Many of you are already well aware of the concept of "demonstrated interest" and its role in the admissions process at many institutions. In short, some colleges and universities will factor in whether or not an applicant has shown genuine interest in attending said college in their admissions review. Demonstrated interest can take the form of a campus visit, interview, online engagement or other contact with the admissions office, even smaller tasks like signing up to request information on the college's website or opening emails sent to you. This assessment helps admissions offices to manage a critical statistic, yield, which is the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll. Students who have shown some interest may be reviewed more favorably than those who have not because they are seen as more likely to enroll if offered admission.
Consider the statement below, which comes directly from an admissions update we received from a selective college:
"MYSTERY COLLEGE received a record number of applications this year – nearly 5,900, a 14% increase over last year. As a result, some decisions may appear to be different than what you may have expected, based on what we have done in the past. With extra scrutiny given to students who had, or had not, demonstrated an interest in the COLLEGE, we waitlisted some who may have historically been admissible. Likewise, some students whose profile would have yielded a waitlist decision in the past have been admitted."
We strongly encourage you to read the articles below, which do a great job of further highlighting this concept:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-data-colleges-collect-on-applicants-11548507602
Our College Office has received many questions from students and parents about how best to demonstrate interest and connect with colleges during the pandemic. Traditional methods like visiting campus, going to in-person college fairs or live info sessions in NYC, etc. may not be widely available until later in the spring, or summer, or even next year. So what can you do in the meantime?
Fortunately, colleges have thoroughly expanded methods for prospective students to explore and connect with their institution through virtual means. Virtual tours, online information sessions, webinars, chat sessions with admissions counselors and other staff, social media opportunities, are some of the many possibilities.
You’ll find these kinds of opportunities posted on the admissions pages of each institution’s website. If you join the mailing list/ request information by signing up on the college’s website you’ll be emailed directly about virtual events happening this spring and beyond…and, when their campuses are open to official in-person visits and other activities once again.
So as you begin to identify the colleges and universities to which you'll apply next fall, remember to connect with each of them in some fashion in the coming months.
Don't go too far, though...showing interest is only one piece of the puzzle, and is not a factor at every college. You don't want to bombard admissions offices with unnecessary emails or phone calls, waste time with multiple campus visits or online info sessions, etc. Being annoying is never a helpful strategy; you can’t stalk your way into Harvard :) Just make sure to show some interest in the colleges to which you think you’ll eventually apply, and particularly those you might see as your safety schools.
