{ I N D EPEN D EN T S C H OO L G U I D E }
trade; for more information on this check out: www.propublica.org/article/the-admission-arms-race-six- ways-colleges-can-game-their-numbers and www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/innovation.html?_r=0 EXTRA DO. Worried you won’t have time to fill out all the contact cards or forms? Pre-print a page or two of labels with your name, address, email, high school, and academic areas of interest, then at the fair all you’ll need to do is peel, stick, and move onto the next. INSIDER INSIGHT. You might not have thought of this, but after the fair some admissions officials go back to the contact form and fill in their own notes about things that might have struck them about one or other student they met: a sort of instant recommendation. DON’T stay Past the Closing Bell. College fairs, especially evening fairs, can be wearing on college reps: It’s their last task of the day, they’ve been standing the entire time, and as the fair draws to a close, they start thinking about Writing an admissions person, or a college rep, or (in some cases) even a departmental advisor or professor, is a different kettle of fish than texting, tweeting, or snapchatting your best buddy. what movies are available in the hotel or how far a drive they have. Actually, you’ll see some reps packing up their banners and displays before the fair ends in order to get a head-start out the door. Be respectful and kind to let them get rolling, even if they seem like they will stay to answer more questions. They’ll appreciate it. EMAIL ETIQUETTE In the course of your college quest, especially at schools where “demonstrated interest” (that is, your having repeated contact with the admissions staff) counts, you’ll have occasion to reach out by email many times. But writing an admissions person, or a college rep, or (in some cases) even a departmental advisor or professor, is a different kettle of fish than texting, tweeting, or snapchatting your best buddy. Here are some things to consider before clicking “Send”: Email is forever. Once you send it off, you can’t get it back. Anything you send to
admissions personnel might actually go into your application file— and be there when they’re considering whether or not to let you in. Email goes where it’s told. Check—and double check—to see that the right address appears in the “TO” line. Just because your mom and regional rep are both named Megan is no reason to send “all your love” to an admissions officer. Admissions officers might not like — or even open—mail from youwantme@hotbod.com . Make sure you use an “acceptable” email address, like your. name@gmail.com Subject lines are for subjects. Put a brief explanation of the nature of the email (like “question about early decision” or “financial aid question”) in the subject line. Never include demands such as “Urgent request: immediate response needed” (it’s not their fault that you haven’t thought to ask ‘til the day it’s due). Salutations matter. The safest way to start is with “Dear Mr. or Ms. So and So” (using their last name)—or use the title on their business card or the admissions web page. Less good: “Hey, Kate, “ or “Yo, Joe.” Clear and concise is best. Your admissions rep might get twenty-five to thirty emails a day. So it’s best if you ask your questions in as focused and succinct a way as possible (hint: it’s often good to number your questions). And if your question is very elaborate or multifaceted, it’s best to call the admissions or financial aid office. You’ll get better service that way. THIS IS NOT A SHOUTING MATCH. Don’t write in all uppercase letters (which is an email convention for anger or other strong emotion). No one likes being yelled at. No one really likes emojis and smileys. Trust us on this one. This is not Facebook. Don’t write the admissions rep in the same way you’d post on your friend’s wall. This is not texting. So pls dun wrte yor profeSR lIk ur txtN. uz abbrz @ yor own rsk. coRec me f Im wrng. (Translation thanks to www.transl8it.com , which features a neat little Facebook widget.) Spelling mistakes make you look like a doofus. So always use the spel check and proofread yyour email, two. Grammar mistake are not so good, either. Sign-offs and signatures count. Always end by thanking your admissions rep for his or her time and closing with “Best wishes” or “Regards” (or some other relatively formal, but friendly closing). And always sign with your (entire) real name, not some wacky nickname like Ry-Ry or Biff. Your rep doesn’t want to hear your philosophy of life. Skip the cute quotes or statements of your religious or political views at the bottom of your e-mail. You never know what offends. * WESTONMAGAZINEGROUP.COM 181
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker