Me? probably like 5-6 times in the past 3 months
how about u guys?
emails about anything…questions, comments,…
<p>hmm lets see... add the one, carry the 3...</p>
<p>that makes it...</p>
<p>0 times</p>
<p>i dont have a dream school...and if you do...yikes</p>
<p>i have a super-dream school.
y is that yikes</p>
<p>its not some people have aspirations which is great, but I dont</p>
<p>why would ANYONE have a dream school, i dont get it.</p>
<p>a university is just a place to educate people, jeeeeeeeeeeez</p>
<p>No dream school, but accepted to 7 great schools, all elgibile for dream school status, only waitlisted at one uber reach. Emails = zero. You are sure to be labeled a pest by now.</p>
<p>Chanman . . .</p>
<p>In response to your questions about "emailing" the admissions officers, and also in response to another thread you started about writing letters to admissions officers prior to application, I have a VERY different opinion from the advice you're getting from some others.</p>
<p>One of my best friends was a career admissions officer (recently retired to concentrate on writing and teaching), started at his alma mater (a top 20 research uni), worked as a regional rep for about 10 years (advancing as high as 2nd in command), then being hired by a top 20 LAC to head their admissions office (he worked there for about 10 years too). I've had discussions with him about just these matters many times, as has another one of my friends -- his sister (he's the uncle to three lovely girls).</p>
<p>His take on this is that transparent, shallow, out-of-control fawning and obsequious behavior is a big "no-no" and the last thing a busy Admissions officer would want to deal with. Yes -- if overdone, some of these people would find their efforts to be counterproductive and they could be labeled "pests."</p>
<p>On the other hand, he couldn't emphasize strongly enough that it's a matter of degree. He liked and even expected interested candidates to establish a connection. If a candidate was visiting campus, he believed it was a good sign if a candidate attempted to contact him first (by letter or email -- their choice), followed-up and actually bothered to ask for him at the desk, and further followed-up the visit with a thank-you, a question, an impression. To his mind, failing to do these kind of things (either because a student didn't know any better or was worried about being labeled a pest) was more likely to be considered a sign of lack of interest -- not a lack of interest as one of many schools a student might be considering, but lack of interest in his school as their PREFERRED school.</p>
<p>My take on it, like most everything else in the world, is that "it depends." Sincere, honest courtesies are rarely wrong. There is also nothing wrong, within reason, of letting an Admissions Officer have some sense of you as a person (BEFORE you apply and a decision is made -- what good does it do later?), provided it's not "too much" or "too often." Is there a risk that a given Admissions Officer at a particular college might be so buried under paperwork and/or so "down" about his job and life that he might hold these basic human contacts against you? Sure there is. It undoubtedly happens. But, in my mind no more reason to avoid the possible upsides than it would be to give up riding in cars because some people do crash and die.</p>
<p>Two of this career Admissions Officer's nieces met and corresponded with Admissions Officers at many colleges before their application (they also met with Department Heads too, in many cases, but that's a topic for a different day), and each girl wound up deciding between offers to 4-5 elite schools. The third will be doing something similar next year. I know plenty of other kids (my son included) who had admissions office contacts -- brief introductory and follow-up letters included, to one degree or another. Their entire search process was generally very positive and resulted in multiple attractive options. Finally, I know that many guidance and college counselors advocate at least some contact, courtesies, and that little extra demonstration of interest (again, cautioning against "overdoing it").</p>
<p>One additional thought, by the way: He agreed that these efforts are MUCH LESS IMPORTANT at the Ivies (the actual Ivies, not any so-called "near" or "hidden" Ivy) because they've been so sought after for so long that these schools just don't want to deal with anything more than their own decisions in crafting a class. They truly don't care who the individuals are, just the composition of the entire class. For the rest of the schools, there is potentially something to be gained, and rarely anything to be lost (again -- unless you simply and clearly "over-do it"), by establishing yourself as something other than one of the 3,000 - 20,000 applicants who make their first "paper" contact with the admissions office through their application.</p>
<p>I don't know if this is really right or not. It's just what I've heard through my contact -- who should know (at least a person in the fray who provides his own take on it). It also seems intuitive with my own experiences in business, including the largest, most jaded big business. And make no mistake about it, college, the admissions process, the whole thing, is ultimately just another big business.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>chanman... i am sorry, but u really **** me off. why??? in the last few days i have seen so many threads on this topic or similar to sending *<strong><em>ing letters.... why??? cant u just rely on your own application that you have to suck up?? stop being obsessed with upenn (i know coz u rant about it so much) last thread i remember about u was about sending mail before you even *</em></strong>in applied??</p>
<p>MOTHER ****** your sucha **** I just want to take your head and rip it into a ******** why cant you go get a mother of a *** you little **** I wish my face was as fat as yours cuz then i could **** on a planet you **** dirty little stain ****!</p>
<p>lol just kidding I just felt like doing that</p>