The time between submitting applications and receiving admissions decisions can be an emotional rollercoaster for students. Most students apply to several colleges, and the wait can fill their minds with anticipation and uncertainty as they weigh the paths ahead of them. This window can also change the way students think about a particular institution. Even a student who was once eager to attend can lose momentum during the wait, shifting attention to other options and weakening the intention to enroll.

During this same stretch, admissions staff are deep in application review. Reading transcripts, essays, test scores, activity lists, and letters of recommendation is time-intensive work that must be done carefully, and student-facing communication can slow as a result. A few strategic additions to the communication calendar can keep applicants engaged while that work continues. The momentum built during the wait then carries into the period after admission, when students compare offers and decide where to deposit.

These strategies apply across a wide range of institutions, though the timing looks different from campus to campus. At highly selective institutions, the wait for a decision can stretch for months, and the review period offers an important opportunity to stay in touch with applicants. For institutions with rolling admissions or earlier decision timelines, the wait may be much shorter, and the most important window falls between admission and the enrollment deposit.

The Case for Continued Communication

For students, communication during the wait builds a stronger connection to the institution and keeps it at the front of their minds as decisions arrive. Even students who are deferred or placed on the wait list notice when an institution extends warmth and care throughout the process. A college that communicates with genuine care can leave a lasting positive impression on every applicant and their family, whatever the outcome.

For the institution, these efforts can produce an admitted pool of students who are eager to enroll. These students are more likely to move quickly through the steps that follow admission, such as completing financial aid paperwork, submitting housing deposits, and registering for orientation, which gives enrollment teams earlier and more reliable insight into the incoming class. Continued communication is especially valuable for strong applicants who are likely to receive multiple competitive offers, since a consistent and personal experience can set an institution apart as students compare their options.

Staying Engaged During the Review Period

Small shifts in communication and tone can make a meaningful difference in how students perceive an institution. The strategies below help hold applicants’ interest from the moment they submit until decisions are released. Many of them build on messages admissions offices already send, so they do not require a full overhaul of the existing communication plan.

• Make the first post-application message count. The first message after an application arrives is often about setting up the applicant portal, but it is also an opportunity to thank students for their interest and the time they invested in applying. A brief, personalized note of gratitude helps students feel their applications are valued. Signing the message from the student’s admissions counselor, when possible, also gives students a real person to contact with questions.

• Let students know what to expect, and when to expect it. Share specific date ranges for each round of decisions and communications so students are not left guessing. Explain how decisions and updates will arrive, whether through the applicant portal, by email, or by text message, so students know where to look. Communicating with specificity and transparency builds trust among students and families.

• Communicate with warmth and understanding. The waiting period can feel intense for students, and every message should reflect the weight of their anticipation. Acknowledge the effort students have invested in their applications, and use conversational language that is accessible and free of acronyms and institutional jargon. Above all, messages should sound human, as though they were written by a person who remembers what this moment feels like.

• Segment and time messages strategically. Applicants have different interests, needs, and levels of engagement, and a single message stream rarely serves all of them well. Use application data to tailor content by intended major, geography, first-generation status, or engagement history, and schedule outreach for moments when students are most likely to be comparing schools, such as when other institutions release early decisions. Tracking email opens, portal logins, and event registrations can also flag disengaged applicants who may benefit from personal outreach.

• Keep students connected to campus. Invite students to follow the college on social media, share links to virtual tours, and send short updates about campus happenings. For students who have not yet visited, offer tours, overnight visits, or invitations to public campus events. Text messages work well for brief, timely reminders, since many students check texts far more often than email.

• Reach out to families. Families often play a key role in helping students navigate college decisions, and targeted messaging can keep them involved during the wait. Align family-facing communication with student messages to highlight upcoming action items, invite families to visit, and share resources relevant to this stage of the process. Direct outreach to families strengthens these relationships and keeps everyone informed as decisions approach.

• Communicate clearly with deferred and waitlisted students. Messaging for students who were not immediately admitted should be both compassionate and transparent. Explain that decisions reflect the overall makeup of the incoming class and the space available, and clearly outline next steps, such as submitting midyear grades, along with the dates students can expect updates. Sharing the historical percentage of deferred and waitlisted students who are later admitted gives students useful context and helps them avoid putting their plans on hold for an unlikely outcome.

Building Momentum After Admission

An admission decision opens a new stage of communication. Between admission and the enrollment deposit, students are comparing financial aid offers, revisiting campuses, and weighing their options with family members, and the institutions that stay present during this period are better able to turn admitted students into enrolled students. The work continues after a deposit as well as research has found that as many as one if five low-income students who intended to enroll at a four-year institution did not arrive in the fall. Consistent outreach from admission through the first day of classes helps keep students on track through this period, often called summer melt.

• Make the admission feel personal. Students remember how they learned they were admitted. A personalized letter, a short video from a faculty member in the student’s intended major, or a handwritten note from an admissions counselor can turn a standard notification into a memorable moment. Follow the decision with an invitation to an admitted student day or virtual event where students can picture themselves as part of the campus community.

• Make financial aid clear and timely. Cost is often the deciding factor for students and families, so the financial aid offer is one of the most important communications an institution sends. Deliver offers as early as possible, and present them in plain language that clearly separates grants and scholarships from loans and shows the estimated net cost. Offer easy ways for families to ask questions, such as financial aid office hours, virtual appointments, or a dedicated contact for admitted students.

• Connect admitted students with the campus community. Peer connections can be powerful during the decision stage. Invite admitted students to chat with current student ambassadors, join moderated online groups for their incoming class, or attend sessions with faculty and staff in their areas of interest. These connections help students build relationships before they arrive and give them a clearer picture of daily life on campus.

• Map out every step to the first day. After students make the deposit, the list of tasks can feel overwhelming, especially for first-generation students. Provide a single checklist with deadlines for housing, orientation, placement testing, health forms, and course registration, and send reminders as each deadline approaches. Short, personalized text nudges are an efficient way to keep students moving through these steps over the summer.

• Partner with high school counselors. High school counselors are often the trusted adults students turn to as they make final college decisions. Keep counselors informed about deadlines, events, and next steps for admitted students so they can reinforce institutional messages and help students who appear to be falling behind. Many high schools use college and career readiness platforms to track student applications and postsecondary plans, which gives counselors a clear view of where each student stands.

Building Relationships

The college admissions process is about far more than delivering decisions; it is an opportunity to build lasting relationships with prospective students and their families. Each applicant has worked hard, is carefully navigating next steps, and hopes to be invited into the campus community. Consistent, personal communication from application through enrollment reinforces students’ interest, builds trust, and helps them see themselves on campus. These small, intentional efforts strengthen every stage of the enrollment process and help institutions welcome a committed incoming class.