I applied ED to Huntsman this fall, and I saw on some threads that the Huntsman director looks at whether or not you visit the campus and really establish ties to the school. I’m wondering if it is going to negatively impact my essay if I didn’t elaborate on the setting and the atmosphere more than how Penn is going to contribute to my education?
In my case, my parents wanted to make everything fair for me and and my step-siblings. My older step-sister had already set the precedent for visiting colleges, which is to visit the ones that she got into. Since I have to do that to, I couldn’t visit Penn or any of my other colleges on the East Coast. FYI, I live in LA.
When we visited U Penn they told us they do not keep track of if you visit or not. They said they do not look at demonstrated interest such as emails phone calls or visits.
The important thing is that you know enough about Penn to write a great, “Why Penn?” essay. A visit may make that easier, but it is certainly not necessary.
ED is in itself the highest level of interest one can indicate. Schools tracking interest only do so to figure out how likely you are to attend if accepted; they are protecting their yield. Since you are locked into attending with ED, they don’t have to worry about that. You must attend if accepted.
^ Yes, true, I am one of the many who was admitted (last year) and had not visited beforehand. I also did not have an interview. Top schools like Penn know that interest is high, and applying ED leaves little doubt that you will attend if admitted.
ED is the best thing you can do, after stalking a different member of the admissions committee every day, for the entire day, during the month of November.