<p>We haven't had the opportunity to visit Yale, and probably won't since it is getting so close to the holidays and it's far away. I'd always thought these schools tracked visitors---does not visiting hurt my child's chances?</p>
<p>No. Unlike the vast majority of colleges, Yale does not even ask visiting students to sign in or fill out a card.</p>
<p>jeli: the "tracking visits" is a marketing tool that some schools use to gauge whom to target with their recruiting efforts. To be frank, Yale's draw is so extreme that they have no issue with finding students who are chasing Yale and therefore they don't have to chase others much at all. Therefore, they don't care about "demonstrated interest"</p>
<p>I agree with your logic, T2, but I don't think you can say flat out that Yale doesn't care about demonstrated interest. Oddly enough, Yale's 2007-2008 Common Data Set indicates that the level of an applicant's interest is "considered" by Yale in making admissions decisions. One thing is for sure, though; the college visit is not the type of displayed interest they're looking for. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.yale.edu/oir/cds.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.yale.edu/oir/cds.pdf</a> See p. 7.</p>
<p>Of course not. People who live too far away or can't afford to travel would be at a disadvantage. For an affirmative action school like Yale, that would break their heart.</p>
<p>^^No. That is not why Yale has not traditionally tracked interest. As T26E4 pointed out, Yale has not tracked interest because it doesn't have to. It knows that the vast majority of students who apply are seriously interested. With a yield rate near 70%, it doesn't need outside indicia of interest. </p>
<p>Many of the colleges that track interest are seriously interested in diversifying their students bodies. That doesn't prevent them from tracking interest, especially through campus visits. But aside from campus visits, there are other, less expensive ways to make contact -- requesting an interview with a local alum, talking with a rep at a local college fair or visit to your high school, e-mailing a professor with a question, etc.</p>
<p>I just don't thiink Yale cares about these phony efforts to "show interest" when they have a 70% yield. I think what is being "considered" is what you do with the Why Yale? blurb on the supplement.</p>
<p>Interesting call, miles, on the "Why Yale" essay as what Yale is "considering" as demonstrated interest. I think you might be right.</p>
<p>But visiting, e-mailing, etc. are not always phony efforts to show interest -- sometimes they're genuine efforts to get information.</p>
<p>wjb: I can see where you're going with this. But you list these:</p>
<p>"aside from campus visits, there are other, less expensive ways to make contact -- requesting an interview with a local alum, talking with a rep at a local college fair or visit to your high school, e-mailing a professor with a question, etc."</p>
<p>But not a single one of these is measurable or notifiable to the admissions committee. Yale would never know if the student called my area interview coordinator or that, once I rec'd the contact info, I called him/her first.</p>
<p>I still don't think that Yale places any quantifiable measurement into the applicants' "level of interest" -- at least as exemplified by these externals.</p>
<p>Look, I'm not in this for an argument. I only observe that the Common Data Set that Yale itself prepares lists "interest" as a factor considered in admissions decisions. What do you make of it?</p>
<p>In any event, however, Admissions would know if a student made contact with his/her regional Admissions rep or met with a local alumni interviewer, since the results of the interview go back to Admissions. Whether Admissions cares is another matter.</p>
<p>Sorry for my terse tone in my last post wjb. I don't know what to make of the Common Data set info. Strange stuff...</p>
<p>I think people are over analyzing the admission process.</p>
<p>
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But visiting, e-mailing, etc. are not always phony efforts to show interest -- sometimes they're genuine efforts to get information.
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<p>What would you need to know directly from a professor that you couldn't find on the internet/info session/tour/bulletin? Just curious. I guess if you're really driven towards a certain subject...</p>