<p>I hate getting Harvard stuff in the mail. False hopes extravaganza.</p>
<p>Are you sure you're not even competitive?</p>
<p>Basically...</p>
<p>They sent that letter to approx 70,000 rising high school seniors so you must have done something on the right track</p>
<p>But it definately is the best college solicitation yet received. A three page letter trying to convince my kid that she needs to apply AND they are automatically following up with an application packet. No other schools have been that forward. At any rate, it was a much needed boost to her ego that Harvard is inviting her to apply. I think she may feel a little more "worthy" and less intimidated now.</p>
<p>I got letters, too! I also got an application (book form), which I ruined, so I ultimately just applied online. :)</p>
<p>Ha, my parents freaked out when they saw that I got a letter from Harvard but I didn't put TOO much stock in it. That's not to say it wasn't appreciated--it really was a nice letter and quite the confidence boost. I might actually consider applying, if only for kicks and because I appreciated their... generosity of sorts.</p>
<p>I got one in the mail too. How did they decide who to send the letters to? Was it based on PSAT scores?
70,000 is a lot of people, considering the all-time highest number of applicants to date is around 27,000.</p>
<p>I did well on my ACTs recently so I assumed that was the cause...?</p>
<p>I think it's based off of PSAT scores.. And yes, 70,000 is a lot of people.</p>
<p>70000 letters sent out, 1800ish accepted is it? lol and not all the accepted people are in the 70k :(</p>
<p>^ Yup. (10char)</p>
<p>My son received this letter today as well. Sigh-- Of course he is brilliant, etc., but what motivates a school with an acceptance rate of something like 8% so send out 70,000 solicitations for a class of what? 1600????</p>
<p>I feel like my son is being misled by many schools into thinking he is a shoo-in for entry just so those schools can boost their number of applicants still higher.</p>
<p>DeirdreTours-
Your sense of the situation is correct, so it is best to start developing a thick hide towards the whole process. Warn your son this is the "Flattery" stage, where colleges court well-scored students. Next comes the "Prove it" stage, where your son has to sell his unique brilliance, talent and compassion to adcoms and interviewers. Then, if he gets lucky with some high-caliber acceptances, he's back in the driving seat for the "Engagement" phase--they've made him an offer and the college will be desperate for an "I do" from him, to keep their yields high, and also because they will truly want him. </p>
<p>Like a complicated love affair, all the stages must be navigated, and though bumpy at times, he will find a match. </p>
<p>The lofty Latin phrases on college insignias are best ignored during these months, as market forces often dictate the process, rather than Truth, Light, and God. Enjoy those etched ideals during Parents' Weekend next October!</p>
<p>I was suprised the most by the financial aid package.
From $120K - $180K you only pay 10% of your income.</p>
<p>May enter the Harvard Lottery just because of that!</p>
<p>Any other colleges matching that $120K-$180K range?</p>
<p>I've actually gotten mail or emails from tons and tons of schools EXCEPT Harvard, lol. I haven't gotten anything from Yale or Princeton either. Maybe the 70,000 isn't so indiscriminate. :D</p>
<p>...it might also have to do with if you have met a representative from Harvard at a college fair and signed up with them?
because i know i never got things from harvard until after my dad was representing another college at a fair and started chatting up the harvard admissions rep next to him...</p>
<p>I got the letter yesterday. It was the best solicitation letter I've received yet, and gave me a nice ego boost for an hour. Until I logged back onto CC :(</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your sense of the situation is correct, so it is best to start developing a thick hide towards the whole process. Warn your son this is the "Flattery" stage, where colleges court well-scored students. Next comes the "Prove it" stage, where your son has to sell his unique brilliance, talent and compassion to adcoms and interviewers. Then, if he gets lucky with some high-caliber acceptances, he's back in the driving seat for the "Engagement" phase--they've made him an offer and the college will be desperate for an "I do" from him, to keep their yields high, and also because they will truly want him.</p>
<p>Like a complicated love affair, all the stages must be navigated, and though bumpy at times, he will find a match.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Posts like these make me hate the college application process.</p>