<p>A new Crimson article today provided a bit of an insight into how Harvard may change its policies regarding its likely letters policy:</p>
<p>Though likely letters for athletes have been a longstanding tradition, I think it might provide some insight into the admissions process in terms of the termination of SCEA.</p>
<p>The more interesting question is what will happen with the growing trend to send "likely letters" to desirable applicants - or potential applicants - who are not athletes. The recipients of such letters include both talented URMs and those tabbed "academic superstars".</p>
<p>Stanford, which ties down its athletic recruits with "letters of intent" (about 5% of the class, apparently) nevertheless initiated a program under which it sent out more that 150 "likely letters" to non-athletes it was hoping to recruit for the Class of 2010.</p>
<p>Dartmouth, of course, is the "poster child" for the likely letter device - dispatching more than 600 of them annually.</p>
<p>These "non-jock" likely letter programs have always struck me as, in effect, "second round early action" programs, where the wink-wink unofficial admission letter is designed to gain an edge over the "competition" with desirable, non-athletic recruits by "giving them their first kiss" so to speak. ("Ooo! College X must obviously love me more than colleges Y or Z, because it sent me this very flattering advance admission letter!")</p>
<p>I assume research shows that the device is effective in raising the yield rate among recipients, else why would its use be exploding to the extent it apparently has been.</p>
<p>Does Harvard send out likely letters to non-atheletes?</p>
<p>Very rare.</p>
<p>My guess is that the non-jock recipients have most often been highly sought-after URMs.</p>