Even though admission decisions at highly selective colleges are not released until late March, a few lucky students will receive “likely letters” a month earlier. While a likely letter is not an official offer of admission, it is an acknowledgement that the college is impressed with your application, and unless your grades fall dramatically, you can expect to get an acceptance.
For years, likely letters have been sent to recruited athletes because they are pressured by coaches to commit to colleges that have already admitted them. A likely letter from a school with a later official notification date could keep them from taking one of those earlier offers. While it is a very small percentage of accepted students who receive likely letters, Ivy League schools have used them more in recent years to let their most desirable applicants know that they are wanted.
Likely letters only go to students who are certain to be admitted to that college as well as to other highly selective schools. They are used to give a school an edge in the competition for top students who will have other appealing college options. Admissions officers hope that the heads up will get students excited about their college before they have heard from other schools.
Since students admitted via regular decision only have a month to make a final decision, likely letters provide students who will have many choices extra time before they need to make a commitment. It is especially helpful to have the advance notice when families are planning trips to attend programs for admitted students.
Sometimes a phone call precedes the letter, letting a student know that a likely letter is on the way. This is often the first of a series of contacts from admissions officers and current students telling him about the wonderful opportunities on campus.
While students who receive a likely letter can celebrate, that doesn’t mean students who don’t receive one should despair. Word gets around quickly when one student at a school receives a likely letter, and that raises the anxiety level among other students. Remember that even if 10 percent of accepted students get a likely letter, that means 90 percent of students who are ultimately accepted at a college never see a likely letter. Not every school sends likely letters, and even at those that do use them, the vast majority of accepted students do not get one.
There is plenty of time to deal with disappointment if and when it becomes a reality. For now, it is important to not allow yourself to be distracted. You need to maintain your academic performance, because whether you get a likely letter or an official offer, a drop in grades could jeopardize admission.
