<p>Ok, so I've been reading on these random ivy prep websites that many elite private colleges take into account the level of interest that the applicant has demonstrated in that college. They keep track of thinks like number of visits, summer programs participated in, and also the number of email contacts made with the admissions officer....the counselors say that if you keep your regional admissions officer constantly updated about your achievements etc, that will demonstrate that you have a keen interest in that college, and will work to your favor in getting admitted....what do you guys think? </p>
<p>Does it help to have this sort of connection with the person who will read your app? Will the fact that the admissions officer knows you by name and face make the slightest bit of difference?</p>
<p>This is more often true at smaller, lesser known schools, but not for an elite institution like Penn, which gets such a great amount of applicants (relative to how many they can accept). Many students can't visit the school for various reasons (for example, airfare -- Penn gets tons of applicants from the Western US, Alaska, Hawaii, and abroad, who only visit after being accepted to determine where they wish to enroll).</p>
<p>I would definitely not persistently contact Penn or your admissions officer. Penn isn't a school that has a problem finding kids to enroll (67% yield rate), so in the end, they're going to accept the most qualified students.</p>
<p>And yes, it DOES make a difference. If you show that you are truly enthusiastic, it really does help. For Penn too, I'm sure they actually take notice.</p>
<p>ED is one way to show. Visiting the campus once is also nice. I don't think it matters at all because someone visited 5 times from my school and still got rejected ED.</p>
<p>think of it this way - if demonstrated interest to individual admissions officers made much significant difference, then these poor people would be absolutely deluged and would probably resign under the boatloads of correspondence</p>
<p>Well I think there is a common misperception here. Many schools rely heavily on demonstrated interest (Wash U, Tufts) and most with EDII plans will have the same theory. With Penn, although an ivy, they take into account demonstrated interest. Now demonstrated interest is not visiting X times, and calling X times, and writing to the admissions officers X times. Why would Penn need you to see their school 5 times if you've already seen it. Admissions officers might appreciate an email or two reaffriming your interest (esp. RD applicants), but nothing more than that, unless you have a legit question.</p>
<p>To show demonstrated interest, there are a bunch of things you can do. Visiting once or twice will help. ED is probably your biggest advantage as you are bound to attend if accepted. Finally, demonstrated interest really stands out in your essays. Penn can tell if someone really put some thought and insight into their essays rather than someone who submitted an essay in which Penn could be interchanged with other schools and have no effect. In fact, if Penn didn't care much about interest, why would they have any essay about Why you want to go there??</p>
<p>Yea, I even asked a Penn admissions officer when she came by my school and she told me writing essays that show interest are just about the only thing you could do to show it. Visiting a campus shows little interest but not demonstrated necessarily.</p>
<p>In reality, what is the benefit to the college of looking at "demonstrated" interest? Is it a reliable indicator of who will really attend? Is it an accurate predictor of who will succeed? I know many students who clearly demonstrate their interest in the schools they've applied to.... calling adcoms, emailing adcoms, telling interviewer that school is their first choice, traveling a long distance to visit campus, sending supplemental materials, etc. but this does not mean that the school will be their first choice once all the offers come in..... the only way to show genuine interest is to apply ED...</p>