<p>Ive been receiving emails from some of the colleges where Ive applied. They seem to have the aim of showing what an interesting campus the college has and everything it has to offer, and to keep me excited about going there.<br>
If a college where Ive applied is still sending me these emails, does it mean Im still in the running for admissions? Would it be unethical for a college to mislead applicants, making them think that theyre still in the running by sending these enticing emails, when the applicant has already flunked the first round of admissions reviews? Or do colleges not pay that much attention to who is on their email list?
I cant stand the wait and I know Im grasping at straws. Im wondering what others might know or think about this?</p>
<p>I don’t think I’d read too much into it, one way or the other. It would be pointless for them to try to “sell” you after you’ve already applied. And I certainly don’t think they’d be sending out “interim” emails to students who’ve survived the first round. It’s probably a case of the Marketing department not knowing what the Admissions department is doing.</p>
<p>When did you first start getting them? And are you still getting them after the application deadline?</p>
<p>I don’t remember when I first started getting the emails, but I’m definitely getting emails from colleges where I applied and the deadline has passed. That’s the point.
And I DO think colleges would try to continue to “sell” to students they want. They need students to accept their acceptances! (esp. when students apply to 10 or more schools and maybe get into almost that many.) That’s why many colleges have special weekends for accepted students, etc.</p>
<p>You cannot assume that means admission. The personnel at a college that send out promo materials via email or otherwise are not the ones who have anything to do with deciding admissions and they send based on general information such as that you have applied or requested information and have no idea whether you will be admitted or not or whether a decision on you has already been made.</p>
<p>unless it is a personal email saying you are accepted or you are given a scholarship, all others are just noise …</p>
<p>The reason you started receiving these emails after you applied is probably because they entered your email address from your app into a database.</p>
<p>
Colleges know that students submit apps to many of their peers / competitors. While Harvard and Stanford don’t have to worry about whether someone they accept will seriously consider attending, most of the 3,000 4-year colleges don’t have that luxury. When yields are 20-30% or even less, colleges really need to work to get applicants to enroll.</p>
<p>Newsletters are cheap and easy. I would read zero into receiving one; if they have your email and an outreach program set up, you’ll get a copy. Some colleges actually set up phone banks and have current students call kids who have applied, offering to answer any questions they might have about the school.</p>
<p>Drusba, I’m not assuming it means admission (tho I wish!). It just seems a little cruel to me to keep sending these emails about how great they are if they maybe already have decided not to admit me!</p>
<p>It doesn’t cost colleges a thing to continue emailing you after you apply. Actually, it would require significantly more effort to take you off the email list.</p>
<p>Sorry, it doesn’t mean anything.</p>
<p>OK - it’s just cruel and insensitive. Not surprised.
:-/</p>
<p>
Admissions are somewhat fluid until the day the letters go out. In the book “The Gatekeepers” about admissions at Wesleyan, as the committee goes thru the files of those on the bubble there were students who were ‘admitted’ for a few hours until someone more promising came along and they only had so many slots to give out for that batch of files. And if the final batches they go thru turn out to have candidates weaker than the previous ones, it is entirely possible they go back and use some of the slots they had saved for the final batches on those they had thought they were going to turn down.</p>
<p>People always seem to think that a bunch of admissions officers are sitting around for two months with lists of accepted/denied students, playing games and sending secret messages.</p>