Key Takeaway
Colleges buy student data from College Board (through the Student Search Service) and ACT to proactively recruit prospective applicants. This is not an offer of admission.
However, over 1,200 colleges use the Student Search Service to find ideal applicants, and, per the College Board, students contacted through Student Search Service receive 29% more offers of admission.
Why Are Colleges Emailing Me?
Many high school students start getting mail from colleges and universities during their junior year. If you’re getting these emails and other types of communications, you might be wondering: Why are colleges emailing me?
While this could be a good sign that schools are interested in you, an email from a college doesn’t guarantee your admission. In fact, there are many reasons you could be getting these emails. In this post, we’ll talk about why you’re getting emails from colleges and what you should do with these emails. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this topic.
As a high school student, It can be exciting to get an email or a brochure in the mail from a school you’ve always been interested in. But before you assume you’ve been fast-tracked for admittance, consider why you are getting this mail to begin with.
In most cases, students receive an email from a college or university after they’ve taken the PSAT or SAT. When you take these standardized tests, your information is sent out to schools across the country. Schools pay to get the names of students that meet certain requirements so they can send out mass advertising emails. This means that many other students are getting similar emails and mail sent to them. So, while it might seem like you are being singled out by a college, this isn’t usually the case.
For the most part, emails and mail from colleges are part of a broader marketing strategy designed to generate interest and attract potential applicants. Schools target students they think will be a good fit, then send out mass emails so that students will consider applying. Though colleges do sometimes personalize the emails they send to students, their doing so doesn’t mean that you are being personally recruited; it’s largely a way of driving up interest in their school.
Schools will often advertise even to students they don’t think have a chance of getting into their institution. Doing so increases the number of applications they receive, which in turn drives down their acceptance rates—two metrics frequently used in college ranking lists.
Are All Communications from Colleges Just Advertising?
Some of these emails might be sent out of genuine interest on the school’s part. There is a chance that a college or university specifically wants to recruit you to attend their school. If you receive a personalized, handwritten note or a personal letter from a coach explicitly discussing recruitment to play a sport, you likely are not just part of some mass mailing. However, in most cases, it’s much more likely that you’ve just been added to a mailing list because you got a decent score on your PSAT.
These emails are like flyers you might get in your mailbox or ads at the grocery store. At the end of the day, you might not be exactly what a particular college is looking for — so try not to read too much into a college email or get your hopes up too quickly.
Does Everyone Get Emails From Colleges?
While you might not be the only person who was emailed by a college, getting emails from several different schools could be a good sign. This means that you meet certain criteria, and could be on your way to attending a reputable institution of higher learning in the future.
Each year, especially after taking standardized tests, many students receive emails from colleges, but not everyone gets these emails. In fact, students have to meet certain requirements to get emails at all. Usually, students who score above a certain threshold will receive emails and physical mail from schools.
Let’s say a student scores 1400 or higher on the PSAT — that could be enough to trigger a personalized email or letter from a college. While receiving one of these messages might feel exciting, it’s important to remember that it doesn’t necessarily mean your score is exceptional. It simply indicates you’ve crossed a certain benchmark. On the other hand, even a strong score doesn’t always guarantee outreach. With so many students taking the PSAT, colleges can’t reach out to everyone—so they also weigh things like your self-reported GPA when deciding who to contact.
Getting one of these emails doesn’t guarantee admission, but it’s a good sign that colleges have noticed you. Even if students all over the country are receiving similar messages, you might be one of the few in your area — which can still feel like a meaningful recognition.
Should You Reply to Emails From Colleges?
You might be wondering whether you should reply to any of the emails you get. If you filled in the box on your PSAT that allows schools to send you promotional material, you’re probably going to get a lot of emails and letters in the mail.
The emails you receive were probably also sent to a few thousand other students. You don’t have to reply to the emails, but if you are really interested in a specific school, it doesn’t hurt to respond. Compose a new email and ask the school for more information about the application process.
Doing so will let schools know you’re interested. You will be put on their active mailing list and get more information about the college. For schools that you actually want to attend, this is a good thing. You aren’t necessarily more likely to get into the schools you like, but it doesn’t hurt to have more information about the admissions process!
What is Demonstrated Interest?
Demonstrated interest refers to a series of actions you can take as a student to indicate to a school that you’re interested in attending. This can range from easy tasks like signing up for information directly from a school to writing a letter of interest, responding to emails from colleges, or reaching out to admissions officers proactively.
Is There Anything Else You Can Do With Emails From Colleges?
Aside from replying to these emails, you might wonder what else you should do with them. While you don’t have to take any action, it can be helpful to look over all the emails you get. Sort through them and see what schools have shown an interest in you. You might be able to find a great school by doing this and you can always delete messages from schools you aren’t interested in.
Also, consider showing your school counselor which schools emailed you. They might have more information about specific colleges, and doing so can help you start a conversation on which schools might best fit you.
Emails from colleges can contain a lot of great information for students but you want to be careful to not have unrealistic expectations about attending schools that reach out to you. As mentioned previously, you have most likely been targeted by a college marketing campaign after you took the PSAT. However, there are some situations when a college email could signal something more meaningful.
If you receive an email after attending a college fair and speaking with an admissions representative, touring a campus in person, or completing an interview, that message may carry more weight and reflect genuine interest from the school.
Take a moment to review each email carefully—many are mass messages sent to large groups of students. However, if an email feels personalized or specifically directed at you, it’s a good idea to follow up and request more information about the school. This will show colleges that you’re genuinely interested and engaged.
How to Get More Emails from Colleges
One way to get more emails from colleges is to join and/or create a profile on the CollegeBoard Student Search Service. You’ll be able to make a profile that contains activities, test scores, academic interest, and more.
Another way to get more emails from colleges is to join their individual email lists, as well as attend college fairs that require registration, so your contact information is passed on. Subscribing to individual colleges is a great way to start to show demonstrated interest as well.
How to Stop Getting Emails from Colleges
Once you’ve decided which schools you like and don’t like, you can mark some of the mail as spam. This way, you won’t keep getting emails from schools you aren’t interested in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does responding to college emails help your application?
Responding to college emails can potentially signal demonstrated interest, which some schools take into account as part of the admissions process. If the email from a college is personalized or occurred after you spoke with a representative from that school, responding might count more.
What is the Student Search Service?
The Student Search Service is a service run by the College Board that connects colleges with students they think stand a good chance of being admitted. It allows schools to contact students they think would be a good fit and enables students to see more colleges that they would be interested in attending.
Should I visit colleges that email me?
If you’re interested in attending that school, there’s no harm in visiting. Just understand most emails from colleges are mass emails designed to recruit a large population of prospective students.
Why are so many colleges emailing me?
The College Board will release select information via its Student Search Service, particularly after standardized test scores are released. If you recently took the PSAT or SAT, that might be why.
Conclusion
Getting emails from colleges can feel exciting—but it’s important to know what they really mean. Most are part of mass marketing campaigns, not personal invitations. Still, these messages can be a useful starting point in your college search. If a particular school catches your eye, don’t hesitate to follow up.
And if you’re unsure how to make sense of it all, HelloCollege is here to help you navigate every step of the admissions journey, from building college lists and writing essays to finding scholarships and creating resumes. We know how difficult it can be to prepare for college and aim to make the process as simple and easy as possible. We want to help you get accepted into the university of your dreams! Reach out today for your free consultation.
