<p>if those are available. I don’t always know what to make of the varying weights claimed by each college for each admission factor, but it’s food for thought if one college claims to ignore student interest entirely while another claims to regard it highly.</p>
<p>Here’s a quick way to show the love for all of you who didn’t apply anywhere ED because of financial concerns and couldn’t visit: Tell your first choice school that if they take you, you will come, assuming you receive sufficient financial assistance to afford it. It’s amazing how many people neglect to clearly indicate their first choice to that school, and are devestated when the admissions committee didn’t guess correctly.</p>
<p>It puts them on notice that money is the only constraint. And it gives you an obvious advantage over a comparable candidate who doesn’t say “You are my first choice.”</p>
<p>Since this isn’t a binding ED, you are not ‘required’ to go: But integrity dictates that if they offer you a reasonable financial package, you will take it and attend. (Of course, if they don’t, you are free to negotiate with them and you can refuse if the price tag is still too high.)</p>
<p>Having visited the campus and had an interview is great for demonstrated interest - esp when you live so far away! Demonstrated interest isn’t a huge factor in admissions in my opinion (I got accepted to 4 schools sight-unseen). If, however, you feel you should continue to show interest, try contacting a professor that you may want to work with. Good luck!</p>
<p>That 300 character “Why Yale?” question was my son’s favorite. Why? You have to have a specific reason to want to go there to write a convincing response within the constraints. </p>
<p>(179 characters with spaces. I had to check…)</p>
<p>You’ve demonstrated a lot of interest, but if you want to drive the point home, there’s no harm in sending a short (one page or less) supplemental essay describing what it is that makes WashU a good fit for you and vice versa and that you want to go there. Maybe it’s a particular program, or the university’s interdisciplinary approach in several areas, or a what you see yourself accomplishing there. You can send it by email and ask that it be included in your application materials. It can’t hurt.</p>
<p>Princeton admissions staff said they do not track interest. There is nowhere to sign in when you come for a tour, and the tours didn’t even begin in the admissions office (this was two years ago).</p>
<p>To Tokenadult - Though that link to the list from 2005 is a great start. Many of the links are to the wrong year’s data or the link has moved. I think is is a great starting point for people though. For those school that the link is accurate, a person is all set. For those that the link is old, at least it is likely that the data is published and can be found in a search. As for the different weighting of the admissions factors, it is what it is. But at least (assuming that the school is not lying) the applicant can better understand how well their application may meet the requirements.</p>
<p>To TheGFG - Went to Harvard the other day. No sign in available and during their info session they flat out stated that the applicants interest in the school is not considered. Went to Northeastern the next week and a whole card was filled out. It does vary (but I have to say I did not remember that from 4 years ago with son).</p>
<p>which will probably have a big burst of updates soon, as colleges post their latest Common Data Set filings. I don’t keep up that thread (the other parents who do maintain it do a good job, in my opinion), but will note that it is more complete than any other webpage I’ve found with Common Data Set links. Of course, colleges have to do their part to post the information in the first place, and not to let their links go dead.</p>
<p>My son did not visit or arrange an interview. We made plans to visit the campus, set up appointments, but at the last minute my son was swamped with other obligations and we canceled.</p>
<p>He did, however, attend a regional information session that included a sign-in. Evidently that was sufficient demonstrated interest, as he was accepted to CMU (SCS and CIT).</p>
<p>Yes, Cornell did not have a sign-in for tours either when we went. And the gathering places for tours for both Cornell and Princeton were uninviting. In Princeton’s case it was the dark, ugly basement of a building and I remember a father and his daughter had just come in on the train for a campus visit and had to drag their suitcases along with them the whole tour. I thought it was pretty unhospitable that the guide or the person behind the basement desk didn’t notice or offer to store their luggage somewhere. Since many other colleges invite prospective students into a bright, cozy admissions office with big chairs, coffee and hot chocolate, and lots of literature around, those two schools felt colder. Also, some schools have surveys asking about your visit experience. It was hard not to assume that C and P didn’t care one way or another whether you liked them.</p>
<p>Chevda
I understand what you are saying but don’t tell me lacking the financial resources to visit and interview isn’t a disadvantage. Touring a school (seeing the community it is located in) and seeing the campus first hand, hearing all the inside stories and getting tips from the tour guide are all huge advantages for the students wealthy enough to afford such trips. Learning things about a school you could never learn on line or from a regional meeting are huge advantages. I think “showing the love” being really important to admissions is kind of elitist.</p>