You’ve finished your college applications. Congratulations! Now comes the waiting game. If you submitted your application under Early Decision or Early Action, you’ll only have to wait a few weeks. But if you sent yours for the January 1st Regular Decision deadline, you could be waiting a few months. It can be easy to get anxious! So should you follow up on college applications?
Should You Follow Up On College Applications?
In most cases, you won’t actually have to follow up with the college to see the status of your applications – and shouldn’t. You should receive a confirmation email when your application is received.
Admission departments are generally very busy at this time of year. If you have to check in on the status of your application or confirm they received it, you should only reach out once.
When and How To Follow Up on a College Application
However, there are some cases where you may need to or want to follow up with your college application.
1. You Didn’t Receive a Confirmation Email
When you submit your college application online or through the school’s portal, you should receive some sort of confirmation. This could be a notice on the portal, an email, or both.
If you haven’t received this confirmation and you can’t find evidence of a submitted application on your account, you might want to double-check with the school’s admission department. Websites can and do experience problems from time to time. If you believe this is the case, it’s best to double-check with the school that they received everything you submitted. This could include the application, essay, letters of recommendation, and more.
In the same vein, this is why it’s a good idea to send in your college applications well ahead of the deadline. Accidents happen: your internet may go out or the college’s submission website may go down.
2. You Believe You’re Missing a Vital Part of the Application
If you believe a portion of your application is missing from your packet, you might want to reach out to the admissions department to confirm they received all of the important bits. For example, if you believe the school received your application but not your essay, it could be helpful to reach out for your peace of mind. Lacking the required portions of your application can result in a rejection letter.
Students may be tempted to reach out to their schools regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or SAT or ACT scores. However, you can log into your FAFSA account or your College Board/ACT accounts to verify this information has been sent to the correct schools. As long as the college is listed on these accounts, they will receive the scores and financial information.
If you have questions about high school transcripts, school reports, mid-year reports, or letters of recommendation sent directly to the colleges, be sure to talk to the teacher or high school first regarding confirmation before talking to the college.
3. Your Contact Information is Incorrect or has changed
If you suddenly move, change phone numbers, or realize you made an error or typo on your college application, you should follow up on your college application with the admissions department as soon as possible. You will need to rectify these details to ensure you receive acceptance/rejection letters or requests for additional information or interviews. You don’t want to miss out on your dream college because you made a typo in your email.
4. After an Interview
If your college requires or requests an interview as part of your college application, don’t forget about the thank you note. You should send one of these a few days after you meet with the school representative, thanking them for their time.
A handwritten thank you note never goes wrong, but if you don’t know a good address for them or aren’t positive it will get to the right person, an email is a good idea.
5. If You Haven’t Heard Back by Mid-April
The latest you should receive acceptance (or rejection) letters from a college or university if you submitted under Regular Decision is by the first week of April.
The latest you should receive letters for Early Decision or Early Action in late January.
If these dates have passed and you have not heard anything, you should reach out to the admissions department. It’s very possible your letter was simply lost in the mail or misdelivered.
How Should You Contact Your College About Applications?
If you need to follow up on your college application for any reason, you should reach out to the undergraduate admissions office or department of the school in question. You can usually find a phone number, email, chatbot, or contact form right on the department’s website. We recommend contacting them online before calling (unless it is time-sensitive) as November to May is a very busy time for them.
All contact with the admissions department should be polite, professional, and to the point.
Sending in your college applications is certainly a cause for celebration, but it is the start of the waiting game. While you may be tempted to check in (and double and triple check) regarding your application and its status, keep in mind that it’s a very busy time for those offices and it’s best to be patient if possible! If you do need to reach out for any reason though, make sure you do so as soon as possible.
Having a well-rounded application will increase your chances of getting an acceptance letter! One way to do that? Make sure you match what the school is looking for. College Raptor can help with our College Match tool. It helps you see how you stack up against other students in the schools that fit and interest you most. Use it for free today!
