A cheerful teenage girl with curly hair tied back is standing in front of a textured blue wall, pointing to herself with both hands. She is wearing a white ribbed tank top with buttons down the front and mustard-yellow pants, accessorized with bracelets and a silver necklace. Her bright smile and confident pose convey happiness and self-assurance.

Guest Post: The Importance of Demonstrated Interest

in

By Jess Chermak, Virtual College Counselors

There are few terms in the college application process that are as self-explanatory as demonstrated interest. What is it, you ask? Why, it’s the level of interest a prospective student demonstrates in a school during the application process!

What’s a little less clear is how one can determine if the school considers a student’s level of interest in making admission decisions, how to find out if it’s an important factor, and ways in which students can demonstrate interest effectively.

The Importance of Demonstrated Interest (DI)

Schools that consider demonstrated interest in making admission decisions are typically doing so for yield protection. Yield protection is a strategy employed by many admission offices, directed by enrollment specialists, as a way to better predict the portion of admitted students who will ultimately enroll in the incoming class. Essentially, colleges make an admission decision about a student based on myriad factors, including their likelihood of enrolling if admitted. The more accurate the enrollment prediction, the higher the enrollment yield.

DI comes into play here because the more interested it seems the student might be in attending the school, the more likely it is that they will enroll if admitted. For schools that are concerned about enrollment yield, demonstrated interest can be critical to hit their target numbers. At schools that consider DI in admissions, demonstrating interest can actually tip the scale toward a favorable decision.

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t also point out that DI is important for students, too, beyond how it might impact admission decisions. Engaging meaningfully with potential institutions of interest enables the student to truly explore how that school may (or may not) be a good fit for them long term.

Where Can I Discover if a School Uses DI in Making Admission Decisions?

Most schools report admission data each year to the Common Data Set (CDS). Section C7 explains the relative importance of various factors the institution utilizes in making admission decisions, the last being Level of Applicant’s Interest. If the checkbox for Very Important, Important, or Considered are checked, then the student should prioritize demonstrating interest whenever and however possible. The easiest way to find each school’s CDS report is by Googling “[name of institution] Common Data Set [previous school year]”.

How Can I Demonstrate Interest?

There are many ways students can demonstrate interest effectively, and some are likely more obvious and easy than others (and this list is not exhaustive):

  • Open emails from schools of interest. Seriously, this is the easiest way to indicate to a school that you are interested. Every school, regardless of whether or not they consider DI in making admission decisions, is tracking if applicants are opening emails. Pro tip: click on the links in those emails, too, because they’re tracking that level of engagement as well. And if the cost of college is a concern, be sure to navigate over to their financial aid page from each link you click! When it’s time to appeal for more aid, schools are more likely to consider your appeal if there’s a track record that paints a narrative that the student is interested in figuring out how to pay for their school.
  • Visit the school. If visiting the school is financially feasible, it’s always a good idea to register for the official information session and campus tour. If not, virtual visit options are now abundant.
  • Attend hosted webinars and student panels. But the key here is to also participate by asking questions that can’t easily be answered on their website or with a quick google search. Parents can join in, too, of course.
  • Fill out the inquiry form on the college’s website. This will, quite literally, let them know you’re interested in learning more about the school.
  • Connect with your admission representative by email, phone, or in-person on college campus, at a college fair, or if they visit your high school. If you can’t attend the rep visit at your school, you can always follow up with a quick email to let them know why you couldn’t attend and request more information that way. Some schools offer alumni or admission interviews, so if it’s a school of interest, be sure to take advantage of that opportunity!
  • Apply early! Nothing demonstrates interest more than submitting an Early Decision application (a binding agreement to attend if admitted), but if you’re not sure the school is going to be an affordable option, Early Action applications are also a sign of demonstrated interest.


About Virtual College Counselors:
Jess Chermak is a full-time college counselor and one of the founders of Virtual College Counselors.
Check them out at www.virtualcollegecounselors.com!