<p>Out of curiosity. Before anyone goes on an all out attack on certain US Presidents, I realize that some got in through wealth and connections. Did any Presidents of the US received likely letters from Ivy League schools?</p>
<p>LLs are a recent phenomenon. The most recent US president to undergrad at an Ivy would be Mr Obama but he transferred into Columbia from Occidental. George W. arrived at a time before “modern” admissions.</p>
<p>In addition to President Obama at Columbia, Bush the younger went to Yale, and I very seriously doubt that Yale felt the need to send him a likely, since he had 2 pages worth of legacy status, but maybe they did. I doubt that Yale was sending out likely letters when Bush the senior was admitted during WWII. The next before Bush was President Kennedy at Harvard and Princeton. He enrolled late at both, so that should tell you something about the influence of that family, he certainly didn’t need or receive a likely. Before him was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also at Harvard. His family was on the social register in an era where that was considered in the admissions process, so you see where this is going. </p>
<p>The problem is that President Obama is really the first President not to have come from a privileged family that could afford to send him to an elite east coast prep school. Both Bushes went to Phillips Academy, Kennedy went to the Choate School, FDR went to Groton School.</p>
<p>I think it’s safe to say that you’re probably not getting a likely to Yale. Sorry. Good luck on the 27th.</p>
<p>Obama went to an elite private school.</p>
<p>We know nothing of his college record. He has spent a lot of money to keep this from the public. He was not the kind of student to get a likely letter (just google Choom Gang)…</p>
<p>Punahou school is elite for Hawaii. I don’t think it comes into the conversation if one is discussing Sidwell, Choate, Andover, Harvard Westlake, etc. </p>
<p>One can certainly argue that he wasn’t a middling student at undergrad. Pton wasn’t desparate to accept him as a Junior transfer student unless they saw some value. Later, he certainly showed his mettle at HLS becoming Law Review editor.</p>
<p>^^ For the record, under federal law (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974), it’s illegal for a college to release a former student’s records without that person’s specific, written permission. Obama has’t released his college records, nor has any other president. George W. Bush’s grades at Yale eventually became public only because somebody leaked them to the press. Bush himself refused to release them.</p>
<p>I highly doubt Columbia, or anyone, issues a likely letter for transfers. So I think it’s safe to answer the original question as “No”</p>
<p>Thanks Gibby and T26E4 for clarifying this. I think original OP’s point was that obama was not from a priveliged background…He was certainly privileged enough to go to the premier private Prep School in his state. I had heard that Obama paid lots of money and went to great lengths legally to keep his college record from the public, but I guess others did this, too?</p>
<p>Just to put this nonsense to bed: <a href=“Obama's 'Sealed' Records - FactCheck.org”>http://www.factcheck.org/2012/07/obamas-sealed-records/</a></p>
<p>I got a likely to another ivy the other day @energia any idea if they’re still being sent out by any schools?</p>
<p>@ivymatt: congrats on your LL. But why the fascination with other schools LLs? You’ve gotten one golden ticket and you now seem to be asking about them more, more and more. How would energia or anyone outside of the decision rooms know if more LLs are coming? The deadline is 15 March. That we do know. Anything else is pure speculation – and only that.</p>
<p>deadline for what is 15th March? Sending likelies? </p>
<p>^Yes. The windows for LLs is Oct 1 to Mar 15 by joint agreement.</p>