<p>Hi, guys :) This is more of a curious question.</p>
<p>I recently received some brochures/viewbooks from some colleges that I already applied to (U of Pittsburgh, UW and Purdue). I feel like it's quite strange. What do colleges wish to achieve by sending marketing brochures to those who already applied - after application deadlines, and before decisions?</p>
<p>I have a few theories: Do they want to garner interest early on so that applicants are more likely to choose them after decisions have come out? Is the number of applicants who simply apply for safeties or other 'shallow' reasons so high that they need to do this? Or are they relying on applicants to somehow give the brochure to someone else and hence spread their reputation? </p>
<p>I feel like it is <em>sort of</em> weird and annoying because applicants will still possibly be rejected in the end after all the hype built up by the brochures piling up in the mailbox.</p>
<p>They mostly contract out to direct mail marketing companies, and they don’t necessarily update them with who has already applied. They are just sending mass mailings to everyone who achieved a certain score on the standardized tests, and meets a certain profile based on the questions you answered when you registered for the tests - grades, types of schools you were interested in, etc. It doesn’t mean anything that you are still getting brochures from schools you applied to, were accepted at, or were rejected from.</p>
<p>The colleges you mentioned accept about 2 out of every 3 applicants. Which brings up something that comes as a surprise to many HS students. With all the fanfare given to how difficult it is to get into top colleges, many come to assume the gauntlet to getting into college applies everywhere. In fact it applies only to the most selective 100 or so colleges. There are over 3,000 4-year colleges, and most of them accept most of their applicants.</p>
<p>So why are you getting brochures now? First mover advantage. Colleges that accept most of their applicants know that the kids they accept are going to get into many of the other places they applied too. They want to keep their name in front of their applicants so they aren’t lost in the crowd. Brochures is just one tactic. Other schools may have current students work phone banks to contact admitted students, there is often an admitted students weekend, etc. </p>
<p>To answer your next question, does it mean anything? Who knows. At some schools they may focus efforts on their top students. Some may focus on those from wealthy neighborhoods thinking they may be full pay (your friends at the College Board are happy to sell lists based on zip code, and they also know if you applided for FA). Some may just send material to everyone; after all, your app fee more than covers the cost.</p>
The more I learn, I guess.</p>