Demonstrated Interest? What is it and how do colleges track it?

Demonstrated interest is an important factor in the college admission process. So, what exactly is "demonstrated interest?"

Demonstrated interest is how colleges track if you’ve genuinely researched their school and how likely you are to enroll if accepted. Many colleges automatically track how you have interacted with a school, from taking an official campus tour to connecting with the college through social media. The degree of this behavior is then quantified and considered when determining an admissions decision.  

Why do colleges care about demonstrated interest?  Many colleges are reporting a record number of applicants each year.  Demonstrated interest is a way for colleges to separate the applicants who sincerely want to be admitted from those who randomly applied to a bunch of colleges without doing any research to make sure it’s a proper fit. Additional reasons have to do with enrollment management, which is a set of strategies colleges use to ensure they meet their enrollment goals. Demonstrated interest helps colleges determine how many acceptances they should send out, how many students will enroll. 

How do I demonstrate my interest? Colleges track the following:

• Attending an official college tour and information session

• Participating in an overnight campus program

• Interview with the admissions office or alumni

• Reaching out to your region’s admissions rep via email

• Visiting the admissions rep at a college fair or other local event

• Sending thank you emails after meeting each admissions rep

• Following the college on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

• Interacting with the college through social media (comment, like posts, etc.)

• Adding yourself to the college’s mailing list

• Opening emails from the college & clicking on a few links in the email

• Spending 15 - 20 minutes looking through the college’s website

• Showing your knowledge of the college through the supplemental essay

• Applying early
  

Should I demonstrate my interest to every school on my list? While you should try to visit each school on your list, spending the time demonstrating interest in 10+ schools is unnecessary. Once your college list is finalized, determine which 3-5 schools are at the top and focus your energy on these schools.  

When demonstrating interest, it’s crucial to remember not to go overboard.  You don’t want to bombard a college admissions counselor with daily emails. Make sure that you’re genuine when interacting with the college.  Are you wondering if they will be attending any local events, and it’s not listed on their website? That’s a great reason to contact your region’s admission counselor.  Perhaps you’re interested in engineering, and the college posted about a new engineering program on their social media account - that’s an awesome reason to comment and try to find out more information. Staying authentic will also help the admissions counselor understand if the college will be a good fit for you.