Don’t be a stranger! Make sure all your schools have seen or heard your name by the time you’ve hit “submit” on your application.
Colleges Care about Yield
Think of college offers as invites to an exclusive party. Colleges don’t want to accept you if you’re going to reject them. So embarrassing. The percentage of accepted students who say yes to a college is called the “yield.” Colleges want that yield percentage to be as high as possible. That means converting the maximum number of offers into matriculated students.
But what about my safeties?
We’ve all heard the stories about the valedictorian who gets rejected from a school with an 85% acceptance rate. People whisper about how there are no safeties anymore. While it’s true some highly qualified students will get rejected from unlikely colleges, you can lessen the likelihood of this fate by demonstrating interest.
How do I demonstrate interest?
Suggestions: visit the school in person and take an official tour and/or attend an info session (the school will capture your personal information when you make your reservation—this is good!); attend a virtual tour or info session (make sure you log in so they have your name); attend meetings with admissions officers who visit your school; look for info sessions at other local schools; email your admissions rep to let them know you are interested; follow the social media accounts for the schools; visit the website (yes, they track your clicks); OPEN the emails they send you. Once you’ve decided to apply, sign up for an interview (virtual is fine) and scour the school’s website for other opportunities to show them you care.
What’s a stealth applicant?
Sounds cool to be stealth, but for colleges, it means they get your application and have no idea who you are. You haven’t visited the school, attended an info session, followed their account on Insta—you are a fake friend. You need to put the time in to show the school you like them, even if they are your safety. I know it’s a bit of a game, but it’s worth playing.
