<p>Our son got a nice letter from the admissions counselor handling his app at a highly selective LAC (where my husband has a strong legacy connection) saying that he had really liked my son's essay a lot. Since his grades and test scores are high, am I right to think this is a very positive indicator? Or just chat?</p>
<p>I would say that your son's application is definitely in the "accept" pile. Congrats!</p>
<p>Oh thank you LNM!! Love your name, btw. In VT we have a monster too.</p>
<p>let me be the second to congratulate you</p>
<p>I can't speak for my colleagues elsewhere, but I wait until decisions are final to write to my little list of favs. It's a little early in our process for that, but perhaps another school finalizes decisions earlier than most.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son! This sounds like an acceptance to me.</p>
<p>DD also got a similar one (both an email and snail mail) from my alma mater...it also mentioned getting her first semester grades in...I'm not counting my chickens yet...</p>
<p>For an admissions rep to take the time to send an e-mail sure sounds positive to me. Congrats! B, your S sounds like an interesting, terrific young man.</p>
<p>No, I'm not counting my chickens either, but it's sounding good.</p>
<p>Dean J</p>
<p>I tried to pm you; I'll bet everyone does--haha--My husband has gotten an honorary doctorate from his alma mater and is in their view book. Thier development officer said legacy didn't mean that much.</p>
<p>With that and CC, we went for safety, but...this is why we feel our kids have to apply to lots of schools. Admissions offices are so cagy.</p>
<p>Bethievt :</p>
<p>Cognates. Our kid also recently also got one very positive email feedback from one of the top college in the country. We are hoping it is a positive sign too.</p>
<p>This is interesting. I hadn't heard of a lot of people getting such responses before the decisions go out in the past, but it seems to be happening more this year (or I'm noticing it more). True? False? Good marketing, or bad?</p>
<p>It sounds like a good thing --- I can't imagine an addcom being so cruel as to give false hope this close to the decision date! My D got a nice letter in mid-December from an addcom at a very selective LAC stating that she had read her (RD) application with great interest & was looking forward to receiving her supplement (D lagged on completing supplements!). D thought it was a good omen, but I warned that it was awfully early in the process for that to mean much of anything (other than .... move it, girl, and finish your application). However, at this late date, your contact is bound to mean something good!</p>
<p>When I mention "likely letters" to people here, no one has heard of them. I get a feeling they are getting more common.</p>
<p>So, maybe we are seeing an advantage (likely letters) to the colleges worrying about their yield rates! :)</p>
<p>CC members have heard of likely letters! :)</p>
<p>My daughter got likely letters several years ago, but they were more specific - as in "we are happy to welcome you to the class of.... ". The OP's email sounds very positive, and it is highly possible that your kid will be admitted - but it is not worded like most likely letters I have heard. Most likely letters really spell it out - "you will soon be receiving our offer of admissions" or something of that nature.</p>
<p>Can anyone provide a list (partial probably) of LACs that are expected to send "likely" letters this year? </p>
<p>If so, when do they typically send them? I'm sure it varies, but if anyone has a sense for this new and bewildered mom, I'd love to hear it! Thanks!</p>
<p>Lurkness</p>
<p>I meant <em>here</em> in VT people I've talked to haven't heard about "likely letters". I first heard about "likely letters" on CC.</p>
<p>CountingDown</p>
<p>It does seem like a way of getting on the student's radar screen earliest.</p>
<p>cattv, it might be easier to check last year's postings for the specific colleges in which you are interested. One of the nice things about CC is that it has a few years of college admissions history to search. </p>
<p>bethievt, congratulations on what I hope (and think) is a likely email!</p>