<p>How much does this actually matter?</p>
<p>It varies by college. If you want to know for a given college, search for “<college name=”"> Common Data Set". The Common Data Set has a section that will tell you what the college considers most important factors for admission, and student interest is one of those items. Some schools don’t care at all, and some do.</college></p>
<p>Thanks!
10char</p>
<p>[CollegeData:</a> College Search, Financial Aid, College Application, College Scholarship, Student Loan, FAFSA Info, Common Application](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com%5DCollegeData:”>http://www.collegedata.com) will also have that information, under the admissions tab for the entry for the college. This shows much of the same information as section C of the common data set.</p>