Colleges recruit students with credit card-inspired mass mailings

The New York Times reports on the ease with which a few small colleges are boosting applications with clever direct mail marketing campaigns -- that look a lot like credit card offers.

The mass mailings are designed to make the prospective applicant feel special: envelopes marked "distinctive candidate application" contain letters offering a waiver of application fees and essay requirements -- and in some cases, a decision can be yours in just three weeks.