<p>My DD received an admissions packet from Harvard (including application). She is graduating in 2010, has a 237 PSAT and a 2300 SAT. She is in the top 10 of a 600+ class. With her PSAT score we have been encouraging her to look at schools that offer NMFs full rides, but if she got into Harvard I think we would qualify for 10 percent of income costs.</p>
<p>How many other juniors received this packet? I didn’t think Harvard would need to solicit students at all.</p>
<p>many, many students receive the same packet. although your daughter has impressive stats, don’t be deceived by their mailings. i’ve had similar friends with over 2300 SAT scores that have been denied, not even waitlisted. It sounds like you’re looking for a lot of financial aid and I definitely suggest applying to Harvard and Yale, since both of them have great financial aid. I believe cornell now offers better financial aid (i.e. if your income is below a certain level, you receive a full ride). She could also apply to USC and receive half tuition, and possibly even qualify for a full scholarship.</p>
<p>Many. Harvard sends these out in order to get the largest applicant pool (and, one hopes, the best student body) possible. It means nothing other than she is a good student and standardized test scorer. Harvard sends out tens of thousands of these.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Sure they do if they want to remain the hardest US college to get into. I don’t know of a single college that doesn’t have a fat marketing budget.</p>
<p>It’s all about marketing. Those $50+ application fees add up to a tidy sum each year.</p>
<p>I received an unsolicited Harvard admissions packet from Princeton and Harvard even though I’m nowhere even close to getting in</p>
<p>All schools are guilty of this really, not just the Wash U’s and NYU’s of the world. I think I actually received the most information from Columbia during my college search. Princeton was a close runner-up with three applications.</p>
<p>Yeah I got one too; my scores aren’t nearly as decorated as your daughter’s. Feel free to encourage her to apply (I probably will) but don’t for a second think that Harvard has given her a better chance of admission.</p>
<p>i got one too with similar scores</p>
<p>I got one too but my stats are nowhere near as good. I think they just sent it to everyone who qualified for national merit.</p>
<p>“Please apply, so we can reject you, and look extremely selective.”</p>
<p>Mine started sophmore year and i’ve been drowing in mail ever since. i literally have a trash bag full i haven’t gotten rid of yet.come to think of it i never did get mail from princeton… i had to ask for it 
^^also not having amazing stats is not a reason to not apply. i don’t remember psat but i remember it wasn’t amazing and no where near national merit. i still applied though and acheived the desired result. i say if you want harvard you might as well go for it.</p>
<p>it means nothing more than the credit card solicitations you get, where the President of Citibank is apparently hoping that you will be a customer. Harvard doesn’t “need” to solicit students, but it sure likes to have a bunch apply so that it can keep its selectivity up.</p>
<p>You are hoping that somehow it is a tip that Harvard has searched the country and is recruiting your D. Not at all …</p>
<p>BTW put aside a large box and label it “WUSTL” ; from accounts here, good students get a flood of mail from them."</p>
<p>WashU St. Louis does the same thing. Its not an “admissions packet” its an APPLICATION. PURE AND SIMPLE. </p>
<p>Harvard does NOT preadmit students. Period. Not even for URMs. </p>
<p>Throw it in the trash.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Exactly. They are gaming the US News list for selectivity.</p>