by Alina Burakova 
October 29, 2024
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Writing an email to your admissions officer may seem like a daunting task because these officers have the power to influence your future considerably.
Understandably, when you are writing to them, you might ponder over the phrasing for far longer than necessary and end up with a needlessly complicated draft. Doing so will not invoke your intended positive impression and can dampen your odds. You must create an efficient contact point to introduce and express yourself.
Whatever the subject of this email may be, your objective is to convey your message clearly and concisely while also leaving a nice impression on the admissions officer. The email you send is a formal communication that may become part of your profile maintained by the college or university, so it is important to get it right.
In this article, we will share tips and samples to help you write a perfect email to your admissions officer. We will create the outline of a well-written email that will increase your chances of getting noticed favorably.
College Admission Officers and counselors play a vital role as the evaluators of students’ applications for enrollment. Their knowledge and experience make them uniquely poised to help you navigate through the often-confusing admission process.
Should you have a valid query or concern regarding the admission process or any other relevant matters, you can email your college representative.
Here are some instances when knowing how to email an admissions officer can resolve your woes:
There are a few things that you should consider before writing an email to your college representative. It may help you to think that there can only be three possible responses to your email; positive, negative, or neutral/referral to some other point of contact. Here’s how you can increase your chances of getting an encouraging response.
The admissions officers of any credible institutes are likely to be spammed with scores of emails of various kinds. It is only polite to ensure that the person you are emailing is open to receiving correspondence from you. If a college representative has given you their card, you can email them.
In case you haven’t met the representative and have to resort to cold contact, you would do well to research in advance if they are the right person to address the query or concern you have in mind.
In an unfortunate case where you have heard displeasing news or something has not gone as it should have with the college you are interested in, you must act calmly. In such circumstances, sharing your feelings or opinions on the matter without caution can worsen the situation.
The best thing to do is to write your email without sending it. You can return to it after a few hours and reconsider your phrasing to express your concerns effectively and seek a solution.
Again, one of the most frequent mistakes students make is that they write in an email to college counselors to ‘get noticed’ or ‘appear interested.’ They ask questions that a simple Google search can just as quickly answer. In doing so, they waste the valuable time of the faculty.
Instead of expressing eager enthusiasm, their correspondence comes across as a lack of research and an inability to comprehend available information.
It is wise to send your email with an introduction, required particulars, and then the crux of the matter, which should involve something that the officers know of. Asking your admission officers, ‘ Which academic program will be better suited for you,’ is not an appropriate question.
It is essential to address your email politely with a proper salutation like ‘Dear Mr. Radford’ or ‘Hello Ms. Joanne.’ Make sure that your email id is appropriate and that you have used your name as written in your academic records. Do not use nicknames, slang, abbreviations, or acronyms.
Your writing should reflect that you are a mature person with the ability to communicate in a professional environment. Keep your message specific, polite, and concise. Proof your draft, recheck the names and details, and perform a spelling and grammar check.
You can also use online editing tools (Hemingway Editor) to review your writing.
Now that you must have some idea about how to approach this task let’s refine the outline of a proper email to an admissions officer:
As we mentioned, contact your admissions officer with an appropriate email ID. Next, you should write a specific subject that informs the reader of your intent before they even start reading your email.
For instance, you can post your query as the subject line; ‘Question about internship opportunities available for undergraduates on campus.’ Being specific in your subject will likely get you more attention than some vague or fragmented phrase.
After the subject comes salutation, and here you should use the proper form of address. Please do not use the first name of the recipient officer, as it can appear disrespectful. Instead, use their preferred title and last name.
In this part, you will introduce yourself and give information about yourself. You should refrain from going about how much you love their school or how accomplished you are as a student, as this is not the place to go into those details.
You should only write details your recipient needs to know and move on to the intent behind the email. It is also advised to clarify what sort of help you seek so that they can guide you accordingly.
Once you have said your piece, you should conclude your email politely. You can bid your college rep seasons’ greetings or wish them a happy day. Thank them for their time and effort.
End your email with a closing/sign-off of your choice as long as it is respectful. If they want to contact you, follow up with your name and contact details.
Dear Ms. Smith,
I am Gavin Bradley, and I am applying to Brown University in the Fall of 2024. I am particularly interested in majoring in English. However, I have some lingering questions about the programs of ‘Comparative literature’ and ‘Classics and classical languages, literature, and linguistics.’
I am figuring out if and how these programs overlap. I shall be grateful if you could direct me to a relevant faculty member so I can get my queries answered. I would also like to communicate with a student currently enrolled in these programs to further my understanding of the curriculum and classes.
Thank you in advance for your time and effort. I bid you a great day.
Sincerely,
Gavin Bradley
Richmond, CA
Gavin Bradley
09xx-xxxxxx
You can use the standard polite sign-offs to close your email. Write ‘sincerely’ or ‘best regards’ and follow up with your full name and phone number. It is not likely that your college or university counselors will call you on the given number, yet you should include it nonetheless. If you are declining a college acceptance, express gratitude for their consideration.
If you have been deferred and have received a college waitlist letter, there can only be two reasons behind it. It is either because the admissions committee is trying to determine how you qualify with other students who are part of the regular decision pool, or there may be gaps in your application. When you receive this response, you should take it on time.
You should thank them for considering you and let them know why their school is your top choice. This will be your letter of continued interest. You can also share additional visual or auditory material that puts you in a better light inside and outside the classroom. For further information, you should also check out our article on the best college counselors.
If you have some new materials to forward to your admissions officer, write your email to continue an ongoing conversation. You should reference your previous communication and attach the additional information without going into too much detail.
If you are applying to a law school and have concerns like what to ask a law school admissions officer or how to address them properly, the same technique should work. It would be best to use their preferred titles (as identified in their business cards etc.) to address them. If the title is not clear or unavailable, it is okay to use Mr. or Ms. For more details on the subject, check out our article on the subject.
On a side note, writing optional essays in college admissions is a great way to increase your chances of acceptance. Especially when you are polishing your application or have been deferred for admission, use these essays to pitch yourself as a bright candidate with an optimistic and hardworking disposition.
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