<p>Will not visiting some of the schools I apply to hurt my applications?</p>
<p>Also does doing summer programs at a school increase my likelihood of getting accepted to that school?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I have always been a fan of visiting schools because you never know if a school will fit you on paper will be like that in real life. A school I hardly considered, became one of my top schools after visiting and vice versa. It could hurt you if the school considers “demonstrated interest.” This is one some schools require you to register for tours and check in when you get there, to know you’re not just choosing schools just because it is ranked high or just choosing it as a safety. Or if you are writing an “Why _____?” essay and you are really general, it always helps to have specifics. I highly recommend it, or at least connecting with a current student if you can’t visit</p>
<p>No, it won’t. You can see this question asked many times on the Brown forum, particularly with summer@brown or taking summer courses at brown, with testimonies from recent admits, participants, and even an RA. My best friend took business class at NYU over the summer yet was rejected from Stern in the end.</p>
<p>thank you for the honesty</p>
<p>There are many ways to demonstrate interest, and registering for a campus visit is just one of them. AOs know that travel is time-consuming and expensive and that it isn’t in the budgets of most families. Yeah, it’s great to be able to go and get the vibe but you can show interest by showing up at college fairs and introducing yourself to the college rep and signing in with your email. You might come prepared with one or two questions for the rep that show you’ve done your research. Then you can continue (or initiate) the demonstration of interest by contacting the AO office and asking to speak to your rep, to whom you can again address questions, ask for a student in your major to contact you, etc. Some schools even include visits to their webpages, don’t ask me how, as demonstrations of interest.</p>
<p>Having said that, if you’re a high scoring student from an underrepresented racial or economic background, the wealthiest schools sometimes offer to fly you to campus so they can feel you out and sell you on their campus. If you fall into this category, check out the discussions on CC about QuestBridge and fly-ins, as they are called.</p>
<p>Of the schools we are considering, some care more about whether you have visited than others. Harvey Mudd and Pomona and CMU cared most about visits.</p>
<p>Showing interest can include opening all the emails they send you. If you delete them without opening them, the school as sender can tell!</p>
<p>check to see if any of the schools on your list have fly-in programs. many do these days.</p>