Flirt a little bit…

All of the relationship advice I’ve ever heard (mostly on Sex and the City) has made some mention of the importance of showing an interest in the person that you want to be with. It makes sense: how can someone know that you like them if you don’t drop a few hints? This sound advice is applicable to the college selection process as well. While it is probably not the best idea to send flowers and chocolates in with your application and offer to take the admissions officers out for a night on the town, it is definitely to your advantage to make some sort of contact with any school that you are interested in applying to. Why? In short, could help you get in.

 

If the admissions office has never heard of you before they read your application, it doesn’t mean that you automatically won’t get in, thought it might be a tougher sell. Schools don’t like to offer admission to people who they don’t think will matriculate. There are a limited number of spots for thousands of applicants, and they don’t want to pass up on a ‘probably will come’ student with good qualifications for a ‘probably won’t come’ student with excellent qualifications. One way that they gauge this is to see how often the applicant made contact with the school, such as in the form of requesting information or visiting campus. They call this “demonstrated interest” it is used by many schools as a factor in the admissions process. [When you don't establish any interest, you are called a "stealth applicant," according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.]

 

Fortunately for you, it is very easy to demonstrate interest. Even though you can find way more information online than in any one printed material, request a view book. This way, you can have something tangible to show the adults in the family (who are probably more comfortable with tangible objects anyway) and the school can know that you are checking them out. If you want to save trees, another way to let a school know that they are on your radar is to attend an information session. In the fall, many colleges have local events so you may no even have to leave your hometown. I recommend these events anyway because it is one of the few times to actually speak with a school representative and even meet some alumni.

 

There is nothing wrong with being a stealth applicant. I was pretty much stealth with Columbia (I filled out an info card at a college fair my junior year and never visited until I got accepted) and it worked out for me. But if you want to maximize your chances of getting in, especially to your #1, drop a line or two. It can’t hurt. And who knows, it may be the start of a great relationship!

narrowing the list

Ally wrote: “I like a whole lot of colleges and I don’t have a favorite… what should I do?”

thanks for your question, Ally. depending on how far along you are in the college search process, this can be either a good thing or a scary thing. any time up through junior spring, this type of indecision is normal, healthy, and expected. you’re still exploring: figuring out who you are, what you want to do, and what you want out of a college. this is good, and the earlier you start this process the better place you will be in once it is time to actually apply. this past fall, i worked with a number of seniors who were just randomly sending off applications to college because they were still completely lost. this is what you want to avoid.

 

even if it is after junior spring, don’t fret! there is still time to get yourself together, it just requires a little thought (and maybe a lot of paper). brainstorm about your ideal college. what type of area is it in? urban? rural? what majors does it have? what does the student body look like? what area of the country is it in? what nonacademic opportunities are there? do they offer housing? single rooms? doubles? can freshmen have a car? does the school give you an advisor? are there athletics? these are just a few of the many questions that you can ask yourself. (it might be helpful to write down you answers, depending on the type of thinker you are.) once you’re finished with this exercise, compare your ideas with the realities of the schools that you are interested in. this should help you narrow your list down to a more manageable size.

 

keep in mind is that it is very rare for one school will have everything that you want. you might find one in an area that you like but it doesn’t offer the opportunities that you want. or it has the perfect major but a less than ideal living situation. it is up to you to determine what your ‘deal breakers’ are; meaning, you need to figure out what you are willing to sacrifice and what is an absolute necessity in your decision to apply to a particular school. this heightens the likelihood that you will be satisfied with whatever college you wind up attending.

 

another thing to remember, Ally, is that it might not be a good idea not to have a “favorite” college at all. many students i know who went into the admissions process thinking “PQR University or bust!” ended up busted come senior spring because they didn’t think about the other places that they were applying to, and ended up matriculating at a school that they were less than satisfied with. while it is great to have a goal school, it is also helpful have a few places where you can happily see yourself. think as hard about the ‘reach’ schools as you do about the ‘safety’ schools. since there are no guarantees in college admissions, it is key that you like everywhere that you apply to because who knows where you’ll end up.