What colleges send stuff?

Why do colleges send me letters?

• I'm in 10th grade right now and ever since I've given my information taking on the PSATs, I've gotten more than a few letters from colleges. I'm wondering if they send them because they actually want me to apply? Or do they just send them out to everyone? And should I seriously consider these colleges? Or try to aim higher because they send them to everybody?

• Answer:

  Different schools have different criteria for sending those letters. Some set a cutoff for PSAT scores, and only send them to people who got above a certain score. Some send them to anybody who took the PSAT and who meets other criteria--where you live, where you go to high school, what majors you're interested in, etc. They target people who they think have some likelihood of someday enrolling there. Your profile probably resembles the kind of students they typically get. So yes, they want you to apply there--though it isn't a guarantee they'll admit you if you do. And yes, you should consider these schools, if they appeal to you in some way. There are only a handful of very elite schools that don't need to recruit students because they're so much in demand--and even those still do outreach to prospective students they consider most desirable. Keep your options open, but don't rule them out just because they're pursuing you a little. It doesn't mean they're desperate or hard-up for students, it just means they think you might be their type.