The College Marketing Racket
Have you been receiving a lot of mail from colleges and universities lately? It might seem like every time you open your inbox or check your mailbox there are more glossy brochures waiting for you. And these brochures look so exciting, right? Beautiful pictures of the campus, and photographs of students hanging out on the quad. And of course it’s flattering that these schools are sending these materials, often personalized, to you. But what you have to realize is that these materials are just marketing tools. And just because you are receiving these items in the mail doesn’t mean the school is actively trying to recruit you.
We’re not trying to be harsh, but we want you to understand what is happening. Universities and colleges often buy student information from the College Board and other similar organizations that collect student’s personal information such as home and email addresses. With this information, schools will reach out to you with a personalized message and invitation to visit the school. They will use enticing language that can often be misleading. They may commend your high GPA or great test scores. They don’t make any promises, but they make you feel like acceptance is a sure thing. They may even send recruiters to your school to talk to your class. But, again, this is just a marketing tactic.
In reality, the school is interested in getting you to apply. By making it seem as though they are interested in you, you are certainly more likely to apply. Colleges want as many students to apply as possible, while rarely increasing the size of their graduating classes. It’s a game. The more students they can reject, the more selective the school looks. By increasing their “selectivity” rate they can increase their ranking on lists such as the U.S. News rankings.
To be clear, we are not discouraging you from applying to colleges that send you glossy brochures and embossed letters. We just want you to know that even if these letters and brochures seem promising, acceptance isn’t a sure thing. They aren’t just targeting you, they are marketing to thousands of other prospective students as well. This means you still need to work hard in your classes, study hard for the standardized tests, and put together a stellar college application. Don’t rest on your laurels now.
If you have questions, need help boosting your student profile, studying for standardized tests, or need some tutoring for your AP exams, don’t hesitate to reach out to Ivy Link.
