<p>I tend to lean toward sports being the culprit for unsolicited mailings. I remember K2 doing very well at an athletic event and then Whoosh… my mailbox was full of BS materials from schools we hadn’t looked at. We could have wallpapered a bathroom. In a way it mucked things up- even though we were flattered.</p>
<p>Is there a box on the SSAT kids can check if they want to be contacted? I know that my older children have gotten mail that way. Otherwise, I have to take the blame for school mailings from places we did not contact. I filled out an info form on prepschool review. com.</p>
<p>I find the constant email solicitations from some schools a real turn off. The over-the-top email spam was the one from Groton, where the headmaster was claiming a piece of Nelson Mandela when Mandela died.</p>
<p>I did not see the email from Groton so I’m not sure what you mean by “claiming a piece of Nelson Mandela,” but in Temba Maqubela’s defense, as a young man he was targeted by South African death squads for his opposition to apartheid, narrowly escaped being killed, had to flee to Botswana and then eventually to the US. So the struggle against apartheid was quite personal for him. I think it says a lot about Groton and where it is headed that Maqubela was named headmaster. It’s early days yet but he and Vu Vu (his wife) are already making their presence felt. They are both incredibly warm people.</p>
<p>If anyone is interested, his story can be found here:</p>
<p>[ISSUU</a> - Groton School Quarterly, Fall 2013 by Groton School](<a href=“Groton School Quarterly, Fall 2013 by Groton School - Issuu”>Groton School Quarterly, Fall 2013 by Groton School - Issuu)</p>
<p>@calrenoma How’s your C liking second form? (If I remember right…)</p>
<p>Yesterday my daughter got some chocolates from a school she’s not even applying to!!</p>
<p>…and STILL we receive the mail from the school where his app was withdrawn. Like DAILY. </p>
<p>I wonder if they will accidentally send him an acceptance letter?</p>
<p>CHOCOLATE?! DD will want to go there! ;)</p>
<p>I have to write it on the actual form this is what I have room for:</p>
<p>“You should accept my kid to your school. He is smart and hard-working and will be a great asset. He <em>is</em> a teenager, though, so sometimes is a pain in the ass. Don’t hold it against him.”</p>
<p>For most applicants, mail volume isn’t meaningful, because schools invest in marketing. I think contact with a coach would be meaningful. </p>
<p>Be aware that many schools enter a quiet period once they start reading applications. I’m too lazy to search for the details, but the quiet periods mean that contact from school officials will drop off. Some sports leagues or school associations have set specific dates for members. So don’t panic. I believe they will respond to direct queries, such as, “is my file complete?”</p>
<p>Temba Maqubela and his wife were beloved teachers and administrators at Andover for 26 years. He is deeply missed and his story is quite amazing. click on the link in post #24.</p>
<p>Hey, dd got the chocolates too! :)</p>
<p>We thought that personalized, positive communications from AO’s or dean of admisions - whether snail mail, email, or phone calls - were meaningful and indicative of future acceptance. We thought we could tell which schools were going to accept our son, and we were right.</p>
<p>Just curious, HonoraryAmom, did your dc apply for aid? I know that 2 schools LOVED my child a few years back, but ultimately WLed him. I was told he would have been a shoo-in if we had not asked for aid.</p>
<p>No, Rellielou, my dc did not apply for aid.</p>