Should I follow up on tours at schools that don’t consider demonstrated interest?

College Search & Selection
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Hi All,

I’m currently seeing a few schools on the East Coast and most of them don’t consider demonstrated interest. Even though they don’t consider this, would it be worth my time to send a thank you card or an email to let them know I’m on campus? Obviously it couldn’t hurt, but I’m curious as to whether or not it’s necessary/frowned upon/encouraged?

Also— are tours at non-demonstrated-interest schools considered in admissions? There are a lot of different takes on this, but I’d like some fresh opinions on this after the past year…I was on a tour of a school today and I was in an abysmal mood, so I’m worried about if admissions will remember me as the kid who was angry the entire tour. LOL

Thanks!

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No. But tours can help you craft your Why Us essay, which can help in admissions

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They’ve long forgotten you - but what did you think of the school and how can you use what you learned to help your application.

Writing a note won’t hurt - it’s courtesy. But it’s not necessary. Typically your tour guide is a student, making a few bucks, going over the same script again and again. Your presence has little impact. They’re back onto their regular lives.

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Would letting them know I plan on applying ED help?

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Applying ED is demonstrated interest to the extraordinary.

But if a school doesn’t factor DI into their decision, then they don’t factor DI into their decision.

If you apply ED anywhere, ensure two things:

  1. You 100% want to go there.

  2. You 100% can afford it - so run the net price calculator and ensure you can. Also, ensure your parents want to afford it.

Your initial question was - should I follow up if they don’t track DI?

Now you want to tell them you will apply early. Again, if they don’t track, then they don’t track.

btw - saying you’ll do something and doing something are two different things. Saying means nothing.

How about you put together a list of safety, target, and reach schools, continue to get good grades, get a good test score if possible, continue with your extra curriculars and put your best foot forward.

You are looking for little short cuts - no need to…in fact, you may be seen as trying too hard. The best you will be good enough.

Good luck.

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I wrote thank you notes to every school I toured. It can never hurt.

If you are looking to ED at a school, then definitely be in touch with your admissions officer for your region. They are the people making the decisions on your applications. Again, it can never hurt.

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Applying ED helps. There is no reason to tell them you are planning to ED.

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I am going to tag on to this question and twist it a little because this was the closest question I could find to mine. What about following up on self-guided tours at schools that do track demonstrated interest? What if you did a self-guided tour of a university that according to their CDS tracks demonstrated interest? What if the school even has a way for you to sign up on their web site for a self-guided tour? But you couldn’t, because for prospective student entry term, the first option they give is fall 2023 and your child has already applied for Fall 2022? (Didn’t want to mess with their database and have them start sending info all over again.) But if you were to sign up for a guided tour, the first option they give is entry term fall 2022. Would have signed up for guided tour if we the could, but school is half a country away and we were relatively close by for a couple days, arrived in neighboring state Saturday night and we had Sunday available, Monday we had to be elsewhere and flew home Monday evening. They do not offer tours on Sunday.