Monday, July 15, 2013

If You Want to be Accepted, Show Colleges You Care!


Today, colleges can use using data mining techniques to track every interaction a student has with their institution.*  That makes it more important than ever to show them that you want to attend their school. When asked why you are applying to XYZ University, you must be able to show that you know who they are and what makes them different from ABC University, their prime competitor.

Colleges track each time you visit their web site and how long you stay there, how quickly you open email from them, whether you click links imbedded in these emails, and how often you initiate contact with a member of the school community whether admissions, students or professors.

The Catholic University is one of the
the hundreds of campuses Charlotte Klaar has visited.
Visiting Colleges is also Crucial to Acceptance
Here’s a cautionary tale from the class of 2013: I always explain the need to demonstrate interest and visit colleges when possible. Last year, one student family decided that this wasn’t necessary, and they chose to wait until acceptance letters were in before they visited the colleges. 

This was in spite of the fact that most colleges on the list were within driving distance. They felt that since their student had a stellar GPA and test scores, the visits weren’t necessary.
The student received mostly “Wait Lists” and only two acceptances from colleges that would have taken her no matter what. The Target and Reach colleges on the list believed she would not attend, since they saw little or no interest in them beyond the application. So, in order to maintain their ranking on U. S. News and World Report listings, they didn’t ‘waste’ an acceptance on a student they felt was not likely to actually attend.

The lesson is: Invest the time and effort necessary to show them that you are a serious student of their college or you likely won’t be accepted.
 For more valuable information on selecting and gaining acceptance into the college of your choice, contact Charlotte Klaar, PhD, Charlotte@cklaar.com, 301-834-6888.