrong, but I’m more inclined to think they’re far more likely to not even read the common app prompt selection and just dive in?
I wondered that but wouldn’t want to take that chance.
Because if someone knows the prompt, they’d think - they didn’t answer the question. If I was a reader, unless instructed by a boss not to, I would read the prompt.
So why chance it?
Ps - this is a great reason though why an essay on a topic of your choice is the best prompt. No question to answer - at least from Common App.
Yes, both mine chose that one haha!
Personal opinion, but since this isn’t a misrepresentation of anything, I’d err on the side of leaving it be and not highlighting didn’t proofread well enough. Any which way this won’t be a deciding factor.
I would let this go and not contact any AO to change the prompt.
Did you write words after choosing that prompt and stay within the word limit? Did you write well??
Many prompts can mean different things to different schools/students . Those two schools want to see how well you write and how it reflects who you are as student/person and how you will become part of their campus.
So if you did indeed write words. You are just fine. Nothing to do or say to them.
You are a very wise person but you already know that.
Correct me if I’m wrong - going off memory - isn’t the prompt listed st the top ?
Just looked up my daughter’s pdf on hers it is.
That’s why I’ll disagree here with the masses.
Yep.
IME the prompt doesn’t matter. OP can do what they feel is best for them, but AOs are quite busy right now and I see no upside to sending a note about this.
ETA: I am pretty sure I have never read an essay and thought it didn’t fit the prompt (talking about the common app essay.)
I just worry about the one that scratches their head - how is an essay about the first time I caught a fish answering the question.
That’s fine - lots of opinions, admittedly mostly one sided, for OP to wade through.
Hopefully it was just on the two apps and is fixed for the remainder.
OP you should be aware that @Mwfan1921 is speaking from first hand experience as a former essay reader.
I hope it is ok to out you but your expertise is relevant.
Ha, no problem. I am still working as an app reader at a school oft mentioned on CC 
could you explain what you mean by a “misrepresentation”?
the problem is that the prompt i accidentally selected does not fit my essay at all.
in this case would you still advise me to avoid emailing the admissions officers?
thank you so much for you help!
it is listed at the top before your essay.
Something big like checking first generation if not or a typo in the gpa. Something that could impact admission more than a misspelled word or selecting wrong prompt.
This is my concern.
Why one person guiding here is a reader and I respect that - all individuals are not the same. So one AO doesn’t know what another AO will think - there’s a lot of subjectivity in this - and essay quality in general.
As I pointed out, unless instructed to ignore, I am one who would wonder - how does this answer the prompt?
The only right answer here is the one you choose - decide what to do - and then don’t look back.
Most say do nothing - don’t bring attention to it - and that might be perfectly fine.
I say - and one or two agree - I’d write the AO and make them aware. I think it’s a minor thing - in the end, is your essay well written or not?
What’s the proper response? Only you can decide.
Whichever you choose, best of luck.
Well, let’s play this out. I have no idea how many schools you’ve already applied to.
But, what do you expect the AOs to do with this information should you give it to them? They can’t change your prompt in your common app, so that’s not an option.
Do you want them to put a note in your file? Do you think that note would make the reader react more favorably to your app?
Another possibility, what if they’ve already read your app? If they have already read your app, it’s unlikely they would go back to it.
IME, most AOs are literally going to do nothing with this info. No note. No additional read.
Regardless, like I said above, do what you feel is best for you. You don’t know how every AO is going to react, but again, I don’t see any upside at all to telling them you selected the wrong prompt.