<p>So my mother was telling me about her friend's daughter, who is applying for a fellowship at Harvard. She said it shouldn't be too hard to get in because she's been participating in programs through Harvard since 9th grade. My question is: will colleges be more likely to admit you based on demonstrated interest? Do schools just say that they don't do that, and then do it?</p>
<p>Not necessarily. A girl I know did such a program at a local university, and got rejected when she applied there a year later.</p>
<p>Sounds like this girl’s mother has fallen victim to the marketing strategies of these Harvard programs. These programs–as they usually say in fine print on their website–do not necessarily increase chances of admission at that school. </p>
<p>Schools like Harvard don’t care diddly squat about demonstrated interest. Harvard wins every yield battle by a long shot.</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s what I thought, but I always wondered if they say that and don’t really mean it</p>
<p>They don’t overtly say that their host programs give an inside edge to eventual college admissions. Because they don’t for selective colleges like H. For some others 2nd and 3rd tier schools, you bet it can make a difference. Like glass said, it’s just marketing – both ways.</p>