How Do Likely Letters Work for Early Decision Applicants?

I'm seriously stressing over this whole early decision strategy, and I've heard about likely letters. Can someone explain how likely letters operate for early decision applicants? Is it like getting a pre-admission nod, and does every school send these out?

Hey there! I understand how the admissions process can be stressful. Likely letters are indeed a form of early communication that some, but not all, colleges use to signal to certain applicants that their chances of being admitted are very high. These are usually sent to the most outstanding applicants before official decision announcements are made. It's like a 'wink' that you're likely to be admitted, hence the name.

For Early Decision applicants, a likely letter would be quite rare since ED decisions are binding and decisions are released at once. However, for Early Action or Regular Decision, a likely letter would be more common. Keep in mind that very few applicants receive these, and they tend to be those who have exceptional qualifications or are recruited athletes. Not receiving a likely letter doesn't mean that you won't be admitted, so try not to worry if you don't get one. Instead, focus on making sure the rest of your application components are the strongest they can be. Best of luck!