<p>Karen:</p>
<p>The strategy would work only if students were interested in applying to Austin (which has not sent S any recruiting letter, I believe). In recruiting, I suspect that schools do not see themselves as conduits to other schools. I am really baffled by the volume of letters we've received from UTD.</p>
<p>Karen: I'm only going by the pictures in the mailings: lots of students in lounge chairs around the pool, or in lounges playing pool, etc. Not much studying going on, it seemed, but they were willing to throw gobs of money at my S to go there.</p>
<p>My sophomore took an SAT II in June, did very well, and hasn't received one piece of mail yet, but maybe that doesn't happen with II's. He can't remember if he marked the box on the recent PSAT so we may or may not start getting mail for him. </p>
<p>For older son we bought two plastic hanging folder crates and made a folder for each school he even remotely thought he might like. We also had a section for outside scholarships. By the end of summer we had it down to one box. Second son will probably be interested in the same type of schools, so we've already got folders started.</p>
<p>UTD sent a lot of stuff but at least we're fairly close so it makes more sense than sending it several states away.</p>
<p>I'm not an academician, but I am surprised UTD is offering money to out of state kids. They must have some agenda. I would hate to show up there expecting a beautiful country club atmosphere and finding the ugly flat plains of north Texas! :)</p>
<p>Hold on....even with it's "country club atmosphere", Southern Methodist University has some fine programs. DD is very interested in that school. She's the one who would want to get a lifeguarding job around that pool!</p>
<p>To those of us who live in Dallas, UTD is often met with scorn because not too many years ago it was a 2 year school that was a feeder to the UT system. That perception, largely through efforts by the state and the school's administration, along with many in the private sector is beginning to change.</p>
<p>It is tough to get many local kids to take it seriously because they want to "go away" to school. SMU has a similar problem attracting kids from the metroplex except for those who grew up in the exclusive bubble of Park Cities (where SMU is located) and see it as an extension of their high school years or see it as a safety. The photos with swimming pools are taken at one of the many apartments that UTD uses as dorms since they have no formal dorms that I am aware of.</p>
<p>UT Dallas recently announced a major joint project with Texas Instruments funding a new $300 million program.</p>
<p>The McDermott family (Eugene McDemott was one of the founders of TI) also created the Eugene McDermott Scholars program which is based loosely on the Morehead Scholars program at UNC and while not exactly like the Morehead shares a number of similarities with it. The McDermott Scholars program is in its fourth or fith year and they are attracting top students from around the country with it. For science and engineering students, UTD is a rising star.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.utdallas.edu/mcdermott/%5B/url%5D">http://www.utdallas.edu/mcdermott/</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the info, eadad. I am now recalling the TI program and the scholarship by the McDermotts. Amazing what we miss in our own backyards. Karen</p>
<p>karen</p>
<p>I must admit that I didn't know much about things at UTD either until a member of my son's class was their first winner of the McDermott last year. I think I first read about the TI endowment in the Dallas Business Journal.</p>
<p>My son won the Morehead that same year. We were told by the folks at The Morehead Foundation that representatives from UTD had come there to study the program. In prior years reps from UVA when they created the Jefferson Scholars and Emory with the Emory Scholars as well as many other similar non-need based academic scholarships now being offered at various schools across the US have used the Morehead as their model.</p>
<p>Now I remember, it was the McDermott they were urging my S to apply for--which makes sense, since at the time he was considering a science major.</p>
<p>Now I feel neglected. WUSL didn't write to my D. But she had oodles from U of Evansville and a good bit from Liberty University. Those two didn't give up until well into the summer after her senior year.</p>
<p>My daughter has been getting mail from Washington U since her freshman year in high school. I have no idea how they got her name. Since taking the PSAT in sophomore year, she also gets regular mailings from Tulane, the University of Evansville, and Gonzaga University, none of which she has contacted. She already hates college brochures - says they are useless because they all look alike and say the same thing. I have to agree with her - there must be some rule that says every college has to show a minority student, trees changing color in the fall, and an athletic team in every brochure they send out.</p>
<p>Our big mailbox fillers are Tulane, NYU and Liberty. S is at boarding school and may get more mail there now that PSAT scores are out. He already accused me of putting his email address on some list, which I didn't. However, I had to provide it to Princeton Review when he signed up for tutoring, and I suspect they sell their list. Karen</p>
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<blockquote> <p>My daughter has been getting mail from Washington U since her freshman year in high school. I have no idea how they got her name.>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>Carolyn, if you ever figure it out, let me know. DD has gotten mail from Wash U since the summer before ninth grade...tons of it. The letters coming with the mailings all say something to the effect of "you're just the type of student we are looking for". I told DD she should staple the letters to a cover letter with her application and say something like "As you say in these letters you've been sending me for three years...I'm just the type of student you are looking for. I'm sure after you read my application you will STILL agree with your statement."</p>
<p>I used to save them all until it took over a whole corner of my room. Then I sorted it through colleges I was interested in.</p>
<p>I usually check the mail everyday and then go immediately to the trash with stuff from colleges I have no interest in.</p>
<p>Colleges that send me a lot of stuff:
Macalester
NYU
U Rochester</p>
<p>You can always mail 'em back "postage due".</p>
<p>Thumper, It would almost be worth paying the application fee just to see the look on the admissions officers face at WUSTL when they received their mailings back. :)</p>
<p>Gee, I liked all the mail...such beautiful buildings, such attractive students. Now, with both away at school, the mailbox seems so empty.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I have no idea how they got her name</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Participating in activities like the Midwest Talent Search, early SAT attempts, and any number of other things can land one on a mailing list.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>Participating in activities like the Midwest Talent Search, early SAT attempts, and any number of other things can land one on a mailing list.>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>Hi Roger...I've been through this before...DD has not taken the SAT, only just took the PSAT, didn't do a talent search of any kind...nada. All of a sudden she started receiving college mail, and lots of it, right after she finished ninth grade. She says she NEVER filled anything out and the school swears they don't give that kind of info out. The only thing we can think of is that she was a Middle School Presidential Scholar (one of only 7 at her school) and maybe somehow THAT is how her name and address got handed out. We know that the mailings came from the same original source as they all have the same small mistake in our mailing address. DD quips...the college that finally gets her address correct will be where she applies (so far only Emory has done that...but we requested the info!).</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore and I don't get any mail
... is there something wrong with me? WHY? :p</p>