<p>On my Why Yale? essay (I already submitted my app a couple days ago) I accidentally referred to the residential colleges as houses. Is this a big deal? Especially considering that they are called houses at Harvard, I’m worried they’ll think I am reusing something from my Harvard app. </p>
<p>Is there anything I can do?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m not sure. I don’t think you should contact Yale and correct the mistake, because it may not be noticed or be a big deal. But if you have an interview, you might want to spend some time talking about the residential colleges (using that exact term)–perhaps the interviewer will write something about your interest in and discussion of the residential colleges, which may help if the admissions committee looks askance at your having used “houses” in the application. Also, if you end up having a major new accomplishment to report, you can send the admissions committee an update and perhaps (if there’s a logical way to do it–most likely there won’t be) weave in something about the “residential colleges.” This might help to offset the error in the application.</p>
<p>Let it go. My son is a senior at Yale and I often call “the colleges” residential “houses.” You should not conract Admissions for something like this, as it is inconsequential. </p>