new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c701cc
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# college board student search service
+
+## what happened
+
+when you take the PSAT/SAT, College Board asks if you want to opt into their "Student Search Service." sounds helpful — colleges can find you! what actually happens: they sell your info to every college in the country, and you get flooded with misleading mailers that say things like "you've been selected!" or "exclusive invitation!"
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+those mailers look real. they feel like recognition. they're mass-marketed recruitment spam designed to boost application numbers (so the school can reject more people and look more selective). you might waste time and money applying to schools that were never a real fit, just because a fancy letter made you feel chosen.
+
+## the fix
+
+don't opt in. if you already did, know that those mailers mean nothing. a school sending you marketing material is not the same as a school wanting you specifically. ignore it all and do your own research on where to apply.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[naming-wrong-school-in-essay]] — another college app trap where you're not paying attention
+- [[starting-applications-too-late]] — rushing leads to chasing these fake leads
+- [[missing-fafsa-deadlines]] — more college admin that catches you off guard
+- [[stay-on-admins-good-side]] — navigating college bureaucracy in general
\ No newline at end of file