I just submitted my college application. How long should I wait before calling or emailing to confirm they received everything? I’m kind of anxious about this process.
That's totally understandable; applying to college can be a nerve-wracking process. Generally, colleges receive your application pretty much instantaneously when you submit online. That being said, it might take a few days for them to process all your materials and update your application status in their system.
Most colleges will send a follow-up email with instructions about how to check your application status online within a week or two. This online portal will also let you see if any parts of your application are missing or have not been processed yet.
My advice would be to wait about two to three weeks. If you haven't received anything by then, feel free to reach out. Remember to be patient and give the admissions office some time to process everything. Since this time is peak season for colleges, they receive millions of applications and supporting documents. That takes time to sort through and match with individual applications.
In your email, make sure to include your full name, date of birth, and any application ID you were given when you submitted. This will help them quickly locate your application.
Keep track of what the colleges are saying about your application status on your online portal and through emails. If they say that a part of your application is missing, don’t panic. Sometimes, colleges receive materials before they receive your actual Common App/Coalition App/individual school application, and it just sits in a miscellaneous file until your application comes in. Once your application is received, they will start filing these materials with your application.
But if they still haven’t marked off a part of your application as received after some time, then you should directly contact admissions. It’s best to call in this case because you can be sure they received your explanation, rather than hoping an email doesn’t get lost in their inbox.
Good luck with everything! This process can feel stressful, but it sounds like you're staying organized and on top of things, which is great.
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