Email might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of communication, especially if you're a high school student. You might associate email with marketing campaigns, bills, and recovering your Disney+ password. However, as you begin to build connections beyond high school, email will quickly become an essential part of your online life.
You may have multiple email addresses—one for school, another for online accounts—some of which might be a jumble of numbers or reflect a much younger version of yourself. These inboxes can easily become overwhelming, with countless unread emails.
I recommend starting fresh with a brand-new email account, especially if you're starting to think about college. Use this new email for anything related to college, including standardized test accounts, application platforms, communication with universities, and interviews. This dedicated college search email can help you stay organized and ensure you don't miss important updates, such as when universities will visit your region or host online events.
Create an email address that clearly includes your name, something like myname@email.com. During your college search, you'll be corresponding with university representatives and staff. Having your name as your email address makes it easy for them to recognize who they are communicating with. It also spares you the embarrassment of using an email address that might not be appropriate in a professional context. Save addresses like mybigpony@email.com for your Twitch account. Use something more practical and straightforward when dealing with universities.
Be aware that testing companies and other higher education-related services may share your email with interested parties. Once you take the SAT, for example, your inbox might start filling up with emails from not just universities, but also invitations to honors societies, summer programs, dorm shopping deals, and other enticing offers. It's important to take these with a grain of salt. The sudden influx of emails isn't necessarily a sign of genuine interest—they're often a result of your email entering the system of enrollment management. Unsubscribe from services and institutions that don't interest you to manage the volume of junk mail. This will help you keep your inbox clear so you don't miss important communications from the institutions that do matter to you.
Keeping a separate email account just for college search and applications will help you stay organized and reduce the risk of losing important emails, such as confirmations that a university received your application, admissions decisions, and financial aid award letters.
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