naming the wrong school in your essay

(common gotcha)

what happened

students copy-paste their "Why Us?" essay for multiple schools and forget to change the school name. admissions officers see "I've always dreamed of attending Dartmouth" in a UPenn application.

why it's a gotcha

it's an instant reject signal. it tells the reader you're mass-producing applications without genuine interest. and it happens way more often than you'd think because everyone's rushing near deadlines — the direct consequence of starting too late.

the fix

ctrl+F the school name in every essay before submitting. better yet, have someone else read it. fresh eyes catch what yours skip. same rule as checking what you submit — verify before you send.