Visiting colleges is often important. Many students have found that actually seeing colleges have best helped them decide whether a college was a good fit for them.
But there's another very important reason to visit colleges both early and often. In may cases, visiting a college can increase your chance of being admitted.
While not all colleges take "demonstrated interest" into account, many admissions officers favor applicants who have shown that they genuinely want to attend. This can be tracked in a few ways.
Many colleges keep track of your visits to campus, your communication with the college's admissions representatives, and your attendance at college information sessions.
Keep in mind is that while important to contact a college for information, make sure not to bombard their Office of Admission with too much interest; a weekly emails or will be more harmful than helpful-- coming across as too desperate will not help your chances.
Yield rates. Colleges want to have a strong yield—the percentage of students who accept their admission offer. Among other factors, a college's yield impacts its reputation, ranking, and many other important factors. When prospective students show their intrest in the institution by visiting it or speaking to admissions representatives, they indicate that, if accepted, they would likely choose to attend.
The best way to find out is to ask your admissions representative. Many of the Ivy League schools have no need to track student interest because of high levels of interest from all across the country. Some top colleges that consider demonstrated interest include University of Chicago, Duke, and Northwestern. Many top liberal arts college especially care about demonstrated intrest, so make sure to plan ahead.
Your academic record and test scores will always be the most important factors, but your interest can be a critical aspect of your profile as well. For all the colleges you're serious about, make sure to:
And, make sure to take notes during these tours and information sessions--they can be useful when writing about why you want to attend the college.