Anonymous wrote:OP here and thanks so much for sharing our excitement! I wanted to share a takeaway we learned that might help others.
Demonstrated interest really matters. DD toured in the summer, visited again in the fall for a senior interview, met her regional rep when he came to her school, and asked questions. She followed up by email thanking him and asked a couple questions specific to her arts supplement. She also did both optional essays. She didn’t ED for financial reasons, but she still applied RD on November 1.
We saw her regional rep at Admitted Students Day last weekend and thanked him in person. He remembered her from his visit to her school, the questions she asked, and their follow up email exchange. He said it was clear she belonged at W&M. I really think this personal connection helped her stand out in a sea of highly qualified applicants.
Good luck to everyone!
This is a great reminder for everyone applying to schools that track interest. Even for those that don’t, making a personal connection to the rep reading your application is smart.