<p>Hi, At first I thought that likely letters for non-athletes were an urban legend, but judging from postings from CC students, Stanford, Yale, Dartmouth, and Wash U at the very least have already sent letters to numerous students who applied RD informing them either directly or obliquely that they will be accepted for the fall. It would be good to compile a list of schools that are doing this. Also, does anyone have info for specific schools as to how many spaces are left for students applying RD following the acceptance of EA/ED and "likely letter" students? Is this a new phenomenon, or have such letters always existed? How many such letters does each school send? Anyway, if anyone has actual info, please share. Thanks!</p>
<p>The likely letters from certain schools seem to be directly exclusively to athletes and diversity cases.</p>
<p>If a student does not receive a likely letter, is that implying that the student will not be admitted?</p>
<p>UVa also sends likely letters.</p>
<p>Nester,</p>
<p>Likely letters serve two purposes. During the ED round, recruited athletes to recieve likely letters as coaches do want to lock in athletes and want to pretty much assure them that if they are interested in the school they are very likely to be admitted.</p>
<p>During the RD round, likely letter will go out to candidates explaining that their admission is very likely. Some of these students may be athletes (based on what coaches need to round out their teams) but many likely letters are sent out based on something that the school is looking for to fill out their classes, academics and sometimes "hooked' candidates. At Dartmouth, they send likely letters as a way to alleviate some of the stress of waiting for April 1 and for students to connect with the possiblity of attending the school.</p>
<p>If a student does get a likely letter it does not mean that they will not be admitted as most schools only send out a small # in relation to the number of students they are looking to admit.</p>
<p>Bucknell also sends out likely letters. I am a white non-NCAA athlete, so they are sent out to non-special people too. haha, not that I'm not special, I'm just not especially desireable statistically speaking</p>
<p>On other CC boards, it's being suggested that Duke and Dartmouth are sending out 500 likely letters, a substantial number, particularly when you consider the proportion of the classes admitted ED. I'm wondering if this 500 number is accurate and whether other schools send such a large number.</p>
<p>I have gotten likely letters from Dartmouth and Duke and know of 4 other people who got them from Dartmouth and 3 others from Duke. All are really top candidates for those schools. I know some are still to come, but I can't believe some of those I know who didn't get them won't get in too.</p>
<p>You didnt get any from Harvard? LOL...</p>
<p>Alas, I didn't apply to Harvard, but I admit I have yet to get one from Yale although a friend just did.</p>
<p>Well, good luck. I'm not into US schools anyways. Oxford can kick Yale's *** anytime.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Dartmouth will offer admission to to almost 2200 students (2171 last year including 397 admitted ED) to yeild a class of approximately 1075 students (remember that not every one who is accepted will chose to attend for one reason or another).</p>
<p>IF Dartmouth offers the same number of acceptances </p>
<p>399 ED
500 likely</p>
<p>899</p>
<p>2171 -899 = 1272 students who will be admitted without getting a likely letter.</p>
<p>It seems that with all that is known, public info, about numbers in the admissions process, very little is know about RD likelies. Do colleges publish the info? Do we have any idea if Stanford, for example, has sent out 50 or 1,000?</p>
<p>Maybe this article will help explain the concept of likely letters.</p>
<p>have you done a check on stanfords website about likely letters</p>
<p>Have you searched their publications?</p>
<p>Columbia also sent out likely letters to applicants who applied to the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.</p>
<p>Thanks for that article Sybbie. It just becomes really hard to believe colleges are competing for us, we are stuck in the mind set for so long that we are courting them. I can't even explain the euphoria of getting likely letters--it's like is this real? They really want me after all the angst!!!</p>
<p>"On other CC boards, it's being suggested that Duke and Dartmouth are sending out 500 likely letters, a substantial number, particularly when you consider the proportion of the classes admitted ED. I'm wondering if this 500 number is accurate and whether other schools send such a large number."</p>
<p>Duke's sending/sent 350 letters. That's only about 10% of the RD admit pool.</p>
<p>Wellesley sends likely letters.</p>
<p>Hi everyone,
This is my first posting on CC forum. I found the website by accident and I've been reading all your postings. Very informative. I wish I knew about it before my S submitted his college applications.
My S did not receive any likely letters and I am wodering whether it has anything to do with the timing of submitting the application, meaning kids who waited till the last minute to submit their application will not receive a likely letter or will receive it late.</p>
<p>i unfortunately don't think timing has anything to do with it. There are some kids posting that they received letters, who submitted applications on the last day.</p>