But early admissions are only the beginning of the effort to raise yield. As early as January, many schools know of certain students they want to admit who did not apply early. The letters, sent in January or February, tell students that although the college can't make its formal admissions decisions until late March, they should know that they are likely to be admitted. Penn mailed 295 such letters last winter, with all of them going to athletes and high-achieving minority students. Officials at several other universities, including Columbia, Cornell and Harvard, said they are sending likely letters to many top students, regardless of ethnicity or athletic talent, although they declined to provide figures.
Students acknowledge that the flattering letters can make a difference.
Adam A. Sofen, who scored the maximum of 1,600 on the SAT and attended Harvard-Westlake, a private high school in North Hollywood, Calif., thought he was going to Columbia but then received a likely letter from Harvard. Admissions applications usually do not ask students for the names of other schools they have applied to, and admissions officers say they are careful not to deride competing schools. But the alumni who interview applicants are another matter. For example, the work sheet that the Harvard Club of Washington, D.C., asks Harvard applicants to fill out asks about other schools. When Stanford University had to close down some dormitory rooms after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, competing alumni recruiters expressed concerns about space and comfort at the Palo Alto, Calif., school.