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How to Get Free Shirts From Colleges (Honest Tips)

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In today’s freebie guide, I wanted to offer some tips as to how you can get free shirts from colleges near you. While the advice I’m about to offer isn’t guaranteed, it may increase your chances at a freebie.  Depending on the college you’re contacting, your odds will vary, but it may work.  You can’t win if you don’t try, right?

So, whether you want to support a college because you went there or maybe you just like their football team, I hope these tips help you land a free college t-shirt at your doorstep.

Remember, this isn’t guaranteed, but it may help.  Just don’t get mad at me if you don’t luck out.

How to Get Free Shirts From Colleges

#1 Simply Email Admissions

This is how the “Zhaomaster” received more than 300+ free college t-shirts when he sent out more than 20,000 emails.  He just e-mailed the admissions department and asked nicely.  Aside from the t-shirts, he received more than 5,000 pieces of mail! It seems simple, but I feel this is the best way to do so.

Now, this strategy was used more than 10+ years ago, and if you were to do the same today, I promise you that you may only get a few responses.  In fact, I have read that a lot of people have been ignored.  So, what you’re going to want to do is only e-mail a college you’re interested in and let them know that you plan on attending, etc.  As long as you show genuine interest and your e-mail is unique, you may find yourself with a free t-shirt or two.  While you can try 1,000+ other colleges at once, don’t be discouraged with the results.

The key here is not to send out 300+ of the same emails, stating that you just want a t-shirt.  You will want to make sure it’s personable, and again, offer a reason as to why.  Plus, I wouldn’t recommend sending out 300+ emails, maybe only a few.  In doing so, who knows where this option can take you?  In some cases, you may receive something else instead, such as a pen, bumper sticker or notepad.  It just depends on who you e-mail.

TIP:  To find the admissions email without having to go to every website, refer to this Google Doc.



#2 Earn Points on Swagbucks and Other Survey Sites

Okay, this is outside the box thinking, but I wanted to mention it as it’s a great way to get any t-shirt you want or anything for that matter.

What you will want to do is sign up for a company called Swagbucks.  It’s 100% free, and in many cases, they offer a $5 bonus.  This is a great stepping stone.

Once you sign up, you will be asked to complete offers, surveys, etc, all of which pay you anywhere from $0.25 to more than $50+.  It just depends on what you do, but the great thing is that you can get started ASAP and can have a gift card in hand in as little as 48 hours.  Just start taking the surveys, completing some offers, and then cashing out for a retailer gift card or even PayPal cash if you want.  You can learn more about how to make more money on Swagbucks here.

I know it’s not a freebie, but you only need to invest a few minutes of your time to earn a few dollars every day.  Do it for a week and you should earn at least $25+, enough for a t-shirt somewhere.

Swagbucks isn’t the only game in town, either, as there are many alternatives you may want to check out as well if interested.  If you’re looking to make a few dollars, it’s a great way to do so.  You just won’t get rich.

#3 Attend a College Fair

If you’re planning on attending college in the fall, consider looking up some college fairs in your area.  You may be surprised as to how many are operating at any given time in the year and how close they may be to your location.

Simply search for something like “college fair near me” and see if any are near by or worth going to.   CollegeFairGuide.com is a great resource as well.

If you wanted to research colleges, this is a great way do so and get freebies, such as a t-shirt.  Again, this isn’t guaranteed, but fairs in the past have given away many freebies, that’s for sure.  I just can’t promise they are handing out t-shirts.

Also, just like college fairs, visiting a campus on an official tour is a great way to get a freebie, too.  Many people have reported getting a free shirt for doing so.

#4 Clothing Swaps Sites

If you really want free college t-shirts for some reason and you have some clothes rotting in your closet that you’re willing to give away, then consider swapping it out.

I did create a guide on the more than 21+ swap and trade sites, but there are some that specifically work with clothing such as Rehash and Swap Society.

It’s as easy as create an “exchange list,” requesting college shirts or you can see what other people have to offer.  Of course, it doesn’t have to be just college shirts, either.

Final Thoughts

Free college t-shirts are possible, but it won’t be as easy as in the past since so many people email for the sake of a freebie.  These strategies are going to work, but it’s going to take some time.  Just remember that some colleges won’t send you a t-shirt, but rather, some freebies like a flag, sticker, etc.  As long as you’re okay with it, attempt these tips!  As you can see, there’s more than just e-mailing the admissions office.  Also, if you love free clothing, be sure to check out my free clothing guide as well!

That’s going to do it for now.

As always, check out the many guides I have written here as well as my YouTube channel.  I continue to add as many honest guides as I can.  Plus, if you have tips you want to add, feel free to do so via the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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