Does demonstrating your interest in a college matter?

We've been saying it for years: it never hurts to let a college know how interested you are in them.  In fact, we know that some of them care more about the idea known as "demonstrated interest" than others. So how do you do that? With one exception, I agree with the ideas in this article. That exception is "applying early decision." Although it is true that applying ED shows that you are really interested (because you are committing to attending if accepted), you have to be very careful because of the financial factor.  Applying ED means you will attend without knowing how much, if any, financial aid or scholarship money you will receive. Other things mentioned like attending college fairs (the Coast to Coast Fair is coming up on April 29) or the numerous GPS/McCallie college night programs in the fall (open to juniors and seniors) are excellent ways to demonstrate interest. And we agree that writing a brief thank you note after a tour or interview is always a polite thing to do.  Just don't go overboard and start writing or emailing the admissions rep too much!