Anonymous
02/18/2026 15:28
Subject: Yale likely letter
Kid’s friend who received a Yale likely also got into every other Ivy RD and chose Yale.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 15:13
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand the purpose of a likely letter. Why is it "likely" and not guaranteed acceptance? How is it different from a regular acceptance letter?
The Ivies have a gentlemen's agreement to not give out results until Ivy day.
Fair enough, but how exactly will a likely letter increase yield? A person getting admitted to Yale on February 15 through "likely letters" is significantly less likely to bolt to Harvard/Princeton/Stanford than the same person getting admitted to Yale on March 26 during Ivy Day? Because they get one additional month of thinking about Yale, making Fall plans, visiting campus (if they haven't already), talking to current Yale students, posting their likely letters on Instagram, etc.? What is the rationale behind that?
When my kid got the letter, it definitely pushed them towards Yale. There were a series of zoom meetings with AO's & faculty, discord groups, two current students (a sophomore and junior) reached out, swag were sent, were given contact info of previous student from the school, were put in touch with faculty and before we knew it was like child already part of Yale.
It is definitely very effective marketing.
Schools who admit students EA appear to do the same thing. I'm seeing this happen to varying degrees, depending on the school, with my DC this year.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 20:44
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand the purpose of a likely letter. Why is it "likely" and not guaranteed acceptance? How is it different from a regular acceptance letter?
The Ivies have a gentlemen's agreement to not give out results until Ivy day.
Fair enough, but how exactly will a likely letter increase yield? A person getting admitted to Yale on February 15 through "likely letters" is significantly less likely to bolt to Harvard/Princeton/Stanford than the same person getting admitted to Yale on March 26 during Ivy Day? Because they get one additional month of thinking about Yale, making Fall plans, visiting campus (if they haven't already), talking to current Yale students, posting their likely letters on Instagram, etc.? What is the rationale behind that?
When my kid got the letter, it definitely pushed them towards Yale. There were a series of zoom meetings with AO's & faculty, discord groups, two current students (a sophomore and junior) reached out, swag were sent, were given contact info of previous student from the school, were put in touch with faculty and before we knew it was like child already part of Yale.
It is definitely very effective marketing.
Thanks for your answer. Makes sense.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 20:14
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand the purpose of a likely letter. Why is it "likely" and not guaranteed acceptance? How is it different from a regular acceptance letter?
The Ivies have a gentlemen's agreement to not give out results until Ivy day.
Fair enough, but how exactly will a likely letter increase yield? A person getting admitted to Yale on February 15 through "likely letters" is significantly less likely to bolt to Harvard/Princeton/Stanford than the same person getting admitted to Yale on March 26 during Ivy Day? Because they get one additional month of thinking about Yale, making Fall plans, visiting campus (if they haven't already), talking to current Yale students, posting their likely letters on Instagram, etc.? What is the rationale behind that?
When my kid got the letter, it definitely pushed them towards Yale. There were a series of zoom meetings with AO's & faculty, discord groups, two current students (a sophomore and junior) reached out, swag were sent, were given contact info of previous student from the school, were put in touch with faculty and before we knew it was like child already part of Yale.
It is definitely very effective marketing.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 18:27
Subject: Yale likely letter
If there is an agreement not to deliver results until a certain day, why do they cheat? It’s like saying “if I wink twice, it means you get in but I won’t officially tell you until Tuesday.”
Either play by the rules or don’t agree to them. It’s such a weird message for how the school deals with ethics in business. I’m not arguing that this is some kind of egregious offense, but it certainly feels a bit off.
Either play by the rules or don’t agree to them. It’s such a weird message for how the school deals with ethics in business. I’m not arguing that this is some kind of egregious offense, but it certainly feels a bit off.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 18:01
Subject: Yale likely letter
My older DS got a Yale likely (YES scholar) and in the few weeks ended up with likely letters from Stanford and Columbia. Then regular acceptances to Harvard, Caltech, UC Berkeley etc.
My younger one got into the same places but no likely letters. Outcome similar, journey different - definitely created a few months of additional stress because he didn’t get the early indication his sibling got.
Both unhooked, over represented minorities, public school kids in New England
My younger one got into the same places but no likely letters. Outcome similar, journey different - definitely created a few months of additional stress because he didn’t get the early indication his sibling got.
Both unhooked, over represented minorities, public school kids in New England
Anonymous
02/17/2026 17:47
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand the purpose of a likely letter. Why is it "likely" and not guaranteed acceptance? How is it different from a regular acceptance letter?
The Ivies have a gentlemen's agreement to not give out results until Ivy day.
Fair enough, but how exactly will a likely letter increase yield? A person getting admitted to Yale on February 15 through "likely letters" is significantly less likely to bolt to Harvard/Princeton/Stanford than the same person getting admitted to Yale on March 26 during Ivy Day? Because they get one additional month of thinking about Yale, making Fall plans, visiting campus (if they haven't already), talking to current Yale students, posting their likely letters on Instagram, etc.? What is the rationale behind that?
Anonymous
02/17/2026 00:33
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand the purpose of a likely letter. Why is it "likely" and not guaranteed acceptance? How is it different from a regular acceptance letter?
The Ivies have a gentlemen's agreement to not give out results until Ivy day.
Anonymous
02/10/2026 10:46
Subject: Yale likely letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My nephew received a Yale likely. Also accepted to Harvard Princeton Stanford MIT Caltech Duke and more
What was his compelling EC?
He was an astronaut, concert pianist and Olympic gold medalist
Last I checked, the youngest male astronaut in the US was in his 30s during the 1970s. Or was he a Katy Perry type astronaut?
Was the gold medal summer or winter Olympics? Or was it IMO?
Also cured a rare cancer, wrote an international bestselling novel, and brokered the release of the Israei hostages from Gaza.
Led Takaichi’s elections campaign that resulted in her landslide and historic victory!
Unparalleled impact.