Emails from schools to apply?

CantStopWontStop

I’m under the impression that schools emailing you to apply are doing so just to get there apps up, and therefore, have a lower admittance rate (although it’s obviously a business that needs attendees, too). I haven’t really given it much thought until I got an email from Harvard today. Any thoughts?

OlamHafuch

Schools definitely encourage marginal candidates to apply to boost applications. They also send out fee waivers to such students.

Raphael Rivera

When I first started working on applications I got an email from Virginia with a fee waiver and decided to apply even though I was below their medians. After reading all the posts on here saying that its a trick to boost their numbers, I almost didnt apply. But I did, got an interview and got accepted at the end of the skype call with a 54k scholarship, being just barely over 25th percentile. When you apply they truly look at your file. The process, in my experience, is not as black and white and mechanical as many people on the forum say that it is.

OlamHafuch

Yes, I don't think they'll invite you to apply if there is absolutely no way they'd accept someone with those numbers. But it's still a long shot for many of the people they send fee waivers to.

goingfor99th

@Feb2018Taker said:
I’m under the impression that schools emailing you to apply are doing so just to get there apps up, and therefore, have a lower admittance rate (although it’s obviously a business that needs attendees, too). I haven’t really given it much thought until I got an email from Harvard today. Any thoughts?

I would definitely encourage you to apply. Who knows, maybe they're interested in you for a reason other than your numbers? No guarantee, of course, but there's only one way to find out how serious they are about your admission.

Schools below the Top 3 send out a lot of fee waivers, but they're also not completely meaningless. It means they think you could be an appealing candidate, at the very least.

Seeking Perfection

@Feb2018Taker said:
I’m under the impression that schools emailing you to apply are doing so just to get there apps up, and therefore, have a lower admittance rate (although it’s obviously a business that needs attendees, too). I haven’t really given it much thought until I got an email from Harvard today. Any thoughts?

They are just emailing you to get there apps up both so they look more selective and in case you are a good applicant, but you should still apply. Don't take the email as a sign you will get in, but don't take it as a sign you won't either.