How to Get on College Mailing Lists
With so many options to consider, the college planning process can feel a bit overwhelming. As a first step, you’ll want to learn about different colleges, majors, and scholarships. One easy way to expand your knowledge is to receive information straight from colleges or scholarship programs interested in connecting with you.
By participating in College Board’s free Student Search ServiceTM, colleges and universities that you may not have known about can send you information to help you find a school that's a good fit for you. Follow the instructions below to start receiving emails and mail from colleges and universities.
How do I participate?
- First, visit this page and select Connect Now.
- You’ll need to either log into your College Board account or create one.
- Follow the prompts on screen to learn more about and sign up for Student Search Service.
- If you've already joined Search or after you’ve joined, click Update my Info to update your preferences and information. Keeping your profile up-to-date helps colleges and scholarships send you relevant communications.
You can also opt in to Student Search Service when you register to take the SAT® on a weekend.
What kind of information will I receive?
Colleges may send you emails or mail with information they think is most relevant to you. Colleges may send you:
- Information on financial aid, scholarships, or other ways to make college more affordable
- Overviews of majors, courses, and degree options
- Invitations to recruitment events and campus tours
- Application timeline information
- Details on campus life and student services
You may also hear from nonprofit scholarship providers who offer millions in scholarships each year.
What information about me is shared?
When you join Student Search Service, you agree to share the following information with participating nonprofit accredited colleges and universities (domestic and international), nonprofit scholarship providers, and government agencies administering educational programs:
- General information you provided when creating your College Board account, along with your score range on any College Board exams you’ve taken.
- Colleges that you’ve added to your BigFuture college list. This information helps those colleges see your demonstrated interest.
- Information you’ve provided about your high school performance and activities, along with information you’ve provided about your high school performance, activities, and college preferences.
These organizations rely on this information to discover students who may be a good fit for their programs and reach out to see if you are interested in learning more.
How do I stop receiving mail and email from colleges?
If you’re still in the process of deciding on the college or university that is best for you, we recommend you continue to participate in Student Search Service and only opt out from the specific colleges that you’re no longer interested in. You can typically opt out or unsubscribe from future mailings at the bottom of the college’s email or on their website.
To make the most of out of Student Search, we recommend that you opt out only when you’ve chosen a college and been accepted. If you’ve changed your mind about participating, you can opt-out at any time by visiting this page and updating your preferences.
Visit Student Search Service to learn more.