Show your
Interest!
- A
campus visit is one of the best ways to signal you are serious.
If personal interviews are offered, schedule one.
The interview is an opportunity to show knowledge of the school and
explain why the college would be a good �fit� for you.
- If
you cannot visit a campus, find other ways to show interest.
Attend college-sponsored events in your are, such as an information
session at your high school with a college admissions officer.
Ask the admissions office if alumni interviews are offered, and, if
so, schedule one. Then be sure
to keep your appointment; the only thing worse that not showing interest is
not following through. You
might also try to make personal contact with the college�s admissions
staff person responsible for your high school or ask your counselor to do
so.
- Most
college applications ask why you are applying or why you think you are a
good fit with the college. Do
not give a generic answer that could apply to any college!
Use specific examples and give details.
Demonstrate that you have really done your homework and thought about
the fit.
- If
the application from asks whether you plan to visit, give more than a yes or
no answer. If you cannot visit,
tell the college why and mention other ways you have acquainted yourself
with the college.
- The
common application is an increasingly popular college application form.
Accepted by hundreds of colleges and universities, the common
application streamlines the application process by allowing and applicant to
complete a single form and send it to any of the schools that accept it.
Almost every college will also require you to fill out a one-page
supplement. Use this supplement
to set your application apart. Shat
that you are serious about the college and tell how the distinctive
qualities of the college make it a good match for you.
- If
you visit a college via the Web, let the college know.
Some students assume a college can track anyone who takes a virtual
tour or reads the course catalog online, but that is not usually the case.
Follow up your web visit with a brief email message to the admissions
office, preferably to the admissions counselor for your area.
If
you decide that one of the colleges on your list is your absolute first choice,
consider applying early decision. Many
colleges offer what is called a �binding� early decision option, which means
that if you are admitted, you must attend that college.
Early decision applicants may have a slight advantage in the admission
process, but you should only apply early decision if your are absolutely certain
the college is your first choice.