Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U Chicago has been sending mail to my son urging him to apply. He would absolutely never get in. I can only think they're doing this to boost applications so they can remain super selective.

Maybe they have a higher opinion of your son than you do?

This entire thread makes me LOL. Do you all really think that admissions officers are doing some deep dive on your child BEFORE they send in an application, then gleefully rubbing their hands together and saying "haha, this kid will never get in, lets send lots of brochures so he'll be sure to apply!"

That's not how marketing works. If you're getting a lot of mail from a school it means they want more applications from your zip code or demographic. It's not specific to YOUR CHILD.

I think this might have been true with my DS but he had no chance of admission.

Not reading through five pages of responses so bear with me if this sentiment has already been expressed, but OP’s premise is pretty foolish. Every school, at least every school that this board cares about, expends some effort on marketing or other tools to increase awareness and drive up applications. Not sure why we’re concluding any of these efforts are “artificial” or ignore fit. Seems like another thinly veiled exercise in the excoriation of all but the 8 schools you ghouls deem are elite. We get it, MIT is not like the others, but how many times do we have to rehash this?

Anonymous wrote:Yale's sending alumni out to high schools to do "recruiting" from which applicants have had zero admits in the past decade.

A number of colleges are doing that, targeting rural schools in particular.

Yale's sending alumni out to high schools to do "recruiting" from which applicants have had zero admits in the past decade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U Chicago has been sending mail to my son urging him to apply. He would absolutely never get in. I can only think they're doing this to boost applications so they can remain super selective.

Maybe they have a higher opinion of your son than you do?

This entire thread makes me LOL. Do you all really think that admissions officers are doing some deep dive on your child BEFORE they send in an application, then gleefully rubbing their hands together and saying "haha, this kid will never get in, lets send lots of brochures so he'll be sure to apply!"

That's not how marketing works. If you're getting a lot of mail from a school it means they want more applications from your zip code or demographic. It's not specific to YOUR CHILD.

Yes, UChicago sends lots of material. But the application includes the uncommon/quirky essay that weeds out a lot of ppl. It’s a good way to assess fit.

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you the same person that posted the “Why public universities are trying to be elite” thread? You sound like the same person. Are you just trying to be a jerk?

You meant to write “ignorant” jerk