A likely letter?

Jumper101 · 09-16-2009, 08:15 PM

What does a "likely" letter mean and when would you get one? And what does the letter typically include?
Specifically for sports, but you can talk about academic ones as well.
Thanks

3xboys · 09-17-2009, 09:22 AM

Jumper 101, many of us have written extensively on the topic of likely letters already on CC. If you do a search to get some of your basic facts and then have specific questions, I'm sure you'll get some answers...

sherpa · 09-17-2009, 03:02 PM

The "Joint Statement for Candidates on Common Ivy Group Admission Procedure" is posted on each of the Ivy League's schools' websites.

http://www.princeton.edu/admission/pdfs/0708_ivy.pdf

Quote:

3. Early Evaluation Procedure
a. As determined by each institution, admissions offices may choose to
advise applicants of the probability of admission (e.g., likely, possible,
unlikely). Institutions may issue such probabilistic communications
only in writing, from the office of admissions. Such letters will have
the effect of letters of admission, to be confirmed on the common
notification date, subject to revocation only on the same terms as
letters of admission.

b. Within each institution’s overall admissions process, from October 1
through March 15 an admissions office may issue probabilistic
communications, in writing, to applicants who are recruited studentathletes.
(Such communications given by coaches, whether orally or
in writing, do not constitute binding institutional commitments.) An
applicant who receives one or more such written communications and
who has made a decision to matriculate at one institution is encouraged
(but not required) to notify all other institutions, and to withdraw
all other applications, as promptly as possible.

c. A coach may inquire about the level of commitment to or interest in
an institution of an applicant who is a recruited student-athlete, and
an institution may consider that information in deciding whether or
when the admissions office will offer a probabilistic communication.
But an applicant may not be required to withdraw or not make other
applications, or to refrain from visiting another institution, as a condition
for receiving a written likely communication.

d. An institution may send a “likely” probabilistic communication letter
to a candidate (whether or not the applicant is a recruited studentathlete)
only if the applicant has submitted all of the materials which
the institution requires in order to make an admissions decision.

e. An Ivy school may respond at any time beginning October 1 should
a non-Ivy school offer admission to a recruited student-athlete with a
reply date prior to the common Ivy notification date. A response may
be made only on the basis of written evidence of the offer (e.g., a copy
of an official offer of a grant-in-aid, with a reply date, or a letter from
a guidance counselor), or of confirmation of an offer to the admissions
office by a secondary school counselor.

Good Luck!

Jumper101 · 09-17-2009, 06:16 PM

Thank you very much!

nypups · 09-19-2009, 09:05 AM

Son submitted application for review but hasn't taken SAT II 's yet (next month), so a decision or likely letter cannot be made until he submits them. Is that correct?

3xboys · 09-19-2009, 09:18 AM

Yes, as far as I know no one has ever received a likely letter without first submitting a complete application.

riverrunner · 09-19-2009, 10:27 AM

^^and this means letters of rec and essays, as well. Not just the numbers.

nypups · 09-19-2009, 11:34 AM

Thanks for the replies

sherpa · 09-19-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Son submitted application for review but hasn't taken SAT II 's yet (next month), so a decision or likely letter cannot be made until he submits them. Is that correct?

I would think that riverrunner and 3xboys have it right but on the other hand, let me quote from a Harvard LL that a CC member shared with us a couple of years ago.

"I am delighted to report that the Admissions Committee has asked me to inform you that we will offer you a formal letter of admission to the Class of 2012 on March thirty-first...

...In making that decision we assume that you will maintain your current and personal standards and that we recieve the results of your SAT II tests..."

Which seems clearly inconsistent with the requirements of 3.d.

ChargerFans · 09-21-2009, 12:53 PM

My son got an email expressing that the coach wants to get a likely letter but wants us to give him all the information needed academically. The application is done except for the essays. Does the whole application need to be filled out for them to get the letter. Do the SAT/ACT scores have to be sent directly as well? The email said if we want information about Financial Aid he can get some info on that as well. How accurate are the numbers when everything is official come April?

fauve · 09-21-2009, 04:52 PM

Yes, the whole application needs to be completed. Yes, test scores have to be sent directly from CollegeBoard/ACT. As long as you are scrupulous about sending in correct numbers on the FA forms & FAFSA, the award should be the same in April.

ChargerFans · 09-21-2009, 07:00 PM

Thanks, fauve. Does the essays have to be perfect in every way? The coach wants the app done asap and my son can do that, but in a perfect world I wish he had more time. I was told by a friend who works as a college coach, they don't have to be perfect just "respectable". I don't want to go into details, but in a month or so my son's time crunch won't be as much as it is today and that's when he was planning on concentrating on the essays. The coach knows we are expecting LOI's from other schools in the early signing period and wants to get the likely letter so we'll commit. Happy to do that, but want to really know what is expected. Thanks for any help.

fauve · 09-21-2009, 07:28 PM

It sounds as if the coach is really interested in your son-congratulations! With the coach urging the app asap, I'd go for "respectable"-i.e., no grammar, punctuation or spelling errors. It does not need to be Pulitzer material, but it should be sincere, thoughtful, and show his inner strengths. He can always polish it up, or rewrite it if this likely letter does not come through. Good luck to him.

ChargerFans · 09-21-2009, 09:33 PM

Thank you and to say the least I'm excited. Didn't expect the coach to mention a likely letter before we did. The coach actually said he was on the top of his list and all he needed was his new ACT score that he took on Sept. 12. We hopefully get that on Sept. 28. Wants a commitment from my son before he pursues the likely letter as he says the school doesn't like it if the student doesn't follow through with it. Would love the process to end before November. Would make life easier on everyone.

fauve · 09-21-2009, 11:37 PM

The Ivys definitely want a commitment before issuing a likely letter. Is this school your son's top choice? If, so, you might have the whole process wrapped up soon! (We loved having the the whole thing done before the holidays.)