At most colleges, prospects are assigned to a specific admissions counselor, often based on geographic region. Here’s little known trick to give you a leg up on your competition: you can usually find the name of this person online and their contact info! For example, look at this page for Georgia Tech or this page for Emory University. To find the Assigned Admission Counselor for the schools you’re applying to, use a variation on this Google search:
Admissions Counselor University of Georgia <– Click to see search results
As a prospective student, you should obtain this information for each school you apply to. It is likely that this individual will be one of the people to review your application, and it can be helpful for that person to recognize your name in the review process. Your counselor may even advocate for you in the Admissions Committee as final decisions are made.
Keep in mind that not every college operates under this exact model. Some have admissions counselors traveling to certain territories and reading applications from other areas of the country. But at colleges where you can make contact with a specific counselor, be a savvy prospect and take advantage of the opportunity to do so! This is not a time to be bashful. Know that many admissions counselors entered the field of college admissions because they enjoy interacting with people, especially high school students like you.
Just be careful not to carry things too far. You do not want your admissions counselor to know you for the wrong reasons. Every admissions veteran has a story of a student who emailed incessantly in an attempt to stand out in the process so they made a very bad impression. And chances are good that this veteran also has received an email mistakenly addressed to the wrong college, in which the student professes a deep love for that college. Be sure to proofread every piece of communication you send! Be polite, calling the person by their formal name, and be respectful of his or her time.