<p>Harvard has sent out 217 of these (Likely) letters so far, and all but ten of them have gone to athletes, according to Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons says that for non-athletic likelies, the admissions office is primarily motivated to reach out to applicants who might not otherwise attend. According to Fitzsimmons, academic likely letters are often sent to students who might not think Harvard was even in the cards.</p>