<p>Does UMD track interest re: admissions decisions? My son has attended many events on the college park campus and sat through the info session when his brother toured the school a few years ago. Will the Admissions Department perceive a lack of official visit for second son as a lack of real interest, when considering his application for Fall 2014?</p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge, they do “track” visits…I remember attending an info session where the guy made a point of telling us to make sure we sign in - said it several times in fact. If it had no meaning, they wouldn’t ask you to do so (I have been to other universities where I asked to sign in and they specifically said they don’t have sign ins because they don’t track visits).</p>
<p>So, my questions are
-does your older son attend Maryland?
-is it a hardship (long distance) for you to make a visit with the younger one that is now going to be applying?</p>
<p>If your older son attends, your younger one can incorporate that info in an essay (what he’s seen on his visits to his brother) to address why he didn’t make an official visit himself. If the older one doesn’t attend, I’m not so sure the younger one will have anything significant enough to say about a one-time visit when he was just a tag-along.</p>
<p>If it is not a hardship to attend an admissions info session, I would absolutely do so. First off, there likely have been changes since you went to the info session with your older one. The competition keeps getting tougher and things change accordingly. Second, your younger son (and you) will likely have different questions this time around. </p>
<p>My older one is a current student, and I fully intend to bring my younger one to an info session (and I am OOS). Why? To demonstrate interest, to see what’s going to be different this go around, and ask questions specific to the major (which is a different major than the older one).</p>
<p>Will not attending an info session be a roadblock for admission? I seriously doubt it - especially if your son has strong stats, essays, letters of rec and ecs. If it’s a reach school for your son, personally, I would make the effort in the hope that it might have a positive impact.</p>
<p>I never attended one info session before applying. I knew the University already. I applied. my name was not registered prior to the application. I applied early action. Got in at the end of January. It is a State school, no tracks necessary. Tours and info session are for your own benefit. Good luck on your admission</p>