Why am I getting emails from Universities?

Okay, so for the past 2-3 months, I have received around 25-30 emails from various universities. Most of these emails asked me to apply there or ‘explore’ my options. None of these universities were really good, other than Georgia Tech and John Hopkins. John Hopkins has been helpful though, they sent me a lot of tips on how to make a strong applications and sent me a link to a list of their accepted students’ application’s essay (and the link had my name in it which was pretty cool).
Then there are a couple of unis like Rensselaer Polytechnic and Babson College who, in their emails, ‘congratulated me on making it’ for ‘being in a select group of students that are personally being invited to apply’. Which was funny because I think these ‘invitations’ don’t mean anything. Or am I wrong, do they?
The thing is I’m not sure where these unis got my full name and email, I haven’t even begun making an application. The only 2 sites that have this information are Collegeboard and Cappex, I don’t think it’s either, since I’ve been getting these emails way before I joined Cappex and I don’t think Collegeboard would give my information out like that.
What I want to know is how I could find where they got my information for? (I don’t want to put a stop to these emails, they don’t really bother me that much, in fact they’ve been helpful) And also if these ‘invitations’ mean anything?

My kid started getting these shortly after the PSATs. Collegeboard certainly gives out that information.

They are marketing emails and they may bring a college to your attention that you have not considered before but don’t bother to be flattered about it.

Did you take the PSAT? If so maybe you checked the box that allows info to be sent to you.

@porcupine98 Bummer, didn’t think Collegeboard did that kind of stuff. Some of the emails are a bit more specific, some addressing my ‘interest in business’ which is ironic since I’ve never studied business.

Did you take the PSAT’s? There is a spot on the registration where you indicate potential majors. Perhaps you listed business?

@BrownParent Took my SAT in January but I went through everything very carefully while applying for it, so it’s highly unlikely I checked a box like that.

Info is released by College Board, I’d just take it as a compliment rather than be annoyed. You can always unsubscribe to the school’s emails.