<p>I just got a letter from Harvard yesterday extending congratulations on Academic achievements and encouraging me to apply. It's about two pages long with general information, but the first paragraph goes into my apparently strong background in science (true)...unfortunately, I'm into International Relations. They also said they were sending me a packet of material, including an application. </p>
<p>Now, the thing that messes me up about this technically I'm supposed to be an unknown according to colleges. I didn't sign up for any mail after I took the SATs....and thankfully I haven't been recieving any. Then, the random letter from Harvard shows up and Harvard isn't even supposed to know my name, much less my 'background' in science. </p>
<p>How many students get this letter? Anyone know.....and if so how do they find out info about you? Bah, I wasn't even thinking about Harvard until this thing showed up. Now I'm considering early...little late I know. </p>
<p>Perhaps they got your info from when you took your PSAT. </p>
<p>Thousands of students get such letters. Harvard seems to try to reach every student who has stats indicating that they have a chance of admission. Since virtually all students' chances of admission are 1 in 10, don't assume that if you apply, you'll get it. At least 80% of Harvard applicants have the grades and stats to do well there if admitted. Still, most of those students will be rejected.</p>
<p>Apply if you're interested. Also have safety and match colleges that you'd love to attend.</p>
<p>They get your name from collegeboard. The PSAT asks you what you plan to major and have a career in at the beginning so that is probably how they know about your interest in science.</p>
<p>The cost of operating the undergraduate admissions office is close to a million dollars. By getting more students to apply for the undergraduate freshmen program (20000 plus students and approximatley $ 65 per student) the cost of operating Byerly Hall is paid off. In todays digital age,
the mailing cost is minimal.</p>
<p>No, Harvard generates its mailing lists from LOTS of sources of information. You can be sure it has targeted recruited of "underrepresented" ethnic minorities, and now with its new financial aid initiative Harvard may be aiming recruiting letters at identifiable low-income academic stars irrespective of ethnicity. I think the most conspicuous young people in most nationally organized extracurricular activities (ECs) also get letters like these. Harvard seems determined not to lose good prospective students just because they weren't sure they were welcome to apply.</p>
<p>Did some digging. According to Princeton's newspaper, a 1999 article said that apparently they send out about 50,000 of these letters. </p>
<p>Hehe...apparently, Princeton thinks the reason for the mailing ambushes is Harvard wants to have a more exclusive acceptance rate than Princeton. Then again, that was 1999, numbers have changed. I doubt Harvard is that insecure....</p>
<p>Oh, you don't have to be anything special to get the letter. I have nothing particularly amazing...plus I'm Indian. I also more or less live in one of the richest towns in the richest states in the richest country in the world. That's a gross dramatization...but it works. </p>
<p>When students take standardized tests, whether that is their PSAT, SAT or ACT, universities pay the College Board to get the contact information on a particular student who has particularly stellar scores.</p>
<p>The cost of operating the undergraduate admissions office is close to a million dollars. By getting more students to apply for the undergraduate freshmen program (20000 plus students and approximatley $ 65 per student) the cost of operating Byerly Hall is paid off.</p>
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<p>First, the application fees do not begin to cover the cost of operating the admissions office. Between staff salaries, officer travel, materials design and production, renting Byerly Hall from Radcliffe, etc., we're talking about far more than a million dollars.</p>
<p>Second, the students Harvard is recruiting hardest and spending the most to reach out to are those who will qualify for application fee waivers.</p>
<p>Third, Harvard views the amount it would get from recruiting additional fee-paying applicants as, to put it very mildly, peanuts. Byerly Hall distributes $80 million per year in undergraduate financial aid; the collection of $65 app fees does not drive policy. They're recruiting more applicants because they want a larger and more diverse pool of students to choose from.</p>
<p>Good job, Hanna. Harvard does not want to boost its selectivity. It has no need to do so. They want, obviously, with the announcement of HFAI, a more diverse class at Harvard College. They have made great strides to do so. During freshman week they were mentioning how we were the most diverse class to date in terms of socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds. They want to pride themselves on it.</p>
<p>I got that letter a while ago. Don't you think that Harvard has enough of a name and the money spent on these little ad compaigns could be better spent on some sort of academic or financial initiative?</p>
<p>the money spent on these little ad compaigns could be better spent</p>
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<p>The cost of sending these letters out is probably equal to the amount of endowment interest the college earns every three seconds or so. It would be very silly indeed for Harvard to pinch pennies on recruiting the best possible class. That's what it has to do if it wants the "name" to be something other than an empty brand.</p>