<p>When I got home the other day from school, sitting in the pile of mail on the kitchen table was an unsolicited application package from Princeton. The cover letter congratulated me on my SAT scores and had the usual blah-blah-blah encouraging me to apply to Princeton. My SAT scores were good compared to most, but about at the median, as far as I can tell, for a Princeton applicant. So, what's going on here? Is Princeton seriously interested in my applying? Or is this basically a form letter kind of thing that Princeton admissions sends out automatically to every kid who scores above a certain level on the SAT? Or - and here's the cynic in me coming out - is this something they send to induce kids who scored reasonably well on the SAT to apply so they can reject them and keep their selectivity percentage as low as possible?</p>
<p>As a New York cynic, I would agree. However, if you are a urm that scored high, they may be targeting you. I think that schools do that with high-achieving urm's, but I'm not sure. If you are not, then it is definitely a form letter.</p>
<p>Nope. Not a URM. If anything, I'm an ORM (Over Represented Minority). Just as an aside, I could say it was flattering for Princeton to send me an app unsolicited. Of course, they could have sent one to me and the other 50,000 kids who scored reasonably well on the SATs. If this is the case, their sending the app doesn't mean a thing - it's nothing but a snail mail version of spam.</p>
<p>Yes, they are seriously interested in you applying. That does not necessarily mean they are seriously interested in offering you admission. It means that they suspect you are qualified and would like you to be in the mix with the many other qualified applicants, most of whom will not be offered admission. You will only be able to find out if you will be accepted if you apply. It's like a casting director saying to ten people, "Hey, we have a part that you might be good for. Why don't you come down for an audition," when he knows only one person will get the part and it might not even be one of the persons in the ten he called.</p>
<p>They send these out from your College Board registration.</p>
<p>If you have done the Common App essay already you may still have time to complete the Princeton supplemental essays. Of course you have to send Princeton your SAT and AP scores so be prepared to spend some extra $$.</p>