How do HYPS court SCEA admits?

Colleges & Universities Yale University
1

<p>In many posts on this website, I’ve read many comments detailing how SCEA allows universities to attract their admits for a longer period of time and thus make them more likely to matriculate. However, I’ve never actually found out how they “court” admits. I’ve heard stories about MIT sending acceptance tubes and nerdy valentines, but I’ve never heard anything about HYPS doing anything special. I personally have not received anything from Princeton other than the generic “academic offerings” brochures they mail to all accepted students, regardless of when they’re admitted. If I already committed to Princeton back in December, will they still send me promotional material advocating that I attend Princeton or am I already old news since I’m going there? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>If you already committed, they don’t need to court you.</p>

<p>My daughter was admitted to Yale SCEA, and she received a phone call from a current student yesterday to answer questions–he was well chosen, because he made the sale and she committed last night. Yale did a few other things, like set up an admitted students message board where students are talking.</p>

<p>Of course, they may do all the same things for RD admits–just later.</p>

3

<p>They set up an SCEA admitted students event in our metro region for pizza and bowling attended by the local alumni schools directors and at least one former admissions officer. I call the student(s) I’ve ineterviewed that are accepted to congratulate them and answer any additional questions. Presumably these extra points of contact before they hear from peer institutions play a role in fostering matriculation.</p>

4

<p>The “likely letter” device, first developed by Princeton among the Ivies, was initially used to tie down recruited athletes being pressed to “sign” with athletic scholarship schools well prior to the April 1 date to which the Ivies theoretically adhere for the issuance of acceptances.</p>

<p>Now, the April 1 date has become essentially a dead letter, since far more than half the class has been formally or informally admitted much earlier.</p>

<p>First, of course, there is the “early admissions” device, which has been steadily expanded over the years, until many elites (and Ivies) use it to fill upwards of half the class before the old January 1 application deadline rolls around. (In truth, when deferred early applicants who are later admitted are totaled in, MORE than half the class often comes from the early pool.)</p>

<p>The day when “likely letters” were restricted to desirable jocks has long since passed. EVERY Ivy now issues them by the bushel - attempting to gain a recruiting edge over its rivals by being the first school to give that math whiz, coveted URM or other demographically desirable applicant his or her “first kiss.”</p>

<p>Dartmouth hands out upwards of 500 of these “likelies” - enough to fill the entire class when added to the “early decision” admits - months before the theoretical April 1 admit date for “regular” applicants. The other Ivies are not far behind.</p>

<p>The goal, of course, is to improve the apparent yield rate in a sharp-elbowing recruiting process vs. the “peer” schools.</p>

<p>The expanded use of “likely letters” shows no sign of abating. What has come to pass, as I have previously observed, is that the common April 1 admit date is now meaningless. For all intents and purposes, the Ivies now have “rolling admissions.”</p>

<p>The issuance of the “likely” is followed up by a range of selling tools, some low pressure and some high pressure, designed to “tie down” the recipient: there can be (1) a series of flattering phone calls designed to take the temperature of the target; (2) a flood of tchotchkes - t-shirts, pennants, sweatshirts, bumper stickers or whatever, designed to show the target that you love him or her, and are prepared to welcome him aboard; (3) other inducements - including the above-mentioned free pizza parties - developed by the schools’ marketing departments, limited only by the relative zealousness and budgets of the recruiters.</p>

<p>The only cloud on the horizon is that the use of the “likely” device has become so widespread that the most “desirable” recruits are now getting MULTIPLE expressions of early love from 3 or more schools! In consequence, expect to see the “likely” recruiting efforts double and redouble, as the schools attempt to outbid each other.</p>

<p>The whole thing is fascinating to watch.</p>

5

<p>Does anyone know when the last likelies are sent out?</p>

6

<p>The deadline is Mar 15, if the schools choose to do so. Don’t be sitting by the window waiting for the mailman though doodle. That’s the inimical thing about any discussion of Likely Letters – it becomes another device to pine for.</p>