Hovercat is always here to help and understand.
Here is what Hovercat wants you to do.
1. Follow directions.
2. Unless we explicitly tell you not to do something, it must be okay to do it! There is no need to ask your admissions counselor about every little thing. It is highly unlikely that you will make a mistake so monstrous that we will change our admissions decision.
3. Remember that there is no word limit on the essays. There is a suggested length. But if you ask us what the word limit is, we will not be able to tell you, because we don't know. Or we may make something up. Actually, I've just decided that the word limit is u73i words. I obviously just closed my eyes and typed something in, or u is an imaginary number I didn't hear about in the Core.
4. I've just found out about rushed electronic scores. We tell you not to rush your scores because rushed scores are typically sent on paper, but if you are being told that they will be sent electronically, that's wonderful and you can go ahead and rush them.
However, there is no need to rush your scores! Testing must be completed by the deadline. If your scores are not in our office by the deadline, that's fine! They will get there eventually!
You may be thinking that we start reading applications right on November 1 at midnight. This is not so. We are too busy putting envelopes on our hands and heads and becoming envelope monsters.
5. Can you write your essay on a past essay topic? Well, the past essay topic is neither topics one through four, nor is it a topic you made up yourself, so technically this is something we discourage. But we also welcome being challenged.
6. We will look at EVERYTHING. We don't throw anything out! So, send it! If you want us to see it, send it! No need to ask first!
7. Except if you "accidentally" wrote an 11 page essay when we just asked for your name. Just because you misread the instructions doesn't mean they weren't there in the first place.
8. The credentials checking feature on the application will be available later in the fall. We will open the feature when we are sure we have catalogued every credential we have received... which will take a while.
9. If there are many students applying from your school, your application is neither at an advantage or at a disadvantage. We read applications one at a time.
10. All materials should be sent to the admissions office, and postmarked by the deadline you have chosen. There are no separate deadlines for separate application materials, and no separate addresses other than our own address:
Office of College Admissions
1101 E 58th St
Rosenwald 105A
Chicago, IL 60637
USA
11. Yes, your early action application for financial aid is due on November 1. The College Aid website is here.
That is all Hovercat has to say right now. Hovercat can't remember ever getting this many panicked emails about minute details before. Maybe because Hovercat is just a cat lying on a glass table, and not actually an admissions counselor...
