<p>Hi, so does anyone have any idea on where Princeton got my name/email? Who gets these things? It doesn't say they heard about me from PSAT or SAT or anything, and I never gave out my email on any tests. Should I reply so I can at least get my name to the adcoms?</p>
<p>Dear _______,</p>
<p>You and your parents are cordially invited to attend an informational program about Princeton University.</p>
<p>Colleges contract out marketing. You and thousands of others have been tagged. It means ultimately nothing about your prospects of getting admitted. I’m sure you’re getting emails from tons of other colleges as well. This Princeton thing is no different (besides your excitement level).</p>
<p>“Should I reply so I can at least get my name to the adcoms?” It won’t matter whatsoever. If you apply, that will be the only thing that matters to Princeton.</p>
<p>But it’s not an indicator whatsoever. Remember: PTon has ~ 7% admit rate.</p>
<p>Lol chill man, I wasn’t excited. I’m not that ignorant. My friends get emails all the time. I just wanted to know were they got my info cause I have never gotten an email from any school before. I guess I’ll email them just for the heck of it? Won’t hurt right?</p>
<p>They likely got your name form the College Board’s SSS:</p>
<p>The College Board’s Student Search Service® helps introduce students to higher education and opportunities by offering them the ability to provide personal and preferential information to colleges and scholarship programs that are looking for students like them — all at no cost to the student.</p>
<p>When students take a College Board exam, they can choose to participate by actively opting in to Student Search during the registration process. The vast majority of exam-takers opt in to Student Search to receive information about admission, financial aid and other postsecondary opportunities without being solicited by commercial entities. </p>
<p>Students consistently report that while they enjoy receiving information about familiar colleges and universities, they especially enjoy hearing from colleges and universities with which they were previously unfamiliar. This is particularly the case for students currently underrepresented in higher education and students from first-generation college families.</p>
<p>College Board exams with Student Search opt-in options:</p>
<p>PSAT/NMSQT®
SAT®
AP® (Advanced Placement)
SAT Subject Tests™
PSSS (Preliminary SAT Scoring Service)
More than 1,100 colleges, universities and scholarship programs use Student Search every year to find the right students for their programs, scholarships and special activities. Through Student Search, they can address diversity, be more inclusive in their recruiting efforts and reach out to students who might not otherwise be aware of postsecondary opportunities.</p>
<p>The College Board maintains strict eligibility requirements for colleges, universities and scholarship organizations that want to use Student Search for recruiting students. Only accredited colleges and universities, and only nonprofit scholarship and educational opportunity organizations, may access student information. The College Board also monitors communication between Student Search users and students in order to ensure compliance with Student Search’s usage policies.</p>
<p>See that’s what I thought too, but I remember never signing up for the student search service because my guidance counselors always told us that all you get is a whole bunch of unwanted paraphernalia. Also, I looked up similar posts on CC, and their emails specifically say that Pton got their info from the student search service…do you think Pton asks guidance counselors from certain schools in the area for students who might be interested, and get the students’ emails from them or something?</p>
<p>Remember, they emailed you. What kind of brouhaha do you think would result if guidance counselors started giving out the email addresses of students who, are minors, without anyone’s consent?</p>
<p>I mean, it’s for colleges…I would feel comfortable if they gave just my email to schools I might be interested in. How else would they get my email then, if I never signed up for any SSS?</p>
<p>But a school system can’t build a policy around what you would feel comfortable with. They have to build a policy that most people would feel comfortable with. And they also have to build a policy that’s in accordance with privacy laws. Given all that, it makes sense for schools and school systems to have very strict privacy policies, not very lax ones. People who want their information given out can always give it out themselves, but people who don’t want their information given out can’t go and ask for it back once it’s been disseminated.</p>
<p>Don’t your parents have to complete all kind of forms at the beginning of the year, including one that either authorizes or denies the school authorization to put your information in a directory, release your name and/or photo to outsiders (if you’re in sports, or you win an award, or something), and so on? And don’t those forms, even if they’re signed, specify what information the school will give out (your name, your grade, your expected year of graduation, and not much more)? My kids’ schools had us do that every single year.</p>
<p>I suspect that somewhere along the line, you opted in for a student search–perhaps just by neglecting to opt out of it–when you were registering for PSAT or ACT or SAT or something, and you just weren’t aware of it, or you don’t remember it.</p>
<p>There might be a slight chance I did accidentally sign up for SSS, but even if I did I find it odd that this is the only email I have ever gotten from any college my entire life. Is SSS the only way colleges advertise to students?</p>
<p>You won’t get a different answer. The colleges market to get the highest nber of apps possible. They want to choose from the widest viable field. </p>
<p>It means you take standardized tests well, unless you are already being recruited for athletics or the arts. </p>
<p>"The colleges market to get the highest nber of apps possible. They want to choose from the widest viable field. "</p>
<p>Not always the case. MIT, Yale and PTon have all cut back on their marketing. Some of the other “top tier” schools may have done the same. 1) they don’t want unrealistic applicants and 2) they don’t care about their admit rate.</p>
<p>That being said, there are many schools who act in the opposite direction, fishing for as many apps as possible to decrease admit rate to appear more selective and increase their cachet. Pton just isn’t one of those and doesn’t feel compelled to play games.</p>
<p>The article does not, of course, rule out the possibility that other highly selective colleges are still trying to inflate their applicant pools, but I do not suspect Princeton or Harvard of doing this.</p>
<p>So then why does Princeton still use SSS? Simply because thousands of other colleges do? Also, most emails from colleges through SSS state that that is where they got your info. Mine did not say that. If I did apply for SSS, I would be getting thousands of emails from multiple colleges like many of my friends do…Additionally, how does Pton even know if I’m an unrealistic applicant or not? I never sent them any scores from tests.</p>
<p>The only other possible way they could get my email is from a website called College Data. I made an account months ago and I put my gpa, SAT scores, rank, EC’s, and other stuff on my profile so I could use the “chances calculator” to see where I match (it was most likely very inaccurate). I probably had my email on it as well. I ruled out this possibility because I doubted Pton would try to advertise to students through a non-conventional website…</p>
<p>I think you’re way over-thinking this and in spite of your protestations, I’m afraid in your heart you believe the email is meaningful.</p>
<p>You might never know how Princeton got your name, but unfortunately, the Princeton email doesn’t mean anything as to your chances of admission -it only means that by some measurement, whether test scores, guidance counselor recommendations or self-reported GPA, you are a candidate who might belong in the applicant pool. </p>
<p>Doesn’t hurt to reply. And then you embark on the admissions process like the rest of your class across the country, but since we’re Princetonians, we will cheer you on:).</p>