15 Tips For Students To Use Data Mining To Be Accepted To The Very College

According to the recent piece by the Wall Street Journal, modern colleges use data mining to inform whether or not a student gets accepted or rejected. They are tracking email open rates, link clicks, website visits, and social media engagement. In fact, you can use it to be accepted and here is what the Typical Student team will tell you about!

To make a long story short, a lot of colleges use data mining to track “demonstrated interest,” or see the students’ enthusiasm about this college. How will it help you? Use these 15 tips!

1. Complete the online information request form on college admissions websites
2. Sign up for the college’s newsletter
3. Open emails sent from colleges. When you open an email, you are now considered a more serious prospect and will receive communications designed specifically for interested students.
4. Visit college websites frequently to review new information
5. Connect on Social Media; like Facebook pages, follow on Twitter, Instagram, Blogs, etc.
6. Comment on social media threads and share content
7. Meet with admissions officers when they visit your high school or college
8. Attend a regional college fair or information session
9. Participate in a webinar sponsored by admissions
10. Engage in alumni or student interviews when offered
11. Reach out to an admissions officer with sincere questions that cannot be found on the website
12. Register and attend the campus tour and admissions information session
13. Send a follow up thank you email to the admissions presenter/tour guide/student ambassadors you meet. These notes are kept on file and added to your application.
14. Invest time in writing your “Why this university?”  or supplemental essay. Take this essay very seriously as it is a way to show an admissions committee that you have done your homework on their school and are genuinely excited about what they have to offer you.
15. Apply early.  Colleges like students to send in applications early decision (ED) or Round 1 because they are likely to enroll. Admit rates tend to be higher for ED and Round 1 applicants.