Updated

More colleges across the country are starting to hand-deliver acceptance letters to some students as a way to stand out from competing schools.

Wheaton College in Massachusetts recently sent teams of employees across New England to deliver acceptances to 75 students. It joins at least four other colleges nationally that have started home deliveries over the past year.

The visits are meant to be a surprise and are often filmed for online videos much like TV sweepstakes. It's meant to curry favor with students and to draw attention to the school.

Experts say colleges are going to greater lengths to show interest in students as competition grows among institutions. But some critics say the visits are an invasion of privacy and question whether a hand-delivered letter can really sway students.