How can you tell if college emails are legit?

I've been getting a ton of emails from colleges, and I'm just skeptical about which ones are authentic. What are some tips for identifying legitimate college emails versus spam?

There are a few helpful strategies you can use to differentiate genuine college emails from spam:

1. Check the Email Address: Genuine college emails should come from an official college email address. Normally, it ends with the college's domain (like @stanford.edu, @mit.edu, etc). Be wary of emails from generic domains such as Gmail or Yahoo.

2. Look for Specific Details: Real institutions often provide specific details in their messages, including your name, the name of your high school, and some personal details that a spam mailer might not know.

3. Check the College's Website: If you have any doubts about an email's authenticity, check the college's official website. If the email is about an event, or application deadline, you'll typically find similar information on the college's website as well.

4. Be Mindful of the Language: Genuine college emails usually have a professional tone and should be free of grammatical errors.

5. Do They Ask for Unusual Information? Always be cautious if the email asks for any sensitive information such as your Social Security number or bank account details. Colleges usually do not ask for such details over email.

6. Links and Attachments: Be wary of clicking on unexpected or unknown links and attachments. These can potentially contain malware. Instead, you can visit the college’s website directly.

Remember, it's always okay to contact the college directly if you're unsure about an email's authenticity. It is always better to make sure than to be sorry.