Students need to show colleges that they are interested in attending by doing more than just filling out the application.
The college landscape has changed significantly in the last few years and decisions are made based on big data. What does that mean to you? Colleges are trying to have more students apply because it helps their standing in U.S. News and World Report. Once they have all their applications, they need to determine which students will actually attend, versus which students see them as a safety school, or even fifth on their list (this ratio also helps their ranking because unless they are a big state college, they care about who accepts their offers).
What should you do to look like an interested applicant?
Please note: This does not apply to many large state colleges who generally do not track this.
First, if you live within 4 hours of a college they want you to visit the school and take the tour. If haven’t visited the college, you should consider visiting before your application is due.
Here are a number of ways to show interest to the admission office:
• Request that the college sends you information. Then open every e-mail that they send because they track that.
• Find out, by a phone call or e-mail, when your admissions representative will be in your area so you can meet with them. Attend admissions talks and ask the admissions officer a pre-rehearsed, thoughtful, intelligent question, so that they remember you. Ask for their business card and be sure to follow-up.
• See if representatives are coming to your school for an official visit and attend the session. Afterwards shake their hand, get their business card, ask your pre-rehearsed question, and send them a follow-up e-mail.
• Clean up your social media and then “like” / “follow” them on Facebook or Twitter.
• See if the college offers interviews and schedule one. Please meet with me to review interviewing techniques before you have it.
• If you play a sport, contact the coach and let them know about your interest.
• Submit an art or music supplement. Ask a real questions which cannot be answered by looking on the website.
• If a college is your first choice school, let admissions know in an e-mail, and tell them why it is a great match for you.
Some colleges track every interaction that you have with the school, spend your time wisely and let the colleges know that they are important to you.
Colleges Where Demonstrated Interest is Important or Very Important
College Kickstart LLC May 2020
| Institution | State | Demonstrated Interest | Link to School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny College | PA | Important | |
| American University | DC | Very important | |
| Antioch College | OH | Very important | |
| Appalachian State University | NC | Important | |
| Assumption College | MA | Important | |
| Auburn University | AL | Important | |
| Augustana College | IL | Important | |
| Bates College | ME | Important | |
| Bellarmine University | KY | Very important | |
| Bentley University | MA | Important | |
| Boston University | MA | Important | |
| Butler University | IN | Important | |
| California Baptist University | CA | Important | |
| Cedarville University | OH | Important | |
| Champlain College | VT | Important | |
| Christopher Newport University | VA | Important | |
| College of Wooster | OH | Important | |
| DePaul University | IL | Important | |
| Dickinson College | PA | Very important | |
| Eckerd College | FL | Important | |
| Elmira College | NY | Important | |
| Emmanuel College – MA | MA | Important | |
| Emory & Henry College | VA | Very important | |
| Evergreen State College | WA | Important | |
| Fairfield University | CT | Important | |
| Flagler College | FL | Important | |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | FL | Important | |
| Florida Institute of Technology | FL | Important | |
| Florida Southern College | FL | Important | |
| Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | MA | Very important | |
| Gordon College | MA | Important | |
| Guilford College | NC | Important | |
| Hawaii Pacific University | HI | Important | |
| High Point University | NC | Important | |
| Hillsdale College | MI | Very important | |
| Iona College | NY | Important | |
| Ithaca College | NY | Very important | |
| Kansas State University | KS | Important | |
| Kenyon College | OH | Important | |
| Lehigh University | PA | Important | |
| Louisiana Tech University | LA | Important | |
| Loyola University Chicago | IL | Important | |
| Manhattanville College | NY | Very important | |
| Marlboro College | VT | Important | |
| Marymount California University | CA | Important | |
| Marymount Manhattan College | NY | Very important | |
| Mercer University | GA | Very important | |
| Merrimack College | MA | Important | |
| Moravian College | PA | Important | |
| Morehouse College | GA | Very important | |
| Mount St. Marys University – MD | MD | Important | |
| Nazareth College | NY | Important | |
| New College of Florida | FL | Important | |
| Notre Dame de Namur University | CA | Very important | |
| Oglethorpe University | GA | Important | |
| Pacific University | OR | Very important | |
| Pratt Institute | NY | Important | |
| Quinnipiac University | CT | Very important | |
| Reed College | OR | Important | |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | NY | Important | |
| Roanoke College | VA | Important | |
| Roger Williams University | RI | Important | |
| Rutgers University – Camden | NJ | Important | |
| Sacred Heart University | CT | Very important | |
| Saint Johns College – MD | MD | Important | |
| Saint Johns College – NM | NM | Important | |
| Seattle University | WA | Important | |
| Seton Hall University | NJ | Very important | |
| Skidmore College | NY | Important | |
| Soka University of America | CA | Important | |
| St. John Fisher College | NY | Important | |
| State University of New York – Environmental Science and Forestry | NY | Very important | |
| Susquehanna University | PA | Important | |
| Syracuse University | NY | Very important | |
| Trinity College | CT | Important | |
| United States Air Force Academy | CO | Very important | |
| United States Military Academy | NY | Important | |
| United States Naval Academy | MD | Very important | |
| University of Arizona | AZ | Important | |
| University of Dayton | OH | Important | |
| University of Massachusetts – Amherst | MA | Important | |
| University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley | TX | Important | |
| University of Texas – Tyler | TX | Very important | |
| University of Tulsa | OK | Important | |
| University of Washington – Bothell | WA | Important | |
| University of Wisconsin – La Crosse | WI | Important | |
| Utica College | NY | Important | |
| Vanguard University of Southern California | CA | Very important | |
| Wabash College | IN | Very important | |
| Washington College | MD | Very important | |
| Washington University in St. Louis | MO | Very important | |
| Webb Institute | NY | Very important | |
| Western Carolina University | NC | Important | |
| Westmont College | CA | Very important | |
| Wheaton College – MA | MA | Important |