How Long do College Admissions Take?

How long do college admissions take?

It’s no secret that the college admissions process is a long and winding road. Most college-bound students (and their parents!) look at this process with apprehension, if not outright fear. But exactly how long do college admissions take? The answer to this question depends on many factors, not least of which is what you personally consider to be the official beginning to this process. 

Some students may think that the college admissions process begins in December of senior year, when stressed out procrastinators sit down to cram in their applications over winter break, while some farsighted parents might imagine that getting their four-year-old into the right preschool is the first step on the college journey. In this post, we’ll outline some of the key college milestones you’re likely to encounter during high school so that you have some idea of how long college admissions will take for you.

Ninth grade (freshman) college milestones

Your biggest focus in ninth grade is most likely going to be adapting to high school, and that is totally fine! It is important to focus on getting your footing in your first year, but there are a few future-focused items to consider.

Course selection

The classes you take throughout high school and the grades you earn are the single biggest factor that colleges will consider when they evaluate your application. Throughout high school, you want to make sure that you are taking the hardest classes that you can handle while still keeping up your grades and your mental health. This starts in ninth grade. If you feel confident in math, challenge yourself by taking honors. If you are a bookworm, try honors English. If you have the chance to take an AP class freshman year, give it a whirl (while some schools won’t allow you to take AP classes as a freshman, some put easier APs on the menu. AP Human Geography or AP World History are popular options for freshmen looking to get their AP feet wet). 

High school is also a low-stakes time to begin exploring your academic interests, so throughout high school, be on the lookout for elective or core courses that open your eyes to new subjects. For example, if you like drawing or are interested in architecture, perhaps you’ll have the chance to take a Computer Aided Design (CAD) course. If you think you might be interested in engineering, keep your eye peeled for Project Lead the Way or other early engineering courses.

Extracurricular activities

Colleges will be looking at the extracurricular activities you participated in throughout high school, not just junior or senior year. Rather than a variety of extracurriculars that you attended for an hour a month, colleges are looking for longstanding commitment to a more narrow band of activities. Freshman year is a great time to try out a few different activities, with the idea that you’ll narrow in and seek leadership positions in two or three of these activities, rather than sticking with all of them.

Summer opportunities

The summer after ninth grade is a great time to continue exploring your interests. Maybe Spanish class was exciting for you, so you seek out a five-day Spanish immersion program over the summer. Maybe you’re developing an interest in politics, so you intern for a local politician over the summer. Whatever it is, use the summer after ninth grade to have new experiences and gather more data about the world and yourself, without worrying too much about how these experiences will look to colleges.

Tenth grade (sophomore) milestones

In terms of college, sophomore year is going to be pretty similar to freshman year. Keep choosing the hardest courses you can handle, and keep using courses and summer opportunities to explore your interests. In terms of extracurricular activities, this is the time to let go of activities that aren’t interesting to you and to start committing more to the activities that are interesting to you. On top of these considerations, there’s one more thing to start thinking about….standardized tests!

PSAT and Pre-ACT

Many sophomores take the PSAT or the Pre-ACT through school. This will give you a good baseline idea of what your future SAT or ACT scores might be. You don’t need to stress about this test too much, but it’s a good idea to at least have some familiarity with the format and content of the test. And of course, the night before, be sure to get a good night’s sleep!

Eleventh grade (junior) milestones

This is where the process is going to start picking up. While it’s still not time to actually write your applications yet, this is the year to really lay the groundwork so that when you do write the application, the process is (relatively!) seamless. As always, you’ll want to continue doing your best work in the hardest classes you can manage. Now is also the time to begin seeking out leadership opportunities in your extracurriculars, and you can also begin using summers to demonstrate leadership in your community. On top of that, there are a few new milestones to keep in mind.

Test Prep

You’ll most likely take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring of your junior year. You may also decide that you want to retest the summer after junior year or even the fall of senior year. In any case, fall of junior year is the time to start prepping for these tests. You may have a baseline score from the PSAT or Pre-ACT. If not, find an official diagnostic test and take it under test conditions (meaning set a time for the proper amount of time for each section and take the sections all in a row, just like you would on test day). Look up the median ACT and SAT scores at a few of the schools you’re interested in. This will help you decide if you need to pursue ACT and SAT tutoring.

Letters of Recommendation

Most colleges require a letter of recommendation from your counselor and one or two letters of recommendation from your teachers. Because college applications are due relatively early senior year, your senior teachers won’t really have time to get to know you enough to write a robust letter. For that reason, you’ll most likely want to pick a teacher from your junior year (sophomore year is okay if you had a really strong relationship with a particular teacher, but you don’t want to go much younger than that; presumably you’ve matured a lot since freshman year, and you want a teacher who can speak to that growth).

Many teachers “fill up” on their letters of recommendation, and rightfully so! It’s a lot to expect one teacher to write dozens of letters of recommendation, so it’s understandable that they might only accept thirty or so requests per year. For that reason, it’s a good idea to approach teachers in the spring of your junior year, even though the letters aren’t due for months. That way, you’ll know early on if they have the capacity to write you a letter, or if you’ll need to ask someone else.

College Research

There are a LOT of colleges out there! It takes a long time to figure out what it is you’re looking for in a college and even longer to figure out which colleges have what you’re looking for. Junior year is an important time to begin doing this research. This means doing some soul searching. Talking to your parents, counselor, teachers, or other adults who know you well. They may have some important insight into what kind of college environment might be best for you. But most importantly, do some journaling yourself. What do you want? Where do you want to be for the next four years? Afterall, this is your education!

Once you have some idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to go find it. This might mean doing official college visits. It might look like staying with a friend or relative who goes to a specific college. If travel isn’t the best option for you, you can gather a lot of information from virtual tours and information sessions. Keep notes so that you’re comparing apples to apples. In the end, you want a well-balanced list of somewhere between five and fifteen schools, depending on your goals.

Twelfth grade (senior) milestones

This is the big one! You want to think of senior year as starting the minute junior year ends – the summer before senior year is an important time to get a jump on the actual application process!

Finalizing the college list and creating your plan

You’ve done the research. You have a pretty good idea of what colleges you want to apply to. The summer before senior year is the time to sit down with your parents, advisors, or other trusted adults, and finalize which schools you plan to apply to. You also want to make a note of deadlines. Deadlines can range anywhere from mid-October to mid-March or even later, so you want to do your research and know when those applications are actually due. Now is also a good time to decide whether you’ll be applying anywhere early action or early decision.

Make note of all requirements and put this information into some sort of spreadsheet

By August or September, schools will have published their updated application requirements. This includes any supplemental essays as well as other requirements like interviews, auditions, or portfolios. Gather all of this information and put it in one place (like a Google sheet!) so that you know what you have to do.

Write your Common App Personal Statement and other essays

How long do you think it will take you to write your Common App Personal Statement and other essays? However long you’re thinking, multiply that by three. Then add another week or two for good measure. These essays take way longer than you’d expect! Start them over the summer to give yourself time to write high-quality essays well before the deadlines.

How long does the college admissions process take? Dive into the detailed timeline from ninth to twelfth grade. Learn, plan, and succeed with this informative guide.

Fill out your applications

Fall of senior year is the time to actually create your accounts for the Common App, the University of California system, or any other applications you’re planning to submit. Fill everything out and paste in your essays!

Fill out your financial aid forms

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as any other financial aid forms that your schools request. These forms will require you to have your parents’ tax information. Like most other steps in this process, this will take longer than you think! So start early and communicate clearly with your parents or guardians!

Congratulate yourself (and monitor your inbox)

Once you’ve submitted your final application, give yourself a HUGE pat on the back! Whatever happens, you have just completed a very challenging process, and you deserve to feel good about that! While you’re congratulating yourself, be sure to keep an eye on your email inbox. Colleges will send important follow up instructions and information (like your application decision!).

How long do college admissions take? That depends on you! But the timelines above should give you a pretty good idea of what this process is going to look like. Good luck!

Need more advice on your college applications?

The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

How to Write an Email to College Admissions Counselors

How to write an email to college admissions officers

The college admissions process can be filled with uncertainty.  One source of information that can help reduce the uncertainty — in some respects — are college admissions counselors.  But do you know how to write an email to college admissions counselors? If you want to communicate with admissions, it’s best to think carefully about how you will communicate with the humans that populate those offices of admission.

Reasons to Write an Email to College Admissions Officers

Students may have different reasons to write an email to college admissions.  Some of the most common include:

  • A request for particular information about academic offerings, such as the viability of pursuing particular double majors, the availability of certain kinds of courses, or the process for creating a personalized major
  • An inquiry about your status on the waitlist
  • An expression of continuing interest after being deferred in the early admissions rounds
  • A request to connect with student leaders of particular organizations or groups
  • A question about financial aid eligibility
  • An inquiry about special scholarship programs
  • Confirmation of the receipt of all materials by admissions offices–if there is reason to believe there is a problem
  • Specific questions about research opportunities, alumni resources
  • Requests to connect with learning support services for people with physical or learning differences
  • Notes of thanks for something kind that an admissions officer did on your behalf

Sometimes, you may also be responding to an email that an admissions officer sent to you.  Further on in this article we’ll address how to write an email to a college admissions counselor if you find yourself in this situation.

The point is that you really do need a good reason to write to an admissions officer. Some students and parents have heard that it is important to demonstrate interest when applying to college.  It’s true:  you need to show some love to admissions offices to let them know you are really interested in attending.

However, you also want to avoid being annoying.  You want to demonstrate interest, but you don’t want to cross the invisible line that leaves the admissions office to think you are a nuisance.  You want to ask good questions, and you want to be respectful of the time of an admissions officer. You want to get the information you need in a way that conveys interest without becoming a nuisance.

Do Some Homework Before you Write an Email to College Admissions Counselors

So before you actually write that email, you need to make sure you’ve done all you can to ensure that you can write an effective email that will get you the response you need. Here are some things to think about and research before you write.

Look at the college’s website

Colleges and universities maintain comprehensive websites that contain information for staff, faculty, and students, in addition to providing information for prospective applicants.  Use the search function to try to find an answer to your question.  If you do find the answer, perhaps you can refashion your question in light of this information.  Can your question get even more specific? If it can, you will demonstrate that you have read the website carefully and need a human (the college admissions counselor) to help you find the answer.

Find the appropriate person.

The admissions website will usually (but not always) list the people in the admissions office.  In most cases, the admissions counselors are assigned different geographical areas (or “markets,” in business terminology) for which they are responsible for expanding the applicant pool–and addressing prospective applicants’ questions.  So take a few minutes to figure out which admissions counselor is assigned to your state, your city, or even just your school.  That is the person who may read your application first, and who is most interested in seeing your application.  Address your email to the right person.

How to Write an Email to College Admissions Counselors

Once you find the right person to address is your email, now you have to think about how to write it.  Consider these five essential elements.

1.  Consider the Subject Line

When an email appears in a person’s inbox, the subject line is an important indicator of the contents.  So use the subject line to ensure that your email gets opened.  You might want to use the words “prospective applicant” or “applicant for the class of 2025.” You could make it more specific:  “Question about financial aid from prospective applicant 2025.”  No matter how you formulate it, don’t neglect the subject line in capturing the attention of the admissions officer.

2. Address the Admissions Officer Respectfully

Address the admissions counselor respectfully.  Don’t say, “Hey, Mark!” Or worse:  “‘Sup, Mark.”  Use formal address.  Usually that means using the word “dear”, as in “Dear Mr. Montgomery.” Some young people have difficulty with that level of formality, so it might be acceptable to open the email with “Hello, Mr. Montgomery.”  You probably learned proper etiquette for writing a formal letter back in elementary or middle school.  Use that knowledge when addressing the admissions officer in a fairly formal tone.

3. Introduce Yourself When You Write an Email to College Admissions

Be sure to tell the admissions officer a bit about yourself, not so much to give them your life history but to be able to place you and remember you. You could start by saying something along the lines of, “My name is Mark Montgomery and I am applying to Colorado College in fall 2026.” You might give a few other essential facts, including the name of your high school and town, the major that most interests you (if that is relevant to your question), and–if you have it–your ID either for the Common App (known as a “CAID”) or your ID number for the particular school to which you are applying (this number is given to you after you apply…usually through a “portal” for the university that you will log into).

4. Be Concise as You Write an Email to College Admissions

Don’t get into long preliminary explanations:  get to the point immediately.  State your business. If you’re asking a question, ask it.  If you need information, ask for it specifically.  As you write the question, think about how the admissions officer might respond.  If you find that the question you ask would require a lengthly, complex response, consider writing the question that would require a simpler, more succinct answer.  You want the admissions officer to be efficient.  You want that person to offer up the answer you need without having to spend an hour crafting a complicated response.

5. Say Thank You and End with an Appropriate Closing

As your Momma always reminds you:  “say please and thank you!”.  Be sure to thank your addressee for their time and consideration.  Then sign off in the same formal way in which you began.  Closings like “Best regards” or “Yours truly” or “Sincerely” all may sounds terribly old fashioned.  But they’re a whole lot better than “Peace out” or “Later, dude.”  Better to err on the side of formality than breezy informality.

Follow with your first name, last name, and phone number. It’s unlikely you’ll receive a call instead of an email, but it’s a good idea to include it anyway.

Dos and Don’ts as You Write an Email to College Admissions Officers

To summarize, here is a list of things you should bear in mind when you write an email to admissions counselor.

Do

  1. Use a formal tone to demonstrate your respect and ability to speak to adults you do not know.
  2. Develop a helpful subject line to grab the reader’s attention.
  3. Edit your email carefully…no grammatical mistakes or syntax errors!
  4. Be concise: don’t use 10 words to say something you can say in 3.
  5. Be patient in receiving a response: admissions counselors get hundreds of emails a day, so don’t expect an answer immediately.

Don’t

  1. Use an unprofessional email address like “Cute_Puppy” or “Bubbalooney.”
  2. Be rude or disrespectful.
  3. Neglect to edit your email.  Really.  No mistakes.
  4. Mark your email as urgent (not worth annoying your recipient).
  5. Ask a long list of questions.
  6. Forget to say “please” and “thank you.”

 

Sample Emails to College Admissions Officers

If you’re still unsure about how to write an email to college admissions counselors, we offer these templates to help you. They demonstrate both the tone and the brevity of these communications.  Feel free to adapt these to your needs.

Sample Email to College Admissions #1

Hello, Ms. Taylor, 

My name is Divya Sharma, and I’m applying to Gotham College for the fall of 2024. I submitted my application and my SAT scores on December 15, but I notice in the Gotham portal that my SAT scores have not yet been received. 

Could you please confirm whether or not the college has received my score report? Thank you in advance for all your help. 

Regards, 

Divya Sharma
CAID 987654 

phone: 555-123-4567

 

Sample Email to College Admissions #2

Good morning, Mr. Rodriguez, 

My name is Martin Fillmore, and I’m in the process of applying to the University of Los Angeles. I am considering a major in Chemistry, but I also have a strong interests in both Economics and History. 

I am simply undecided about my major at this point. Can you tell me more about how academic advising works at ULA for undecided students like me? Thank you very much for your time and assistance. 

Best, 

Martin Fillmore
Mt. Pleasant HS, Hygiene, Colorado
telephone: 999-875-4321

 

Sample Email to College Admissions #3‍

Dear Dupont University Admissions Office, 

Hello, my name is Ben Harrison, and I was recently waitlisted for admission. I’m writing to ask if you can please tell me where I am on the waitlist. 

My first choice university is Dupont University, and I would love to know my chances of being accepted. 

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, 

Benjamin Harrison
Dupont U ID Number 45hp987
Telephone: 123-555-1234

 

Need More Advice About Your College Applications?

The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

What To Expect At A College Reception

A street sign that says " College Just Ahead"

Fall is the time of year where admissions counselors everywhere hit the road.  They stand at college fairs, conduct interviews in hotel lobbies and coffee shops and visit four to five high schools a day, all to promote their school and spread the word to potential applicants. But do you know what to expect at a college reception?

One of the most important goals a college counselor has is to bring a little bit of their college to a student who may not have the opportunity to visit or is considering planning a visit.  The best way to do this is to have a reception or an “on the road” information session.

What is a college reception?

A college reception is different from a college fair, and different from a high school visit.  Usually receptions are put on by more than one college and are held in the evening.  They are often held at a local hotel, or sometimes at a high school.

Students often receive invitations to these events. If you have signed up for more information about a particular college, you may receive an invite.  Or colleges and universities may get your contact information from either the SAT (College Board) or ACT.  Students may receive emails or glossy invitations about the event.  They are often held at a local hotel or sometimes at a high school.

The structure of the events vary, but often times students can expect to see the same or a very similar presentation to what is offered at the on-campus information sessions. The admissions counselor will give an overview of the basic statistics of the college and the admissions process.  This is a great opportunity to learn some information about the school that may not be available on the website.

One big difference is that you may hear presentations from 2 or 3 different colleges.  In some ways, this can be less helpful than a more focused session on one school.  If you are particularly interested in one of the participants at the reception, you may have to wait patiently through the presentations by colleges that interest you less. On the other hand, you may be learning about a college or two that has not yet been on your radar screen, and you may decide to expand your list as a result of the reception.

An on-the-road college reception may also be a great time to meet with other members of the college community.  Sometimes colleges will bring current students to the reception to talk about campus life and personal experiences.  Professors may come to discuss the courses they teach and the academic goals of the college.  Alumni will often speak of life after graduation and the job searching process.

Overall, attending a college reception in your hometown is a valuable way to learn more about a school.  It can help you decide if you want to spend the money to visit a school in order to learn more.

What to expect at a college reception after the presentations are over

Usually after the presentation, you will have an opportunity to meet individually with the admissions representatives. They will set up tables in different parts of the room, and you can waIk up and ask questions. So be prepared to ask some! Research the information you want to know about majors, student life and the admissions process.  Having an audience that asks questions really helps keep an admissions officer going.  Remember that they may have been up since 5AM trying to make it to all their high school visits and are now working into the evening to showcase the college that they work for.  So show them that you’re interested, and they will feel energized!

Also don’t forget to send a follow up “thank you note” to the person who presented on the college or colleges that interest you. It’s a great way to demonstrate interest and get some more brownie points for attending the college reception.

Need more help on what to expect at a college reception? Give us a call.

We helps students prepare for every aspect of the college preparation, selection, and admissions process.  We can help you get ready for that college reception–or the campus visit or the interview or any other aspect of the process.  We have helped thousands of students make solid educational plans.  We’d love to hear from you. So give is a call or contact us on our website.

Mark Montgomery
College Admissions Expert

7 Little Changes To Make Getting Into College Easier

accepted word in blue color font

Read the following tips about way you can change to better your chances of getting into college.

Read books

One of the things that sets successful students apart from those who are less successful is that they read for enjoyment. There’s no better way to expand your mind, your vocabulary and your outlook on life than to read books.

Talk to your teachers, about anything

Before and after class, show an interest in school, in the subject, the lesson, current events, anything at all. Your teachers are there to help you and they want to get to know you. You can learn a lot, and eventually you’ll know who you can ask for a letter of recommendation.

Get to know your guidance counsellor

It’s the job of your guidance councilor to help you make decisions about your direction in life. This includes the college application process. He or she has vast knowledge about applying to college, and lots of wisdom about life in general. Talking to your councilor will help you choose a good path, and be less stressed along the way.

Get your homework done right when you get home from school

The old adage, “work before play” really applies here. Don’t procrastinate. Give yourself the maximum time and attention that your schoolwork requires. And do it while it’s fresh in your head, and before you’re too tired to do quality work.

Consume quality media

It can be enticing to spend time watching cute puppies or fail videos, but just remember that these things give you nothing beyond entertainment value. Watch a TED talk. Read an interesting news article or watch a video about current events. It’s all part of your learning process, and you will still enjoy yourself.

Confine your social media time to 30 minutes a day

We’ve all fallen down the rabbit hole of social media, but try not to waste too much time on these things. Set an alarm if you have to. Time is precious, and if you are going to be productive and successful, you need to focus when necessary, and participate in real life!

Worry less and have more fun

Everyone considering college wants to get accepted to the college of their choice. And the stress of achieving that can overwhelm you if you let it. Yes, you need to do your best in academics, but if you can relax a bit and spend time doing things you enjoy, you’ll be happier, more relaxed, and have a more well-rounded college application.

Have questions about changes you can make to help you get into college?

Let the experts at Great College Advice help you. Contact us to learn about our wide range of services and find out how we can help you get into a top college.

MIT Admissions and Superheroes

You don’t have to be a superhero to get into MIT, but you might have a classmate who is!
Each year, MIT produces a video to let applicants know when admissions letters will be delivered. The videos are released on March 14 (3/14… also known as Pi Day), and this year’s features someone that comic book fans will recognize.
Riri Williams is a 15 year old super-genius from Chicago who gets into MIT while most of her peers are still in high school. She recently took over for Tony Stark in the comics; her superhero identity is Ironheart, and the suit is built largely out of scraps she found around the school. MIT clearly loved the idea, as this year’s admissions video features Riri working on the suit, followed by Ironheart helping deliver MIT’s famous admissions tubes.

So, has anyone gotten a visit from a superhero lately? If not, get in contact with us for some great college advice! We can help you plan your college journey so you can get into MIT and have Riri–and other everyday superheroes–as your classmates and friends.
Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant and Admissions Expert

College Expert on Lynn University’s Free Music Conservatory

LynnPAC

Mark advises that if you’re trying to get into a great university and are interested in a music conservatory, consider Lynn.

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