When should we expect those fancy "Denied" letters?

Applying to College
1

<p>So, after being caught up in a world of accepted this, accepted that, I feel as if the letters that everyone starts breathing heavily over have been completely ignored.</p>

<p>First generation college hopeful here asking anyone who knows or would like to comment on, when should I start stacking up ambiguous letters from colleges I've applied to so I can stare at them with imaginary x-ray vision in hopes it's not "No" or just a bunch of textual laughing?</p>

<p>Feel free to answer in a serious or joking manner.</p>

<p>Also, do most colleges at least let you know that they have decided to look for greener pastures?</p>

2

<p>why is a princeton student going around giving everyone false information?</p>

3

<p>^ “Feel free to answer in a serious or joking manner.”</p>

<p>In all seriousness, OP, admit AND deny letters start going out in March.</p>

4

<p>Rolling admission can come any time. Most colleges, however, send their rejection/acceptance letters near the end of March.</p>

5

<p>And then there are the outliers, such as USC. USC is not on rolling admission or EA, but have two due dates, one in December for scholly apps and the other in January. The December apps expect the beginning waves of notices any day now. And I mean waves. The acceptances come out in dribs and drabs. The rejects come in a torrent close to April.</p>

6

<p>Back in the day, (mid-70’s), some colleges would you a postcard not long after you applied indicating whether your admission was Likely, Possible, or Unlikely.</p>

7

<p>Most colleges indicate when they send out letters - and yes, accept or deny (or defer for various early options) all come on the same day. Accept letters are often thick packets or accompanied by thick packets. Reject letters are generally thinner. Nearly all the more selective schools will send them over a fairly small number of days. You may need to wait an extra day or so if you are a long ways from a school.</p>

8

<p>^ Often, not always. Some schools will send an acceptance in a thin envelope, with a thicker one to follow several days later. And then there is the occasional college (Penn State last year comes to mind) which will, for some reason, send a rejection in a big fat envelope.</p>

9

<p>Anytime, especially in March as everyone usually have already heard back by early April.</p>

10

<p>Some schools Fedex accept letters and send denials regular mail.</p>

11

<p>I wasn’t sure if rejection letters came after acceptance or at the same time, thanks for the answers all!</p>

<p>@TheZap
I would assume, depending on the school, that some letters of rejection are in fact fancy.
Though the term “fancy” is just one of my favorite words to use, here it holds no particular description of the actual class or taste of the letters.</p>

12

<p>“Some schools will send an acceptance in a thin envelope, with a thicker one to follow several days later.” (haavain)</p>

<p>The majority of my acceptances (rolling) thus far have been in thin envelopes with the
exception of Northeastern and Catholic. </p>

<p>Usually, though, you get your decision by email first if you have access to a computer. Not sure if they deny through email - I’d assume so.</p>

13

<p>My daughter has gotten two acceptances by voice messages on her cell phone!</p>

<p>She HAS gotten one rejection, but it wasn’t a rejection per se, just a notification that the program she applied to was full and “no longer accepting applicants”. She could still “call so-and-so at this number for general admission, blah, blah, blah”. That one was in a thin envelope that, while holding up against a window, I could read enough to know it wasn’t good news…</p>