Colleges get a lot of applications these days. Far more than they used to. Some schools are accepting 7,000 students on 44,000+ applications! Most of the time, as they whittle and weed out, the differences between applicants can be reasonably clear. Sometimes it gets really close.
Whether you are a top student applying under some kind of Early Decision/Action, or your grades are going to put you in the the middle of the “maybe” group of the general applicant pool, this little “secret” may give you a numerical edge on decision day.
Contact
For older students, we’ve talked about the importance of contact.
- Did you sign up on the website to get information?
- Did you respond to their recruitment materials?
- Did you participate in the web-based information systems some schools offer?
- Did you make outreach at the College Fair?
- Did you go to an information evening to which they invited you?
- Did your parents attend a meeting on financial aid?
- Did you visit the college?
- Did you get an interview, if one is offered in the ever-shrinking pool of schools that do that?
The Sophomore Secret
Colleges know that you may be applying to 6 to 12 schools. Which one are they on your pecking order? One clue might be how often you are heard from.
Schools used to find it strange that sophomores came to college information sessions. They didn’t do much to process it.
Now, though, as the application process becomes more bloated with candidates, computerized, and mathematical, the Sophomore Secret that many of the private schools all seem to know about is that, if you get started in the information process in the Winter/Spring of your sophomore year in high school, you can get “on the board” early enough that you might add some scoring on the “interest” section of your file.
It certainly helps if you apply Early Decision/Action/ED 2/EA2, because it affirms that this a decision that you are have had in your mind for more than a year.
It really helps if you apply find yourself in the “Maybe” batch of students during regular admission. When it comes to whittling down applicants, there are a lot of factors that are considered, as we’ve discussed before. If they have applicants who score reasonably the same, and meet all of the other requirements and needs, the students whose interest in the school is well documented might be the tipping point in favor of admitting one over the other, because there is a greater statistical likelihood that you will consider accepting the offer based on prior interest.
So now is the time to make your LONG LIST of schools. When you do, sign up at the admissions offices for information on all of them. Research which ones have the best class sizes, smallest departments for your major, faculty with whom you want to study. The ones that no longer interest you, drop. The ones that continue become your short list, so keep responding to information and invitation for the ones that you haven’t dropped.
Most colleges don’t deluge you with a ton of materials, meetings, etc. At least the more competitive schools don’t, but, in the Fall, particularly, their recruiters are on the move.
You want to make sure that you stay connected to the colleges and/or conservatories that interest you.