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Articles / Applying to College / Do Love Letters from College Mean Sure-Thing Acceptance?

Do Love Letters from College Mean Sure-Thing Acceptance?

Sally Rubenstone
Written by Sally Rubenstone | Sept. 17, 2016

Question: Hello there. I had received a innovators application from Babson college, and on the front page of this mail said :" your Babson innovators status entitles you to apply with these special advantages: Automatic scholarship consideration; Personalized access to the Babson Portal with your My Babson account…"

Does this letter mean if I apply to Babson I will definitely get into this college?


It asked me if I want to apply to Early Action, Early Decision, or Regular decision. I want to apply to another school which has a restrictive Early Action policy so if I apply to Babson, will it lower my chance to get in? Thank you so much Hope you have a nice day

Never confuse an invitation to apply with an acceptance. Even if your grades and test scores put you at or above the median range at Babson, keep in mind that there—and everywhere–students can get denied, deferred or waitlisted because they rushed through an application or didn't provide the college with other evidence of their interest.

So if you are applying to another college with a restrictive Early Action program, “The Dean" suggests that you apply Regular Decision to Babson but you should demonstrate your interest in Babson by visiting and touring campus (if possible), attending Babson events at your high school or near your home, if there are any (this includes chatting with Babson representatives at college fairs) and making contact with your Regional Rep … the Babson staff memer who oversees applicants from your high school.

If you are strong enough to be a serious contender at one of the handful of universities that offers a restrictive Early Action option, then you are probably a top candidate for Babson … but only if you put effort into landing a Babson acceptance. You should never think of it as automatic, no matter how much Babson—or any other college—appears to be wooing you.

Written by

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.

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