"Demonstrated Interest" — Who Wants It and Why Does It Matter?
Elton Lin
If you’re looking at applying to college, you’ve probably heard the term “demonstrated interest” come up. But what does this really mean? Does it mean that a college wants you to attend every event that they hold and establish a conversation with your local admissions representative at the rate of three emails per day? The answer to this question is a resounding no! But we’ll discuss, a little bit later, how to show demonstrated interest in a positive and helpful way.
Many schools don’t even consider demonstrated interest, but it’s smart to keep in mind those that do. And, if your dream school does consider this, make sure that they know of your interest in going there!
Why does it matter?
Demonstrated interest is one way that the schools you apply to know that you’re seriously thinking about going to them. As an applicant, you might not want to spend too much time researching a school that you don’t think you’ll get into. College admissions folks have a similar enigma. They don’t want to accept someone – and get excited about having that student in their next class – if they don’t think the person will actually end up going to their school!
Some schools consider your demonstrated interest very important. Other schools make a point that they do NOT factor it into their admissions decisions. Following is a list of the schools from U.S. News’s top-50 list that do claim that they consider demonstrated interest. (Okay, U.S. News’s top 52; there’s a four-way tie at #49!)
The top 52 schools (according to U.S. News), and how much they consider demonstrated interest:
| Rank | School | Considers "demonstrated interest" |
|---|---|---|
| Rank6 (tie) | SchoolUniversity of Chicago, Chicago, IL | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank8 | SchoolUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank9 (tie) | SchoolNorthwestern University, Evanston, IL | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank12 | SchoolDuke University, Durham, NC | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank16 (tie) | SchoolRice University, Houston, TX | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank16 (tie) | SchoolWashington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank19 | SchoolUniversity of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank28 (tie) | SchoolWake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank30 (tie) | SchoolNew York University (NYU), New York, NY | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank30 (tie) | SchoolTufts University, Medford, MA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank30 (tie) | SchoolUniversity of Florida, Gainesville, FL | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank34 | SchoolUniversity of Rochester, Rochester, NYRochester, NY | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank35 (tie) | SchoolGeorgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank39 (tie) | SchoolCollege of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank41 | SchoolTulane University, New Orleans, LA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank42 (tie) | SchoolBoston University, Boston, MA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Important |
| Rank42 (tie) | SchoolBrandeis University, Waltham, MA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Important |
| Rank42 (tie) | SchoolCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank42 (tie) | SchoolUniversity of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank42 (tie) | SchoolUniversity of Wisconsin--Madison, Madison, WI | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank49 (tie) | SchoolLehigh University, Bethlehem, PA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Important |
| Rank49 (tie) | SchoolNortheastern University, Boston, MA | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
| Rank49 (tie) | SchoolUniversity of Miami, Coral Gables, FL | Considers "demonstrated interest"Somewhat important |
With only 23 of the top 54 schools listed, it is clear that many of the top-ranked schools actually DO NOT consider “demonstrated interest” as a factor in their initial admissions decisions! So if you’re looking at a top school and you don’t see it listed, odds are that it reports demonstrated interest as not being a factor in its admissions decisions.
Of the top schools that do factor in demonstrated interest, most of them only consider it “somewhat important.” Only 3 of the top 52 schools consider it “important”! This statistic implies that students should pay attention and try to demonstrate interest, but that it is usually only of marginal importance. In other words, demonstrated interest should not be a factor that you’re too worried about and you should not be taking away from working on your essays to figure out different ways to demonstrate interest.
However – even if your school doesn’t consider demonstrated interest as a factor in admissions – it can still be helpful to request information from the colleges you are applying to. Understanding how a particular lab works on campus or more about the school’s culture and traditions can give you more information when you need to make the decision of where you want to go.
That said, you do NOT want your name to bring up any negative associations! If you pester the school that you want to attend to the point that they groan a little when they see your name, then you’ve overdone it. Demonstrate interest – not obsession! One email or so a month to try and learn something new about a school is healthy.
But there’s a global pandemic! How can I demonstrate interest during lockdown?
Before the pandemic, visiting a school for an on campus tour or event was one way to demonstrate interest. However, there have always been other ways to demonstrate interest – and many of those are just as available now as they were in 2019.
Early decision. If your dream school offers an early decision option, it’s one of the best ways to express your unequivocal interest – by guaranteeing the school that, if they accept you, you’ll go there. This lets the school know that – without a doubt – they are your top choice.
Early action/apply early: Even if you don’t commit to an early decision, applying early lets a school know that they aren’t just a last-ditch attempt you’re throwing together. You also have the advantage that admissions people won’t be tired of reading through applications and may see yours in a more favorable light.
Contact your local admissions officer. Introducing yourself and asking a few pointed questions will demonstrate your interest and put your name in your representative's mind. Be sure to ask questions about the school that aren’t easily answered on Google or the school’s website. Just be careful that you reach out to the right person! Some schools have different representatives depending on whether you live, for example, one representative might work with students in the Sacramento area and another in Fremont. Do your research first and reach out to the person who will review your file.
Don’t be generic in essays. Go the extra five yards and put your college’s name in materials that are going to that college in particular. Often these are supplemental questions and essays. If possible mention specific labs, professors, or student organizations you could see yourself interested in.
Sign up for webinars (and actually attend them) and email lists. And actually read the emails, too! This is a great way to let a school know that you want more information about them and gets your name in their database, where someone may see it. Yes, it’s no guarantee. If your school doesn’t track interest, it’s possible that no one will see your name on the list. Still, you will be better informed about the school – which will help to strengthen your application.
As you can see, there are still ways, during COVID, to demonstrate interest. Maybe there are fewer college fairs that you can go to, and maybe you can’t shake your representative’s hand, but demonstrating interest is still possible. It’s highly important, and – in some cases – critical to standing out when admissions readers need to make a difficult decision.
So, whether or not your school admits to tracking interest, demonstrating interest in your top schools (without being excessive!) can only help. Still concerned about how to show interest during the pandemic? Read our full article on demonstrating interest in the year 2020.
And then reach out to the local representatives who are going to be reading your essays!