<p>All right, so I'm a rising Junior in high school and was wondering how colleges are able to contact me through e-mail. I haven't taken the PSAT, PLAN, ACT, or SAT yet. I've only taken 2 SAT IIs (790/740) and 1 AP test (5) and haven't sent any of my scores out nor expressed interest in any colleges. I've been getting numerous e-mails from Cornell, University of Chicago, and Brown. I've heard that the College Board (since they say they don't sell student's score info) gives the college/uni. an idea/range of how the student performed and then they contact students. I'm also awarecorrect me if I'm wrongthat their e-mails don't mean anything really because even a mediocre student could be e-mailed/sent a letter in the mail.</p>
<p>It depends on the content of those messages. If they’re not generic, then they’re showing genuine interest - though this is rare. And I’m not talking about just having your name at the top of the message; I’m talking about actually getting a personalized message. The only one I got last year was from MIT, I think, and I eventually got in. </p>
<p>As to how they got your email, when you take the SAT, the college board makes you answer a question somewhere along the lines of: do you want to be contacted by colleges that would potentially be a match for you? You must have answered in the affirmative or not at all.</p>
<p>The vast majority of college e-mails are generic and for advertisement (they want you to apply there, etc.). For example, “Dear [insert name],”</p>
<p>Other than emails I’ve sent to college professors, I don’t think any of the college emails I have ever gotten were genuine.</p>
<p>TeaLove: there are many many layers of marketing involved. As a 7th grader, my daughter started receiving pointed adverts for certain programs. I can’t imagine what sorts of stuff she’ll now be getting as a 10th grader in one of the nation’s top HS programs.</p>
<p>It’s all marketing. See it for what it is. Your parents get inundated with credit card apps or roof repair or window replacement services. Same thing.</p>
<p>@ptontiger and rspence: The message was genuine and I don’t think generic in juxtaposition with messages I’ve seen friends get. I also have not wanted colleges to contact me due to my SAT; I made sure to check “no” when that option was given. However, this isn’t the first time that Cornell has tried to contact me to tour their school and do various programs the “know” I’d be interested in (perhaps it’s because Cornell’s so close by to me ?). Not that I even want to apply to Cornell or University of Chicago. Other readers please give your insight.</p>
<p>Perhaps the colleges mine data beyond the testing services. I know that some companies buy lists from cash strapped school districts. </p>
<p>You can bet that come your senior year, you’ll be “invited” to be in Who’s Who in American High Schools and offered to buy a volume for $60 (or whatever the going rate is today). All just marketing.</p>
<p>Don’t take it too seriously. College spam is exciting at first, but quickly gets annoying.</p>