Non-Required Credentials

Applying to College
1

<p>Like many high school seniors, I submit the majority of my college applications recently. Thankfully, many colleges provide a way to check and see if your credentials have been received. Unfortunately, I have found that many of my colleges only indicate whether the required credentials (Common App, Supplement, Fee, etc.) have been received. Herein lies my problem:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>How am I supposed to know if optional, additional credentials (college transcripts) have been received?</p></li>
<li><p>The colleges only say whether or not standardized test scores have been received. How do I know which scores have been received? I have sent two ACT scores and a pair of SAT subject tests to my schools, and I wouldn't want my application to be reviewed based on my 30 ACT and not my 34 ACT. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I was planning on calling each school, but a lot of them have specifically asked to not call, but instead just check online.</p>

2

<p>Too late now, but my kids would enclose a self addressed postcard that Admissions could drop in the mail when they received the materials.</p>

<p>This works sometimes but many Admissions offices didn’t return the card even though they got the material, so you get some false negatives.</p>

<p>You can call or email them asking, but I wouldn’t do it immediately as they’re swamped with materials right now.</p>

3

<p>That’s a pretty neat idea, I like it. It wouldn’t have worked in my case though because I wasn’t the one sending my transcripts, I just requested them and the college sends them. I’m going to keep that in mind for future reference though. </p>

<p>Looks like I’m just going to have to call once the dust settles.</p>