My daughter just received an e-mail (I’m copied on most of her college e-mails, for some reason) from Coe College, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to apply early with self-reported test scores and grades. No essay, LORs… just a simple one-page app. Hmm.
Anyone else’s?
Interesting, because this is not even a school we’ve discussed or looked at.
They also called her a few weeks ago, but I never got around to looking at the school’s website.
I did just now. Small and private and doesn’t seem to offer her new requirement - a major or minor in Linguistics. (that’s narrowed our list down quite a bit…)
I am curious why Coe is doing this though? It comes off as… desperate. I mean, my kid doesn’t have great stats, they’re a bit above average, I’d say. And their tuition is on par with top-tier schools, but I don’t think that means much.
Is this something other colleges are doing now? Should we expect more of these?
D just took the ACT on March 3. We don’t know her score yet.
Many, many colleges do this. They are trying to get as many applications as they can. They send out snail mail, email, phone calls…all to try and increase the number of students that apply, so that they can increase their selectivity. It doesn’t mean that they have any particular interest in your daughter. It’s like receiving any other junk mail for pizza delivery or carpet cleaning. If your daughter has an interest in attending a college like Coe and the email prompts her to investigate it and think that it’s somewhere that she should apply, great! Otherwise, treat it like any other piece of junk mail.
Aw, they’re trying to up the number of applicants they can reject? Got it. Makes sense.
And, then, of course, they can justify their high tuition cost because they’ve become “selective.”
You seem to have answered your own questions. Their email has prompted you to research Coe whereas before you knew very little about Coe. Some email recipients will undoubtedly do the same, but come to a different conclusion that Coe is a fit for their specific college needs. In your case, Coe’s marketing effort was successful with you because it prompted you to take a specific action.