The Truth about Likely Letters

[chriscap]

<p>Maybe this has been covered…</p>

<p>But unfortunately every likely letter thread is covered with people saying they either got or didn’t get one, and it’s impossible to get any concrete information.</p>

<p>So…</p>

<p>This thread doesn’t need a million replies. In fact, it only needs one, and it would help a lot of us out here who didn’t get one yet.</p>

<li><p>How many applicants get likely letters from Cornell? </p></li>
<li><p>Which individual colleges within Cornell send them?</p></li>
<li><p>For CAS, are likely letters only sent to those who are getting scholarships?</p></li>
<li><p>Did ALL internationals who are admitted get a likely letter? </p></li>
<li><p>Particularly for me… What if you are an American citizen living abroad? You don’t technically qualify as an international, so should I expect rejection if I didn’t get a likely letter?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks.</p>

[eslite]

<p>This was posted at the engineering blog but I suppose it’ll pertain to the non-rolling schools.</p>

<p><a href=“http://cornellengineeringadmissions-jill.blogspot.com/2007/03/likely-letter.html[/url]”>http://cornellengineeringadmissions-jill.blogspot.com/2007/03/likely-letter.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

As with many schools, Cornell sends out a ?likely letter? in mid-March to some applicants that we think would be a particularly great match at Cornell. The students who receive them are highly likely to be admitted. Of course, we haven’t finished reading all of the applications when these letters need to go out, so there is a significant population that does not receive letters - i.e. if you didn’t receive one, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have not been accepted. In fact, the majority of students we accept do not get ?likely letters.? There are plenty of applications that we very much enjoy reading, but we are unable to send likely letters to everyone because of processing time constraints.</p>

<p>One example of the likely letters we sent this year is for our finalists for the McMullen and Jacobs? Engineering Scholars. These students showed a great engineering connection and/or a real desire to help better the world through engineering. (Check out the Special Awards page for more info on McMullen and Jacobs? awards.) We also were able to encourage these scholar finalists to complete their financial aid application if they had not already done so.

</p>

[TransferStudentt]

<p>What IS a likely letter???</p>

[chriscap]

<p>it’s a LETTER that says that you’re LIKELY to be admitted to the university.</p>

<p>hence the name “LIKELY LETTER”. :)</p>

[TransferStudentt]

<p>So only Cornell gives them, or other schools too?</p>

[astrophysicsmom]

<p>Other schools also send likely letters. You can go to their forums here on CC and look through the threads…you’ll see references to any that students have received…</p>

[Tahoe]

<p>Schools’ ‘Love Notes’
Quietly Say, You’re In
Wall Street Journal - 1/27/2003</p>

<p>

Early-decision admissions policies may be falling out of favor at some top universities, but many schools are quietly using an array of other tools to win over the best students early.</p>

<p>In increasing numbers, colleges are wooing their top choices with notes of praise and hints of acceptance letters and scholarship money to come. The idea is to win their affections by getting them some good news before the competition does. This courtship, which can take place up to several months before formal acceptance letters hit students’ mailboxes, comes in various forms: everything from “likely” letters – which tell students that they’re likely to get admitted – to “love” letters, or handwritten notes from admissions offices complimenting a student’s essay or some other aspect of the application. At least one school, Mary Washington College, goes a step further. It outright accepts the student early, even though it recently did away with its formal early-decision policy.

</p>

<p><a href=“WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights”>WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights;

[newnameforme]

<p>I know first hand about this. Not everyone gets likely letters. They are a yielding tool used by the Ivies to attract the applicant to that one particular school by telling them that they will likely be accepted.</p>

<p>Here is what a real likely letter looks like.</p>

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[blase07]

<p>Thanks newnameforme :)</p>

[liana]

<p>Honestly, most of those questions can only be answered by the admissions counselors themselves. Not many people here are likely to know the answers. </p>

<p>

3. For CAS, are likely letters only sent to those who are getting scholarships?

I got a likely for CAS, but did not get any notification of scholarships.</p>

<p>

5. Particularly for me… What if you are an American citizen living abroad? You don’t technically qualify as an international, so should I expect rejection if I didn’t get a likely letter?

I’m in the same situation, yet they sent me a likely letter via email, as they did for “real” international students. However, I seriously doubt you should start considering yourself rejected at this point (refer back eslite’s post). So I guess the answer to question number 4 is no, but that’s only through speculation (I highly doubt all international admits get likelies…). I know it’s tough, but it’s only 6 days away, and I hope you’ll hear good news then!</p>