<p>I received a hand written note from a student working in the admissions office at a college I visited (Bucknell) encouraging me to apply.
Does it mean anything? Could this reflect some special interest in my application?
I really like Bucknell but I do not want to get my hopes too high based on this.</p>
<p>Unless the note refers to things that are specifically about you, personally, don't get your hopes up based on this. This sounds like just another recruiting tool, like the masses of brochures colleges send out. They probably hire a group of students to produce hand written notes to a list of prospectives they don't know much about and who may or may not be a good match for the school.</p>
<p>yeah, i agree with the above post</p>
<p>It means she was practicing her penmanship (and likely getting paid for it.) ;)</p>
<p>the meaning is most likely that Bucknell wants to be able to select from as many students as possible so they will encourage everyone; having done so, they will have boosted the field from which they have to choose who they want to attend.</p>
<p>So it doesn't mean anything special about your chances, its for their benefit only. Schools have ratcheted up their efforts in recent years. Don't be surprised to get phone calls from students at colleges where you apply asking if you have any questions, to give another example of these efforts. </p>
<p>Bucknell is a fine school, but hardly one that has the same lock on prospective students that a HYPS has. They know they have plenty of competitors, some seen as peers and some as more attractive. What they are doing is trying to give a personal touch to the process so you'll hopefully remember something like the personal note or phone call and think "they really want me there" if they admit you and you're making your decision between them and other schools. And you're more likely to send in your app if you think they want you.</p>
<p>Strategies like this are aimed at boosting the number of apps and they yield once they make their decision. They're putting in some effort up front to build their image in the prospective students eye, nothing wrong with that. But this is a broadcast effort, it doesn't reflect anything about them looking over your app and deciding that they're trying to get you.</p>
<p>If THE admissions director calls you personally, though, that would be another story :-)</p>
<p>That student was doing his job, which includes sending handwritten notes to every student visiting. We would frequently get handwritten notes from our student tourguides after visiting a college. (and also frequently from admissions staff) That was the main reason we insisted that our S send thank you notes very promptly after college visits. You hate to get their note before sending your note! One time we got 2 identically worded handwritten cards, one for my son and the other addressed to us but intended for a different student.... whoops!</p>
<p>Yes, handwritten notes are just part of the job, as stated above. They are usually sent because you toured the campus, visited Open House or interviewed. My school never sent them based on a prospective list, like kids who sent in Board scores or who filled out a card. It was usually after the student had made some type of campus visit.</p>
<p>And the main purpose was to thank a student for the visit and encourage follow-up if there were more questions, etc.</p>