<p>We’re getting quite a few of these. I don’t mind the ones from actual students as much as the ones from the college admissions call centers.</p>
<p>I assume they originate from the PSAT.</p>
<p>D2 calls me at work today.</p>
<p>Me: “What’s up?”
D: “The Army called.”
Me: “What did you tell them?”
D: “No.”</p>
<p>If you knew D, you’d know that the Army and her wouldn’t mix too well. She’s extremely obstinate and not prone to following rules.</p>
<p>xiggi–that is not true. There are other reasons to put your phone number on your ACT test other than so institutions can cold call you. It’s still an unsolicited phone call. They can gleem your phone number from any number of agencies. In our old town the utility company was responsible for helping track the school census. When you moved to town and hooked up your service, part of the process was asking information about the ages and genders of your children. They also sold their lists to various marketing agencies. Colleges can get that information from them. They also scan newspaper articles for kids in sports and other activities. Our oldest started getting solicitations from colleges in 7th grade because he was on a sports roster that had a successful program. If your number is listed in DA (and back then hardly anyone had cell phone only houses), it was pretty easy to get addresses and phone numbers.</p>
<p>SteveMA – I agree. Colleges do some amazing detective work in search of prospective students and of alumni money. I know someone who, shortly after she married, starting receiving mail from her alma mater under her “new name” – except that she hadn’t changed her name! How did they know that she had married when she had not informed them of that nor had she gone through any agency to change her name? This was before the days of the Internet. She guessed that some college employee either searched the public records for marriage licenses or read wedding announcements in newspapers. Nowhere was she listed as “Mrs. Hislastname” so she was, of course, irritated at the college for making the assumption that she had changed her name.</p>
<p>How is it that my children all start receiving mail advertising anti-acne products shortly after they turn 14? How is it that they receive prom dress/tux ads their junior and senior years in high school? They do not have Facebook accounts until their senior years. I filled out a form to keep their school from giving their contact information to the military. We don’t fill out marketing forms for coupons, and we don’t include our e-mail or phone number on anything related to the children unless it is for emergency contact or otherwise required. Our children always ask permission when requested to give a phone number and/or e-mail address, and we seldom give it. They did NOT put a phone number on the PSAT. We have tried to guard their privacy as much as possible, and they are very careful about it as well, but some things just get through.</p>
<p>Most colleges require online reservations for college tours, and that includes giving a phone number. However, our children have sometimes received “cold calls” before they ever filled out one of those forms. They are invariably from colleges that would never interest them. I field those calls myself.</p>