Understanding Demonstrated Interest
Demonstrated interest has become an important factor that many colleges consider when deciding which students to admit. Looking at the amount of interest you show them can help them decide how much you like their school and how likely you are to enroll if they admit you. Colleges that pay attention to demonstrated interest are more likely to admit a student that shows interest than a student that may look the same on paper, but has not engaged with the college at all. Not every college puts the same amount of emphasis on demonstrated interest. However, even for those colleges that say they don’t consider interest, it is important to research and reach out in the same manner as the other colleges.
Why do colleges care?
First, colleges are a business, and they care about money. Recruiting students is expensive, and they want to spend their money carefully. Studies show that students who take the time to demonstrate interest are more likely to enroll than those who have not spent any time with the college.
Further, colleges care about their yield. Yield is the percentage of students enrolling at a particular college after admission. Yield is a number that is widely publicized and can sway a student’s decision to apply or not.
Most importantly, colleges know that the more research you do on them and the more you engage with them, the more sure you can be that a college is a fit for you. They want to know that if you enroll, you will be happy and stick around.
So now you know why colleges care about demonstrated interest. Now, let’s discuss how you go about demonstrating interest.
First, sign up for mailing lists. Even if you are already getting mail from a college, they probably bought your information from the ACT or the College Board. While they won’t have your exact scores, they know a little about you based on how you filled out the profile section of your account. Signing up for mailing lists is as easy as going to the undergraduate admissions page on the college’s website and looking for the link that says Mailing List or Request Information.
Next, while we know your inboxes can get full, it is essential to open and read the emails from the colleges you are interested in. After signing up for a mailing list, colleges may send additional questions about your interest or even send an email offering to waive the application fee, which can save you anywhere from $40-$85, depending on the college. Additionally, they may provide you with opportunities to meet with the regional admissions officer either at a local information session or through an interview. Colleges can track if you open the email and click on any links, so click on links and proceed to the webpage. Spend time looking around because they can even track how long you spend on their website. You will need to continue to do this until decisions are released.
Next, attend information sessions and tours. As a result of the pandemic, most colleges now offer virtual options. While physically getting on campus can give you the best feel for that college, virtual events can also be beneficial. If you register to attend, be sure you show up. This advice holds for both remote and in-person visits. Attend as many sessions as possible- general, department-specific, and student panels. If you are visiting a campus, you will have to work with your parents to find times available to travel to a particular school. Some colleges may come to the local area or even your high school to present, so if you can’t get to a college that may be far, you may have the opportunity right in your own backyard.
Another way to demonstrate interest is to attend college fairs. A college fair is an event that brings admissions officers from various colleges and universities to high schools, convention centers, and community spaces to meet with and answer questions from students and parents. When you arrive at a college fair, you may have the opportunity to speak to the regional admissions officer responsible for your high school. This person will often read your application first. Even if you already signed up for the mailing list, fill out any contact card at the college’s table. Contact cards are a way for the admissions officer to remember that you were there and visited with them for a bit. How do you know about a college fair? Read the emails that the college sends! But you can also check out this website which lists the fairs sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling or NACAC.
After you have visited or met an admissions officer at a fair, it is now time to follow up with the regional admissions officer. What do you say to an admissions officer? You will want to introduce yourself, tell them some things you love specifically about their college, and even ask a question if you have one. If you do ask a question, be sure it is not something you can easily find on the website. You don’t want to burden an admissions officer with work that you can do yourself.
As you get further into your research, you can even contact a faculty member to discuss the research they are doing or ask to sit in on a class when you visit. A few schools are letting students join a class virtually. First, you will want to take a look at the admissions page and see if there are already procedures in place for joining a class. If not, you can reach out to admissions for help in setting this up or contact a faculty member directly. Again, if you set up a class to participate in, you must show up. There is such a thing as negative demonstrated interest and not following through when someone set something like this up for you can be a problem.
Engage with social media. This is something so many of you do all day long. Now just do it with the colleges you are interested in. You can even ask questions or comment (appropriately of course). Make sure your username is appropriate too and you didn’t change your name to something silly.
Something that will help you research is clicking deep on the website. Remember, we said earlier that colleges can track what you clicked on from their emails and how long you stayed on their website. Clicking deep will also help you learn more and really determine if a college is a fit for you. This can also help you find good questions to ask either in your email to the admissions officer or possibly in an interview situation.
When it comes time to complete applications, write all optional essays! Of course, if you are asked to explain a conviction and you don’t have one this is truly optional. However, optional essays such as Why this college, should never be skipped.
As long as we are talking about the why essay, make it very specific. You want the colleges to sense your excitement about them in your essay.
11. Submitting your application early is also a really good way to demonstrate interest. Of course, applying Early Decision, which is binding, is the ultimate demonstration of interest, not all colleges have an Early Decision option, and not all families are comfortable with committing to one school. However, when there are non-binding, early options, such as Early Action, take advantage of them. Even when there are Regular Decision options, don’t wait until the day before the deadline to submit. Submit early so the college can see they weren’t just an afterthought.
12. Last, but not least, when given the opportunity to interview, do it! Whether the interview is evaluative or simply informative where a college wants to sell themselves to you with an enthusiastic alum, merely taking the time shows interest.
If you need more help with your college search, demonstrating interest, or any part of the college process, please reach out to us. We would love to help!