As my previous post stated, demonstrating interest is an essential component of the overall admission process for many colleges. This can be done in many different ways, but listed below are some of the most common approaches taken.
The College Visit
Most colleges and universities will expect a student who lives within three hours of the institution to make a college visit to their campus. I have listed three hours as a reasonable cut-off, but students and parents should be thinking about it in terms of a reasonable day trip. Colleges become much more understanding if a visit will require significant expenses, such as a hotel room or a flight; they know that not every family can make those trips work. These visits are important for both the student and the school. Visiting a campus gives a student the opportunity to get a much better sense of the campus culture. Prospective students not only take a tour, but have the opportunity to ask students what they do on weekends, what they love about the school, and how connected they feel to professors. Colleges know that if you have made a visit and still want to apply, you are more likely to actually enroll in that college.
Admissions Reps
When a college visit is not possible, students should still seek out some facetime with an admissions representative. One of the best ways to do this is for a student to attend a college presentation. If a high school sends a few students to a particular college every year or at least has several competitive applicants to that college every year, it is likely that particular college will send a representative to that high school to give a presentation. The first part of every college presentation will be a 20-30 minute presentation of information about that school. Reps will typically discuss what they look for in a college application and let students know if their college implements a “holistic” approach or quantitative approach to admissions. They will let you know what kind of students will thrive at their college and will talk a bit about popular majors, clubs, and traditions. Most reps will leave 20 minutes for students to ask questions. While students will sign in to these meetings, which will demonstrate interest, the question and answer session is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. If a student can say, “I have looked at X major, Y club, or Z opportunity and have a follow-up question,” the rep will know that student has put in some of their own time. Students can also take this opportunity to ask about issues that are particularly important to them, such as LBGTQ+ issues, religious affiliation, or clubs. Any engagement is good engagement. Student’s can then follow up by sending an email to that representative, either thanking them for their wonderful presentation or asking another follow-up question. Many colleges track these interactions, which will give students an advantage when it comes to admissions.
College Fairs
Attending a college fair is a different experience than attending a college presentation. It is a much more frenetic atmosphere. College fairs can have anywhere between 50 and 150 colleges attend--many more than a student can possibly visit in a three hour period. Each college will have a small table set up with informational pamphlets and an admissions representative available to answer questions. Lines to speak individually with a representative can get long at popular colleges and there are no overview presentations given en masse. Students should come to these large events with a plan in mind. Lists of attending colleges can be found on-line. Students should research ahead of time and plan out which 10 colleges are their personal priorities and a few questions they want to ask of each admissions representative. If we are going to continue our dating analogy from the previous post on demonstrated interest, this is speed dating. Get in, ask your questions, possibly hand the rep a resume, take their cards and information, and move on. I like to save a little time at the end of the fair to simply browse tables that don’t have anyone visiting. It can be a good opportunity to briefly learn about a college that a student had not even heard of before the fair and requires no commitment. After an exhausting three hours at a fair, a student can continue to demonstrate interest by sending a follow-up email. Again, the ideal format would be thanking them for their time at the conference and asking a follow-up question that demonstrates the student has taken the time to research and learn about the college on their own.
Early Decision
Early Decision is one of many choices students have for turning in applications along with Early Action, Restricted Early Action, and Regular Decision. What makes Early Decision an excellent indicator of interest is that it is a binding contract that is supposed to be approved by the student’s high school counselor and parents. This requirement is in place to ensure students know what they are getting themselves into. Any students that choose Early Decision are obligated to attend that college if they are accepted, regardless of any financial aid package potentially offered by the school, thus colleges expect 100% yield on Early Decision applications. This particular form of demonstrated interest, however, is not something that everyone can afford since it requires families to commit to a school before knowing how much aid they will receive. Colleges have an estimated cost calculator on their website that can help families understand what they can expect for financial aid. Families should be aware, however, that these are typically simplistic calculations and are rarely accurate. The financial obligation a student incurs when they say, “I promise I will attend your school if you accept me,” could be very different than they anticipate--and they are locked in.
Social Media
There will be a follow-up blog post devoted to social media. Demonstrating interest via social media can be a mixed bag. Students need to be aware that once they “like” a college on Facebook, that opens the door to the college looking at their Facebook page. They can see which other colleges if any, the student is following. Social media can be a helpful avenue, but students should also be thoughtful in their approach.