3 Formatting Tips for Emailing Admissions

You have narrowed your college list, you're doing your research, and you know that you want to stay in touch with your top choices all the way through application season.

Beyond the fact that many colleges want to gauge your level of interest in attending, cultivating a relationship and opening a direct line of communication with your regional admissions counselor at a college can help you get answers to questions you might not be able to find elsewhere.

Here are three tips for crafting a great introductory email (remember that these are principles that can apply to nearly ANY email you write):

Tip #1: Use the Subject Line Wisely

Most people who use email addresses in an official capacity have very limited time to get through their inbox and respond. Help your reader out: use the subject line to get your request across clearly and concisely. Don't make them have to guess what the email is going to be about.

Tip #2: Use Space to Make the Body of the Email Reader-Friendly

Imagine that you're sitting down to do your homework, and the first page you open up to in your textbook is one solid block of text, covering the page. Sigh. We've all been there. Whatever resolve we MIGHT have had instantly drains away. Boring. So much work for my brain.

So do your reader a favor: let in a little air. See if you can think about your message in three parts: the intro, the body, and the call to action. The intro establishes the context for reaching out. The body provides more in-depth information, and sets you up to make your request. And the call to action asks for something specific.

Tip #3: Strip Away Any Words that You Don't Absolutely Need

A good rule of thumb for this is that all the text of your email fits on one window, even with spaces. If you have a number of different questions, you might want to consider sending multiple emails. Make sure that you're only including information that is directly related to the request that you're making.

Other than that, keep the tone polite, respectful and upbeat (remember, this is about showing off your excitement!), and make sure that your email demonstrates that you are a competence writer. Use good grammar, spell check the text, and make sure to proofread carefully. 

Ten Out-of-the-Box College Offerings

Many families get stuck in trying to dig up the real differences between colleges. The basic distinctions are out there: size of the student body, public versus private, research university versus liberal arts college, location, name brand, etc. 

But there are so many schools thinking just a bit outside the box -- doing something just a little different, which many families have often never even heard of.

I thought I'd use this post to toss out a list of the specialized offerings out there that might dramatically change the college experience for a student considering the options:

1. Honors programs: often a way to get the best of both worlds -- a tight-knit learning environment in a big university environment -- these programs have many variants. Of note: check out Swarthmore's seminar program.
2. Co-op programs: build a robust word resume during your undergraduate years by alternating semesters between internships and the classroom. Of note: Northeastern University's co-op program has helped elevate the school's profile across the country.
3. Design your own major: another steadily growing offering at many schools, students get to cobble together their course of study according to their interests -- with sound advising, of course. Of note: Hampshire College was built around the idea of a customizable course of study. (Just don't let them hear you call it a major!)
4. Block programs: concentrate...just one thing at a time! Taking one course at a time is a radical shift for many students, but the alternate schedule affords some unique opportunities. Of note: get a sense of the possibilities Cornell College's program affords its students.
5. Major-minor requirements: the jobs of tomorrow demand an ability to think in an interdisciplinary way. While many schools offer students the possibility of multiple majors and minors, there are few that mandate it in their curriculum. Of note: Allegheny College lays out an simple case for why a major-minor requirement is in the student's best interest.
6. 4 + 1 accelerated degree programs: if you're REALLY the academic type, earn your bachelor's AND an MA, MPH, MBA, or MS degree in half the time (and tuition dollars!) it'd take otherwise. Of note: the Claremont Consortium has pooled all of its five schools' resources and offers a variety of options.
7. 3-2 engineering programs: torn between a bachelor's in science and an engineering track? With this program, you can graduate with both degrees in five years. Of note: Goucher College's partnership with Columbia University balances the small liberal arts experience with a powerhouse research university.
8. January term: take a little break from the regular ol' semester system with a winter interlude. Travel or take that art intensive you've always wanted. Of note: St. Mary's College in CA does Jan term right.
9. Great books curriculum: if you're an avid reader with an insatiable love of learning how all of our major Western fields of study came to be what they are today, look no further. St. John's College, which has campuses in Annapolis, MD, and Santa Fe, NM, offers this singular track.
10. Financial literacy course requirements: why basic financial literacy isn't a core part of our schools' curricula -- at the secondary or post-secondary level -- is beyond me. It's a part of life. Of note: Champlain College stays true to its pre-professional roots with its required financial literacy coursework.

Nick's Picks: Spotlight on McDaniel College

The Spotlight on Admissions series features brief conversations with college representatives from across the country, sharing a little bit of their wisdom from their time in admissions. 

Check out this conversation with Emily Davis, Regional Assistant Director of Admission for the West Coast at McDaniel College: