<p>If he wants to go there he will need to “show the love.” Colleges aren’t hiring admissions officers at a rate commensurate with the increases in applications. It takes work for them to read, review and comment on applications. I was at an info session with our flagship a few weeks ago and the admissions officer was begging kids not to send extra “stuff” and not to exceed the recommended essay “suggested word count.” He said they simply do not have the time or manpower to get through “extras” and that in fact if the essay was too long they just might stop reading…which brought an audible gasp from the audience. So, yes, there are dynamics going on. If there is an “issue” with kids doing throw away apps to this school as “safety” with no clear intention of wanting to attend, then yes, the college might be less than attentive. Are you certain they are producing mailable marketing materials and your son is not receiving them? Schools have cut back on the glossy mailing I’ve noticed since 2005 when I started the search for son 1 and today with S3. If they are producing things, your D like this school and is not receiving them a quick e-mail to her admissions rep should take care of it. Remember too, that the admissions people are very busy with the class that is in the admissions cycle. He’ll get more attention from the school in the late spring and next summer no doubt.</p>