I’m wondering why colleges send likely letters. Also, what percentage of admitted students do they send them to?
Supposedly likely letters get applicants excited enough about the senders to put those schools on the top of their lists, and gives them time before hearing from other schools to visit, learn more, and “fall in love” with a new dream school. This would increase yield in the RD round. As for percentages, who knows? Each admissions director, I suppose.
some schools are part of a group of colleges where they have agreed to a decision date and can’t admit applicants earlier. The letter is a way to sidestep the rule. Often they do it so that they can let athletes know they are in, because the athletes may have actual offers from other schools with an acceptance date required by the coach (or school) prior to the “official” admit date at the colleges sending the letters
It’s a way for colleges to try to get kids stoked on their school–they send them to applicants they think will be admitted by competitors (so, Columbia might “likely” a kid they think will get into Yale as a way to hopefully plant a seed and make them start envisioning themselves at Columbia, with the intention of luring them away from Yale, for example). @greenteen17
While all of the above is true, it is also true that the vast majority of admitted students get admitted without a likely letter. So unless the applicant is a recruited athlete to a school that issues likely letters, the balance of applicants should not be waiting by the computer expecting a likely letter to show up.
Yes, good point, @skieurope , likely letters aren’t common.
Several years ago, when Harvard, Princeton, and a few other elite colleges didn’t have ED, REA, or SCEA, they had to deal with athletic recruits being offered athletic scholarships or being tempted by athletic support by schools with ED admissions. The answer was to do an early read which, if satisfactory (and with coach’s support) would result in an early quasi acceptance under the likely letter protocol. They did this because without certainty these athletes would likely opt for an earlier “sure thing” than Princeton or Harvard could offer.
DS fell into this group. He had multiple offers and told the Princeton coach he wanted Princeton but needed an early commitment or he’d be forced to take a sure thing. He had his likely letter in October of his senior year and never looked back.
My understanding is that likely letters from tippy top colleges are like gold dust. Very few people get them, as in a few dozen. If you get one, consider yourself exceptional.
My D did get a likely letter from a not elite state university, which was quite surprising. So that’s a possiblilty too.
To my earlier point. They are like leprechauns and 4 leaf clovers - if you find one, you’re exceptionally lucky, but don’t expect it.