<p>hi all! just received my likely letter today (was dated Feb 28) and was VERY surprised!! I was deferred during the ED round so I was really REALLY not expecting it at all. but very happy nonetheless :)</p>
<p>Is anyone replying to the LL?</p>
<p>@perisna
“hi all! just received my likely letter today (was dated Feb 28) and was VERY surprised!! I was deferred during the ED round so I was really REALLY not expecting it at all. but very happy nonetheless”
I’m sorry, what??? I’ve never heard of a deferred candidate getting a likely before. Anybody care to give some insight? Nonetheless, congrats on being accepted to an outstanding school. </p>
<p>I got my likely letter today, and, like everyone else’s, mine was dated February 28th. I live in Alabama if that gives others a better prediction of when the letters might disseminate to their areas. </p>
<p>@iloverainbowsyo: The college is telling you that you’re in . No response to likely letter is required. The ball is in your court. </p>
<p>@Kaythepro: I would surmise that this was an “oops” on the part of the admissions department (“Why did we defer this one?”). That’s a total guess, but unless @perisna had added something to her application, it’s hard to reconcile the two decisions. Eh, random thought: maybe the yield of EDs is down (“On second thought, my kid is not going to this hotbed of ______”) and they want to lock in the ED applicants who came close. I got nothing else. </p>
<p>Also know someone that was deferred ED and now has a LL. I hear applications were way down this year, so perhaps they are trying to soothe hurt feelings to protect yield? The ED applicants have the highest level of interest so it makes sense to focus efforts on those applicants. After all, that is the purpose of a LL-to make you feel loved so that you chose them over a competitor. But at this point it is kind of like saying “we hoped to find a better applicant in the RD round but we didn’t, so no hard feelings, right?” </p>
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<p>How can that be? ED at Dartmouth is a binding commitment, except for special exceptions such as a better financial package at a State school, correct?</p>
<p>@fenwaypark: Technically, yes, but if someone calls up and says, “I don’t really want to come any more,” is the College really going to try to hold them to it? I would hope not. I’m just tossing ideas out there. Obviously I have no personal knowledge. </p>
<p>^^I have sometimes wondered about the answer to that question too. Wonder if anyone can speak with authority to that topic. Gotta agree that likely letters to deferred applicants is a tough one to rationalize, after we have been conditioned to understand that likelies only go to athletes and the cream of the cream of the crop</p>
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<p>Probably not, since Dartmouth can easily fill the space. However, depending on how the situation is handled the applicant’s school could be blackballed from future admissions, and the applicant could find his admission to his new school rescinded due to violating the ED contract.</p>
<p>^^ Sorry, that doesn’t strike me as very likely or very logical. What would be the point of punishing a school for one kid’s decision? And, given the bad press Dartmouth has gotten lately, I would expect other schools to be a bit sympathetic to the hypothetical I posited. </p>
<p>As I said, depending on the situation. If the applicant is backing out because of Dartmouth’s issues, that’s one thing. In general however, what’s the point of having ED if there are no consequences for turning it down?</p>
<p>Well, I’ve never been a fan of ED versus EA, so I’m not going to try to defend it. I don’t think we’re debating the wisdom of ED here, but rather discussing a possible explanation for a few “unlikely” likely letters. </p>
<p>DS just received likely dated 28 feb. We are in Colorado. He is super excited.</p>
<p>Are any more likelies expected? We are international.</p>
<p>How would any of us know, @Rkhan1? Frankly no rational person should be expecting one.</p>
<p>I received a likely letter today. The letter was dated March 7. Totally unexpected!</p>
<p>@LK5D67 me too!!! I’m thrilled 
How much of a guarantee of acceptance is it? (I know it isn’t a guarantee, but does anybody know how many people get likelies and then aren’t accepted?)</p>
<p>Congrats! I believe a likely is pretty much guaranteed acceptance (unless something really strange happens like you commit a felony between now and March 27, huge drop in grades, etc.) It seems pretty similar to how a college acceptance is still contingent upon finishing your senior year without any huge mistakes. </p>
<p>“Likely 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.” <a href=“Apply to Dartmouth | Dartmouth Admissions”>Apply to Dartmouth | Dartmouth Admissions; (this link courtesy of ski something or other)</p>