Do I send an update letter?

I’ve added a lot to my resume, including a position of leadership that would likely keep me off the waitlist, since submitting my candidate profile earlier this fall. How can I add this additional information to my application? Is it typical for applicants to update the admissions office with an update letter during their deliberations in January, February, and early March? Which of these months would be the best time to send an update letter/letter of continued interest?

I’ve had pleasant and engaging interviews, am editing my essays with the help of current students/alumni, and am anticipating strong teacher recommendations. I share this information to wonder if my application is good enough to not require an update letter.

The early quarter-life crisis I’m currently having over admittance will be lessened by your response, thanks!

Did you submit your application? If not see if you can edit it to include the new information before you submit.

If you did submit the application some colleges have portals where you can add additional information. If that is not the case you can email your admissions officer – keep the email short and sweet - reaffirm your interest in the college and state any new accomplishments (admission officers are not looking to read additional essays).

1 Like

Thanks for your comment, @happy1! I don’t see an option to change already submitted fields on the candidate profile. You may be curious as to why I submitted the candidate profile so soon, it was because I needed to submit the candidate profile in order to view the other elements of the application, including the number of required references and the essay prompts. To the admissions officers I spoke with—many of whom I had enjoyable conversations—I will offer a very brief season’s greeting sneakily sharing some of my recent achievements.

Any advice you could give on how to update applications for places where I was interviewed by parent volunteers who may not have access to the back-end of my admissions file? I am aware that the admissions office is quite busy in the first few months of the year, so I’m making an effort not to provide any material in the “Additional Information” sections of the application that is not essential. Thanks!

You should be able to look on the college’s website and find the admissions officer responsible for your geographic area. Send that person a brief update. FWiW I would wait until your application is filed to send any update.

1 Like

Just an FYI - this question is regarding boarding schools, not college applications.

2 Likes

Hi - which application is this? My daughter is using the SAO and she has edited her profile several times to add in new and updated information since she “finished” it in September (updated achievements in her sport, new info for other activities, etc). She has not submitted an application anywhere yet and can see the whole application without sending the profile anywhere. She did mark the box to allow schools to see that she had added them to her list and to see her basic info like name and address, but they cannot see the full candidate profile until she submits the app and pays the fee.

Oops…my bad.

I don’t think you can edit Candidate Profile after you submit it in Gateway.

1 Like

Hi there, I’m using the Gateway to Prep Schools portal. Unfortunately, there’s no edit feature and I was required to submit the Candidate Profile to unlock the rest of the application, including essay prompts and # of required references.

Some schools, like Exeter, will ask you to complete the Candidate Profile first since it serves as the gateway to the unique, Exeter-specific admission site, where you’ll be reminded of what to do next and later view your results.

Good luck to your daughter!

1 Like

I see. She is not applying to Exeter despite close family alumni from there - it is just too big and too much of a “grind” for what she is looking to have in high school. Best of luck to you as well!

2 Likes