At first it was rather flattering: everyday I received another piece of college mail, each one more complimentary than the next. We hope you will consider our college... Please look at our brochure... We think you will like our school ... We realize you indicated no interest in the focus of our college, but I hope you will consider us anyway.... We invite you to try out for a scholarship... Apply to our school. We want you. We Want You!

I received my first three pieces of college mail one Saturday, and they haven't stopped. At first I was going to save every letter. I planned to make a large pile and count them at the end. After a few days, I realized that I simply did not have enough space for the volume of mail I was receiving. I began throwing out each letter, but still, unopened envelopes and colorful brochures could be found strewn all over my house.

Is there such a shortage of students? If so, maybe we should consider closing some schools. If they need to search so hard for students, there are obviously too many colleges.

What a colossal waste of money. If I throw out every letter I receive, imagine what everyone else does. Just think of the amount of dollars and cents wasted on my garbage pail.

Imagine what would happen if no college sent letters, and the money saved was used for some worthy cause. We could lower the national debt significantly. We could build many homeless shelters. We could improve high school education. Why not grant scholarships to needy students with the money saved by not sending mail to people who don't read it?

Perhaps I should have foreseen the great waste in receiving college mail. I could have told the Student Search Service I did not want to be found. I wonder how much money the College Board makes from colleges for this service? What if that money were to go to charity, too?

It all boils down to dollars and sense. No mail, no money for these causes. Too bad greed prevents such a system from being put into play. n