<p>How early you should start the process? 10th or 11th grade? Suggestions are highly welcomed.</p>
<p>I am not sure if there any rule. My D started in second half of the junior year. She emailed to concelors, visited, wrote thank you notes, had interviews, kept up with continuous emails, met with faculty, athletic directors, auditioned, etc.
Some colleges she visited several times, including overnight.
You can start earlier propably with college fairs and make sure your child leaves note at appropriate tables and talkes to representatives.
This is very important for small colleges. Big Uc care only about numbers</p>
<p>Linda already hit the highlights. In my opinion, 10th grade is probably on the early side to start showing interest in any individual school — too many things are likely to change and no child should get fixated that early on particular schools. However, as Linda suggests, by the spring of junior year it’s not a bad idea to start doing some visits if possible, and if that’s not possible, to at least email the admissions rep for your area and introduce yourself and ask some questions about the school. It’s also easy to ask to be put on colleges’ mailing lists - just go to their website and request information. If a school is a particular interest, send back all those business reply cards when you get mailings. Some schools do keep track of replies like that. </p>
<p>However, probably the most important form of “demonstrated interest” occurs in the way you write your “Why this college?” essay on the application — if you can honestly explain why the college is a fit for you and you are a fit for the college by the time you get to applications, you’ll be a step ahead of the pack. Even if a college doesn’t ask this question specifically, there are ways to convey the school/student fit in the application that makes it apparent that, yes, you are definitely interested in THIS school and not just sending out another application to another of the 12 schools you’re applying to.</p>
<p>Also, your counselor at school can phone the college’s admissions office and mention that this is your first choice college.</p>
<p>When you do visit a college, stop in at the admissions office and leave your name and address so that they know you were there.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the posts. They are very helpful.</p>
<p>I think second half of 11th grade is about the right time to start showing up on a college’s radar screen. (Of course you can begin investigating as early as 9th or 10th, but junior year is when colleges generally take notice of candidates.) </p>
<p>The first and easiest way to show interest is to visit. Visiting means at minimum attending the information session and taking the tour. If offered, you could add an on-campus interview and if appropriate meet with professors from individual academic departments, athletic coaches and representatives from prospective extra-curriculars like theater, music or journalism. As the student starts to focus on a short list, an overnight is a good idea. In all cases, youd want to make sure that your attendance is noted. Many colleges, especially small ones, keep careful records of every contact.</p>
<p>In all of these visit opportunities the applicant will meet students, administrators (many of whom are alums) and instructors with whom s/he can communicate with when back home. Make sure to collect name cards or stand in line for a 30 second handshake and hello. If visiting is out of the questions due to time or money constraints, then most schools offer on-line options to meet current students or professors or admissions reps. Many schools make traveling presentations make sure to attend and make your presence known. </p>
<p>All of these impressions can then be distilled into the critical Why College X essay or as Carolyn points out more subtly included in the students essays and application supplements. For example, if the college is a dance powerhouse and the student is an accomplished dancer s/he should plan to meet with the head of the dance program, see the dance facilities, write her/his essay on dance, include a dance performance tape and resume. This serves two purposes: first it obviously communicates the applicants passion and second, it matches the applicant to a specific need of the college, i.e.,to recruit talented dancers in order to maintain its strength in dance. </p>
<p>Again, small schools are especially sensitive to selecting kids who will fit the campus personality. A student should make a effort to understand the prevailing ambience and to allude it his/her application. This approach can work to the contrary as well. E.g., if a school is known for its focus on the arts, an athlete may have a niche advantage. </p>
<p>Lastly, your high school guidance counselor might (and I emphasis might) be in a position to intercede on the applicants behalf. Some high schools are known to be intensely interactive with college admissions offices to the point of manipulation and can do a lot to introduce and promote likely candidates.</p>