<p>I would love to visit some of my schools that I haven't yet been to during winter break but I'm not sure I'll be able to..</p>
<p>What are some other ways I can demonstrate interest in the school without visiting? What are some questions I could ask? I'm afraid that they'll look down on emailing about questions if they can be found on the website.. doesn't that show that you haven't researched enough?</p>
<p>I've heard demonstrated interest is really important for some schools (and not at all for others), especially Wash U @ St. Louis? </p>
<p>you can attend presentations given in your local area at college fairs. Since winter break is coming up you can contact the admissions office and ask if they could put you in contact with a student from your local area so you could meet for coffee and find out more about the school. And when you write your essays you can target them to specific programs and features of the schools you're applying to.</p>