Letter from Columbia... What does it mean?

Got a letter from Columbia saying “I am pleased you are interested in learning more about Columbia… My staff and I look forward to meeting you and we wish you the best of luck in your college search.” What does this mean? Does it mean something good or bad? Just did an interview last week.

The letter was from the dean of admissions.

I think that’s just the general sort of advertisement they send out to everyone they have on their mailing list for purposes of publicity. Don’t worry about what it means; you’ll get your admissions decision soon enough!

I bet you signed up for something that showed your interest in Columbia but did not convey that you’d already applied. That letter sounds like a promotion to encourage you at apply.

Pretty sure it’s just a promotion that doesn’t have any significance

You can delete the “pretty sure;” it’s marketing - nothing more. Read nothing into it.

I agree it’s marketing. My D got those letters all the time. For whatever reason I even got them in my email box after she applied asking her to apply or thanking her for her interest. It’s meaningless.

Oh okay. I thought so too but just wanted to make sure. Thanks everyone!

it means that on one of those expensive marketing lists that Columbia or its subcontractor bought, it mistakenly belives you’re a Junior or Soph rather than a Senior.

When do likely letters come out

My son was getting similar emails from colleges he applied to, and also still got them after declining admission. Even if an email says “Dean of Admissions” chances are it is a service like Hobson’s that is sending out blast emails to some list that is likely completely unrelated to your application to Columbia.

I don’t know about Columbia, but the interview cycle is not done for the Ivy I do interviews for, we’ve got two weeks to go. I don’t expect any likely letters to be sent out before the interviews are submitted and considered, like maybe March 1 would be a conservative estimate…

Likely letters are already being issued by my Ivy school. But I can’t emphasize this enough: no sane person should be sitting around expecting a Likely letter. That’s irrational hubris so put it out of your mind.

If one comes in, then rejoice fully. Otherwise, be and act normally