College decisions are coming fast and furious this month.
As I mentioned in my previous post, titled How Will You Receive Your College Decision, admissions offices are no longer just sending acceptances in thick envelopes through snail mail. Many decisions these days are simply posted online to the college’s student information system, or emailed.
One particular issue I have seen this year is that numerous students are becoming confused when receiving emails from their colleges as they try to interpret whether or not the email means they are admitted.
So, here are three tips why you should read college emails.
1) Sometimes an email may include a video, watch it! Some colleges send their congratulatory message in the video message- not in the text of the email.
2) Just because you are invited to an accepted student day, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have been accepted. Some colleges send these out to the entire applicant pool so families can mark their calendar in advance. Make sure to double check your own admissions status and not assume anything.
3) An email may just be an email and not a decision. Admissions decisions are typically pretty clear. Don’t try to interpret something that isn’t actually there. It is natural to want to read into the communication that a college sends you but often, all they are doing is trying to share information with you about a program on their campus, visit opportunity, or a student experience. Most colleges have automated systems that allow them to send mass messages that look personalized. When they want you to know a decision it will be obvious.
Why you should read college emails!
