<p>I think I have a decent shot at Cornell and I really want to go there. I have visited the campus several times because I have a cousin that goes there. However, I have never actually gone on an official tour, i.e. put my name on a list. I have a friend who got into Princeton, but was rejected from Lehigh and when he asked why, they said he never visited the campus.</p>
<p>Does this ruin my chances of getting in?</p>
<p>no. Cornell does not count visits towards admission.</p>
<p>you don't even sign in when you go on the tour</p>
<p>I don't buy that Lehigh story. It would be very very unfair for a school to reject a candidate based on whether or not they visited the campus. Some people are way too far away, or don't have to money to travel.</p>
<p>When I went to Cornell for the first time they did not make me write my name anywhere. I just went and took the tour.</p>
<p>When Lehigh feels that a candidate is overqualified and has shown very little interest in the school (college visit, interview, meet with admissions rep), they will most likely reject them, not wanting to accept students who are simply using them as a "safety." This is probably what happened to your friend. Don't worry, it won't affect you.</p>
<p>No, the whole "visiting the campus matters for admissions" is bull. It's only so that you can get a sense of whether or not the school is a fit for you.</p>
<p>Visiting campus can absolutely matter for some schools even though it doesn't for Cornell. Many of the smaller liberal arts colleges and even some other schools track every contact the student has had with admissions. University of Rochester notes campus visits, interviews with admissions, etc. Carnegie Mellon seems to track all of that as well--even regional information sessions. A friend's daughter was waitlisted at a small liberal arts school in Ohio for which she was otherwise well qualified for, and the reason they gave her was that she had not visited the school.</p>
<p>I think the Lehigh example is true. For some schools, they are looking at measures of student interest in the school and visiting campus is one measure, although not the only one. And if a school wants to maximize yield, they may very well offer admission to students who are both qualified and have shown interest. In the example given, Lehigh may have perceived that this student was unlikely to attend Lehigh in any event based on his/her overall stats and that they were probably a safety for this student and decided to offer someone else who might be more likely to attend the spot.</p>