“I never check my email!” is a refrain we hear all too often from students.  They generally use social media and texting to communicate with family and friends.  However, it’s essential to know that colleges will use email to communicate with prospective applicants and accepted students!  They will use email to track and gauge a prospective student’s interest in their institution.  Has the student opened the emails sent by the college? When and how often? They will use email to communicate if anything is missing to complete a student’s application.  They will notify students of valuable information about events, registration, housing, financial aid, and a multitude of other things via email.  They may even inform their applicants of acceptance, deferral, or denial by email.

So, here’s some advice:  high school students should set up an email by junior year to use for all college-related communication.  Don’t use a school email as there are often security firewalls that may prevent messages from getting through.  Additionally, students won’t have access to their school emails after they graduate.  If possible, choose an email that incorporates the student’s name, and that is appropriate for the young adult world of colleges, internships, and job searches, one to use for many years to come.  Ditch the one that refers to a personal trait or cute nickname.

And then start getting in the habit of checking that email often!