What is demonstrated interest?
Demonstrated interest is the way that students connect with an institution. This can be through a number of formats such as chats, emails, meeting with college reps either when they come to visit the high school or at college fairs, and college campus visits. Colleges want to know that a student has done his or her research on their institution: Have you been on our campus? Who have you met at our school? What do you know about us?
Colleges are using demonstrated interest in a number of ways, but here are the top two reasons it is important:
1. Colleges are looking to engage the student in the college search and application process. It is the STUDENT that will be attending the school and will ultimately be successful or not. Colleges want to hear from you, students, why you would be a good fit and that you are genuinely excited about the prospect of being on their campus. They do not want to hear from the parents.
2. Demonstrated interest "reduces the noise" when it comes to the application process. Colleges want students who truly WANT to attend their institutions and therefore are more likely to come if offered admission. They do not want students who are just applying for applications sake or for the prestige of saying that they got in to 10 highly competitive schools, when they have no intention of attending. By using demonstrated interest, colleges seek to find the applicants who really aspire to be their future students.
So here are some tips from the college perspective on how and when students can/should demonstrate interest:
1. Communication is key. Students should reach out to the recruitment officer for their region. Emails are the easiest way to establish an initial relationship. But beware with emails! Here are 5 things you should never do:
--Do NOT send emails that contain grammatical errors or slang. Also, emails should contain correct punctuation and capitalization. The key is professionalism.
--Watch your email address. Do not send an email from an account that is unprofessional. For example, sending an email from "wildpartygirl95@ gmail.com" is not a good idea.
--Dont send vague emails. Ask specific questions about particular programs or opportunities as they would relate to you. That shows you have done your homework!
--Don't send a list of 75 questions to your admission rep. Be succinct in your questions, really focus on the most important aspect.
--Don't cut and paste into the email. It is generic and colleges can spot that a mile away.
2. Demonstrated Interest is most important when it comes to students that have been deferred or wait listed. All of the colleges say that students who are truly interested in their school should contact the school immediately after receiving news they have been deferred or wait listed. If students wait until a month later to contact the college, it gives the impression to the college that you have now also been deferred, wait listed, or denied from other institutions and they infer that they were never a top choice to begin with. Students can and should email their admission rep to ask if there is anything that can be done to give them further consideration.
3. The gold standard in demonstrated interest is applying to colleges for Early Decision or Early Action. Students who apply early are explicitly stating that particular college is high on their list. At Tulane this year, 80% of their incoming freshman class came from Early Decision and this a trend we are seeing across the nation. However, students must be careful about applying ED or EA. They need to be strong applicants, that solidly meet the admission and financial requirements.
The long and short of it is, colleges are looking for demonstrated interest. All correspondence is noted in the students' file, and colleges can even tell whether or not you are opening emails they have sent to students. However, colleges are looking for GENUINE interest. Students need to really consider the colleges that are good fits, and focus on the institutions that speak to them. Don't try to fake demonstrated interest; admission offices can tell.
And lastly, use your counselors. We need to be informed about what you are doing, what schools are your top choices, and the outcomes you are receiving. We want to be able to advocate for you if a university comes calling for additional information!
