“Demonstrating Interest” Strengthens Your Admission Profile

A Top Priority When Visiting Colleges – Demonstrating Interest

Your College Visits are very important; they can maximize your College experience and save you money by eliminating the wrong choice at the start.

Demonstrated interest is part of  an effective strategy of  positioning the student which helps you build the list of application schools.

Demonstrating Interest Examples, School Website References

Rhodes College, Memphis, TN: “A visit  to the Rhodes campus (in addition to other demonstrations of interest) can be a deciding factor in making an admission decision. Interest may also be demonstrated by meeting with an admission officer locally or personally corresponding with the admission office.”

Baylor University, Waco, TX: “We are also looking for those who can gain the most from a Baylor experience and those students with a demonstrated interest in becoming a Baylor Bear.”

Visitation Preparation and Considerations

• Personality Fit – Can the student see themselves at the respective College?
• Visiting the College demonstrates interest to college departments especially the admissions department.
• Face to Face interaction can show the unique talents of the student.
• Prepare a Memory Hook, Your Department Questions / Answers and Stand Out.
• Check the College Affordability Metric before you spend the money to visit.

Match the Student Personality with the College Personality?

The best way to discover if a college is right for you is by visiting the college campus and surroundings.

Looking at college videos and searching college websites can provide you with valuable information, but there is  no substitute for actually being on campus.

If you have a large number of schools on your list, just go seem them if that is possible.

This will eliminate some because the student just can see it from the start.

Narrow Your List Down to 6 -12 Schools

You should consider these “touch points” on your college visit.

• Meet members of the admission staff and review the application process
• Meet with financial aid staff and obtain information on scholarships/financial aid
• Meet with professors and discuss academic programs for your major
• Meet with an academic advisor to discuss your career development plans
• Meet with current students and find out about student life opportunities
• Learn about extracurricular programming

Then narrow your list for a possible second visit if required from a time and student standpoint for further clarification.

• Visit a class or two
• Tour the campus
• Eat in the dining hall to check out the food
• Explore the town

Personal Coaching can give you the right questions to ask based upon proper college data to demonstrate to each college you have done your “demonstrated interest” and that is the “tie-breaker” with many schools today.

What Questions Do You Ask? What Research Should You Do?

You should prepare a list of questions for each college department and research the answers so your conversation can stand out with your preparedness.

An example  is enclosed  with the PDF titled “Demonstrating Interest Admissions Department Questions”.

1. Review  the two page summary of the  school that Coach for College provides all clients.

2. Prepare a list of questions or use our list, or a combination therein which is probably the best way (sample  PDF below for admissions department.

3. Record the answers from the two page summary directly under each of the basic questions. What you are trying to do is to ask interactive questions where you are confirming you researchr and demonstrating interest in the school.

4. Combine # 2 and # 3 into some questions that personalizes the basic questions to specific school research information you discovered.

In the Admissions Department Questions PDF, you will see this 4-Step process that shows your interest in the school based upon asking informed questions.

Questions please email
Email: [email protected]

 

Jim Kuhner