Amongst the top public tier (1-10), the University of Florida does a commendable job generating enthusiasm and creating excitement around the decision process.

Anonymous wrote:Tiny Alfred University CALLED my son with the news. Spoke for at least 15 mins. It was really sweet and still remember it 8? Years later. In the end DS opted for a larger school but remember Alfred fondly.

In NY?
What other schools CALL?

I liked the confetti, but I’m simple like that.

I liked the ones that personalized the acceptance and drew a line between elements of the application and the on-campus experience.

So the school that accepted your kid is now no longer good enough??

Anonymous wrote:Clark sent DD a personalized acceptance letter that referenced things she wrote in her essays. Really nice and made her feel very wanted.

When you are all agitated from the expectation of life-changing news, the impact of little things like this personalized letter is magnified. You’d think every college that wants to increase yield stats would use such tactics.

Decades ago I applied to a bunch of universities for grad school, including William & Mary, Carnegie-Mellon, Notre Dame, & Iowa.

I was accepted to all of them. All had some features I really liked, but one of them had taken the time to make an actual university ID card for me, & included it with the acceptance letter (this was pre-internet).

When I looked at my name on that card, I felt like I was already part of that institution. The other universities’ ordinary acceptance materials did not generate that sort of bond.

As illogical as it sounds, that ID card probably played a big role in that school being selected.

Of course it was probably a BAD choice, as I didn’t stay long. But in the long run it was a GOOD choice because I dropped out, joined the military, & had a wild 10-year adventure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cornell's acceptance letter is best read on a computer with the sound on so you can hear the choir sing far above Cayuga's waters as the confetti falls over the letter.

Gorges

Sooo well played, both of you!

Based on a few years ago-
Ursinus was great - big USPS letter with "hint- you got in!" all over the outside of the envelope. Arrived before any other colleger and arrived a few hours before portal notification.

GA Tech was awful and terribly confusing - a portal letter that said something like "congratulations, we have accepted you for your sophomore year". Essentially the kid would have had to go to another school for a year then with a minimal GPA had a guaranteed transfer in. Noone had prepared the kids, or us, for that.

Harvard’s initial notification is exciting as it is but then they send you a welcome packet with an acceptance certificate. It’s so very ridiculous and yes we framed it!

Tiny Alfred University CALLED my son with the news. Spoke for at least 15 mins. It was really sweet and still remember it 8? Years later. In the end DS opted for a larger school but remember Alfred fondly.

Anonymous wrote:Clark sent DD a personalized acceptance letter that referenced things she wrote in her essays. Really nice and made her feel very wanted.

This is fantastic- that they mentioned her essay in letter.
Congratulations!

Clark sent DD a personalized acceptance letter that referenced things she wrote in her essays. Really nice and made her feel very wanted.

Columbia's is great, it is a majestic video of the campus with "Roar, Lion, Roar" playing.
The letter follows

All my kid cared about was the confetti and scholarship $$!

Anonymous wrote:Nobody reads it that closely

Nobody reads past the part where it says accepted or not.

DC was telling me that at their school, kids were looking at a website that produces fake rejection letters from top universities, just to practice for the coming days.