A Guide to College Acceptance Letters
Receiving a college acceptance letter is one of the most exciting times for students in the college admissions process. In this post, we break down what these acceptance letters are, when you might expect one from a school, and the next steps you can take.
What is a college acceptance letter?
A college acceptance letter is an official notification from a college or university that informs the prospective student that the school has evaluated their application and has granted them admission to their institution.
Is a college acceptance letter the same as a decision notification?
Yes, they are the same and can be used interchangeably. Keep in mind that schools prefer you to use the term “decision notification” when looking up their policy on informing prospective students of their admission status.
How do I receive college acceptance letters?
Students typically receive acceptance letters or notifications via email or through the college application portal they set up when they first applied. When applying to schools, it's important to keep track of how each school handles the notification process.
Pro tip: Make sure to remember which email address you used when you applied to your selected colleges. During the acceptance process, they will use that email address as your preferred method of communication.
When do I receive college acceptance letters?
Most students who apply regular decision receive acceptance letters between mid-March and mid-April. Students who apply Early Decision or Early Action typically receive their notification in mid-December or mid-February.
What if I haven’t received any acceptance letters?
There are a few options for students who haven’t received any college acceptance letters.
If you have been waitlisted or deferred and want to see if you can still get into the school of your choice, you should take the steps laid out in this resource on what to do if you're waitlisted.
If you received no acceptance letters from colleges, you should check out these options.
For next steps after receiving college acceptance letters, visit the After You’ve Applied section on BigFuture, which provides more resources.