Question

Jill, high school student

“Hi! I’ve submitted my applications to the universities I want to attend. What should I do next?”

Which of the following should you tell Jill about the follow-up process?


No need for you to follow up with the schools yourself. If they need something or have other questions, they'll get in touch with you.

You should probably check the student portals at the schools you applied to. You'll be able to see if they need more information or other documents from you.

Wait three days and then, if you don’t hear anything, call the office of admissions and ask if there's a problem with your application.

Answer 1

Tell her the second one — check the student portals — and explain why the others aren’t the best advice.

What to tell Jill (short checklist)
- Regularly check each school’s applicant/student portal and the email address you used on applications. Portals will show if anything is missing, requestable, or if they’ve posted a decision.
- Check your spam/junk folder and voicemail so you don’t miss messages.
- Confirm that transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters were submitted (ask your counselor/teachers to confirm).
- Only contact admissions if the portal or email asks you to, if a required document is missing, or if you haven’t received any acknowledgement after a reasonable time (follow each school’s stated timeline). Don’t call just three days after applying — that’s usually too soon.
- Keep working hard in school, save copies of everything you submitted, and be ready to send updates (mid‑year grades, awards) if appropriate.

If you do need to call, have your application ID, name, and the specific issue ready and be polite and concise.