To know when will you hear back from college….Read on this article…!
Introduction
School time’s over. You’ve worked hard and got your results. What’s next? Everyone rushes through the enrollment processes to pick out their dream college and try and get a seat as soon as possible. Through the whole hectic process, the only thing that matters and works you up is the wait for the result. The time it takes for colleges to respond can freak you out and knowing their response directs how you work things out next, it is all the more important to understand and know what to expect.
Overview
Everyone rants about colleges taking a heap load of time to respond after an application has been submitted. If you’re applying to a dream or grand college or University like Harvard, the wait seems longer and more panicky. However, when should one hear back? How long does it take? Generally, the period is within a few weeks but there’s a lot more to it. Read about how to better understand when you should expect to hear from a college in this article.
When does one generally hear back from college?
Generally, it takes a few weeks to respond when it comes to the acceptance of applications. Needless to say, it is a hectic process that involves millions of applications to look through.You’re usually updated via email or a phone call. Better yet, there may be a list that you need to check to see if you’ve made it. But the question is when? There are more factors than you know that decide when you’ll be hearing back from a particular college. Have a look at a few points:
- The college itself
Whether you apply at a private or public university tells a lot about the wait to receive your application status. If you opt for a private institution, chances are they may take longer to respond given their finer tactics of selection. Moreover, if you’re looking at grand colleges like Oxford, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institution, and so on, the wait is bound to be longer given the higher number of applicants and the close differences in scores.
- Date of application submission
When you submit your application may be a deciding factor in when you’ll receive a response. For most colleges and universities that don’t follow a list format and personally respond to you, the wait may be longer if you’ve turned in your application late. This is a major reason why students rush into the admission process soon after results are out
- Preference and scores
How much in accordance your profile and scores are with the conduct of the University will also affect when you’ll hear from them. If they immediately find good grades and all the values they’re looking for to make you their student, you should hear from them sooner than you think! This is why other fields of your application are also important in comparison to your scores.
- Electives and subjects
If you’ve chosen rare subjects or courses, you’ll likely hear sooner from the college. If there are a few applicants in your field, it automatically speeds up the enrollment process and also doubles the chances of your selection. On the other hand, if you’ve chosen a popular or common degree, you’ll have to be patient for a longer time
- Acceptance rate
The college’s acceptance rate may also define the period it will take to respond. Quite often, college acceptance rates are high and that also speeds up the selection process. For colleges that have a high enrollment or yield rate, the acceptance rate may not be that high and so colleges will take more time to carefully choose students for the remaining slots.
- The college procedure
This is a major factor. The college’s procedure, whether they wish to check once, twice, or thrice, will tell you when to expect a reply. If colleges have a list format for putting out the results, you can expect a response towards the end of the admission period. If your scores aren’t that great, then the wait may be even longer.
Things to do on your part to stay updated
So now you know that colleges reply within a few weeks. Some reply closer to the end of their admission date. Some take even a month. What can you do to stay updated?
- Check out for details on the college website – the college or University website will always have information on when the list of results will be out. If you’re expecting a list, definitely keep checking the official site
- Find potential dates on your application if any – Some colleges may provide instructions as to where and when the results would be out – At Least tentative dates. Be sure to look out for these when you’re filing in your application and remember them!
- Frequently check your mail and sources where you’re likely to receive a response- it’s rare to receive a call saying that you’re selected. The most common ways are via email or through lists. So you want to keep checking both of those regularly. The college will mention how they’ll get back to you so keep an eye on that source so you don’t miss out!
Conclusion
You should ideally hear back within a few weeks from a college. If your grades are high, expect a reply sooner and vice versa. However, keep in mind that the other factors will affect when the college decides to respond. Other than that, you can always look up information on dates and lists. Be sure to turn in your application on time and just patiently wait till you know what the results are!
FAQs
- Will one hear back faster if the college has a roll-in admission process?
Yes. A roll-in admission process is fairly faster compared to a regular one. The process involves replying as the applications come in. Therefore, you can expect responses a lot sooner than the usual processes.
- Is application status available during admissions?
For most colleges, yes. However, it is to be noted that application status is provided mainly for those who apply via a portal and expect a list or so. Personal response processes may not show an application status and will directly inform you if you’re accepted or not.
