How to Get Letters From Colleges

Opening a channel of communication with prospective colleges is the most crucial step in your search for a school. Communicating with a school not only lets them know about you, but also lets you learn about them. The recruitment dialogue helps you determine which school is the school for you. One of the best ways to gather this information is to encourage schools to contact you and send you their printed materials.

Any school will send recruitment materials if a potential student requests them. Request printed information by calling the admissions office or filing a request online.

Attend a college fair. Introduce yourself to a recruiter. Ask to be added to their mailing list so they can send you more information.

Visit the campus. If you take a campus tour you will automatically be added to a list for admissions mail-outs.

Distinguishing yourself as a worthwhile applicant can interest a school long before you begin your formal search. Once a school is interested in you they will send you mail on a regular basis. Earn respectable grades and academic recognition at school. Score well on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT. Schools are always looking for accomplished applicants who have already demonstrated their ability to succeed.

Compete for your school's sports teams or distinguish yourself artistically. Schools look for students to recruit, but the athletic department of a school conducts its own independent search. While schools pursue thousands of students each year, athletic teams focus on just a few hundred, meaning that recruiters can dedicate more time to wooing you through the mail and other channels. The same guideline applies to a university's music department and other arts programs. Succeeding in a non-academic area could actually double your college correspondence. You will get mail from the university-at-large for academics and another set of mail from the department interested in your skill or accomplishment.

Make another valuable contribution outside of school. Even things you do away from the classroom can earn you collegiate recognition. Engage in service clubs through the school or elsewhere in the community. A college is a community unto itself. If a school sees your commitment to community, they will gladly begin mailing you to ask you to consider joining their community.