<p>I called Brown admissions out of curiosity, & received what I thought was a great answer to what they look for regarding level of interest.</p>
<p>First, noting the Brown application was not the Common App, the admissions officer noted that the “Why Brown” essay was very important to them. And this is where an applicant demonstrates their level of interest…by researching Brown & figuring out how they fit. In fact when I asked if “level of interest” could also be demonstrated by visiting, the admissions officer noted that they don’t even keep track of who visits (as mentioned in posts above), and that wouldn’t be fair anyway because the practice would favor those that could afford to visit.</p>
<p>So, I have been thinking all along about the tactical demonstrations of “level of interest”, like visits & contacts, not fulling grasping that for some colleges, like Brown, interest can be (perhaps more appropriately) expressed as part of the application.</p>