<p>I'll most likely apply Yale EA and I want to make sure my application and profile is as strong as possible. So, would contacting, and maintaining contact, with my Regional Officer be a good idea? I remember reading somewhere that during the time admissions officers are making their decisions, Regional Officers try to sway favorable opinions towards a student; is this correct?
Lastly, other than visiting Yale (finnances make this possibility impossible), what can I do to make sure Yale knows I have a genuine interest in their university?</p>
<p>Your contact w/the assigned officer most likely won't influence anything (I guess you could annoy them if you contact them constantly! :( LOL) as they read 100s of apps. When it comes to decision time, the bulk of the not-immediately rejected applicants get discussed in committee. Here the regional officer will make your case -- sometimes it's to sway others, sometimes it's just a neutral presentation of the apps' features. I'm sure some "favorites" come across their desk (or in all likelihood, their laptops as all documents are scanned and app readers look at them digitally). But this is probably due to the strength of the file itself and not contact with the student.</p>
<p>Visiting or not visiting Y has no bearing as they don't measure "interest" -- they don't have time to give that any weight whatsoever. They have a 70% yield. That's enough evidence already.</p>
<p>... and only contact them for questions that you otherwise can't mine yourself through their website. Nerve-wracking? Yes. But if you could place yourself in their shoes, you'd understand why you'd want distance between yourself and 100s of faceless applicants. Best of luck to you!</p>