<p>In the last week I have received multiple letters with personal information I filled out on the PSAT from colleges. Does this mean I have a good chance at getting in? Not that I want to go to any of these.</p>
<p>Southern Methodist University
St. Edwards University
Texas Christian University
Baylor University
Elon University
Massachusetts College of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences</p>
<p>It means that the schools want to get their name out to as many schools as possible. It's just advertising. The higher your PSAT scores, the more schools are interested in sending you mail. Sophmore year, I received a ton of mail from many respected colleges. Junior year upped my PSAT score by 40 points and I began receiving mail from MIT and Harvard. But it does not mean that you have a better chance of getting into these schools than other applicants.</p>
<p>What you do is you put every piece of college solicitation mail into a huge laundry basket. You will be amazed how much you have amassed by the time the last college app deadline has passed.</p>
<p>i would hope so, but i don't think it really makes a difference when admissions time comes around. for example, i got mail from caltech, but that doesn't mean that i have a better chance at getting in than someone else who didn't get the mail but is much better than me at academics or ECs. these colleges just mail it out to people in a wide score range and its mainly just to generate interest in the school. btw, i also got mail from Dominican University of California and Whitman College, so that just goes to show that all kinds of colleges mail to all kinds of PSAT scores</p>
<p>Yeah, I got mail from a crap load of colleges too, some ivies and Caltech too. I think they're just trying to get their names out. I've been getting so much lately, I think I ought to start a collection :).</p>
<p>I haven't got mail from many prestigious schools besides Baylor (prestigious for medicine, my career path). When did you guys get the mail from ivy leagues? What were your sophomore, junior PSAT scores?</p>
<p>Buddy... you'll get a steady string of mail for what seems like forever. Don't be impatient!
Don't worry that you haven't gotten anything from Ivies. I only received a letter or two from less than half the schools over a course of two years. The letters you get are the way that smaller, lesser-known schools get their name out.</p>
<p>Personally I don't find the letters to be anything (maybe just a slight ego booster ;-) ). I got a 202 this year as a sophomore, but I got a near perfect on the writing and math sections, and my major was marked as mathematics and statistics, so that may have helped or what not. Don't worry, the letters will flood in pretty soon, once they do, its like 5 a day lol. Ah... if I had a dime for every one of those letters I received... :-p</p>
<p>edit: Is it a nickel or a dime? I forget.</p>
<p>The letters don't mean anything. They are just an attempt by the colleges to increase the number of applications so their selectivity appears greater. Of course, they are always interested in top applicants. If you make National Merit semifinalist, the letters will become more serious and will usually offer some $$$ (some schools). Enjoy the letters! Whiz-do a search for the posts on the Rice/Baylor program. A poster named JenSkate1 is in it. It is a premed/Med program. You would like it.</p>
<p>Yeah that's pretty much what I thought. I guess it's just a good sign I'm getting them. The only two colleges I'm interested in that sent me stuff are Baylor and SMU.</p>
<p>My initial impression of you is that you SMU would not be the place for you. It has some good departments, but for what you are interested in, it is not a good enough school. Plus- it is very preppy, social etc.</p>
<p>Bump Bump Bump Bump</p>
<p>i have a ziplock bag at home...well over 400 pieces of mail. we all get it.</p>
<p>Don't get excited by the letters, they mean nothing.</p>
<p>Texasmathwhiz - you are at the BEGINNING of your college search. Taking the PSAT will generate college mail. This is the year you should be researching possibilities and thinking about what you want in a college. If you don't get mail from a college in which you are interested, go to their website and fill out whatever electronic form they have to request more information. Consider visiting some colleges this summer. Next year, you can start to seriously draw up a college list as you will have a better idea of your scores, grades and rank.</p>
<p>Most sophomores do not decide where they want to go (unless you're one of those UT/A&M since birth types).</p>
<p>S got a big, beautiful glossy booklet today from (DRUM ROLL) Indiana U. of Pennsylvania Honors College. (not high on our list) Also mail from Ohio State, West Point and some others. A lot of trees are dying for this stuff.</p>
<p>I just found out according to that stupid AI thing, if I stay here where my class does ranks, I will get a 6 out of 9. If I go back to California and don't have a 60/690 rank, I will get a 9 out of 9.</p>
<p>I have to laugh whenever we get something from a military academy - it is impossible for my daughter to accept an order without a long, involved discussion of why it is necessary. Definitely not military material!</p>
<p>Texasmathwhiz, take the AI with a grain of salt. Most colleges don't use it.</p>
<p>Yeah I'm not taking it seriously. I was just amazed by the difference I get with and without a class rank. It seems that it is better for your school not to rank unless you are valedictorian.</p>