It is no secret to any high school student that their mailbox is being flooded with college letters that are attempting to gain them as a student. Colleges from around the country send at least one, if not multiple, letters to basically every high school student that has an address. This can become excessive for the students due to the amount of “junk mail” and for the schools because most students throw the letters right in the trash.
The goal behind colleges sending letters to students is solely to raise there number of applicants, in turn making the acceptance rate smaller. This makes the school more prestigious to be accepted to and gives the college a higher selectivity ranking.
The “customized” letters that students receive make them feel as though every college in the country is begging them to attend their school, but in reality they are being used to boost the school’s marketing. This is not right for the student because they are led to apply to schools that have no real interest in them in the first place, lowering their chances of getting accepted somewhere.
Many colleges will purchase high school students’ names over a large area in order to increase the chances of the letters paying off. Some schools will purchase names based on location while a limited few base it on test scores or interests that were marked on the ACT and SAT.
Several colleges will send students at least one letter a month which becomes very unnecessary. For most students this turns them away from the school simply because the letters become clutter and a hassle. Basically every school’s letter gives some way to search for colleges, and no one needs fifty different accounts to college search.
Overall, the amount of recruitment letters that high school students are receiving is out of control and only beneficial to the college’s ranks and marketing strategies. Students gain a sense of false hope when applying to a college that was so interested in them only to have their application be declined. Students do not even realize they are being used in a game of college popularity, they only see the custom letter from a college dean that was sent right to their door.