Other things to consider
Interviews
On-campus interviews
Interviews generally take place in the summer or fall after a student's junior year. Some colleges no longer offer on-campus interviews due to the volume of applications they receive, but if they do and it’s feasible for you to get to campus, having an interview is one way of indicating interest in a school. In some cases, interviews can influence the admission decision, although it is far more common that an interview report echoes and underscores what the rest of your application will more fully represent about you. This is good news: while you should go into the interview informed and ready to engage in a conversation, you can also go in relatively stress-free and with the intention of simply being yourself and learning more about the college.
Local alumni interviews
Most colleges offer applicants an opportunity to interview with an alumna/us in their area once they've applied. It's important to accept the opportunity if offered, both to increase your direct contact with the school and to demonstrate the seriousness of your interest. The quality of alumni interviews can vary (as, for that matter, can on-campus interviews), but the majority of alumni enjoy students, like to talk about their alma mater, and have no interest in making you feel uncomfortable.
Extra recommendations
In general, one extra recommendation above and beyond your primary letters is fine, but it should meet a fairly high standard: 1) it should be very strong; 2) it should give the reader information about you that is not otherwise available in your file; and 3) it should not be from a source that the admission reader will regard as inherently biased (family member, caregiver, family friend) or irrelevant (someone of importance who doesn't actually know you). For example, it might come from a mentor, a coach, or an employer who knows you extremely well and can speak to strengths or qualities you display outside the classroom. Or it could be from a teacher in a third area that really should be represented. Just be sure that a third recommendation is truly justified, or you run the risk of annoying the already-overloaded admission reader. Call us if you can't decide which way to go on this.
Supplemental materials
Admission officers are reading roughly 30-50 files a day, and are somewhat allergic to being asked to consider additional or extraneous "stuff" — unless it is unusual, of exceptional quality, or necessary to explain something in your file or record. If you are an accomplished musician, actor or dancer and you want to send a CD or DVD, make sure it is brief and of the best quality you can produce. If you are an artist, strong writer or filmmaker and want to send a portfolio or clip, select judiciously and make sure that you present the material as cleanly and clearly as possible. Materials like these are generally sent on from admission to the specific departments for review. However, you may also choose to forward your materials to the appropriate professor or department yourself, thereby establishing a direct connection. At worst they will disregard what you've sent, but at best they will contact the admission office and indicate their support for your candidacy.
Financial aid
ACAP does not deal in a specific or hands-on way with financial aid issues, although we are happy to triage questions with you and offer referrals. The following Web sites can be helpful with overview and general questions, and for school-specific queries we generally refer families to the financial aid office or Web site of the particular school.
