College applications often undergo a holistic review, in which many factors — such as high school GPA, extracurricular activities and test scores — are used in the decision-making process.
One less-common factor that some colleges consider is demonstrated interest. This means a student shows interest in a particular college or university, such as by applying early, attending college fairs and communicating with admissions counselors.
“It’s a way of seeing that (a) student has engaged with some place in the admissions process, rather than just being a stealth application where the application just comes in and that student hasn’t engaged with the university or the college any time prior to that application coming in,” says Corry Unis, vice president for enrollment management at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
However, for students who find a school later in their search process and their application is the first point of contact with that institution, it doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be “a good candidate or strong candidate,” he says. “Or doesn’t mean that the student won’t be admitted. It’s just one of multiple factors that get weighed during the admissions process.”
[See: Parents: 10 Ways to Help Your Teen With the College Decision.]
Which Schools Consider Demonstrated Interest?
Among institutions that consider demonstrated interest, there are varying levels of its importance in admissions. Some schools, for instance, track demonstrated interest but don’t use it as a factor in their admission decisions.
Of the 185 colleges and universities that reported data to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 15.7% rated demonstrated interest as being considerably important in their admissions decisions for fall 2023. It was considered moderately important for nearly 28% of institutions, while 31% indicated it had no importance.
“I think the best schools and the best professionals are the ones who track it in a way … where it’s meaningful and not just a checkbox,” says Jerome Dueweke, director of admission at Butler University in Indiana.
Demonstrated interest is not limited to either private or public colleges. However, it may be more important to colleges with student capacity that is more limited, says Karissa Peckham, dean for admissions and financial aid at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
“One of the main reasons we track demonstrated interest is because we have a number of programs that have enrollment caps and we get way more applications than we have spots for students,” she says. “When we have a number of applications with very similar qualifications, it’s hard to decide who to admit and who not. So it’s a helpful guide for us if we can also see — in addition to their academic qualifications and their extracurricular activities — how interested they seem to be in Quinnipiac. That can sometimes make the difference when we have packed programs.”
Some colleges indicate on their website whether they consider demonstrated interest. Students can also learn by reaching out to their admissions counselor at a particular school.
[32 Questions to Ask on a College Visit]
“Often counselors are assigned to students by a geographic region, and so students can reach out directly to their counselor before they apply and say, ‘I’m interested in applying, how can I strengthen my application?'” Peckham says. “And if demonstrated interest is a part of the consideration, the counselor will tell them.”
Generally, however, if a school is on your list, “the best thing you can do is to engage with them in a meaningful way,” Unis says. “Some level of showcasing that you want to learn more about the school, and just as importantly, you want the school to learn more about who you are as a student and your many gifts and talents.”
Ways to Show Demonstrated Interest in a College
There are many ways for students to show interest in a college, such as by attending information sessions or college fairs at their high school.
“When you’re sitting in a high school gym and there are 1,000 or 1,500 students and parents who are checking out colleges, the 20, 50 or 100 that come up to your specific table is an indication that they’re interested in you and they’re demonstrating that,” Dueweke says. “So we do track that.”
Demonstrated interest can also be shown by taking a virtual or in-person tour of campus, opening emails from a college, checking out an institution’s website or communicating with an admissions counselor.
Schools may record students’ attendance at these events or other interactions with the campus differently. However, participation is often tracked by registration, which is then noted on a student’s record in a college’s database.
If a student has their heart set on one particular college, there is also the option to apply early decision if this admissions deadline is offered.
“Early decision is the ultimate showcase of a student’s demonstrated interest in that specific school,” Unis says. “So that may or may not be the right option for every candidate. There are some students who may not want to apply through a binding round and that’s totally fine. And for students that are 1,000% sure that this is the place where they want to be, then early decision can really showcase their intention of wanting to join that community.”
[Read: ACT vs. SAT: How to Decide Which Test to Take.]
How to Communicate With Admissions Counselors
Students need to make their conversations meaningful rather than asking questions that can be found in a brochure or on a school’s website, Dueweke says. He advises students to ask more in-depth questions, such as: “What is the culture like?” or “What’s your favorite thing about your university?”
Those questions “promote a good exchange of ideas, exchange of discussion,” Dueweke says.
Additionally, experts caution against emailing admissions counselors excessively.
“If a student is on a waitlist or they’re waiting for an admissions decision … it’s certainly appropriate to call and check on your status,” Peckham says. “But I would just be careful about being overzealous. If the staff lets you know that you’ll know within a certain number of weeks, they’re probably giving you accurate information.”
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What ‘Demonstrated Interest’ Means in College Admissions originally appeared on usnews.com
