This week Ms. Garrity shared the following useful tips, especially for students who might have received a message from a college they’re applying to, saying that they are missing a part of their application:

Never be afraid to check in with your admissions rep. There is usually a specific representative for our region. If you think something might be missing, call the admissions office and ask for that rep’s contact info. Not only will it give you some relief, but speaking to the rep shows that you are on top of things and they’ll be more likely to remember your name when reviewing your application. (Note: the applicant should be the one to call and email, not the parent.)

Colleges are slower than you think. Really. They’re not looking at your applications as soon as you submit. Most of the time, they won’t even download your application materials until 2-4 weeks after the deadline. There are some exceptions of course, but often if your portal says you have materials missing, it just means it hasn’t been downloaded from their system yet. If you’re still seeing things missing after 3-4 weeks, check with Miss Garrity and she will call and check on the status.

Check to see who sent the email saying your items are missing. Was the email from the general admissions email? Did it come as a “no-reply” email? If so, this is likely a generic email automatically sent to applicants. Check that you’ve done what you need, but don’t stress. If it came directly from an admissions officer, feel free to forward the email to Miss Garrity, who can check on the materials and communicate with the admissions rep.

Some colleges have weird procedures. We’ve run into issues with some colleges in past years. Salem State, the CUNY Schools, and Canadian Colleges have all been known to send increasingly worrisome emails about missing materials, but then give us a really hard time about updating portals and confirming they’ve received our submissions when we send things again.

Be kind to admissions officers, to us, and to yourselves! Remember that we are still in a pandemic and dealing with the shared trauma that comes with that. Trauma like that, even if you don’t feel it in your heart, can have effects on our memories, our attention to detail, and our patience with others. Take a breath when you feel the panic rising up, and know that we’re here to help.