<p>Okay, when colleges say that will inform you of admission by april 1, does that mean that they send the letters out on the 1 or that they will arrive by the 1?? I'm leaving for a class trip on the 2nd and I don't want to wait any longer to open my admissions letters!!</p>
<p>Purely taking semantics into consideration, "by" implies that you will find out before or on April 1st. However, this is not always the case, as some schools send them out right up to April 1, and then it depends on how fast it takes the USPS to get the letter to you. If you haven't heard by the time you leave, get your parents to open up your mail and call you and let you know, if possible.</p>
<p>i'd just chech the decision on internet that day...</p>