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How to Demonstrate Interest to the Colleges on Your List

4/11/2022

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By
Aparna Huprikar and Jamie Lewis
UFit College Consulting


During the last two college admissions cycles, test-optional policies resulted in many colleges receiving record numbers of applications from many more fully-qualified candidates than they could possibly admit. This, in turn, has led to historically low admissions rates and more than a few disappointed students who were rejected from their top-choice colleges.

These trends are leaving students and families feeling pessimistic and confused by what appears to be the randomness of current college admission decisions, since many students who were rejected or waitlisted from some colleges appear to have similar stats (GPA, course rigor, leadership, etc.) as those who were accepted. While a college's institutional needs are considered foremost when admitting an incoming class, colleges are also hyper-focused on protecting their yield rate.  A college's yield rate is determined by dividing the number of students who ultimately commit to a college by the number of students who were offered admission to that college. Simply put, colleges want to know that if they offer you admission, you are likely to accept and attend their university. If your stats are higher than their averages, they might assume you will get into and likely attend a more competitive university.

Today, more than ever before, it is important for students to demonstrate interest to the colleges they are applying to, so that the colleges feel confident there is a good chance they will attend if offered a spot in their freshman class.

How can you show your commitment to attending a college during the admissions process? Here are some suggestions:
  • Attend in-person or virtual campus tours and information sessions. Register for these official events with your email (not your parents'), preferably one that uses your first and last name for easy tracking.  
  • Attend college admissions representative visits to your high school. Most high schools host information sessions with college admissions reps throughout the school year. This is an easy way to gain an audience with the person who will be reading your application, learn about the college, and show your interest. Check your high school  calendar regularly and attend sessions for all the colleges on your list.
  • Send thank you emails. After attending an information session (in-person, virtually, or at your high school), send a brief email to the admissions representative who gave the presentation. Thank them for helping you learn about their college, tell them one or two things you found compelling, and let them know you are excited to apply to their school. Sign your email with your full name, the name of your high school, and your home city and state.
  • Attend a summer program at one or more of the colleges you are considering.
  • Spend time on your colleges' websites. Some colleges use tracking software to see what pages applicants are visiting and how long they are staying on each page.
  • Sign up to be on your colleges' email lists and open all emails they send you. Admissions reps often track whether or not applicants are opening their emails and clicking on included links in an attempt to gauge true interest.
  • Follow your colleges on social media.
  • Email your admissions representatives. Many colleges list their regional admissions reps. on their websites. If not, you can call the admissions office and ask, or consult with your high school college counselor to obtain the name of your high school's regional rep. If you have a thoughtful question to ask, reach out to your regional admissions representative. This would be a good way to get your name on their radar, but make sure you do not contact them too often or request information that can easily be found on the college's website; this could have a negative impact. 
  • Submit your applications early. While applying early decision is the best way to prove a college is your top choice, not all colleges offer this option and not all students are ready or financially able to commit to one college for early decision. Submitting your applications as early as possible (by the early action deadlines if offered) can signal your enthusiasm for your colleges, while waiting until the latest deadlines can make colleges question whether your application to their institution is an afterthought.
  • Once you have applied to a college:
    • Set up your portal and check it regularly. This is where you will be notified if you have anything missing from your application and where you will receive your admissions decision. Colleges can track when you access your portal and how often. If anything is missing from your application, the colleges expect you to take care of it in a timely manner. If you don't, that could indicate a lack of interest.
    • If your stats are in the top 60%-75% of admitted students for a college, apply to their Honor's College and apply for merit scholarships (if applicable). Taking the time to fill out these extra applications and write the often-required extra essays, shows your commitment to academic excellence and helps you continue to demonstrate your interest in the school.
    • Sign up for an admissions office or alumni interview if offered.

Now is the perfect time for high school juniors to start finalizing their college lists, thinking about an application strategy, and demonstrating interest in the colleges they will be applying to in the fall. For personalized assistance with any part of the college search and application process, please contact UFit College Consulting.

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Waitlisted? Here's What You Can Do.

4/4/2022

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By
Aparna Huprikar and Jamie Lewis
UFit College Consulting


Have you been waitlisted at one or more of your top-choice colleges? If so, you are not alone. This college application season, we are seeing longer waitlists as colleges try to predict yield rates in an unprecedented time. Colleges appear to be resorting to longer waitlists due to a significant increase in applications caused by test optional policies, growth in the number of colleges joining the Common Application platform, and a general uptick in the average number of applications submitted by students. Many students are feeling pressure to cast a wider net due to the lack of predictability in college admissions. Not only did many colleges receive a record number of applications, but they are still confronting an influx of gap-year students from the previous two admissions cycles, and don’t want to end up with the housing shortages that many colleges encountered last year because they underestimated the number of incoming freshmen who committed to their schools. 

If you were waitlisted this year from one or several of your top choices, don’t lose hope. Although frustrating, being waitlisted indicates that the college considered you to be a good fit for their community, but needs to see how their incoming class will ultimately take shape to make a final determination on your candidacy. It is not a rejection, so there is still a chance you could be accepted.

Commit to a college you have been accepted to.
Since most colleges do not move students off their waitlists until after college decision day, which is typically May 1 or May 2, you should absolutely commit to attending a college that has offered you admission, before their deadline.  There is always a likelihood that colleges will start movement on their waitlists before May 1, but students should make sure that if that does not happen, they have secured a spot at a school where they have been admitted. 
Get excited about the college you are committing to because a waitlist option may not work out.  Next, you need to assess whether you want to remain on a waitlist. 

Decide if you will opt in to the waitlist.
You should consider all of your acceptances to determine if you truly want to invest your time and emotions by remaining on a waitlist. Many students prefer to commit to a school that they have been accepted to, so that they can start getting excited about their college years and start building friendships and connections with that college, instead of adding the stress of being on a waitlist. 

Remaining on the waitlist means that, if accepted, you will be faced with changing your college choice later in the spring or summer, perhaps after having invested a significant amount of time in the college where you have accepted admission. Students need to evaluate whether changing their decision would be worth it, depending on their academic goals and finances, especially if financial aid is involved in the decision. 

Therefore, it is very important for students to reflect on why they would want to stay on a waitlist. Perhaps the college that has waitlisted them provides a greater breadth of academics, or it has a particular location that is more appealing, or the college has greater proximity to close family, etc. All of these factors need to be considered and weighed.

If you have decided to stay on the waitlist, make sure you remain visible.
  • After opting in to any college waitlists, find the name of the regional admissions officers for your area and send thoughtful and meaningful letters of continued interest (LOCIs), expressing your excitement and enthusiasm for attending their colleges.
  • Some colleges will also offer you the option to upload additional letters of recommendation or updates to their portals. A college alumni could be one of these references, if you know them well.
  • Your high school college counselor might be able to advocate for you as well, if they know the admissions representative for your high school and believe strongly in your candidacy.
  • If you had an interview during the admissions process, it is a good idea to let your interviewer know that you were waitlisted. Sometimes, they might be able to provide you with some guidance.

How to write a letter of continued interest.
By communicating with your regional admissions officer, you are reiterating your interest in the school. Here are some suggestions for when and how you should correspond with your regional admissions officer after a waitlist decision: 
  • Once you opt in to the waitlist, you should send your letter within a week, as some colleges might take students off the waitlist well before college decision day. 
  • Be thoughtful and positive in your correspondence.
  • Be specific in the letter and list the many ways you would contribute to the college community. 
  • Mention any updates, honors, or awards you have received since the time of your application. 
  • Make sure you don’t sound angry or defensive.
  • If the school is your number one choice, you should state that. 
  • Proofread your letter to make sure there are no spelling errors or grammatical mistakes.

If you would like help with crafting a letter of continued Interest, or general guidance as you make your college and waitlist decisions, please reach out to our certified college counselors at UFit College Consulting.

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