When it comes to college admissions, scholarship applications, and applying for jobs, the email address you use may tell the receiver more about you than you think. When an inappropriate email is used, the receiver may get a negative impression of you that will not easily be forgotten.

As a former Admissions Officer, I saw many inappropriate email addresses. The email addresses were found on inquiry cards I received at college fairs, on emails from prospective students, and even on a few college applications. While I knew some of the email addresses were jokes, some were actual email addresses of potential students who were genuinely interested in the institution.

Each time I saw or received an email from an inappropriate email, I made an assumption about the student. It may not be fair to make assumptions, but just like everyone else, admissions professions are human and an inappropriate email will get them thinking. For example, if you saw an email address such as JoePimp@email.com, what would you think? An email address like that would stay with me, and unfortunately the email address might be the first thing I think when thinking about the student.

Before you start communicating with colleges, scholarship providers, or jobs, think about your email address. Like it or not, your email address will say something to the receiver and you will want to make a good first impression. Therefore, to be safe, stay away from email addresses referring to:

• Alcohol or drinking
• Smoking
• Drugs
• Sex

As an admissions profession, I saw way too many emails using the above themes. For many of the students, their email address was my first impression of them and, unfortunately, their first impression was not great. While an email address was never a reason a student was not admitted, it may have come up when we were making admissions decisions.

An appropriate email address you can use for colleges, scholarships, and a job is your name. If you have a common name like myself (my maiden name was even more common than my married name), using periods, dashes, or numbers can work as well. However, I recommend staying away from numbers that can be perceived as inappropriate as well. Using your name will be seen as professional and an appropriate email address will ensure you will be taken serious.

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