<p>What do you think of the surveys sent by colleges you've chosen not to attend asking for your feedback by offering giveaways? Are these legitimate or just gimmicks? Thoughts? My D has received many like the following:</p>
<p>Don't forget to complete our Admitted Student Questionnaire by June 4<em>and be automatically entered into a drawing to win an iPad, an iPad Mini</em>or a $100 iTunes gift card.</p>
<p>The surveys are quite lengthy and ask for information they should already have.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with a college trying to find out how they can do better? I don’t see a thing wrong with this. And if they want to improve their response rate by giving away iPads or whatever, what’s the big deal? This seems like a non-issue to me. How else are they going to get real, representative feedback unless they survey those who turn them down?</p>
<p>Gee, my D only received one survey that promised prize drawings. Most of the others were built on very similar models, though some of the questions were tailored specifically to each college. She dutifully filled them out to tell colleges why she did not choose them. They asked for information about her impressions of the school, what she thought of their marketing tools, etc.</p>
<p>Wesleyan sent D a survey that was quite detailed asking specifics of the actual financial package received from top 3 schools, plus some “soft” stuff about culture, etc. D completed it because she felt guilty about not accepting their offer of admittance. So far that is the only one received.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl- There is nothing wrong with colleges seeking information. My question was whether they really award any of the prizes, since they don’t announce the winners and if this was legitimate. The surveys take quite a bit of time. D filled out a few and then never heard about anyone winning, so that was why we posted. BTW- The tone of your comments sound snarky. Have a nice day!<br>
Thanks for your replies everyone.</p>