Many college applicants think they’re done with applications once they click, “Submit”, but they’re not. Nearly every university’s admissions officers send an online applicant portal, which is multifunctional, where students can:
- Track the receipt of all required application materials, like Letters of Recommendation, transcripts, Mid-year Reports (a form and transcript with the Fall term senior year grades, sent by the counselor), admissions interviews (where available)
- Update the admissions officer about changes to a senior year schedule or new extracurricular achievement
- Apply for campus specific scholarships
- Follow the directions to complete the financial aid application process
- Receive their admissions decisions & financial aid award letter
Admissions officers email the applicant portal website and temporary login information, typically within 7-10 business days after submitting applications. Some college admissions officers may send the username in one email and a second email with the password for security reasons.
However, teenagers, who are typically unaccustomed to checking their email or worse will mistake the applicant portals for a marketing solicitation, may not register for their portal, let alone check the portal regularly.
As some admissions officers ONLY communicate with students through the applicant portal about missing required information to complete an application or requests for additional information, then students may inadvertently have their application rescinded from consideration.
Moral of the story:
Check your email & applicant portals regularly (like every 7-10 days)
Educators who first taught and learned from the young in the modern high school classroom, now with 20 years of consulting experience, bring an understanding of the complexity of the modern teenager and the travails of parenting soon-to-be adults regarding their education to bear when advising families throughout the United States and around the globe. See us at Creative Marbles Consultancy
