<p>I do understand that some colleges are keenly aware of demonstrated interest, and particulaly like it when a student has visited the campus. My question is, what else can be done to show this love? My D's college counselor has told us that colleges "understand" that not everyone can visit prior to applying and that going to local presentations by the college's admissions rep may be sufficient to show love. Do you agree? Do you have any other ideas for showing this love? </p>
<p>We had planned a big trip back east this summer, but due to unplanned illnesses, that trip was derailed. So, fortunately my D has already visited some of the eastern schools, but certainly not all. Any suggestions for how to deal with this other than visiting?</p>
<p>Personally, I think this “showing the love” thing is a lot of hooey. Just another layer of stress the colleges impose on these kids. Do whatever is natural (i.e. leave a card if you visit), but other than than I wouldn’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Due to financial reasons, my D was unable to visit most of the colleges (all top tier privates) that she applied to. She was accepted to all but one - and it was a huge reach anyway (but she was a four-way legacy). Of course, she didn’t apply to any Ivies, so that might be different.</p>
<p>It depend on where you’re applying. Demonstrated interest means zero at ivies and there are some schools that take few who are not from a zip code suggesting poverty who have not visited.</p>
<p>Agree it is total bs and not relevant at the ivies. Redroses (or anyone else), which schools place such importance on visits? We have a log list and only visited about half of the schools on it. It is not money but taking time away from work and the other kids.</p>
<p>I do agree that going to a local presentation by an admissions rep is a good way of demonstrating interest if you can’t visit the school. Other ways are signing up for information on the school’s website or perhaps e-mailing the local admissions rep with intelligent questions about the school. </p>
<p>Aniger, you can look on a school’s own website to see if it considers demonstrated interest as an important admissions factor.</p>
I think if that is the case, then one might want to seriously consider whether that is the type of place one wishes to be. DS has attended info/tour sessions at 5 of 8 on his list. We visited Cornell, but were not registered or toured there, but he had his scores sent. The other 2 are 8 hours from us. If they don’t want him because he can’t manage to get there before he actually applies, then that’s their loss. From the daily snail and electronic mail, it seems like at least 6 of the schools on his list are locked in a battle for his immortal soul. </p>
<p>Everyone here acts like their chief concern is how best to suck up to the school of their choice. Turn the tables - they want to sell us something. We are the consumers here. Their demonstrated interest in you should have some significance. What other commodity can you say “I want to buy that” and have the seller say “no, sorry, you’re not good enough to buy this”?</p>
<p>“Level of Applicant Interest” is listed an admissions criteria in the common data set for every school. Just quickly looked at Vassar and Wesleyan, where this criteria was checked off as “not considered”. Looked at Franklin and Marshall, and it was checked off as “considered.”</p>
<p>Look at the common data set - "First Time, First Year (Freshman) Admissions section for the schools your child is applying to. See if applicant interest is considered, important, very important or not considered. If it’s a factor, you child may need to contact their regional admissions rep to “express interest” — or contact a professor in an area of interest etc.</p>
<p>“It depend on where you’re applying. Demonstrated interest means zero at ivies and there are some schools that take few who are not from a zip code suggesting poverty who have not visited.”</p>
<p>Redroses: </p>
<p>Can you name these schools that hold it against you if you don’t visit? Because I’m thinking, we don’t have a poverty zip code and we may not be able to swing any last minute visits. </p>
<p>I agree with everyone. This is insane! We wanted to visit because we saw that as good info for my D, but since we had a summer of illness and could not visit, it doesn’t seem fair to be punished for this!</p>
<p>Some of the schools that my son is considering seem clearly to value demonstrated interest . Usually, these are schools that are hell bent on raising their profile and climb the “social ladder” (in the case of colleges, that would be USNWR ranking). These are the schools that are very keen on raising their yield, and as such, all things equal, they are likely to admit students who show a lot of love. Also, these are the kind of school that exhibit “Tufts Syndrome”</p>
<p>Certainly, these are NOT top 20 schools. These are wannabe schools - schools just outside of top 50 that want to get on that list. Schools just out of the top 20 that want to be Ivy-lite.</p>
<p>The schools on my son’s list that clearly value “demonstrated interests” are GWU, AU, Lehigh, Bucknell, etc. My son is applying for ROTC scholarship, and the officers of the local ROTC units of these schools told me that S should really visit the campus and demonstrate his interest in these schools to make sure that once he gets a scholarship from the government he also has the admission into the school so that he can use it there.</p>
<p>In addition to the campus visit, the student can contact the regional admissions director, introduce him/herself, and “stay in touch”. Note that in many cases, these regional directors have a tremendous influence. They may not single handedly determine the admissions outcome, but they can be an advocate for an applicant, or in some cases, they put together an initial candidate list. Meaning, s/he can put you in a reject file - express line. In one school S is interested in, the regional admission director has the final say. SO, if you did not/could not do campus visit, at least have your kid get to know the regional admission director via email.</p>
<p>I think demonstrating interest is important and it is not just through visiting (and even on a visit, having contact with professors and others on campus directly is more effective than just going on a tour). But visits aside, many colleges have essay questions that ask why you want to attend that college. (and I don’t agree that this is not important to Ivies…one example is that Brown has this as an essay question and truly cares about “fit”) </p>
<p>I can’t tell you how many kids go about these essay statements quite poorly. They do so way too generically and in a way that they could sub any college name practically into the essay and it wouldn’t change a thing. Or they mention things like location that everyone would say. They need to be way more specific to that school and what attracts them and how that fits what they are seeking and vice versa, how they fit that school and might contribute in various campus activities and such that are specific to that school. This is indeed an important essay. Colleges would not ask if they didn’t care about this. I’m an alum interviewer and I ask this in interviews. Students who can’t articulate this well and come across as not knowing the school all that well…leave a less than desired impression. </p>
<p>My own kids, and many of my advisees, for schools that don’t have a “Why X College” essay prompt (many have it; many don’t), they include such a statement in a cover letter to their application. Again, being very specific to that college and showing they know it well…how the school fits them and how they match the school and would be a contribution to that specific campus. Now, if a student has visited and has had contact with people on campus, those are things that can be referred to in such a statement.</p>
<p>What strikes me with many students is that they really can’t articulate why they wish to attend and haven’t really done their homework and explored the school in depth. I run into this a lot. They do not know their schools that well. I have to really push with that for some kids.</p>
<p>Great, if everyone who thinks demonstrated interest not being important can take ivies off their list it might become sane at the fab 8!!</p>
<p>The easiest way to look at is that the also rans make demonstrated interest key. Backups to top schools, colleges that rarely yield kids accepted to the uber top. Vandy, Emory, LACs below top 5, generally really care.</p>
<p>I’m not understanding how the back-up places make interest key. They want kids with the scores, grades and ec’s like everyone else. If you don’t have the basics, you can do cartwheels in the quad every day 'til April 1 and they won’t accept you. In other words, unless they’re suffering from Tufts Syndrome, they’ll accept the best kids they can get, and offer them goodies to get them if they want them badly enough.</p>
<p>I have mixed feelings on demonstrated interest. I generally think that spending time finding the right university for you is more important than the university being impressed with the prospective student. Same goes with job interviews - while you want the company to extend an offer, it’s equally important to make sure the job is a good fit for you.</p>
<p>On the flip side, I’m currently “demonstrating interest” in a graduate program I’m applying for by taking classes as a non-degree student. Should the university accept me, then they will count toward my degree. So I can’t say it’s a complete bunch of hooey.</p>
<p>babyontheway, if you think it is critical to find the right university for you, then you may be limiting your future offspring if they will only be allowed to attend a state university. I don’t know if there are a plethora of state schools in your state, but if not, then ‘right fit’ will be harder to come by if your child’s choices are very limited. </p>
<p>Nothing against state schools but I have to agree with Redroses that your approach to limiting your child’s choices quite a lot kinda goes against your feeling that finding the right university/fit is important.</p>
<p>Want to show the love? Go to the interest session when the college rep comes to visit your school. S2 went to some presentations junior year (and again senior year) and a couple reps remembered him from the prior year. When he visited one of those campuses later, he ran into one of those admissions folks and they wound up having a long chat.</p>
<p>S1 was the only person at one college’s info session (a school high on his list) and he wound up having a one hour, one-on-one chat with the director of admissions. </p>
<p>For both, it was an incredible opportunity to get a much deeper sense of the school (and it showed in their Why X? essays), and a relatively unscripted, honest conversation.</p>
<p>S2 was waitlisted at two highly ranked LACs – at one, he and the interviewer were never able to coordinate their schedules, and the other one was interested in him for a sport, but he was having second thoughts about playing and so didn’t want to commit. Suspect the school felt he wasn’t so interested in the school (not the case), but given his actions, I understood why they made their decision.</p>
<p>The OP’s question was about fit rather than cost. Cost is important as well. I wouldn’t advise a student to take out $50k in loans because the school felt like a better fit. A student wanting a better fit university that is also more expensive might want to look at merit aid, work study, private scholarships, and other funding options.</p>
<p>In this case, the OP is hoping for significant merit aid and cost may not turn out be a big factor.</p>
<p>As to my kids, they’ll have parental funding that they can use for any college they are interested in attending. The amount I’m saving is based on in-state COA but they can use it wherever they want to go. Admittedly, it will cover a larger percentage of COA at some schools than others. Few parents have the luxury to fully fund their kids to any college the kids want, in state or out of state, public or private.</p>