In the Area?

[mathgrl83]

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I've seen references to sending "in the area" emails to schools, but can someone explain to me what exactly this entails? Do schools really take this seriously and offer interviews? I currently live in the same city of a school I applied to, and I am moving away in a month (but only 2.5 hrs away). Is this something worth letting them know/could it make a difference in getting an interview?

Thanks!

 

[amakhosidlo]

I've seen references to sending "in the area" emails to schools, but can someone explain to me what exactly this entails? Do schools really take this seriously and offer interviews? I currently live in the same city of a school I applied to, and I am moving away in a month (but only 2.5 hrs away). Is this something worth letting them know/could it make a difference in getting an interview?

Thanks!

An "In the area" email is exactly what it sounds like. It's just a heads up you send to schools stating that you'll be interviewing nearby, and communicating your desire to use the opportunity to interview at their school and potentially save yourself a cross-country trip. Some schools respond quite well to them (Columbia or Cornell, can't remember which), others not so much. Whether they get you an interview you wouldn't otherwise have gotten is debatable. When I sent them, I got a reply from one school saying they'd "Prioritize review of my application". I ultimately wound up getting an invite, but would they have reached the same decision if they reviewed my app on their own time frame? Probably.

In your situation, though, I don't think it'd be appropriate. We're talking about schools you have to fly/drive cross country to interview at, not places you could take off to for the weekend. The only area discretion really enters into the equation is what exactly constitutes "in the area". City/County/State/Region? Up to you. Oh, and remember, ANY response you get is the school doing you an ENORMOUS favor, as they understand how much the application process costs and that we're (mostly) starving college students.