<p>Sometimes when I send info to colleges (like signing up for tours/filling in the SAT info) I put my middle initial, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I put the name of the town I live in, but sometimes I put a different name for it (that is more specific). How possible is it that they will not realize that this is for the same person?</p>
<p>im sure they will see that it is the same person when they really dive into the info – plus things like phone numbers / email addresses probably wont change either</p>
<p>I don’t think they care at all.</p>
<p>if it’s really an issue, give both college board and the colleges a call. Just double-check with them. Summer’s the best time to do it, since the admissions offices usually aren’t overloaded with applications.</p>
<p>I might have used different e-mail addresses too, actually. And I haven’t sent any apps yet, so I don’t think I’ll try calling now. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Right now, before you talk to/visit/interview at any other schools, decide which information you want to use (middle initial or no, name of town, e-mail, etc.) and USE THAT INFORMATION ONLY AND CONSISTENTLY. </p>
<p>For schools that track “interest”, no, they may not know that “Farragut Montague, III” from “Boston, MA” is the same person as “Farragut E. Montague” from “Dorchester, MA” who toured last summer. They won’t bother to check. (This is even more likely if your name is relatively common.) They’ll just figure that Farragut Montague III didn’t show any interest before applying. Not the result you want.</p>
<p>And when you do apply, they may not bother trying to associate the SAT scores you took with your middle initial and Town Name 1 with the application you sent without your middle initial and Town Name 2. Again, not the result you want.</p>
<p>Do you take the search and application process seriously? If so, treat it seriously.</p>
<p>Chedva is absolutely correct. Be attentive and consistent when you communicate with colleges.</p>
<p>One problem I used to see when I worked in an admission office concerned Asian-American applicants who had both an American first name as well as a native-language first name. Sometimes these students would use these names interchangeably on application materials. When the surname was also a common one, it could be challenging to make sure that materials got into the right folders. (And, sometimes, these candidates came from high schools that sent multiple applicants to my school, which confused the issue even more!)</p>
<p>So this is a special heads up to anyone who has two different official names … be sure to use only one (or both at the same time … e.g., "Grace Soo-Kyung Park), but–whatever you decide–stick with the plan!</p>