<p>So today when I came home I found in my mailbox a letter from Phillips Academy telling me that my involvement with the American Math Competitions "indicate that I am a serious and talented math student". They went on to tell me that I should consider going to their school. I was super excited for I have been writing my essays and everything for Andover, a school that I intend on applying for. I received a similar letter last year from Phillips Exeter. Is this significant? Is it saying something, or should I not get my hopes up too quickly?</p>
<p>@calistudent4,
One of my friends got that from Andover too. (He’s not applying though) And I think that if Andover is inviting you to apply, it’s probably saying something. But we’ll find out if it means anything on March 10th. Good luck!</p>
<p>They are inviting you to APPLY. Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that you are already in their database and they still sent this mass mailing to you?</p>
<p>I don’t mean to be cynical. I’m not. What that letter means is that both Andover and Exeter have access to the addresses of kids who either participate or have done well in AMC. No more, no less. </p>
<p>Last year, I (parent) got an auto generated letter from Exeter in November from another parent extolling the virtues of PEA and it ended with something like, “I hope your family chooses Exeter.” My son got one addressed to him from a student (like-wise, auto generated). As great as the material in the letters were, I was a bit turned off at the heavy-handedness of it. I knew that they sent these to more applicants who are accepted and it made me feel a little bit like they were trying to manipulate my son into thinking that all he had to do was “choose” Exeter. He had interviewed, but that was it. Even though he was actually admitted and is currently enrolled, I know other families who received the same but were denied. </p>
<p>Still, these form letters bother me. I know that the schools are just trying to market themselves and I don’t fault them for that. What I like and appreciate are the mailings that are more informational. Why can’t they just send a letter detailing their math programs and leave it at that. It’s after March 10th that these sort of “come to our school!!” letters should go out.</p>
<p>Whereas I can see how misleading and maybe disappointing it might be to receive a letter inviting a candidate to apply who eventually gets turned down, the auto letter that gets my goat is the one the school sends inviting you to their summer school after they’ve turned you down for regular admission, telling you you don’t have to go thru the summer application process, that you’ve been “pre-approved” because they have already screened you. That shouts, “we just want your money.” </p>
<p>Okay, so my child is good enuf for your summer school, but not your regular school. That’s really insulting…no need to tell you which file that letter quickly got filed in.</p>
<p>I’m an alum and this is the first I’ve heard of this type of solicitation. I think it’s in extremely bad taste given all the other “form” generated letters that my daughters were getting from everything from Student leadership forums to People to People.</p>
<p>They both have the resources to do personal outreach. This is tacky and smacks of those bogus “for-profit” colleges in the paper these days. </p>
<p>I’m already getting college solicitations sent to my home for my prep!</p>
<p>Don’t get me started on people to people’s marketing techniques. They are so misleading that I don’t know how they haven’t been sued. I have no problem with their travel packages. It’s the false prestige that I find so distasteful. A friend of mine’s special needs child got an invitation - wax seal and all.</p>
<p>Private education is a business (and actually one of the few that sell overseas), so a certain amount of marketing is understandable. Just ignore it or opt out if you have that option. Unlike colleges though, prep schools sometimes do a good thing in “marketing” to the potential (though far from garanteeed admission) candidates. To families that have not had the tradition and have little knowledge about boarding schools, this may be the chance for them to take a serious look at the option. So, like almost anything else, it’s not all that bad…</p>
<p>Neato - PTP has been. A lot - especially when it came out that they were sending letters to dead children and pets. At one point they were using the names of neighbors as people who recommended a child.</p>
<p>A friend of mine is an investigative reporter who has been following them for the death of a student in Japan (PTP is being sued for that too). My daughter was on the PTP trip that overlapped it. She had a good time (we priced the trip separately and vetted the chaperones and it was favorable - other PTP trips are a complete rip-off). But knowing what I know now about the organization and it’s inner workings (the group that actually organizes the trips is a multi-million dollar “for profit” corporation) I wouldn’t do it again.</p>
<p>Both my kids are gifted and we have been bombarded with “stuff” for years based on test scores. As one child’s junk mail ramped down, the other’s junk mail was ramping up. </p>
<p>Still - while I agree with DAndrew that marketing may open a parents’ eyes to boarding school who wouldn’t otherwise know about it (my family didn’t), I think the increase in marketing is to replace the cost of Adcom travel. I think that’s a mistake. If we’d gotten a solicitation in the mail, my parents would have ignored it. Because the Adcom had a relationship with my Jr. High, my parents trusted the counselor’s recommendation that I apply.</p>
<p>These days - if I didn’t know better - an Exeter solicitation just sounds too much like the fly-by-night stuff also being aimed at the same children.</p>
<p>I think you should apply. I mean they are probably a couple of people that got that letter, but I definately didn’t. Even if it doesn’t guarantee admission, it’s still a hook.</p>