Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth does. Though they also have ED. Likely letters only go to regular decision candidates.

This is not true as to recruited athletes at Dartmouth. The likely letter is sent in the fall so that the student knows that applying ED is not a folly. If you are an athlete looking at multiple Ivy opportunities, then you can use the likely letter to better select where you will get in should you apply. The likely letters are sent in mid to late October.

It's my understanding that the letters to athletes are different than the likely letters sent to regular decision candidates in the winter. Recruited ED athletes are just a different ball game.

When I interview ED recruited athletes they never get a check mark in the LL category on the online system even though they are almost always quick to mention that they are being recruited whereas several RD students have had a check mark in that category that appears in the winter before the final decision is issued.

There are a lot of variations in the early decision/application restrictions. But students can usually apply to more than one school early. So schools know that they may have competition even for early applicants and want to get as much time to make their case as they can for the top students.

Anonymous wrote:Columbia sends likely letters to ED applicants, too.

One wonders why. The point of likely letters is to get students excited about the school before they start hearing from other schools. In an ED application you've already committed to going to the school, and the time from application submission to notification is only 6 weeks.

Apart from recruited athletes, it's hard to imagine how qualified an applicant would have to be to stand out enough to get a letter?

Columbia sends likely letters to ED applicants, too.

Likely letters to athletes are totally different from likely letters to top applicants.

OP the best place to look for info on likely letters is college confidential. Tons of stuff on there about them. Penn's apparently even come with a scarf.

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth does. Though they also have ED. Likely letters only go to regular decision candidates.

This is not true as to recruited athletes at Dartmouth. The likely letter is sent in the fall so that the student knows that applying ED is not a folly. If you are an athlete looking at multiple Ivy opportunities, then you can use the likely letter to better select where you will get in should you apply. The likely letters are sent in mid to late October.

Dartmouth does. Though they also have ED. Likely letters only go to regular decision candidates.

It's mostly sort of random. FYI - all the Ivies have early decision/early action and likely letters also go to early applicants.

Likely letters are far more typical for recruited Ivy athletes than others. The athletic department asks for these so they don't waste their time recruiting students that won't get admitted. Princeton used to only send likely letters for athletes.

At Harvard and Yale a small number (100-200) of applicants are sent likely letters based on academics. The school is trying to make their case before the decision date. They are a little more commonly used for URM applicants. Only applicants who are almost certain to get admitted after just a quick review get a letter. So not getting a likely letter doesn't mean much about an applicant's odds.

Which Ivy League schools send "likely letters" in advance of final admission decisions?

I know Columbia sends something like this to recruited athletes:

As long as our midyear review finds that you are maintaining your current level of academic progress and good standing, you can expect to receive favorable word when admissions packets are mailed on March 30th.

Do all Ivies that don't offer early decision do the same?