How do colleges get your email?

I've noticed that recently I've been getting a TON of emails from colleges. It's kind of overwhelming, tbh. How did they get my email address in the first place? Is it because I took the PSAT or something? I'm curious about how this whole college marketing thing works.

It's completely normal to suddenly receive numerous emails from colleges, especially after you've taken standardized tests like the PSAT, SAT, or ACT. When you sign up for these tests, you have the option to opt into the College Board's Student Search Service or the ACT's Educational Opportunity Service. By opting in, you agree to share your contact information (including your email address) and basic test-related data with colleges and scholarship organizations.

When you share your information, colleges can use the data to identify potential applicants who match their desired profile of students. They may then use targeted marketing campaigns to send you information about their institution, programs, scholarships, and application processes. Note that these emails are primarily to generate interest in their college so that they receive more applications to increase selectivity. So, while it may be informative, most of the emails would be more about marketing than any specific personal connection to you.

To manage the influx of emails, you can create a separate email folder or use an email filter to organize them. This way, you can review the information at your own pace without feeling overwhelmed.

In the future, if you take other standardized tests, remember that you have the choice to opt in or out of sharing your contact information with colleges. Additionally, you can always unsubscribe from particular college mailing lists if you're not interested in that school or decide you no longer wish to receive communications from them.