What exactly is “demonstrated interest”?
Anything that students, future college applicants, can do to express their interest in colleges and universities.
Why is it important to demonstrate interest?
An essential qualification first: Some colleges and universities don’t take demonstrated interest into consideration, while some do to varying degrees.
The main benefit for universities that track demonstrated interest is that it allows them to anticipate which applicants if accepted, are most likely to enrol. Why is this such a big deal?
- The primary function of admissions departments is to meet a very specific enrollment goal. There may not be enough seats in the school for everyone if there are too many students registered, while there may not be enough money coming in from tuition if the students are too few. They can achieve this crucial goal when they can accurately estimate who will enrol.
- Some colleges are quite concerned with their statistics because they can influence how they appear in various published rankings and how their boards, benefactors, and potential consumers view them. Predicting which applicants will enrol most frequently helps maintain low rejection rates and high”yield” (the proportion of applicants who are admitted) high, both of which can improve a college’s reputation and rankings.
For institutions that value demonstrated interest, the degree to which applicants express their interest in a particular institution may impact admissions choices. Students should take part in activities that show their enthusiasm for the colleges they apply to.
Guidelines for showing demonstrated interest:
- Don’t go crazy!
For each institution, students are not required to participate in every activity that piques their demonstrated interest. Just pick a handful for every college. - Genuine engagement is important
There’s no need to hurriedly click on every link in each college’s email. Encourage students to participate in pursuits that interest them, arouse their curiosity, or aid in their quest to gain more knowledge about a particular college. - Make learning about college a priority
Almost all of the listed activities present chances to discover more about the university. Keep in mind that you will eventually have to select one of them, so allow your desire to become familiar with the school and direct your stated interest activities. - Use your strengths
Not every activity that can be done to show interest will be appropriate for every learner. Pick the ones that suit your communication style and feel natural to you. It may be appropriate to periodically step outside your comfort zone for something like an interview. You don’t have to start using Instagram, for instance, simply for this procedure if you don’t already.
Ways to exhibit your college interest
- Request Details
Even if you already receive mail and emails from a specific college, you should still proactively fill out the form on the admissions website to join the mailing list. Find a button that says anything like “request information,” “inquire,” or “join our mailing list” on the undergraduate admissions website. You should be required to fill out a brief form that asks for information about your high school. - Take Part in Online Events
The majority of colleges have increased their on-demand virtual resources, such as tours, student panels, information sessions, and workshops, as a result of the pandemic. The majority of them are accessible through the admissions website, and even if you don’t have to register or join via an email link, they might be able to track your activity if you log on from your usual device. However, they are frequently excellent resources for learning about institutions, so watch them learn, not merely to try to collect “points” for showing interest. - Analyse universities on social media
Whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or another platform, follow a school on those platforms. Follow the main college feed and look for channels devoted to admissions as well as those for specific departments, organizations, or extracurricular pursuits that catch your attention. Some institutions even have directories of all the accounts connected to the university on social media. Again, by viewing such posts, you will receive a lot of knowledge! - Interviews
The main goal of the interview for the vast majority of universities is for you to show that you are interested in attending their institution. Setting aside the time, as well as potentially your anxiety over the interview, reveals how seriously you take college. Even while most interviews have little to no bearing on admissions decisions, simply participating in them shows a strong level of interest. - Speak with alumni or students
They are the best people to learn from, some may be willing to write the admissions office to tell them how well you’d fit in on campus. Don’t be reluctant to ask. - Early Application Submission
Readers have more time to review your application early in the season when they have fewer applications in their “to read” pile, which could also suggest a strong level of interest in the college. - Early Decision Applications
Only do this after serious contemplation and in-depth discussions with anyone advising you, as you can only do this at one college and it signifies a binding commitment on your behalf. However, if this is unmistakably the best option, it is the strongest indication of interest because it includes the student’s promise to attend if accepted. Keep in mind that the goal of demonstrating interest is to estimate the possibility that a student would enrol, and with Early Decision, that probability is very close to 100%.
- Supplemental or College-Specific Essays
Spend the same amount of time, effort, and passion on the writing you do for each college as you do on the essay(s) you submit to all colleges. The “Why Our School” essay is the single most significant piece of proven interest for some admissions offices. - Visit the portal
Most universities encourage you to create a portal account once you apply so you can check the status of your application. As soon as you can, complete this, and keep checking it. There may be other clearly defined chances there, such as prompts for “optional” essays or regular college-related knowledge questions. - Think of every university as your top choice
Try to act as though every college on your list is your top preference while never saying anything that isn’t true. Show each one as much sincerity as you can because nobody wants to be anyone’s “backup” in life, including colleges. If you care about them enough to apply, make sure your concern is obvious.
