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!!! I appreciate what you’re implying but what you’re saying makes it difficult not to read “less-than-wow” into the lack of a “likely” letter. Though I’m bolstered (and sharing for that reason) by the fact that my oldest never got such a letter three years ago, either, and she was a NMS finalist w/excellent SAT/GPA/etc., and was accepted RD. It seems a bit capricious but I guess it all has something to do with recruitment tactics. Regardless, a “likely” letter says, “You’re the one that we want!”, and all others are then something less by default. :(</p>