When I glance at an article in a newspaper or magazine, I find that misspelled words tend to jump out at me. Really! I don’t know why I can see them so quickly, but I do. So when I read a major newspaper headline the other day, and it stated that their interest was peaked, I was startled! Didn’t they mean piqued?! I shook my head and decided not to read on. Spelling mistakes happen to all of us, especially when we are hurried, but correct spelling and word usage may be all it takes to assure that the reader will read to the end.
With college essay season in full swing, now is not the time to relax your standards. If you do, you may end up saying something that you don’t mean. Did you mean to write that College A is defiantly your first choice or definitely your first choice? Is that your favorite causal restaurant or your favorite casual restaurant? Did you volunteer as a candy stripper or candy striper? We have seen all of these mistakes!
Remember that spell check doesn’t catch everything. Our best advice is to have a fresh set of eyes read your essay before you hit send. Even better - have someone read it aloud to you! Doing so should catch any spelling errors or misplaced words. That being said, small mistakes happen, so once your application is submitted, let it go and be satisfied that you've done your best.