<p>Hello, I'm new to this board but wondering about this letter that we received. My son (going to be a Junior this year) gets tons of College information sent to him in the mail. How did Tulane get his information and why do they want to talk to him. Is this spam? He had another reception invitation last year for University of Alabama. Is it worth our time stopping by the event at the hotel? He currently is number 1 (unweighted) out of 405 students in his class, do you think the school sent out this information?</p>
<p>If your son ever took a test my College Board, he may have checked ‘yes’ on a question asking if CB could release his information to universities.</p>
<p>This is just the beginning. You will receive mail (print and email) from dozens of assorted colleges trying to attract your son. It’s targeted marketing. Call it spam if you will, but your son is obviously looking for a college. These schools are saying look at us. It’s not a bad thing, just don’t mistake it for actual admissions offers.</p>
<p>That said, Tulane and Alabama are two of the best schools for merit aid. If you’re interested in large scholarships, you may want to attend those receptions and hear more about those schools.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC, by the way. These boards will be an invaluable resource for you.</p>
<p>Tulane is one of the worst “offenders.” My DD has been getting Tulane email and snail mail consistently since she took the PSAT. She has shown absolutely no interest in Tulane but it does not stop. I’ve joked with her that if she called them up and told them she was interested in applying, maybe they would fly out the entire admissions committee to the west coast and hold a meeting in our living room and decide on her application right then and there. If you haven’t already, your son will probably be hearing from U Chicago soon too.</p>
<p>I agree with the above. But Tulane sent my son a free and shortened application which he sent in (just because) and they accepted him and gave him $17,000 in merit aid. Now he was a NMS finalist but still! He was not interested in Tulane! It was good to have the offer!</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your responses. It must have been the PSAT Scores from last year or maybe the ACT scores from June that started the emails and letters. I can tell this is going to be an interesting and informative site for me to find answers. Thanks again!</p>