<p>In my case, I have received letters from each of the eight Ivies, Stanford, MIT, and other highly-esteemed schools. At first I was really excited, but after going to a couple of information sessions for these schools I was surprised at the number of people who showed up. Surely they sent out far, far more nationwide than their average class size of (in most cases) 1500-2000.</p>
<p>So that brings me to wonder, what's the significance of these recruiting letters from top-notch schools? Initially, I thought there must be some considerable significance to them, that as long as other parts of my application are up to par I'd have a very good chance of being accepted. However, I've grown to believe that it's just a confirmation that I have "a chance," and doesn't really mean very much.</p>
<p>Does anyone else know or have some estimates regarding the importance of letters sent to high school students by high-end institutions? Should students who receive such letters feel good about their chances, or just take this as an indication that they are on the right track?</p>