<p>I got this letter toady:</p>
<p>What does it mean? Has anyone else gotten this?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s a likely letter. As long as you don’t screw up too badly (get suspended, arrested, bad grades), then you will most likely get accepted to Columbia! It’s a likely, but not a guarantee so don’t slack off like major! Congrats! (:</p>
<p>oh wow. Happy day.</p>
<p>Can someone from last year verify this?</p>
<p>What do you need verified? It says, in standard English, that you’ll be accepted if you maintain your grades. :0</p>
<p>xSteven, it says “likely” and it says “favorable word”.</p>
<p>Those words are very vague. I was also wondering how many got this? and how many people got in after receiving this.</p>
<p>I have never heard of something like this being done, so I just wanted some information. =(</p>
<p>Oh, okay then, that’s neat. Congratulations, indeed!</p>
<p>My friend got one last year, and he’s a freshman at Columbia now. The wording is intentionally vague because they can’t tell you anything “official” until March/April.</p>
<p>I see! =D<br>
Now I’m like smiling hugely. :)</p>
<p>I believe likely letters are usually sent to athletes. If you are not an athlete then you have obviously made an impression in some regard. These letters are sent as an indication that it is most likely you will be admitted. Colleges are aware that applicants have submitted elsewhere, and in this case they are giving you a sort of preliminary notice, unofficially, in order that you do not make a decision about another college before considering Columbia.
Congratulations!</p>
<p>^ Ps: a change of nic from sadface to happyface is in order!</p>
<p>I’ll take the sadface name b/c I didn’t get one…not that I was REALLY expecting to get in anyways.</p>
<p>lols at the nic. hmm, I wonder if mods would do that. :D</p>
<p>disasterpiece02:
That doesn’t mean you didn’t get in. Don’t ever give up hope.</p>
<p>keep your grades up, duh</p>
<p>otherwise, congrats!</p>
<p>If they send you a likely letter, then they really want you. All the top colleges agree not to release admissions decisions until late march/early april. If you’re a really qualified candidate, then you’re liable to get quite a few acceptances, and the colleges (since they are, after all, in the business to make money) need to start marketing to you right away. They can’t accept you technically, but they’re allowed to say that you have a 99.999% chance of getting in. ;).</p>
<p>You would really have to work at getting rejected at this point. Like you would seriously need to fail out of half of your classes or murder someone.</p>
<p>Question: Where do you live, Sadface?</p>
<p>Fiddlesticks.</p>
<p>All three of the colleges on my shortlist (longlist?) that I ended up not applying to use likely letters. The others, not so much.</p>
<p>I got one too! Congrats 
I couldn’t believe it either, but I was with a Columbia alum/interviewer when I read it, and she said “You’re in.” Obviously it’s not a guarantee, but close.</p>
<p>oh wow. Thanks guys!!</p>
<p>and I am from CA</p>
<p>Yep, it means you’ll almost definitely get in. Just don’t screw up big time. </p>
<p>Likely letters are also used as a recruitment tool - basically you become familiar with the idea of going to school at Columbia early on and so are more likely to end up going there when you finally get your acceptance. Colleges do this to boost their yield, aka the number of acceptees who actually attend. </p>
<p>But yeah, it means they want you.</p>
<p>Congrats to all of you! I’m a little jealous, not gonna lie.</p>