Question: I was thinking of visiting colleges once I know where I got accepted. Is that ok?

Answer: Unfortunately demonstrated interest may play an important role in whether or not you will be accepted. This term refers to the actions a student has with the college, which helps admission officers gauge the likelihood of attending.

Visiting a college prior to applying can be the most important way to show a college that you are interested in them. Since colleges need to be mindful of their enrollment targets and protect their acceptance yield, they cannot afford to admit too many students who will ultimately turn them down. This is particularly true for middle range selective schools as opposed to highly selective schools that do not have to worry that their student will choose to go elsewhere.

Some schools may even go so far as to not accept students who do not visit their campus, especially if they are within a six-hour driving distance. Colleges are now using data mining tools as part of their Strategic Management Enrollment to keep track of every time a student connects with the school and assign a student points based on this information, which is calculated in their admission decision.

Knowing this, I advise students to be thoughtful, but intentional in their interactions with colleges. It is easy to go on the admission page of every school you are considering to find the link to “get information” that will allow you to enter your demographic data via a drop down box. Once you have done this, you will have created a file and be privy to knowing when that school might be visiting your area, receive their view books and college material along with having access to admission blogs that can actually be quite informative.

Admission officers only want students writing them directly if they have something meaningful to ask about the academic programs, student experiences or the application process that cannot be found on their web page.

Other than college visits, demonstrated interest can be shown by attending information sessions put on by the college at local venues, meeting with admission representatives at your high school or nearby high schools, taking advantage of interviews, even if they are optional, and availing yourself of the college social media sites. I even found that some admission officers track “likes” on their college Facebook. Should you have the chance to interview or meet with an admission officer, a thank you will not only be appreciated but also noted on your file.

Finally, you might want to consider applying early, either through their early action or the binding early decision option. If you choose to apply through either of these options, make sure that you thoroughly understand the ramifications of this choice and the restrictions colleges may place on applying to multiple schools early.

Joan Franklin is the owner of MI College Support, an independent college counseling practice. For more, go to www.micollegesupport.org.