<p>I would agree that it doesn't hurt or affect the chances of getting accepted for other students. But, while it may 'relieve the anxiety of waiting' for the recipients who receive these letters it certainly can increase the anxiety of those who don't receive them especially if they hear of others who do.</p>
<p>Thx...that seems logical...but isn't it kinda scary that 17 years of hard work and, in fact, someone's entire life gets judged by one and sometimes two kids just out of college themselves? They must at least have to swing a "likely letter" person by the director, wouldn't you say? I still think the second week in January is quite a stretch though, and very hard to believe...</p>
<p>Byerly said he knows from a "knowledgable source" that Yale sent out 400 letters for the Class of 2008. (Seeing as I know for a fact that they only sent out 100 letters for the Class of 2007, that's a pretty dramatic increase). Anyways, assuming the number of likely letters is within that range of 100-400, combined with EA admits of 700 that makes at most 1100 candidates who are notified of certain or likely admission before April 1. That leaves 900 out of 2000 successful applicants who will be notified at that time. So you definitely shouldn't stress about not getting a likely letter, because the majority of RD applicants don't receive one. I've always thought that likely letters were only sent out to the absolute cream of the crop, the ones that the college would love to snatch for themselves. So applicants shouldn't expect or await a likely letter; it's just a small, small extra reward for those who are particularly attractive to the college.</p>
<p>LOL! They sent out more than 100 LLs for recruited athletes alone! All Ivies did.</p>
<p>schools wouldn't send likely letters to EA deferred candidates, would they?</p>
<p>Byerly: in that case, let me ask you a question. If the likely letter for the class of 2007 was only sent out to 100 ppl, like the letter said, then did those 100 include athletes or just academic superstars?</p>
<p>sirwonkalus: as far as i know, likely letters are for RD applicants.</p>
<p>Woe---if you figure 400 plus the 700EA, that's all but 200 of the incoming class...that means 85% or so know before April 1st. Wow. I think we're onto something kinda ugly here...</p>
<p>Re deferred people---my opinion is no, they wouldn't send one, since they know you are very likely to matriculate...no need to woo you.</p>
<p>that's assuming that every single person who receives a likely letter or who's admitted EA is going to attend Yale. Who knows what the statistics for likely letters are?</p>
<p>Not true. The first "likely letters" are sent in late October/early November for recruited athletes facing requests to "commit" during the "early signing period," so-called.</p>
<p>Here is a copy of a post from Oct 19,2004 that gives you a link about Harvard merit scholarships. It is a post from Northstarmom: "I take it back! Apparently there are a few students each year who receive scholarships to Harvard that aren't based on financial need. </p>
<p>Here's a quote and a link: "Current and newly admitted Harvard students may be nominated for scholarships by their Harvard Financial Aid Offices. Students do not apply directly to CGS for these scholarships. With few exceptions, awards from these funds are based upon financial need. Only those students who meet a fund's specific eligibility criteria can be nominated to CGS for a scholarship from that fund."</p>
<p>These scholarships appear to be tied into certain high schools, last names, towns, states, citizenship and ethnicity including some for Asian nationals, Jews and African Americans (interestingly, the scholarship was for graduate work). Here's an example: "BRIGHT Legacy
Restricted to descendants of Henry Bright, Jr. and Anne Goldstone of Watertown, Massachusetts, who bear the surname Bright. " </p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/rf/rfunds.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/rf/rfunds.html</a></p>
<p>Unfortunately, there's no info posted, however, that says the scholarship amounts. The students can't apply for the scholarships. Their names are forwarded by the financial aid office, so there seems to be some possible benefit for applying of financial aid even if one is definitely sure one will not qualify for aid."</p>
<p>So, yes, there are little niches at even HPY where you can get a bit more.</p>
<p>However, if this thread does upset anyone, or anyone does not want to help, it is no hardship to just not read it anymore. In my opinion, it is a good thing to see what is out there. Yes, it hurts waiting for an answer when kids are not only accepted but are getting courted. It hurts getting turned down. But it gives you a better idea of what is exactly going on out there. If you prefer not to know, don't look at boards like this. </p>
<p>The reason I started looking at this board is when I was researching musical theatre programs at colleges. Well, let me tell you, the overall news was not good, in that these programs involve a huge commitment when a student applies for them in terms of travel, preparation and money. The acceptance rate is a mere 3-5% or less. And to rub salt in the wounds there are those getting multiple offers with merit awards. But better to know what is going on, in my book, than sticking one's head in the sand and hoping for the best. The knowledge allowed us to start very early with the apps and audition process, apply to a large number of schools, and look for some non audition options. We were done with the process by the end of the first week in December, had two acceptances, a wait list and an acceptance from an EA school without the program that my son decided was a better choice after visiting all of the MT schools and finding some of them lacking in many ways other than the program they offer. None of this would have happened without the info on this site.</p>
<p>Rumbean makes an important point. There is a difference between: </p>
<p>(1) a motivated athletic recruit who gets his "likely letter" only to give him peace of mind as he turns down a full-ride to Duke; and </p>
<p>(2) a sought-after URM who may find himself deluged with "likely letters" as many schools scratch and claw to increase their "diversity."</p>
<p>The "yield rate" may be nearly 100% for the first group, and - by definition - far less than 50% for the second group.</p>
<p>jamimon it is indeed wonderful that things have worked out so well in your family and that you were able to get all the auditions and applications done in so timely a manner.<br>
I don't think you quite understand my point. Certainly readers shouldn't avoid reading these posts because of what they might learn and possibly have their feelings hurt. My point is that I believe that colleges should have integrity in their application processes just as they would have students be in their applications. Have you ever read in the Yale application FAQs that the college will send out "likely letters?" The colleges have supposedly agreed to notify all applicants during a certain time range. Why should they circumvent this and send certain select students tip offs? This creates a perception of behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing.
If they want to work this way then perhaps they should institute rolling admissions and let all accepted and rejected students know along the way.</p>
<p>andi: it's probably not fair, but that's the way it works. College admissions is in so many ways a game, and in my opinion there are worse things that go on besides sending out likely letters. I don't think that they've compromised their integrity in any way. Think about it this way: other lesser schools can lure in top students with offers of full rides. Yale doesn't have this option, so it has to find some way to let its best applicants know that it values them and recognizes their strength.</p>
<p>is yale the only ivy that send likely letters?</p>
<p>all this talk of likely letters makes me want one. oh well.... i am relegated to another few months of anxiety</p>
<p>My daughter's likely letter (she applied RD) said that Yale sends less than 100 of these letters(the letter didn't mention athletes one way or another in this comment; presumably was not counting athletes who get these letters).</p>
<p>As for the posts asking for her stats, I won't do this, for among reasons, it tells you nothing about your own chances of admission, and provides a false sense that this is meaningful info. If your stats are better, you will be disappointed (or more) if you did not get a likely letter. You may of course still get admitted later. If your stats are worse, that also tells you nothing, and you should not rule out getting admitted later(after all, less than 100 of these letters go out according to the letter she got). This whole admission process is incredibly subjective(unavoidably and appropriately so I believe). If anyone thinks they "do it by the numbers and just won't tell us," take a look at the stats posted online at CC at various of the highly selective schools. I see many admits with lower stats than deferreds or rejected applicants. I can discern no pattern in the numbers even at the very high ends of the spectrum. Also read The Gatekeepers, a book written about two years ago by the guy who used to be the national education editor for the NY Times. He shadowed an admissions rep at Wesleyan for a year. This book vividly shows how unpredictable the whole process is.</p>
<p>Your app is in, and what will happen will happen (remember St. Francis of Assisi's prayer!). If you get in to your #1 school, great and congratulations. If you don't, you are still the same person after the rejection as before. You will still be successful! Ya gotta believe! Good luck to all!</p>
<p>to offer some advice that perhaps goes against the grain on this thread:</p>
<p>with transfer admissions to these top schools, it is somewhat common for a student to send a photocopy of their acceptance to a top-tier school to their first choice school, with a note saying something to the effect of "i really want to go to your school but this one is getting to me first and is offering a lot." i know that it worked for someone at my school last year, though she was a BIT unethical and ended up going to the first school that accepted her, not her supposed "top choice."</p>
<p>so my suggestion, based upon the similar situation in transfer apps, is if yale is her top choice, leave it be. if its not, then send a copy with a similar letter to the type i mentioned to her top choice school. of course, i acknowledge that transfer and freshman admissions are somewhat different, so do what you will with the suggestion.</p>
<p>Andi, The fact of the matter is that Yale apparently does send out likely letters even to nonathletes, something I did not know. This post surprised me, as I have never heard of such a thing about Yale. I did know that Dartmouth sent them out. It seemed to me to be awfully early, considering it was barely a month since my son was accepted EA, and school has been out most of the time thereafter. So my curiousity was aroused. I do not condone these letters at all, I want to make myself clear, Andy. I agree that it does increase the anxiety level of those who do not get them. There are a number of things in the admissions process that I believe are unnecessarily cruel to the kids who are not on the first rung of admissions and those who are deferred or rejected, and many of them would not take much to fix, but this is clearly not a priority item on the colleges' list. Though I do not like the fact that Yale sends out likely letters to non athletes as well, I would prefer to know about it, then not know. </p>
<p>I am thinking about writing Yale and letting them know how I feel about these likely letters. I am disappointed that a school so high up on the desireability scale resorts to this sort of thing. That is my opinion. And anyone else who feels the same way should do the same. It is really the most immedidate way to get attention on the matter. Those who like the idea, mainly the recipients of those letters, could let Yale know how much they appreciated the letters, and if a larger than predicted number of such recipients end up going to Yale, I doubt the displeasure from those who are on the "B" list is going to affect the process, but I will voice my feelings, as I do frequently on matters that I just do not think are right. Sometime it makes a difference; usually it does not, but at least I have told the source my opinion of a policy or procedure. </p>
<p>Things like the likely letters are, however, a wakeup call to some parents and kids who have no idea how competitive things are. I talk to parents each year who truly believe that their kid is going to be scooped up and be in a bidding war with HPY. I guess there are such kids, but if you did not get one of these letters, yours clearly is not one of them. It is a reality check that only the colleges can provide. I know I just insulted a mom, who gave me a CD of her son playing the Mendelsohn Violin Concerto. Since my son spent about 4 years on that piece, and played it at his senior recital, we have may versions of it. It is clear that a popular piece like that has to be played very, very well, or the comparison is not good. This one did not cut it, and had I heard it earlier, I would have advised the kid who is on paper a sterling, top rate violinist, not to send it, and had him listen to the CDS I have and let him figure out why not. As it stands now, the best thing to do is leave things be and hope they don't listen to it, and certainly not call and bug them to do so, as this kid and mom were planning to do. It*is painful to find out that you are not on the top of the hierarchy when you have been locally for a long time, but it is better to see this first hand than to just wonder why you were not accepted.</p>
<p>jamimom- your post resonates with me, and it is very important for parents to go into this process with eyes wide open. That's what I like about this board.
I have no problem with likely letters, nor do I think it's unethical to send them. A small percentage of students get these letters, and they probably have no formula, but it just depends from year to year. They would accept these students anyway, so it really doesn't affect the admissions of anyone else, or hurt anyone.
When my D applied to Yale RD a couple of years ago, she was still wrestling with getting all her recs in - one teacher had to submit three times before it was officially received, but that's another story- when a friend's son received a likely letter. This boy was one whom no one would have questioned was an extremely attractive candidate, but who wasn't nationally acclaimed or anything; just a really exceptional student with no legacy or obvious hooks. Rather than making us feel bad, it actually made us feel better in that they recognized his excellence. (*maybe there really was some method to this madness!) I was envious of course, as this mom could relax and enjoy, yet it was in no way undeserved. His interest and achievments were in an areal that Yale is trying to build, and it worked. He turned down two equally prestigious
schools (that may have had better programs in his field) because he felt Yale really wanted him.</p>