I applied to many schools and am wondering how important demonstrating interest to the colleges will be. I’ve read that they track if you check their portals, call, etc. But if you live on the other side of the country, would it really be worth visiting to show interest? Could that truly be the deal-breaker? Especially this late in the process. So really, what I am asking, is whether or not it is worth trying to visit, interview, and anything else at this point?
Or other things I could do
Look at the Common Data Set for the schools you are applying to and see how important “Level of applicant’s interest” is marked (for 2014-2015, this is part of question C7). This can range from “Not Considered” to “Very Important.”
As is often discussed on CC, for colleges that care about interest, there are ways other than visiting to show interest. Sign up for mailings on the admissions website, visit their table at college fairs and be sure to sign in, attend any admissions activities in your region, ask admissions if an alumni or Skype interview is possible, if you have legitimate questions not answered on the website then email admissions, craft a detailed and specific “Why College X?” essay (use the college website to look at course offerings, research facilities or projects, ECs, special campus features), log onto your portal to check your admissions status regularly. Aren’t you on your 2nd year of applying? It would have been helpful to ask about this before applying.
@cappex What the Common Data Set says is totally irrelevant. Why? There is no downside to expressing interest in a school.
Even if you live too far to visit you can do a Skype or phone interview or even meet with a local alumnus. It’s all upside, right, even if the school can’t or won’t accommodate the request
Sure it matters. Why waste the energy at this point on a school that doesn’t comsider it?
@intparent I’m sure this student can spare a few moments from his or her day to pursue something with a potential benefit.
You really cannot say conclusively that it doesn’t matter even if the CDS states it. For all you know, a school states it doesn’t just to see which students go the extra mile. Or, a certain person you contact is impressed by your passion for attending. Or, there has been a change of policy on this point not reflected in the CDS.
It is bad advice to tell this student not to try. IMO.
For a student who put in a lot of applications, it would be silly to spin his wheels now on colleges that don’t take interest into account. He should focus his energy on the ones who say they care.
You have no way of really knowing which schools really do and which schools really don’t.
And I would hardly call this spinning wheels.
Just imagine the horror of finding out after the fact that a simple 15 minute Skype call or coffee with an alumnus could have made the difference.
All upside and no downside is a good thing.
You COULD take the colleges’ word for it. They do try to fill out the CDS accurately, I don’t know what authority you use to discount it. if this student put in 20 apps, and hasn’t really shown interest at the schools where it does matter, he will get a lot more bang for his buck at those.
Agree with @intparent. Colleges have no reason whatsoever to lie about taking demonstrated interest into account. If a college says that demonstrated interest is not a factor in their decision, I think an applicant can take that as a truth.
Well, just saying, I used to work at a university and helped provide the data for our responses to the Common Data Set. We answered the questions as accurately as possible. We did not consider level of interest in our admissions decisions. We did try to gauge level of interest as a predictor to which students might actually enroll, but it didn’t impact admissions decisions.
@cappex If you feel strongly about certain schools and have the time, please make an effort. Remember what Wayne Gretzky said.
Visits at this point are going to be so you can make a final decision depending on where you’re admitted. Too early for that. Interviews, if used at all, are scheduled through the admissions office. If the school does not use interviews, then scheduling one with an alum means absolutely nothing. It will just annoy the alum, whose time is being wasted. 
And quite frankly most interviews mean very little in terms of getting you admitted. Interviews are there so that the interviewer can sell YOU on the school. Then if you’re admitted, there’s a personal connection where your interviewer can call or email you to say congratulations, let them know if you have any questions. So if you don’t have interviews scheduled, no need to sweat it.
Here’s what you should do: take a look at the CDS for each school on your list. See what they say about demonstrated interest.
Do they say they don’t consider it at all, e.g for Brown (and all of the Ivy League, for that matter)? Then no need to do anything.
Do they say that they do consider it to some level, e.g. for Tufts? If yes, if you live within a short drive of the school and you haven’t visited, then yes, do visit. If you live a cross-country flight from the school, not visiting will not be an issue. To continue the example–Tufts likes to see demonstrated interest in the way you craft your essays, so if you’ve done a good job on that, you’re done. Going to visit their website repeatedly at this stage, or calling to ask questions in an attempt to curry favor–nah, it will be a waste of your time. Go see a movie, go out with friends, read a book.
The most important thing demonstrated interest does is that it shows you’re taking the school seriously. Schools that are looking at demonstrated interest (as noted in the CDS) want to protect their yield, meaning that they don’t want to be treated as a safety school you’ll toss aside because you got a better offer somewhere else.
Okay, thanks all.
1 more question, at what point will my decision have already been made? March? Meaning I need to hunker down and show interest this month, and that any after will be useless. Right?
Shouldn’t take THAT long anyway