You’ve got mail! Why Colleges Flood Your Mailbox (and What to Do About It)

Is your mailbox suddenly overflowing with glossy college brochures and mini-magazines? My senior is still getting piles of them—and yes, some look like full-on publications. Colleges want your student’s attention, and they pour serious energy (and money) into these mailers. Here’s why it’s happening and how to sort through it all (pun intended).

Why Is the Mail Pouring In?

From the moment your student takes the PSAT in the fall of junior year, the mail starts. Schools like the University of Chicago purchase lists of students based on score ranges—if your teen hits that threshold, welcome to one of the most intense mailing lists out there.

Then when your student takes the SAT, colleges buy information on certain groups, like “students with SAT scores over 1200 from the Midwest.” And just like that, the brochures start multiplying.

How Do Colleges Get My Student’s Information?

The PSAT and SAT are run by the College Board. When students take these tests, some of their information (not their detailed score reports) is shared with colleges through the College Board’s Student Search Service.

Many colleges manage this data using a system called Slate, a platform that helps admissions offices streamline outreach and track student engagement with emails—how many messages they open, whether they click links, and how likely they are to pay attention. All of this helps colleges predict which students might accept an offer of admission.

What Should Families Do?

This practice isn’t ending anytime soon. So keep unloading the mailbox, and if you already have a solid sense of what your student wants in a college, you can toss most of it straight into the recycling bin.

If not, it’s worth having your student flip through some of the mail. Sometimes smaller or lesser-known colleges send great material—and they might align perfectly with your teen’s goals.

Fact vs. Fiction

Fiction: Getting mail means the school thinks I’m a strong candidate for admission.
Fact: Highly selective schools, like Harvard and Vanderbilt, send enormous volumes of mail. It has nothing to do with your student’s chances of getting in.

Fiction: More mail = better odds of admission.
Fact: The University of Chicago is famous for its nonstop mailers (yes, including the golden retriever puppy postcard). Their acceptance rate is about 4%, and getting mail won’t change your student’s chances.

Fiction: Elite colleges send mail to build awareness, like small liberal arts schools.
Fact: Many colleges want more applicants so they can keep their acceptance rates low, because low rates signal selectivity.

Fiction: A handwritten note from admissions is just another marketing tactic.
Fact: If you receive a true handwritten note (not a printed script font), your student should absolutely apply. It means the college saw something in their file and is signaling real interest. This is rare so if you get one, take it seriously.

Final Thoughts

The mail will keep coming; watch that your mailbox doesn’t overflow. Have your student take a look at materials from schools they’re genuinely interested in, then dig deeper to see whether those colleges offer the right academic, social, and financial fit.

If you want help cutting through the noise, staying sane, and building a smart, balanced college list for your student, I’m here to guide you every step of the way.