The University of Pittsburgh’s admissions marketing is fantastic. She received a free t-shirt when she toured, got an admissions decision (two weeks after submitting her application since Pitt has rolling admissions) in the form of a very cute, personalized email quickly followed up by an extensive welcome packet, and has continued to receive communication from administration and departments all over the university. They also sent a holiday card that was an intricate pop-up of the Cathedral of Learning. Incredibly cool! Though she ultimately decided not to attend, I remain wholly impressed with the enthuisasm they showed to her from day one of the process. Definitely a great role model for other colleges seeking to improve their programs. It’s a major opportunity lost if you don’t do it right. Students want to feel wanted, and parents need to know that the school is excited about having their kids on campus before they start writing those big tuition checks!
The college has indicated they want your child by offering them a spot. I’m glad to hear Pitt does a fantastic job (I went to graduate school there), but , in the end, it really is marketing. I would not base a 4 year decision about college on needing to “feel wanted.”
I received the admissions packet in the mail yesterday after getting in on Feb 28 (Stats major). In the letter it said they received 31,000 apps for 6,600 spots. I was never concerned about getting in, but everywhere I’d seen acceptance rates posted prior put it at ~65-70%. Are the numbers in the packet only for EA? If not, does anyone know the cause for the drastically decreased acceptance rate? It doesn’t really matter, I suppose, but the curiosity is killing me.
@HughMann 6600 spots works out to probably 3X the amount of acceptances since the matriculation yield is about 30%
@sportingclaymom thanks for the clarification! I knew there had to be something that I was just completely missing
Your daughter will have an opportunity to tell VT why she chose another school. This will be your chance to let them know how you feel. Suggestions are always welcome. Congrats to her on tOSU - great school.
@STEM2017 So when you decline your spot at Virginia Tech, they give you an opportunity to tell why you didn’t choose them?
@brentwoodmom Actually, I’m not 100% sure if you are asked for a reason when you turn down your offer, but if not, you can certainly send them a note if you feel strongly enough.
Almost every college my S17 turned down asked why he chose a different college.
DI you guys already get your financial packets in the mail? Also, how come I cant access Hokie Spa to view financial information?
Financial Aid is under HokieSpa. Go to HokieSpa tab - scroll down to 6th option from Bottom “Financial Aid Information”. Click then on My Award Information … Award Package by Aid Year. This is actually where you can accept / decline financial aid awards.
@STEM2017 How do you quote a post like you did in #685? Is it an advanced editing tool that I can’t find?
@ShenVal18 Like this…
[kwote] Here is the text you are quoting [/kwote]
Except you spell ‘quote’ properly.
S19 received acceptance packet in mail today.
thank you @cakeisgreat still waiting for mine in NJ
Still waiting in TN as well.
We’ve been out of town all week. Thought for sure it would be in the mail when we got home today, but no luck.
My son said maybe they rescinded his acceptance. ?
Son got his in CA today.
@sevmom I totally agree you don’t base your college decision on wanting to be wanted, but it’s definitely a factor, especially for kids that work so hard in high school. Making the effort to build relationships with students immediately upon their acceptance can make a difference if they’re on the fence between a few “good fit” schools. If she were leaning in their direction, it would have been a no brainer. They’ve got a great system!
@STEM2017 Thank you so much. Your posts are always full of great information. I’m not sure I’ll tell VT anything they don’t already know. Some OOS parents are willing to pay full tuition and others aren’t. If it were her clear first choice, we probably would have proceeded. It’s a great place to spend four years. Simply awe inspiring. The students going there are lucky indeed!
@kmnmom Good luck to your daughter at Ohio State! Great school and Columbus is a very nice city.
We received our packet in Atlanta this past Tuesday. I called VT admissions this past Monday and they they told me if you don’t receive it by Friday, yesterday, to call them back and they will send out another one. They said everyone should have gotten them by Friday. I know getting the packet isn’t the end all, when you have confirmation online, but my son’s face lit up when he went it mailbox, opened the letter and read it aloud. That packet stills holds a lot of power in 2019. Good luck everyone.