<p>I don’t think telling your friends about your likely letter is a big deal. If they are your true friends, they’ll be happy for you. Of course you shouldn’t go bragging about your likely to everyone, but you shouldn’t do that with an acceptance letter either. I would for sure tell your friends. You accomplished something great and you should not have to hide it!</p>
<p>I was at school with a friend of mine whose top choice is Columbia when I checked my email and got my likely letter. I had no idea what it was when I first looked at it and was in a complete state of shock, so I looked up from my phone and said, “I think I just basically got into Columbia.” I read the letter to her and she thought the same and basically yelled out to everyone on campus that I had just gotten into Columbia. She then said I needed to find our school’s college counselor to make sure. And so we went and found her and we all celebrated together. I then texted my four closest friends about it, one of which also really wants to go to Columbia. The one who really wants to go to Columbia came out and hugged me. I don’t think it ever entered my mind not to tell them. Since that day, though, I’ve tried to avoid the subject of the letter especially around those two friends out of respect for their feelings. In my case, telling my friends was completely fine. However, I would add that I go to a small all girls’ school with a huge sense of community and a lack of cutthroat competition and have known my friends for nine years now. If my school was more competitive and I was not as close as I am to my friends, I probably wouldn’t have told them. If your first thoughts did not involve telling your friends and you feel anxiety about what will happen if you do, don’t tell them.</p>
<p>any one can post the likely letter?? I really want to get a look at it. I never get one. :(</p>
<p>Dear …</p>
<p>I am writing to inform you that your application to Columbia University has been carefully evaluated and that you have earned designation as a likely candidate for admission to Columbia College. As long as our midyear review finds that you are maintaining your current level of academic progress and good standing, you can expect to receive favorable word when admissions packets are mailed on March 31st.</p>
<p>The Committee on Admissions was deeply impressed with your scholastic and personal achievements, and we look forward to all you might add to our rich campus community. I offer you my sincere congratulations on your accomplishments thus far and eagerly anticipate those that lie ahead.</p>
<p>If we can be of any help to you, please do not hesitate to contact the Admissions Office at <a href=“mailto:ugrad-ask@columbia.edu”>ugrad-ask@columbia.edu</a> or 212-854-2522. Please save these dates for Columbia College Days on Campus for admitted students: April 11th and 12th or April 18th and 19th, when events will include a hosted overnight visit, a chance to sit in on classes, tours of New York City and much more. I hope you can join us.</p>
<p>All of us here wish you the best during the exciting months ahead.</p>
<p>Sincerely yours,</p>
<p>Jessica Marinaccio
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions</p>
<p>P.S. A hard copy of the above was mailed to you today.</p>
<p>I don’t see why telling friends about a likely letter is a big deal, even if Columbia is their first choice. If someone gets jealous then that is a problem they need to deal with on their own. Getting a likely letter is not going to change whether or not they get accepted. Also, if you are going to hold things to not make people jealous, then on March 31 you shouldn’t tell anyone also because they might get jealous if they get deferred or rejected. </p>
<p>I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal. If someone was to get accepted to a school that I got rejected from I will be happy for that person. Now I will admit I will be hurt but the hurt will come from being rejected and would be the same feeling either way. At least if a friend got accepted I can brag about that friend.</p>
<p>I also recommend only telling your closest friends, family, principal, and counselor. That’s what I did - got one this week. Being from Austria, I wasn’t expecting anything near a likley letter when I opened the email. Obviously I was in shock and I am very very very happy.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what kind of people your friends are… it’s tough when you all want to go to these elite colleges and you make it in, but they don’t and/or they don’t know yet. It’s smarter just to keep it to yourself, and you’ll all get to gush (or sympathize/cry with) each other on March 31 anyways. But if they DO ask, tell them the truth… just don’t go out volunteering information. (But I highly doubt that they’ll come up to you and ask, Hey by the way, did you get a likely letter…)</p>
<p>Proudly wear your Columbia t-shirt/sweatshirt to school and make sure to be seen by classmates you can’t stand who would almost kill to go to Columbia but were rejected. Revenge is best served cold.</p>
<p>^ Werd lol</p>
<p>I don’t mean to rail on your friendships but if they aren’t receptive to the occasional flashing of pride then they aren’t great friends. Friends are supposed to reciprocate your confidence and good feelings, not make you feel awkward/uncomfortable about them.</p>
<p>Several have stated “if they are real friends, they’ll celebrate with you”. However reality says that ONLY very close friends who are **also immensely secure **will celebrate with you and won’t have any shred of jealousy or envy. For the vast majority of not-the-best-of-friends and other casual acquaintances, won’t announcing a Likely Letter be likely very off-putting?</p>
<p>Why make people struggle? Are any of us perfect and never tempted to be jealous? C’mon. </p>
<p>The date is fast approaching. Keep it to yourself. April 1, everyone will know you’re admitted. </p>
<p>By the way: CONGRATULATIONS!!!</p>
<p>I know how you feel. I didn’t get a likely letter from Columbia, but I did get one from Dartmouth. Some of my family friends also applied to Dartmouth, but I made a point not to tell them about my likely. We may be friends, but we’re also pretty competitive, and our parents are competitive about us. (It’s a korean thing). If I told them, it would only increase the tension that they were feeling, and probably add a lot of bitterness and i hate to say it but jealousy as well. and there was just no point, even if they felt happy for me. I ended up telling four close faculty members and three juniors (and I asked them not to spread it) and three adults from work–because i felt like i’d die if i didn’t share the news with SOMEONE lol. Two days later, my parents began receiving congratulations emails about dartmouth from the family friends’ parents whom i had tried not to tell it to. Ahhh, the irony. News like this travels like wildfire.</p>