Demonstrated Interest. This term is familiar to many of us, but do we really know what it means?
I like to think of it this way: Students often know what the “demonstrated” part of demonstrated interest means, but not the “interest” part. Expressing your interest in a school goes far beyond just telling your admission counselor how much you love the school. There are other factors at hand.
What factors are those? This former assistant dean of admission is here to give you an inside peek into how admission officers measure demonstrated interest.
Before we get started, a disclaimer: Colleges and universities all define and use demonstrated interest differently in the admissions process. It is never the make-or-break factor in the decision-making process for applicants. In this post, I’m using my own experiences and observations as an admission officer. It’s always a good idea to learn from different perspectives when it comes to any part of the college search process, so consider this post as a guide to thinking about demonstrated interest in a new way!
1. Email Tracking and Ping data
Fun fact: Admission offices know when you open their emails, how many times you’ve opened them, and exactly how long you stayed on their website.
Colleges send emails, a lot of emails. Sometimes you get so many that they flood your inbox and it can get overwhelming. Of course, many of those emails are application deadline reminders and invitations to visit campus, but sometimes you’ll get an email that’s targeted to you and centered around your specific academic interests.
Since a big factor in choosing a college is your intended major, learning more about a school’s program is a good idea. Whenever a school sends you an email, it’s noted in your file. If you open that email or clicked links in it, that is also recorded. I once had a student who stayed on our biology department page for 48 hours, 13 minutes, and 26 seconds!
Open your emails. When you open an email from a college and you read something interesting, click the links to learn more about it. Not only does it help you figure out if the school is a good fit for you based on their program offerings, it also shows admission offices that you’re engaging with their communications.
But, it won’t help your chances to click every link and open every page of the website. Follow what you're genuinely curious about or interested in and that will be enough.
2. College Visit Registrations
Visiting colleges is a key part of going through the college search and application process. Remember when I mentioned how colleges track information? That extends to visits too.
When you register for a visit, attend a visit, cancel a visit, and no-show for a visit, the college takes note. All of this information is visible to admission staff when making an admission decision.
If you can’t make your visit, cancel. As a former assistant dean of admission, I can’t stress enough how much work goes into planning a campus visit. They’re personalized (for the most part). Campus visit coordinators spend a great deal of time finding a tour guide in your intended major or scheduling a one-on-one with a faculty member who shares your academic interests, so if you no-show, it’s a bummer. If you can’t make it, please cancel!
Of course, last minute things come up and you won’t be able to make it to that open house you registered for a couple weeks ago. We TOTALLY get that. Just let us know. It could be as simple as a text or a call to your admission counselor saying, “Hey something came up last minute so I won’t be able to visit campus, sorry about that! I’ll be sure to reschedule.”
COVID has complicated the feasibility of visiting these days, but there are viable virtual visit options available to students who can’t make it to campus in person right away. And hey, if you can’t afford to visit a college or are simply unable to travel there ahead of applying, there are tons of other ways to let a college know you’re interested. Many schools offer travel vouchers, and schools often equate a virtual guided tour or meeting to a campus visit.
Here are some examples of college's travel voucher policies:
3. High School Visits and College Fairs
Did you know that admission reps travel every fall and spring? Personally, I used to spend eight weeks on the road in the fall and at least four in the spring to meet our prospective students face-to-face. We call it “travel season” in the biz. When we’re on the road, we spend each day visiting high schools and going to college fairs.
Traveling serves two purposes: (1) it gives admission counselors the opportunity to meet prospective students; and (2) it helps colleges promote themselves to people who may not have heard of them.
Attend college fairs and high school visits when you can. If a college rep visits your high school during the day or you see them at a college fair, stop by to chat (if you’re feeling up to it #selfcare).
If your admission counselor comes all the way to visit your school, they’re taking time out of their crazy busy schedule to try to connect with you in person. So, if you have the time, meet with them or visit their table at a college fair. Think of it as an “off-campus” visit of sorts. Connecting with an admission counselor when they’re on the road is especially beneficial for those students who can’t make it for an in-person visit to campus right away.
4. Inquiry cards
Ever meet an admission rep at a college fair or at your high school and they hand you a little white card that asks for a whole bunch of information? They’re called inquiry cards, and when you fill one out it puts you in the college’s system.
Here’s some inside scoop for you. Colleges collect them. All of them. Those cards help them keep track of the students they interacted with on the road. It’s like a receipt in a way. When we collect that inquiry card, it reminds colleges of the exact date and event you met with them. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, inputting those cards into the system.
Fill out the inquiry card. I know, they take forever and it feels tedious. They ask for so much information and it seems like every college has the same little card with size-five font that they ask you to fill out. Ask the person at the booth for a card if they forget to hand one to you, and fill it out even if you’re already in our system.
5. Application Round Status
Now that’s industry lingo if I’ve ever heard it. You know how there are different application deadlines like Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, etc.?
Admission counselors call those “rounds.” As soon as a student applies, one of the first bits of information an admission office sees right next to your name in your file is the round to which you’re applying.
Apply earlier (if you can). If you know early on in the application process that you’re interested in a college, apply right away even if it’s Regular Decision or Early Action. If you wait until the last minute to apply, it could be perceived as “Oh, this student is only applying as an afterthought.”
Even if you do apply with the last deadline, keep in mind that admission counselors at some schools can see the date you submitted your app! So the sooner you submit, the better!
6. Know your admission counselor
This one is my favorite because it’s the reason I got into college admissions in the first place. My own admission counselor was a huge part of the reason I chose my college. She made me feel like a person, not an application.
Typically, admission counselors are responsible for students from specific states or regions. For example, I was personally responsible for New Jersey for a couple of years! If you are unsure who your personal admission counselor is, try visiting the college’s website and explore their admission staff page. There’s usually a “find your admission counselor” tool there. If not, email the general admission office and ask.
Interact with your admission counselor! Once you know who your counselor is, text them or email them if you have questions, or even just to say, “Hi!” The majority of the time, it’s your personal admission counselor who is reading your application, and they’re your biggest advocate. Think of it this way: if the admission committee can’t decide whether to admit or to deny you, it’s a lot easier for an admission counselor to vouch for you if they’ve gotten to know you.
I think there’s a misconception that admission counselors merely function as application readers. While every college is different, that’s so untrue. We don’t get into admissions because we don’t like people and we get so much out of building personal relationships with our students. I still remember the name and high school of my very first enrolled student of my career!
Demonstrated Interest as a concept is complicated and there’s no true definition for it. Many people think it’s a deciding factor when it comes to their fate of being admitted or denied in a school, but from my experience, it’s a piece of the puzzle.
When it comes to demonstrating your interest in a school, I offer you this wisdom: Your demonstrated interest “helps” admission officers just as much as it “helps” you. I don’t mean it in the sense of “getting in” to a particular school, but rather attending the college that is the right fit for you. If you genuinely like a school and you can see yourself there, showing their admission offices your interest will help you in the long-run.
Now, go off and demonstrate your interest!
Special thanks to Kat for contributing to this post.
Kat (she/her) has worked as an Assistant Dean of Admission for over six years and has been responsible for working with students from all over the country. She earned her B.A. in English and French from Dickinson College as well as her M.Ed in Higher Education from Penn State. In addition to her admissions experience, she’s worked as a Title IX Investigator and in institutional marketing. When not working with prospective students, she enjoys making pancakes, watching horror movies with the lights on, and chilling with her pet snake, Gertrude.
