Application Management · 2026-06-29
Following up on submitted applications without being a nuisance
How to check application status, when to follow up and what to say.
After submitting an Australian university application, the waiting period begins. For some applicants, the silence is anxiety-inducing, and the temptation to email the admissions office every few days is strong. But excessive follow-up can irritate the very people who are assessing your application. At UniApply Australia, we teach students a structured approach to post-submission follow-up that balances the need for information with respect for the admissions process. Following up effectively is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with a clear methodology.
The first step is to understand the expected processing time before you submit the application. Australian universities typically publish processing time estimates on their admissions pages. For undergraduate applications through Tertiary Admissions Centres, offers are often released in rounds on published dates. For direct postgraduate applications, processing can take anywhere from two weeks to several months, depending on the course, the volume of applications, and the time of year. Knowing the expected timeline gives you a baseline against which to judge whether follow-up is appropriate. If the published processing time is six to eight weeks, contacting the university after two weeks is premature.
The application portal is your first source of status information. Most universities provide an online portal where you can check the status of your application—whether it has been received, whether it is under assessment, whether additional documents are required, or whether a decision has been made. Check the portal regularly, at least once a week, and note any updates. Many delays are caused by the applicant not responding to a request for additional documents that was posted in the portal but not separately notified by email. If the portal shows that additional information is required, provide it promptly and completely. If the portal shows that the status has not changed for longer than the published processing time, that is your trigger to follow up.
When you do follow up, be specific and concise. Do not send an email that simply asks 'Any update on my application?' This type of generic inquiry adds to the admissions team's workload without providing them with any useful information. Instead, send an email that includes your applicant ID, the course you applied for, the date you submitted your application, and a specific reference to the status information that has prompted your follow-up. For example: 'I submitted my application for the Master of Data Science on 15 October 2025. The published processing time is six to eight weeks, and it has now been nine weeks. The application portal shows the status as under assessment with no update in the past three weeks. Could you please confirm whether my application is still being processed or whether any additional information is required from my side?' This email is easy for the admissions officer to action because it contains all the information they need.
The frequency of follow-up matters. A single, well-timed follow-up is appropriate. Weekly or daily follow-ups are not. After your initial follow-up, allow at least two to three weeks before sending another, unless the admissions team has requested a response from you within a shorter timeframe. If you are approaching a critical deadline—an offer from another university that requires a response, or a visa application deadline—mention this in your follow-up, as it may allow the admissions team to prioritise your application. But do not fabricate urgency; a false claim of a competing deadline is easily discovered and will damage your credibility.
If you need to follow up by phone, prepare for the call in the same way you would prepare an email. Have your applicant ID, the course name, and your submission date ready. State clearly who you are and why you are calling. Be polite and patient; the person answering the phone may not be the person assessing your application, and they may need to transfer you or take a message. Phone follow-up is appropriate when email has not been answered after a reasonable period, or when the issue is urgent and time-sensitive. However, phone calls are more intrusive than emails, so reserve them for situations where email has not worked.
If the university requests additional documents or information as a result of your follow-up, treat the request as the highest priority. Respond within 24 hours if possible, with all the requested information clearly labelled and referenced. A prompt, complete response to a document request signals that you are organised and serious about your application. A slow or incomplete response squanders the momentum your follow-up created.
While waiting, continue to advance your backup plans. If you have applied to multiple universities, the waiting period for one can be used to prepare documents for another, to research accommodation options, or to improve your English test scores if you are retaking the test. Productive waiting is less stressful than passive waiting, and it ensures that if your first-choice application is unsuccessful, you are ready to move forward with your alternatives without a panicked scramble.
If your application is ultimately unsuccessful, follow up one more time to ask for feedback, if the university offers it. Not all universities provide individual feedback on unsuccessful applications, but some do, particularly for competitive postgraduate programs. A respectful request for feedback—'I understand my application was not successful, and I would be grateful for any general feedback that could help me strengthen future applications'—may yield insights that improve your next attempt. Do not argue with the decision or demand a review unless there is a formal appeal process and you have grounds for appeal. An unsuccessful application is disappointing, but it is not personal, and a professional response reflects well on you.
Following up on applications is a balance between advocacy and patience. You are entitled to know the status of your application, particularly after the published processing time has passed. But you are one of many applicants, and the people processing your application are managing a workload that peaks seasonally. By following up at the right time, with the right information, and with the right tone, you can get the information you need without making yourself a problem. UniApply Australia's application tracking tools help you monitor deadlines and processing times, but the judgment of when and how to follow up—the human touch—remains yours.