<p>So, I just got a letter from Northwestern and it says that they have reviewed my application and are "very impressed." It says that I should "take some time to relax..." </p>
<p>Could this be a likely letter? I am unfamiliar with the whole concept.</p>
<p>likely letter</p>
<p>if i ever saw one, that looks like it.</p>
<p>i applied early so i never got anything like that. i don't understand why colleges send out "likely letters" when they could just send out the decision letter instead. whatever, it's their money they're wasting for postage.</p>
<p>anyway, i think that letter means you're safe.</p>
<p>thanks for the info, everyone. mdkeung, did you get in early?</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Ivies have some rule that you can't formally admit students before the actual deadline, although I might have to read up on that. However, considering Northwestern is not an ivy, I'm not sure what their policy is regarding likely letters.</p>
<p>hehehe, i'm really new to CC, so I was wondering: what is a likely letter?</p>
<p>The likely letters I have received use words that make it clear
I will be admitted.</p>
<p>okay i understand now.</p>
<p>wow congrats hotpiece!</p>
<p>Sorry, room full of screaming folks who gt likelies todays, no glasses and my mom on the phone gushing!!!!</p>
<p>suze, in reference to your previous post, the language is slightly ambiguous. i mean, it could just be a "don't let senioritis get you down" postcard.</p>
<p>Was it handwritten? I know someone who got a handwritten letter last year saying something about relaxing as well -- she got in.</p>
<p>there's another post where a person reports a bunch of people received these letters from NWU. So either they're really jumping the gun and broadcasting likely letters to many of the kids they're taking, or its a marketing campaign. I'd go with the latter; its got people chattering and NWU is on their minds right now. Every kid they end up accepting has been primed, so to speak, by these letters to pay a lot of attention to NWU.</p>
<p>italianlovin87, a likely letter is used to tip off applicants they are going to be admitted without actually saying so explicitly. Many colleges have agreed to notification dates and aren't allowed to announce their results any earlier. Obviously if you're the first school to accept someone, especially when you're an in-demand school, it gives you a leg up on actually enrolling the kid. Especially when several weeks/months go by before they hear from any other school. This is a new use of the letter, btw. Originally they were intended for athletes; colleges with a common notification deadline were at a serious disadvantage compared to schools that give athletic scholarships. A kid might have to let the deadline for accepting a scholarship pass without knowing if he got into his reach, and could end up with nothing from either school. So the likely letters allowed schools to skirt the ban on early notification; technically they haven't violated the agreement on notifying early. But since they provide such a competitive advantage in admissions it wasn't long before non-athletes started getting them too.</p>
<p>for example, Dartmouth says on its website
[quote]
Admissions Offices at each Ivy school may offer some athletic and other candidates a "likely" letter, which has the effect of a formal letter of admission provided the candidate continues to have a satisfactory secondary school experience. Coaches may initiate the requests for these letters, but only the office of admission can issue a"likely" letter.
[/quote]
The letters from NWU don't seem to be the same; they don't promise admission at all. Now it very well be that NWU is using these to tip off kids it wants or even just grab the attention of strong applicants, but I wouldn't treat it as a likely letter.</p>
<p>"The likely letters I have received"</p>
<p>wow, multiple likely letters? Lucky!</p>
<p>Congrats, hotpiece.</p>
<p>yeah, it was handwritten. and for future reference, here is the exact text of the postcard:
[quote]
Hello Amy!
We hope you are well!
We know senior year can be stressful, especially around application time. So we wanted to tell you that we've received your completed application and to let you know we were very impressed. So take some time to relax, focus on maintaining strong grades and keep up in all your activities. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I havent recieved any...</p>
<p>goddamn.</p>
<p>As someone (on CC) once told me: don't get your hopes up, nothing like being 100% sure you're in and then getting rejected. That'd be the worst.</p>
<p>But, again, I know someone last year who got a handwritten letter that definitely talked about relaxing, and she was in. And she attends! So, yeah... I guess that means relax? ;)</p>
<p>thanks warblersrule and everyone else.</p>
<p>wait, but i'm still confused. is a likely letter a letter that guarantees admission or is it a letter that states that the school is interested in you as a candidate?</p>