<p>Hey-</p>
<p>Is it a good practice to let your top schools (whether they're Ivies OR small LACs) know that they're your top choice? Do the Ivies even care? And if they do, how should this be done?</p>
<p>I know that small LACs really care, although I'm unsure about Ivies, since they have SO many kids who say that they're their "top choice." At top-tier, small LACs it does matter.</p>
<p>I know I let my LAC know they were my #1 by visiting all the time (which is obviously harder if you don't live near it, but make the effort if you can), contacting professors of departments, asking admissions officers questions, making sure to meet my local rep and the recruiter for my area (at my school and again at a college fair), hinting at it in my interview a lot (you want to make yourself look like "If I was accepted here, I would DEFINITELY go), and hinting at it in my essay. Oh, and I applied ED, haha. I think that percieved interest is a big thing that may have gotten me in...my grades/SATs were good, but not necessarily super exceptional. You have to make up for imperfections in as many ways as possible. :] Good luck!</p>
<p>So places like Swarthmore, Amherst, or Williams would like somthing like this?</p>
<p>Swarthmore's what I was talking about - it's where I'm going. I'd imagine Amherst and Williams would like it too! :]</p>
<p>Although Forgetmenots is probably right about the Ivies, I would definitely demonstrate interest in every single school I applied to. A little interest goes a long way. To demonstrate interest try to visit the campus, go on a tour, interview, contact professors and/or coaches and of course let the school know they're your first choice.</p>
<p>On my early action app, I told the college that it was my top choice and that, if accepeted early, I would go...I don't know if that specifically worked, but I got in :-) It can't hurt to tell them they're your top choice, right??</p>
<p>For Williams, I actually think they don't care.</p>
<p>Williams doesn't consider interviews, nor do they consider "demonstrated interest."</p>
<p>As such, I doubt they'd care if one designated them as his #1. Williams has plenty of qualified applicants, and I think it's their feeling that, being so competitive and hard to get into, many of their applicants will attend simply because it's likely the best college they've been accepted to. Williams has a lesser interest in seeking out interested students, relative to less competitive or equally competitive colleges. </p>
<p>The only exception would be VERY well qualified applicants. I think Williams might care about knowing that such a person WOULD attend, because in the admissions round, without such information, they may lean towards rejection, simply because its likely such a person would attend a more prestigious college, probably an Ivy.</p>
<p>^ Yeah... stupid tufts syndrome!</p>