Demonstrated Interest in a Post-COVID Landscape
I have to admit I had some hesitations about this post. I hesitated using the term “post-COVID” given everything that’s been in the news recently. This upcoming application season should still be considered a COVID application year in terms of policies anyway. My other hesitation was addressing demonstrated interest to begin with. The topic is covered well enough online, though the idea can still be a little misleading, as if it’s solely a strategic endeavor that students must master in order to gain a competitive advantage. But given that campus tours (a very direct way to demonstrate interest) are starting up again as the Washington Post recently reported, I figured it was better to address the topic head on. The basic definition of demonstrated interest is exactly how it sounds, but at its best, what precedes it can actually help a student assess their fit with a school. In other words, demonstrating interest should naturally accompany your discovery of fit.
How important is demonstrated interest?
Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about demonstrated interest is that it will unequivocally increase your chances of being admitted to a highly selective college. Even if it’s a factor that a highly selective college will consider, if you fall well short of their academic profile, it really doesn’t matter how much interest you demonstrate. It’s a harsh reality, but one I must address. If anything, demonstrated interest could play a more significant role with colleges where you actually stand a fairly strong chance on paper. Keep in mind that no college wants to be treated like an afterthought. If you apply without showing any real interest in the school, you may hurt your chances within a pool of equally qualified candidates. Colleges are also in a tricky position to hit their enrollment targets, admitting a certain number of students knowing (and hoping) that not all students will accept their offer. They need a way to help them determine who might.
In the 2019 National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) State of College Admission Report, college admission offices were surveyed to assess the importance of a number of factors in the 2017-18 application cycle. Regarding the importance of demonstrated interest, here’s how 218 colleges responded:
Considerable importance: 16.1% Moderate importance: 23.9% Limited importance: 28% No importance: 32.1%
The same report would also conclude that “smaller colleges gave comparatively more weight to the interview, teacher and counselor recommendations, and demonstrated interest.” So yes, demonstrated interest can be a factor for some colleges, but at least during more normal times, it was not as significant a factor as you might have thought. And of course, it makes sense that smaller colleges that implement a holistic approach to their selection process would consider many other factors in addition to the academic profile. So as is the case with seemingly every question about college admissions, it all depends...and in this case, it depends on the school, but maybe it also depends on the time, which as it currently stands, is far from normal...
Will demonstrated interest play a more significant factor now?
Given the rather abhorrent rise in applications last year, this is a fair question. And for such an important question, I enlisted some help.
Jeremiah Rakowski is a Regional Assistant Director of Admissions for American University in Washington DC. He is based in California and part of a growing number of admission reps who are based in a different part of the country from where their school is located. This is great for accessibility, especially in these current times. AU also happens to be a selective university that is very transparent about the importance of demonstrated interest in their process. When asked about whether demonstrated interest would be more important now, Mr. Rakowski responded:
“...speaking for AU only, I wouldn’t say demonstrated interest is more important, I would just say that it is still going to be used. Most schools are now offering a good amount of virtual engagement for students, so in some ways, students have MORE opportunities to connect with colleges than they might have had in the past. Students should continue to find out if demonstrated interest is a part of a school’s review process...If they are being thorough in creating a list of colleges that they would love to attend if admitted, then spending time connecting with that school shouldn’t feel like a burden.”
Mr. Rakowski brings up an interesting point that you can actually ask colleges if they consider demonstrated interest. It may feel like too direct an approach for some, but I don’t think any admission rep would be offended by the question. In fact, other colleges will be just as transparent as AU, even if their policy is completely different. Washington University in St. Louis recently announced that demonstrated interest would no longer be considered in an effort to make their selection process as equitable as possible. This might be a sign of things to come, but for our purposes, you still have to determine whether or not you are actually interested in a school. That applies regardless of their demonstrated interest policy. You can then engage in various ways that will be addressed next.
How can you demonstrate your interest?
I’ll get into specifics in a second, but if there’s one takeaway from this admittedly long post, it is this: demonstrate your interest by personalizing your interest. Yes, you can open emails and follow colleges through social networking, but you are doing yourself a disservice if you are just checking boxes and not doing the real work. Again, we are approaching this from a perspective of discovering fit. For some, that will involve more direct engagement and others may take more of a research-focused approach. Neither is more advantageous than the other.
Let’s go back to college tours. Yes, visiting a college is one of the more obvious ways to demonstrate interest, but you should also think carefully about maximizing your time there. You can attend an info session and/or tour, but does the college offer any other opportunities on campus? An overnight or classroom visit may not be options this year, but maybe there’s an info session offered for your particular major. If you are allowed to do so, and if you have the time, spend extra time there on your own to get a feel for the campus. And if you have questions before or after your scheduled tour and the contact info for your admission rep is posted on their website, you are more than welcome to email them for any specific questions. This is also the same rep who is usually the first person to read your application.
If you do not feel safe traveling, a virtual tour or info session can be just as informative. You do not have to visit a college to demonstrate your interest and I suspect that many students already prefer this more casual option.
“...though the pandemic created difficulties for students to visit campus and removed our ability to recruit in person, AU quickly pivoted to provide a robust amount of virtual opportunities for prospective students and their families. We continued to capture student engagement in the virtual events, so demonstrated interest remained a factor in our decision-making process. For this year, we will continue offering a mix of in-person and virtual recruitment and will continue to capture how often students take time out of their busy schedules to connect with us as demonstrated interest.”
In addition to the various ways to engage with a college or admission rep, the application itself is another way to solidify your interest in a school. Some colleges will ask directly on one of their supplemental essays why you are interested in their school, and not always in those words. Sometimes it’s through a question about their mission statement or a topic related to the culture and community on campus. If you have already engaged with the school, you will be in a better position to express what you’ve learned and what you are excited about. When you effectively convey to the reader that you are a strong fit for the school, it will be clear that you’ve done your research. Some colleges will also offer interviews as a way to further engage with the school, though the availability and importance will depend on the school.
Most highly selective colleges will say they do not consider demonstrated interest, but there is actually one surefire way to do so anyway: apply early. More specifically, apply Early Decision or Restrictive Early Action, if a school offers that option. You are communicating to the college that they are your top choice. There are many factors that go into whether or not you should apply early, and unfortunately, not everyone is in a financial or emotional position to do so, which I will address in more detail in a future post.
Final thoughts
As an independent school college counselor, I once witnessed a student approach a rep after a school visit and say to him, “Thank you so much for the presentation, I just wanted to say hello and demonstrate my interest...” It was a rather cringey moment and the rep handled it as well as he could, but I still can’t help but to think that even conventional forms of demonstrated interest feel just as forced. But then again, if you are doing authentic research in your schools, then demonstrating interest “shouldn’t feel like a burden” as Mr. Rakowski stated. I also want to make clear that just because demonstrated interest isn’t a factor at many schools, you should still take advantage of the opportunities that the colleges provide. Remember the real work. Admissions offices are more accessible than ever before and in ways that should be appealing for everyone. There is no reason to hesitate.
For students in California and Nevada interested in American University, you can contact Jeremiah Rakowki directly at rakowski@american.edu.