Likely Letters?

[tscblast]

<p>I am currently a Junior and am trying to get a head start on understanding the whole admissions process. I was just wondering if (after you apply, of course) if Princeton sends out likely letters for people who are applying EA, or if it is something they only use for athletes or not at all?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

[adissaddddd]

<p>It doesn’t matter if you applied SCEA or RD. It’s an early acceptance letter - given about a month or two before everyone else’s acceptances - and it’s usually given to legacies or athletic recruits, and the select few truly outstanding applicants they can’t afford to let go somewhere else. The main case you should be expecting a likely letter is when you’re a recruited athlete.</p>

[Cantiger]

<p>To clarify, (and having recently been through the process) it is a “likely” letter for recruited athletes, not early acceptance. They (Princeton admissions) still have the opportunity to rescind their offer dependent on a number of factors after the application is submitted and scores/grades verified. The letter is used for athletes who have been recruited by other D1 schools and possibly sign an NCAA letter of intent at the early signing date (Princeton does not participate in these signing dates even though they are an NCAA D1 school).</p>

<p>I have never heard of a legacy or “outstanding” applicant being sent a likely letter. This is why they have single choice early action (SCEA) - the applicant may only apply to one private institution at the early time, and even other permitted schools must offer non binding offers in their early admission offers. The above two groups of students would be covered by the SCEA process. </p>

<p>For Questbridge applicants I believe the letter is actually an offer of admission that comes in advance of the formal decisions for SCEA.</p>

[sherpa]

<p>It’s best to go to the source. Note: The linked document is slighty outdated, as it refers to only Yale having SCEA, but I believe the policies are still accurate.
<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/pdfs/0708_ivy.pdf[/url]”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/pdfs/0708_ivy.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>A few excerpts:</p>

<p>

As determined by each institution, admissions offices may advise applicants of the probability of admission (e.g., likely, possible, unlikely). Institutions may issue such probabilistic communications only in writing, from the office of admission. Such letters will have the effect of letters of admission, to be confirmed on the common notification date, subject to revocation only on the same terms as letters of admission.

</p>

<p>

Within each institution’s overall admissions process, from October 1 through March 15 an admission office may issue probabilistic communications, in writing, to applicants who are recruited student athletes. (Such probabilistic communications given by coaches, whether orally or in writing, do not constitute binding institutional commitments.)

</p>

<p>

An institution may send a “likely” probabilistic communication letter to a candidate (whether or not the applicant is a recruited student-athlete) only if the applicant has submitted all of the materials which the institution requires in order to make an admissions decision.

</p>

[adissaddddd]

<p>Ah, my bad, just looked it up - apparently Princeton is one of the few Ivies that only gives athletic and Questbridge likely letters. But from what I can tell, it still seems like it basically is a guaranteed acceptance unless you really mess up (e.g. mess up your academics or commit a crime or something) - so basically the same as a regular acceptance.</p>

[adissaddddd]

<p>… I’ll just stop posting now. Maybe I’ll do better research next time, lol.</p>

[sherpa]

<p>

But from what I can tell, it still seems like it basically is a guaranteed acceptance unless you really mess up (e.g. mess up your academics or commit a crime or something) - so basically the same as a regular acceptance.

</p>

<p>Yes. When he received his LL, my son was told it would be reliable except in the event of criminal behavior, academic dishonesty, or a precipitous drop in grades.</p>

[tscblast]

<p>Thanks everyone, I was mainly confused about whether non-athelete applicants got any kind of letter or not, but it seems that that’s mostly not the case.</p>

[adissaddddd]

<p>Yeah, you definitely shouldn’t be expecting one if you’re not an athletic recruit.</p>

[tscblast]

<p>Yeah I didn’t think they actually came out for just academic applicants, but then my friend claimed to get an academic likely letter from Harvard (he applied early) so I got confused.</p>

[adissaddddd]

<p>If you want a bit more information, check this thread out: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/804816-quick-facts-about-likely-letters.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/804816-quick-facts-about-likely-letters.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[T26E4]

<p>tscblast: I’m the author of the article linked in post #11. I can say categorically that both Yale and Harvard issue LLs to non-athletes. I don’t know about PTon however.</p>

[babyaztec]

<p>Just to clarify: QuestBridge applicants apply RD and if they are chosen for the scholarship, they receive early acceptances. If they choose to, they can move their application to the SCEA pool to receive their admissions packet in December. Otherwise, they receive their packet in March/April like the rest of the RD applicants. Their acceptances are not “likely” letters; they’re just acceptances.</p>