College Admissions: 7 Tips for Email Communications with Colleges
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
True story: this year one of my students never checked his email. He got multiple email messages from the Honors College at our flagship university telling him that his application was missing one component. He never saw them and followed up, so he was denied admission despite being an ideal candidate.
Here are some tips related to email communication with colleges:
1. Use a neutral email address. Your name is the best choice if possible. “SparklyPony” or “FootballFanatic” may have been great when you picked them, but for college applications it is ideal to stick with something clear and simple. Check the display name. This week I was surprised when I worked with a student whose email address was his name, however the display name was “John Doe” rather than his. Even if you cannot get your name as the actual email address, put your name as the display name that the reader sees.
2. You probably won’t remember to check multiple email addresses. If you are using a separate one for college, have the emails forward to the one you are willing to check on a regular basis.
3. Starting now, commit to checking your email a minimum of twice per week. Pick two days and put a recurring pop-up reminder on your phone. If this is unlikely to work for you, get an accountability buddy. That person agrees to bug you/remind you twice per week to look at your email and makes sure that you actually do so.
5. Treat emails you send to colleges as if they are part of your college application, because they often are added to your file! That means you should use full sentences, capital letters, and proper punctuation. No text speak like “LOL” or “gr8”.
6. If you email a college after you have applied, be sure to put your common app ID number or the college-generated student ID number in the subject line, along with your full name.
7. When you get an email request, respond! This sounds obvious, but many students don’t actually do it. For example, if you receive an email alerting you that one of your recommendations is missing, go and get the scoop. Then respond to the college via email with the news such as, “My coach will complete it this weekend and upload it through the link the Common App sent him. Thanks for letting me know this was missing.”
Once the college application process is over you can once again decide to avoid email, however it is likely that the college you choose will be sending you important information about roommate matching, orientation and class enrollment, so you might consider this whole email process as practice with a tool you will use in your more “grown-up” life.
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