“Kids now get everything online,” Lond- er said. “They’re using Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook or just googling the college website. We get a ton of mail from colleges too, and we literally just put it in the trash.”

Sophomore Tyler Williams said he has been getting a large amount of mail ever since taking the PSAT.

“[I get mail from] three to ve individual colleges almost every day,” Williams said.

Londer said she believes that colleges might send out mail based on tradition instead of re- turn on investment.

“I don’t think colleges see a big return about the mailings they mail out,” Londer said. “I think they just do it because they have always done that.”

Despite what students may like to think, re- ceiving mail from colleges does not mean you will get in or even that the college is interested in you.

“Colleges buy lists from ACT, SAT, PSAT, Pre ACT,” Londer said. “A lot of kids think that because you get the mail, that means they want you. They don’t even know who you are, they just bought your name off a list.”

However, there still is hope to get on a col- lege’s radar, Londer said. You can take action to get colleges to notice you.

“It’s called demonstrated interest,” Londer said. “Take a visit on campus, follow them up for an interview thanking them for the visit, ask questions, stuff like that.”

Williams said he quickly became disen- chanted with the mailings universities were sending.

“At rst it’s exciting, like, ‘Oh, I’m getting mail from colleges,’” Williams said. “Then it’s, like, I just keep getting it every day, and it’s, like, they’re not interested in me.”

Even though getting mail may not mean the college wants you, Londer said there are still things to look out for.

“I would de nitely just keep the information from the schools you are interested in,” Londer said. “Do they have the major that you want? Do they have opportunities that you want out- side of class? Sororities? Fraternities? Just sort through the stuff. You are going to get a lot of junk, so throw that stuff away.”

According to Londer, the mail students get from colleges will also have useful contact information, so keep that. Londer said that despite the amount of physical mail students are receiving, schools are trying to implement more technology in the recruitment process.

“A lot of schools now are doing videos and you can Skype with them,” Londer said. “Most things are done using technology and not pa- per.”

Londer also said that some of the most effec- tive college marketing strategies involve tech- nology, such as a video from Iowa State where they reveal a student’s acceptance through a CNN broadcast. Creative mail, both electronic and physical, can give colleges an advantage by helping the school stand out.