Hello, can we revisit the topic of “likely letters”? It has been several years since Dean J. posted about them on the blog. http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2012/03/likely-letter.html
Are they being sent out this year, and if so, are they actually mailed as letters? Or emailed? Thank you.
I think Dean J already answered this earlier this year, they have not sent likely letters for a few years now.
There’s a reason you haven’t seen them mentioned around here since 2012.
The likely letters worked fine when applicants were less likely to communicate with each other around the world. More recently, they caused great stress among the people who didn’t receive them.
This isn’t about likely letters. but I wonder about this: as a parent of an EA applicant - I got a number of emails in Nov/Dec. from admissions saying things like “we ask that {name of my child] come to join …” and “[name] will have no problem finding a place, here, [name] belongs.” ; and “come and find your familie’s place… where [name] can connect”, “We willoffer the support your child needs”…etc.
They were form emails - with names/details inserted electronically I presume - but were very positive encouraging, we want your child form language that completely leaves out the “should your child be accepted” sentence one would expect. They seemed beyond a form “thanks for applying - here are the advantages of UVa should your child get in and should they choose us”.
If these are just basic recruiting emails for any/every applicant to ‘sell UVa’ - that’s fine - but not putting in a disclaimer about “we want your child should he or she be accepted and we hope they come” or something to that effect - has me feeling a little uneasy. It’s sort of giving some false hope that scores/grades/application was filtered to some extent and UVa was acknowledging my child was likely to get in. But these were November/December so the file could not have been fully examined yet I don’t think. I guess grades/rank/scores were ‘electronically’ available to the bot that sent these.
Anyway - did everyone else get similar emails and is there any reason to think they indicated any likelihood of admission?
thanks for your thoughts fellow applicants and parents.
@UVaParent2022 I would think those emails are similar to the solicitations Harvard and other Ivy League institutions sends to prospective students, through Email, USPS mail, and otherwise: “just basic recruiting emails.” If Harvard has no problem sending thousands and thousands of students with absolutely no hope of getting in similarly worded spam, then I don’t think UVA would have a problem with it. I’m not saying whether that is a good or bad thing to do–but from my experience applying to colleges it just seemed like an “industry-standard” type of thing.
Thanks WahooA - yes - likely just a blanket but somewhat targeted recruiting email.
I guess I was thinking it might indicate something because it was different from other recruiting emails/letters/post cards my child (or I) received. these emails came starting a few weeks after receipt of the EA application to our parent email that is not available otherwise for schools to contact. The language was very leading - and I would say shame on UVa if it was just a broadcast “marketing email” that every prospective/applicant got - because obviously thousands will not be admitted who applied - which could include my kid.
i guess it could have gone to all who applied and signed up for a SIS account maybe? that’s why i was asking if other EA applicants/parents this past November go similarly worded emails to get a sense of whether it did indicate anything like a “likely letter”.
thanks again. good luck to all.
@UVaParent2022 I don’t think my child received those emails although I would have to ask her. Usually she forwards them to me if they are anything that I would find useful or interesting to read. But I did not get them to my email. So, to me, it could be a good sign for yours. I guess we will know next week:)
thanks pago. are you guys in state or out of state? legacy or not?
good luck!!
UVA does not send likely letters.
There different kinds of emails that go out based on academic interests, residency, etc. I haven’t seen them all, but they’re pretty general and talk about the different resources and opportunities available at UVA. 
If there is an application-related issue or update, we email the applicant, not their parent.
As I mentioned above, we haven’t had likely letters since 2012.
thanks Dean J. These were post application felt very encouraging in tone. Almost like bypassing the fact that the applicant was not accepted yet. They seemed to be the type of message that would be much more fitting to be sent to someone who had been accepted (post decision - “choose UVa”) - not just to any applicant. I don’t need UVa to be solicitous to me and my child after they have already applied - but not yet admitted. It seems cruel to act like (in the tone of these emails) that UVa “wants him/her” - if in fact it’s just a form letter to an applicant.
thanks for listening. thanks for your considerable work - and outreach. wahoowah.
There’s another thread on the page right now about how UVA isn’t solicitous enough in communicating with prospective students. There are communications people who work very hard to strike the right tone. There’s an opt-out link at the bottom of all the marketing emails for those who don’t find them helpful.
I will say that I think our messaging is a bit retrained compared to what I see coming from some schools out there. There are some Pottery Barn-style marketing plans out there.
Yes, There are some “stalker schools” out there who seem to be overly aggressive about trying to get a student to apply. For my son, it was the University of New Haven - a school for which he never had any interest.
thanks again Dean J -Charlie and others - and just to be clear - these were emails to me a few weeks AFTER MY CHILD HAD APPLIED EA. thus the confusion/unease at their solicitous tone. if these had no link to the strength of a kid’s application - then i would say uva shouldn’t send such emails. thanks and good luck to all.