<p>So Im a semifinalists in Siemens and am about to apply to uc. About a month or so ago I got a letter from the presidents office (of uc) basically congraulating me on Siemens and inviting me to apply. My teammate in the competition who admittedly has a less than spectacular gpa and test scores did not get one. I was just wondering if this was an actual likely letter or something that they just send out to most of the Siemens/intel kids who meet some other cutoff. Thanks.</p>
<p>Likely letters are sent to students who’ve already applied. They wouldn’t send you a likely letter without at least making sure that your essays and recs are up to par.</p>
<p>Colleges like Harvard, UChicago, and other elite schools send out mail that may seem personal in an attempt to get people to apply. This is done to increase number of apps to increase selectivity (as seen by the 25% increase in EA apps) or to just get the application fees. I got a letter for National Merit from tons of schools including UChicago, Princeton, etc. (and calls from schools that weren’t ranked as high). With that in mind, it’s most likely just a marketing ploy sent to most Intel kids. Likely letters are a ton more personal, only for people who’ve applied, and are pretty straightforward. Good luck though!</p>