T26E4

From my experience w/Yale admissions as an alumni volunteer, here are some facts for potential Yale applicants (much of which applies to Likely letters in general)

1) What's a Likely Letter? Yale and some other selective private schools will send out handfuls of letters out to their most coveted recruits for the incoming freshman class. These act as unofficial offers of acceptance and are clearly worded as such. They are "unofficial" because by Ivy agreement, "official" offers can not be made before April 1 (except by those colleges that offer EA/ED). These letters are, in a way, to keep the students from pre-maturely committing to other offers (e.g full athletic scholarship offer from a State school) and to confirm to the applicant that a spot is awaiting them. NCAA rules allow many colleges to seek "letters of commitment" from athletes. This is a way to counter that impulse.

2) How does this differ from other communiques from athletic coaches? The language that coaches use is defined and often limited in scope ("I'll talk to admissions on your behalf", "I'd like you to apply", "We're interested. Please send us a tape"). Likely letters are issued by the Admissions office and are unequivocal with words to the effect of "Unless you screw up major, you will receive an offer of admission from us in April"

3) Do only Athletic recruits get Likely Letters? No. Yale sends out about 100 Likely Letters to non-athletic applicants. These are clearly the cream of the crop amongst that year's applicants. Knowing full well that these kids will be the most sought after by peer institutions and will be the ones most showered with merit financial aid, Yale sends out Likely Letter as a clear statement that "We want you. Please come to New Haven"

4) What if I don't receive a Likely Letter? Am I sunk? Yale accepts about 1950 applicants each year. Only 200-300 Likely letters are issued. My calculator tells me that the vast majority of accepted students never get one.

5) When do Likely Letters get sent? The Joint Ivy agreement says that highly coveted athletic recruits may even receive them in the fall starting on Oct 1-- along with strong suggestions that the kids apply SCEA. It strikes me that the super slam-dunk YES, non-athlete applicants in the SCEA round won't get Likely Letters because they're informed of their acceptance in mid December. All SCEA admitees are highly courted from December until May, the formal reply date. The bulk of Likely Letters seem to go out in the early part of the year (late January to February). The last dates these could possibly go out is March 15.

6) How Reliable are Likely Letters? According to anecdote, the LL is the college's commitment to the student. Only tremendous student foul ups (grades drop off a cliff, criminal activity, fraudulent application materials, etc.) would cause a reversal. But then again, these would cause a college to rescind a regular admissions offer, too.

I hope this helps. If I'm off, hopefully someone tweak my info. Good luck all. Enjoy your senior year!

PS: I never got one. Never heard of them until a few years ago when I interviewed a girl who had one from us and Harvard. She chose them and I'm glad she did! She was quite unlikeable.

riverrunner

Athletes who want to know even more about Ivy League likely letters and athletics should cruise on over to the Athletics Recruits forum under College Admissions. They're discussed at length over there...

Athletic Recruits - College Confidential

Great summary, T26- wish someone had posted something like this a couple of years ago!

vicariousparent

Does any college ever send 'unlikely' letters?

e.g.: Thank you for your interest. Unless you discover a new virus or invent a new vaccine or bring peace to the mideast before April 1st, it is highly unikely that we will offer you admission.

Booklady

Back in the day (mid-70's), the colleges I applied to sent you a postcard not long after you applied indicating whether your admission was Likely, Possible, or Unlikely. So yes, they did exist, after a fashion.

wjb

Hear hear. Please guys, don't agonize when you don't get a likely letter!

These questions surface over and over. Entomom, is it possible to "sticky" this thread?

entomom

To repeat, don't go crazy if you don't get a likely letter. Three years ago D1 didn't get a likely letter: she was accepted to Y SCEA, accepted to all her RD schools, including H&P and a full ride to Michigan plus other merit scholarships.

pk92

Good info, T26. What would be considered a "super slam dunk YES, non-athlete" candidate?

No likelies are likely (sorry, couldn't resist) for SCEA applicants, then?

AdmissionsAddict

My observation (based on my neck of the woods only) is that especially strong science/math students are the group outside of athletes most likely to get a likely letter. I've seen one musician get one.

EngProfMom

^Likely letters to non-athletes seem to be based on very strong academic records as evidenced by a combination of very high test scores, GPA, and ECs related to field of study. DD who was accepted to Yale SCEA in December subsequently received likely letters in February from Columbia and Chicago on this basis.

@Admissions Addict -- DD had high test scores in math/science but her essays and ECs made quite clear that her primary interests were in humanities. Outstanding humanists DO get likely letters.

AnudduhMom

Echoing EngProfMom:

"Outstanding humanists DO get likely letters."

-- including outstanding essayists, as in the college essay (and any other writing samples).

wjb

Re post 8: Despair not, math/science kids. Son, who had national awards/accomplishments in one of the sciences and in music, got no likely letters. Zero. He got into Yale SCEA and into into H and P in the RD round.

worknprogress

Ditto here for D.

No likely letters, but accepted HYP, Williams, Amherst, Full Ride Penn State.

Fortunately, she did not know about likely letters. I, on the other hand did. Thanks for the Quick Facts - I know I would have been more relaxed if something like that had been posted.

wjb

worknprogress: Googling the words "likely letter" is how I stumbled on CC back in the Paleolithic Period, when my daughter was applying to colleges! I learned what a likely letter was, and a whole lot more.

Stupefy

HAHAHAH that would suck

plinz345

If someone applied to SCEA in early September and if they were to get a likely letter, when would it arrive?