<p>I know that "showing interest" in your top school(s) is important because it lets them know that you are truly interested in your school, they get to know you better, etc.
But how in the world do you do that? I actually have questions for someone to answer about the school that would, by default, show my interest, but I have no idea who to ask! Should I contact the recruiter for my area, undergraduate admissions...? I have no idea who I should email to ask questions about the school NOT on their website that would help determine my fit. I've already requested information from the school and they sent me their nice little packet in the mail, but I have other things that I want to know about the university that would influence my decision on whether or not to go there. Who should I email/call/send a letter to in order to get information not available on the website and "show interest" in the school?</p>
<p>You can start by checking a school’s Common Data Set to see if demonstrated interest is actually a factor or not in admissions decisions. It is for some schools, and not for others.
If you have questions, the undergraduate admissions office is a great place to start. They will refer you to a more specialized department like housing, athletics or dining if your questions are very specific.
Other ways to show demonstrated interest include a campus visit, attending a local information session, meeting with an admissions rep on your high school campus, or watching an online tour.</p>
<p>First, check to see if “level of applicant’s interest” is used, by checking the school’s common data set (section C7), or its entry on <a href=“http://www.collegedata.com”>http://www.collegedata.com</a> (admissions tab).</p>
<p>See this thread for examples of ways to show a high “level of applicant’s interest”:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1626043-ways-to-show-a-high-level-of-applicant-s-interest-p1.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1626043-ways-to-show-a-high-level-of-applicant-s-interest-p1.html</a>
Note, however, that different schools may have different criteria for how applicants show interest.</p>
<p>Talk to the admissions rep at every local college fair she/he comes to. Call or email that rep with your specific questions. Visit the school at least once and make sure you sign in at the admissions office. If the school offers “events” such as shadow days or open houses, attend and sign in. Senior fall, pre-arrange a visit to include sitting in on a class or two and staying overnight with a student host, if the college allows it. Senior fall, arrange an interview (preferably after the aforementioned visits so that you’ll be obviously very knowledgeable about the school and can ask more specific questions and/or talk about why the school is such a great fit for you in more precise terms than if you’d just looked at the website.)</p>
<p>Not only are those great ways to demonstrate interest, but they will give you a much more realistic view of what the college is all about, thus clarifying for your own decision-making that this is the right school for you.</p>
<p>I don’t think you have to visit at every fair…but do at least one.
Sign up on the school website to get on their emailing list.
When you get an email, click on the link.
Visit the school if you can. If not, if they have a local info session, go to that.
Do a campus or alumni interview if possible.
If they visit your high school, sign up for session.
Once you apply, log into the student portal from time to time.</p>
<p>Not every school cares about demonstrated interest, so see if the schools you are interested factor it in. If they do you can 1) visit representative at school fair 2) get on mailing list 3) visit school if possible (for information session/tour or a preview day) and be sure to sign in on the scheets 4) interview at school if possible or find out if a local alumni does interviews for the school 4) if the school visits your HS attend the session 5) email rep if you have questions that aren’t answered on website 5)if it is a top choice see about shadowing a student or an overnight</p>
<p>Check individual schools, Davidson flat out told us that every time we set foot on campus, visit the table at college fair, or go to a local event to fill out card…they do track interest. But other schools (Duke for one) said they don’t.</p>
<p>Demonstrating interest can never hurt. If it is financially and logistically feasible, try to visit. If a college sends a recruiter to your area, try to arrange an interview or attend the information session. Even where it allegedly plays no role in admission, you might as well show up. A large university, with tens of thousands of applicants, might not consider it, but you can never be sure. My son was accepted to UC Davis and UCSD. We live in NJ, but traveled to California last summer. We never made it up to the Pacific Northwest. He was waitlisted at UW-Seattle, which is usually less selective than Davis and UCSD. It might have nothing to do with the interest we demonstrated by visiting the UC campuses, but we can’t say for sure. If you are applying to the top tier of colleges, and had no obvious excuse for not trying to make a personal connection, it might raise some red flags.</p>
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<p>At all of these campuses, selectivity can depend on intended major, and the overflowing majors that are more selective are not necessarily the same ones at each campus.</p>