U Chicago is the only college that sent unsolicited mailings that almost tempted my kid. She saved a couple of them because they were so clever. The best was a postcard with her named spelled out in cool gothic script, and the script was comprised of a mosaic of photos. She researched the school and decided it wasn’t right for her, but they nearly got her to apply.
Here’s a nomination for one of the worst.
My alma mater, Brandeis sent out a brochure a few years ago to my S when he was in HS.
The entire front cover of the brochure (magazine-sized) was a color photo of one single student. A (frankly) below-average in attractiveness dark-haired girl. That was the entire cover. I remember doing a facepalm when I saw that and thought “who do they think this appeals to?”
Babson sent us some big brochures with pictures of students. The brochures were heavy and printed in very expensive paper. Like too many pictures of smiling students and zero information. Nothing kind of smart or funny or informative. From all the stuff kid got this was one of my least favorite. I think our flagship sent us NOTHING before or after acceptance. Not even a card. That was a bit weird.
@phoenixmomof2 were black kids present or absent in the photos? http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/uwmadison.asp
@iwannabe_Brown - Wow! I’ll check. I’ve kept all of the mail my DS has received just to see how much it is in the end. I have a large basket filling up.
One of my favorite was Southeast Missouri State University. One of the mailers included a stick of gum. They have a campus gum tree (I know, Yuck) but I thought it was cute they were welcoming prospective students into this tradition.
One I still remember from way back when I was looking at colleges, had a letter that said something along the lines of “Your parents would want you to live in a place like (college name)” I thought that was such an odd thing to say. How would they know what my parents want? How would they know I would give a hoot about what my parents would want?
Things that pop into my head that DS has received:
Johns Hopkins - Way too many cards. They are approaching stalker status.
Colgate - Why bother sending cards with unappealing photos and next to no messaging?
Denison - Not a fan of the cards with blacked out profiles of students
Conn College - their “deck of cards” was unique
Lawrence U - I like the humorous tone of their materials/emails
Kenyon & Hamilton materials are classy
Coll of Wooster - Monotonous/relentless messaging about their capstone program gets old fast
Carleton - Frisbee was memorable
That said, I am not the target market so my opinions mean nothing 
Notre Dame. They are constantly aware of their “brand” and strive for excellence across the entire spectrum of marketing, not just for potential students. I’ve said I’m surprised they don’t copyright and sell the air there. Or dirt…oh wait, they sold strips of football field grass when they put down turf 
D2 was completely bummed that the “Notre Dame puzzle” came out after she was through the admission processes. It seems like it was a huge hit!
D1 was overwhelmed when she made he admission decision, so she chose Loyola MD because she loved the font on their marketing materials…(well, she did end up with a concentration in advertising and public relations, so maybe it wasn’t such a silly reason).
Emerson sent the most beautiful magazines – I started to feel guilty.
Ringling sends a book – an entire book – of student work from portfolios. My son didn’t go to Ringling, but he still has that book on his shelf. They also have a great “starving artist” poster that advocates for creative careers as good choices.
Boston University and Tufts have sent son some nice brochures and magazines. Son gets a lot of cards from schools he has never heard of, nor interested in. He usually doesn’t even look at them. Seems like a waste.
I forgot to mention Muhlenberg. All of the mailing I received from them were letters on 8x11 paper, there were never any pictures. It wasn’t appealing at all. The weirdest piece I received from them though was about career placement. They listed every job that alums have for the different majors including things like “Part time at Trader Joes”. Very very odd way to sell the school.
^^^They get an A for honesty though.
emails from beloit are lovely. made me urge others to look at that school.
Northeastern University has transformed its marketing over the past 20 years. The traditional view book was replaced with an applicant edition of the alumni magazine. The viewbooky info is at the back. The rest of the magazine is articles about current students, alumni and faculty and what they are accomplishing.
Yale sent a very thick book - not a brochure, it had binding, I’m pretty sure - that made me want to apply. It didn’t convince D though.
Chicago sent a poster of the Chicago skyline as seen from Hyde Park that D liked enough to hang in her room, but not to apply.
Northeastern, at the visit, was so high tech…badge pre-printed with a nice lanyard, self check-in via touch screens, very 21st century.
In the end I don’t think she chose to apply to a single college based on its marketing materials. The college she very happily attends had just a so-so info session and visit and I can’t remember any marketing materials at all beyond the “You’re In” acceptance packet.
My vote for the worst is GA Tech because their marketing is non-existent, at least until you’re accepted. They didn’t even show up for two pretty large college fairs and we live in the Atlanta area. At one of the fairs, I asked if they were coming since they were supposed to be there and was told that they just didn’t show up No call or anything. We have gotten so much mail from every school out there and some I’ve never heard of. We FINALLY got a little card from GA Tech at during the fall of my son’s senior year, and it was the only thing we ever received. After he was accepted, there were some additional things sent, but not much at all. At that point, any marketing efforts seemed fruitless.
On the other hand, Northeastern did a great job. Not too much, but just enough and it made you feel excited about their school and as though they really wanted you… just as marketing is supposed to do. I love them!
Can’t recall if it was S1 or S2, but the post card from Kenyon with only a green $ on it, really turned me off. I believe the flip side was about career services and post-grad outcomes.
Both kids initially responded to the physical community (and marketing), but eventually concluded not a good fit.
D really enjoyed Beloit’s SnapChat campaign and their materials were well done and appealing.
Agree re Muhlenberg’s materials–they seem five years behind the trends.
Lewis and Clark ended up feeling stalkerish (and boring.)
Smith College had a lovely large viewbook that seemed to reflect the complete range of student types and interests.
Mount Holyoke’s fonts and color schemes strike me as off somehow. Too commercial? I’m not sure.
Richmond had the nicest catalog as it was spiral bound, well written and went beyond just the normal facts and figures every college sends. You actually wanted to read the thing.
Colgate kept sending posters which must have been expensive to mail, but not sure many kids are going to hang them until they get accepted.
U Chicago was stalkerish and clearly trying to boost application numbers