How to Email a College Admissions Officer

Contents

Reasons to Email College Admissions Key Considerations Prior to Writing Your College Application Email How To Email College Admissions in 5 Simple Steps Emailing College Admissions: Dos and Don’ts Sample College Admissions Emails College Admissions Email FAQs

Mary

Reviewed by:

Mary Banks

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 9/22/23

‍

Communicating with college admissions officers can be intimidating, but sometimes it’s necessary. If you have questions or want to request information from colleges, this guide will teach you how to write an email to college admissions officers.

‍

Sometimes, sending an email or even a letter to a college admissions office is necessary. That means you’ll have to learn how to write an email to a college! We’ll outline reasons to email college admissions officers, how to craft a well-written email, dos and don’ts, and sample emails to college admissions offices.

Reasons To Email College Admissions

The main reasons students email colleges are to ask a question or to demonstrate interest subtly. A well-posed question can satisfy both of these reasons.

Questions to Ask College Admissions Officers

No matter where you are in the admissions process, you may have questions only a college admissions officer can answer. Some examples of questions or topics you can send include:

Sending a letter of continued interest
Inquiring about your waitlist status
Specific questions about majors or classes, such as “Is it possible to double major in X and Y and still graduate in four years?”
Financial aid queries regarding scholarships or grants
Specific questions about research opportunities, post-graduation employment, alumni support, and resources
Confirming the school received admissions materials if there is a disconnect
A thank you email for something an admissions officer did for you

Ensure your emails are school-specific and directly related to your personal situation.

Key Considerations Prior to Writing Your College Application Email

Before you hit “send,” you’ll want to double-check a few things. Here are some thoughts to consider prior to writing an email to a college admissions office.

Check FAQ Pages First

It’s essential to look at the school’s website and FAQs before you send any emails. The answer to your question might be right in front of your nose!

If you email someone to ask about information you could easily find online, it shows that you aren’t resourceful enough to do your own research. That’s not a good message to send to the admissions office!

Make Sure Your Email Has a Purpose

If you want to send an email just to get noticed by the admissions office, even though you don’t have a specific question, think again. It’s never a good idea to send a meaningless email just to try and get your foot in the door. You’ll be wasting their time, and it’ll likely make a bad impression.

Email the Appropriate Person

You may not always have permission to email someone, and you don’t want to come across as disrespectful. Pay attention to the contact information that the school provides for inquiries, and don’t go digging for the email address of the president or the dean of faculties.

It may seem like a good “hack” to email someone in a more high-ranking position, but they likely will just dismiss your email as spam or something worse--impertinence.

How To Email College Admissions in 5 Simple Steps

So, how do you email a college admissions officer? Here are five easy steps to writing a concise email.

1. Find the Right Contact Information

School websites usually have contact information for students. Try to find an admissions officer that oversees your region if possible.

2. Address the Admissions Officer Respectfully

Learning how to craft a professional email to a university means being respectful. Begin your email with a polite address to the admissions officer, using their preferred title and last name. A respectful opening can look like, “Dear Mr. Smith,” or “Hello, Ms. Doe.”

If you are emailing the admissions office and can’t find information on specific officers, you could write something like “Hello X University admissions department” or another variant that makes more sense.

3. Introduce Yourself

Admissions officers receive many emails from students every day asking numerous questions. You should introduce yourself to give them a little more background. Give them what they need to know, to whom they’re talking, and any other relevant information.

For example, you might want to say something along the lines of, “My name is James Johnson and I am applying to Penn State in fall 2022.”

4. Jump Into Your Question or Topic

Get to the point quickly. If you’re asking a question, their response should help you decide if the school is right for you, clarify something you were curious about, or give you the in-depth information you seek.

5. Say Thank You and Write an Appropriate Sign-Off

Always say “thank you” to the admissions officer for their time. It would be best if you ended with an appropriate email closing of your choice, whether it’s “Best Wishes,” “Sincerely,” “Regards,” or another sign-off.

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 best practice to include it anyway.

Emailing College Admissions: Dos And Don’ts

Dos and don’ts ensure you say and do the right things at the right moments. Without further a”do,” here are the dos.

Dos Of Emailing College Admissions

Do keep your tone professional. Professionalism means no slang, acronyms, or any other language you’d use exclusively with your friends. To clarify: no “wassup,” “thnx,” etc.

Do write appropriately for your age. You don’t have to sound like you’re reading out of a thesaurus—we promise. Retain your writer’s voice with added professionalism.

Do make the subject line relevant to your email. Subject lines should be specific. For example, “Question” isn’t descriptive, but “Question from a fall 2022 School of Engineering applicant” gets the point across.

Do mind your p’s and q’s. Don’t forget to say please and thank you. It seems like such a small thing, but it’s polite.

Do edit your email. Ensure there are no glaring errors in your writing that would distract the person reading it.

Do remember that admissions officers are human. They probably won’t respond at light speed. They will be busy sifting through the rest of the emails they get from prospective students, but they should get back to you in a decent time.

Do be concise. You don’t need to provide more background than needed to answer your question, and you don’t want them to have to scroll through your email. Keep it short and straightforward.

Do ask questions college admissions offices can answer. The admissions officer won’t know your interests, skills, or your background. They won’t be able to tell you which major you should pick or which club you should join. However, they can give you more information on program-specifics not laid out online.

Don’ts Of Emailing College Admissions

Don’t use an email that isn’t a variation of your name. While cutiegrrrl_03@email.com might work just fine as your email for other things, don’t use it to email an admissions officer. Make an entirely new email if you have to.

Don’t be rude or combative. Don't email immediately if you’re upset about something. Step back for a day or two before carefully crafting an email devoid of anger. An angry email can undoubtedly hurt your admissions chances.

Don’t write a book. A long email is hard to read and gives admissions officers more work.

Don’t forget to edit. Even if you're excited or in a hurry to send your email, writing riddled with grammar and spelling mistakes is not what you want.

Don’t mark your email as “URGENT.” While the subject and content might be pretty urgent to you, it’s probably not necessary to add it.

Don’t ask a laundry list of questions. It’s totally fine if you have two or three burning questions. More than that, and your email gets longer, and the person receiving it may feel they’re being interrogated instead.

Don’t be a spammer. There’s no reason to email the admissions office every day. If you don’t hear back within an appropriate time frame, you might want to send a follow-up, but nothing more than that.

Sample College Admissions Emails

If you’re still a bit nervous or want to make sure you draft the perfect email, these email examples have you covered.

College Admissions Office Sample Email #1

Dear University X Admissions Office,

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

University X is my first-choice school, and I would love to know my chances of being accepted.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Samantha Smith

987-654-3210

College Admissions Office Sample Email #2

Hello, Ms. Jackson,

My name is Adam Allen, and I’m applying to Pomona College in fall 2022. I am nearly finished polishing my application before this month’s deadline, but I noticed the university has not confirmed that they received my SAT scores yet.

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

Regards,

Adam Allen

123-456-7890

College Admissions Office Sample Email #3

Good morning, Mr. Rodriguez,

My name is Hannah Hill, and I’m in the process of applying to College Y. I am interested in majoring in Biochemistry, but I also have a strong interest in both Health Sciences and History.

I understand that all of these programs are very demanding, but I was wondering if I would be able to declare a triple major and still follow a four-year graduation program. Could you possibly provide me with any clarity on this?

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

Best,

Hannah Hill

123-555-1234

‍

You don’t have to use these examples verbatim. These are just examples to show you the appropriate tone and length.

College Admissions Email FAQs

If you still have questions about how to write emails to a college admissions office, check out these FAQs.

1. How Do You Start an Email to a College Admissions Office?

You should begin by addressing the person/office, introducing yourself, and quickly asking a question admissions offices are able to answer.

2. What Questions Should I Ask College Admissions?

A good question to a college admissions office would be any query you can’t find the answer to online. You can ask about majors, programs, research opportunities, application materials, and much more.

3. How to Ask for a College Recommendation Letter by Email?

When you ask for a recommendation letter by email, you should be polite and professional. Proofread your email for any errors, and be sure that you attach all the necessary materials.

4. How to Finish an Email to a College Admission Officer?

Before you finish your email, remember to thank your college admission officer for their time and help! Good manners will make a big difference.

To sign off, you should use a polite phrase, such as “Sincerely” or “Regards”.

Final Thoughts

Whenever you have a good reason to email a college admissions officer, it’s in your best interest to do so. Remember to keep your tone professional and your writing concise. You’re sure to get the response you need, whatever your questions are.

How to Email a College Admissions Office - 3 Sample Emails