Ever wonder why college brochures seem to flood the mail box of high school students all over the nation?
Wonder no longer.
[The] College Board, which sells lists of high-school students’ names, ethnicities, parents’ education and approximate PSAT or SAT scores, at 47 cents a name.
Over half of the total number of two and four year colleges in the United States, 3350+, purchase lists of potential applicants’ names.
Each year, 1,900 schools and scholarship programs buy combinations from among 2 million to 2.5 million names, College Board said, declining to say how many names in total it sells.
And while many students wonder if they’ve been targeted for mailings, the answer is yes…
Schools target combinations of geography, socio-economic class and academic interests
And, furthermore, applicants wonder if the mailing means they’re more likely to be admitted simply because they’re receiving the mailing, the answer is no:
A paper conducted by College Board, not yet published, suggests the name-selling does little to benefit applicants.
While students aren’t advantaged in the admissions evaluation, admissions officers recognize the student has the qualities of a potential candidate for admissions and by sending the mailing they are encouraging the student to apply.
Now being introduced to the college, students can test if the campus matches what the applicant wants in a college experience. As we’ve previously discussed, here, here, here and here knowing what a student envisions as their ideal college experience is essential, then as students review the mailing brochures they can determine whether to further investigate the college.
Information is abundant on social media and other internet-based resources. Although students may not be able to visit campus this summer, as campus tours and visits are still restricted due to COVID-19 related concerns, students can call program directors and connect with academic departments by email and video conference calls, thus actually conduct a more thorough and individualized investigation of each campus. Being proactive, students and their parents will more likely find the value they seek in a college education.
Image courtesy of The Crusader of Seward County Community College
A UCSD and Harvard graduate, as well as a former high school teacher, Jill Yoshikawa EdM works tirelessly so clients succeed. Contact her at [email protected]
