<p>Wellesley has an early evaluation program that sends out likely letters. If you chose to apply under the program, which has a deadline 15 days before the regular decision deadline, you are notified in late February as to your status as an applicant. Likely, which means you're accepted unless you commit murder, maybe, which I think has a thirty percent chance? and not likely. Basically an early indication of your admissions decision.</p>
<p>This relieved a LOT of stress for me.</p>
<p>I can sympathize with Sybbie's post: the likely letters are tool used by the Ivies (and a few others) to get an advantage over their competitors.<br>
The Ivy agreement mandates a single RD notification date.</p>
<p>They see someone that they want and know will be heavily courted by others. So they make sure they come a' courtin' as well. Therefore, the "likely letter".</p>
<p>"The Ivy agreement mandates a single RD notification date." Which means that the acceptance letter from an Ivy comes much later than other schools.</p>
<p>S applied to only one Ivy, because it had the program of study that he was interested in. He received early on admittances to all the other schools he applied to, including several outstanding scholarship offers.</p>
<p>He is not an athlete, but he did receive a likely letter from the Ivy, which persuaded him to postpone his excitement about attending one of the other schools. Likely letters work - they grab your attention away from other admittance offers and let you know that you can expect a thick envelope very soon.</p>
<p>workinprogress - thanks for the info on your D. She sounds like a terrific young woman - congrats to both of you.</p>
<p>I heard about 10 athlete students who received likely letter from elite colleges including HYPS. All of them applied early to these colleges from where they received likely letter. However, two of the kids who applied early got deferred in early round. One made the cut in the regular. Unfortunately second student got waitlisted. Through grapevine rumor, I heard that the one student got waitlisted because some other equally gifted athlete applied with better academic record. Thus, it is no guarantee in admission process. But it is very high probability with an extremely high success rate.</p>
<p>Cheers, re: post #13 --- I'm glad to hear that! :)</p>