<p>Franklin & Marshall sent me this:
<a href="http://www.benjohn.org/episode2.cfm?r=8765111&m=2393&mlid=11917873&lid=12214%5B/url%5D">http://www.benjohn.org/episode2.cfm?r=8765111&m=2393&mlid=11917873&lid=12214</a></p>
<p>The best one was when Elmira College sent me a hand written noted that was scented and in purple ink!</p>
<p>Any other over the top college advertising?</p>
<p>Harvard sending practically EVERYONE applications...they probably just want more people to apply so they can have a lower acceptance rater.</p>
<p>And i thought harvard wanted me...darn</p>
<p>Truman State University sent me a letter actually signed by the Dean of Admissions rather than a computer-signed letter.</p>
<p>Washington-St. Louis is taking it too far as well. I think in the last 3 years I've received about 45 things in the mail from them, compared to 1 or 2 from everyone else. And these aren't 1-page letters, they're applications, 70-page guidebooks, 250-page course books, 50-page financial aid packets, etc. I've received something from Washington-St. Louis 4 days in a row now.</p>
<p>[Wash U.] -> Oh yeah, me to. And i actually visited, and they gave me even more stuff. Trying to attract attention i guess.</p>
<p>Washington-St. Louis just wants everyone to apply so that their acceptance rate can go lower and their US News ranking higher.</p>
<p>Did anyone actually watch that F&M web thing all the way to the end? I couldn't make it that far.</p>
<p>Some good ideas in there. . .crushed by the bad ones.</p>
<p>haha this is great.</p>
<p>The worst college advertisement I ever saw came in my school's newspaper. It was a piece of notebook paper labeled "What college is best for me?" First, it said Harvard, which was crossed out. Then, Stanford was crossed out. Finally, Western Oregon University--underlined!</p>
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Washington-St. Louis just wants everyone to apply so that their acceptance rate can go lower and their US News ranking higher.
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<p>This would have no effect on its ranking, unless it somehow, indirectly, influenced how people peer-rank it. This is not a cost-effective way to try to boost one's peer ranking.</p>
<p>Wrong; acceptance rate is factored in to its overall score.</p>
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Wrong; acceptance rate is factored in to its overall score.
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<p>It was for 2005, but I was told that the 2006 edition would eliminate this measure. </p>
<p>Perhaps that was bad information. If so, I stand corrected.</p>
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[QUOTE]
The worst college advertisement I ever saw came in my school's newspaper. It was a piece of notebook paper labeled "What college is best for me?" First, it said Harvard, which was crossed out. Then, Stanford was crossed out. Finally, Western Oregon University--underlined!
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<p>LOL, the sad part is that so many school will use that as a selling point. If you want to make a good first impression, do not compare your school to HPYSM, unless it is a really good point to make. Case in point, the college advertisements on the T trains in Boston, there's one that said, theirs a great education beyond Harvard Yard...Emmanuel College... <em>dead-face</em> how else could you make a school feel more second rate, it's bad enough that the schools are already within proximity. I would market that it is the only (???) small LAC in Boston that actually has a campus (sorry Lesley), that's unique enough, do not mention Harvard or MIT.</p>
<p>When a school markets itself based off of what is around them (specifically schools) that is my biggest turn off. We toured Clark Atlanta just for kicks because it was across the street from Spelman, all they talked about were what classes you could take at Spelman, Spelman just built a new lab, Morehouse has wodnerful pre-med that you can use, you can also do -2 engineering with GTech through Morehouse...Thank you for telling me, I'll remember to apply there and not here ;)</p>
<p>You know advertisement has gone too far when I (a male) am getting information from all-girls colleges, colleges that I couldn't possibly attend. They got my name from the PSAT's I assume, and they didn't even bother to check if I bubbled male or female. I guess that means that they just wasted half of their mailings.</p>
<p>P.S. I really liked that Franklin & Marshall video.</p>
<p>Elmira's very big on the purple thing. I've noticed that with the things they've sent me. I got no less than 7 calls in one weekend -- weekend! -- from Wells College. Then they called my current college to ask about me! It's a good thing I like them, because otherwise they would've been crossed off immediately.</p>
<p>Johnson State (Vermont) sent me something saying they would admit me on the spot if I went up to an open house and gave them my application. Adelphi, where you couldn't pay me to go, has sent me four -- four! fee waivers, and occasionally calls and e-mails to see if I'm "still" interested. (I never was.) Some college in Maryland, I think (it's been a while), called my house four times because they had my info but not my area code, because apparently checking an area code map couldn't have fixed that. Russell Sage, which is lovely but doesn't have what I want, calls here a lot. One state school's honors college sends me stuff constantly, and one of their English professors gave me a book he knew I'd like based on my interests (is that even allowed?).</p>
<p>As far as the more competitive schools go, one of the admissions counselors from Dickinson has sent me several hand-written cards. Smith has set me up with several of their alumnae to talk with them about the school, which I actually liked. Wheaton (MA) was very gracious with me, including inviting me out for a special visit and meeting with their admissions department and a faculty member, but I'm no longer interested. I've had a really good time with Trinity, too.</p>
<p>Some of them do go way over the top, though. The worst is when they won't go away when you've clearly shown you're not interested.</p>
<p>WashU's mailings border on abusive.</p>
<p>There was a thread a while back with a link to a newspaper piece about schools that would fly people out and knowingly send them to drinking parties (underage = illegal) among other things.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, Adelphi is big on calling prospective applicants about how they could better market to us The main question was what would convince us to apply! I'm guessing most people said full scholarship (I did :)) or free application. Now they're probably sending out those fee waivers like fastballs.</p>
<p>Adelphi and Bridgewater both do that...</p>
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There was a thread a while back with a link to a newspaper piece about schools that would fly people out and knowingly send them to drinking parties (underage = illegal) among other things.
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<p>^^^^^^^^
Pensacola Christian College, LOL, they do a lot of crazy thing. Their current ploy is that all applicants are entered in a contest for a trip to DisneyWorld or something.</p>
<p>The admissions people from the University of Evansville are stalking me, I swear. I get something from them in the mail at least every other day. Same thing with Lake Forest College. The University of Chicago is pretty bad about that sort of stuff too, which I find strange because it's not like there are a shortage of people applying there.</p>
<p>Reed sends me stuff nonstop.</p>
<p>Well, at least Reed isn't trying to alter its US NEWS and WR rank by doing so, just like St Johns wouldn"t be.</p>