As your student navigates the college admissions process, you've likely heard about grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. But there's another powerful—and often overlooked—factor that can influence admission decisions: demonstrated interest. What is it? How does it help? And should your student be doing something about it?
🎙️Listen to these expert discussions on What Do Colleges Know About Applicants?,
How To Build Relationships With Colleges, and Demonstrating Interest During College Tours
🧭 What Is Demonstrated Interest?
Demonstrated interest refers to the ways a student shows a college they’re genuinely eager to attend. It might include visiting campus, emailing admissions reps, attending virtual events, or applying Early Decision. Many colleges track this engagement and consider it during the admissions process to determine admissions.
Why? Because schools want to admit students who are likely to enroll!
🎯 Which Colleges Track It?
Not all schools track demonstrated interest, but many do—especially smaller private colleges and mid-sized universities. Over 300 schools publicly acknowledge that demonstrated interest is a factor. There are degrees of importance at various colleges.
A few examples:
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Very important: Ithaca College, Dickinson College, Syracuse University, Wabash College
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Important: Appalachian State, Bates College, Bentley, Boston University, Lehigh, Michigan State, Case Western Reserve, University of Dayton
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Considered: Allegheny, Baylor, BYU, Clark, Colorado College, Tufts, Northwestern, Brandeis
Pro tip: Check any school’s Common Data Set (section C7) to see if “Level of Applicant’s Interest” is marked “Considered,” “Important,” or “Very Important.”
💡 How Students Can Demonstrate Interest
Encourage your teen to take one or more of these steps:
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✅ Visit campus (or attend a virtual tour/info session)
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✅ Apply Early Action or Early Decision
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✅ Email admissions officers with genuine questions
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✅ Attend college fairs or webinars
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✅ Engage with college emails and social media
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✅ Write a compelling “Why Us?” essay
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✅ Open and click on emails—yes, colleges track this!
🌟 Why It Helps
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Can tip the scales in a close admissions decision
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Shows your student is serious about enrolling
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Builds positive, trackable engagement with colleges
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Helps students discover what they truly want in a college experience
Even schools that don’t “track” interest appreciate thoughtful engagement—it leads to better essays, interviews, and application fit.
🛠️ Tips for Parents
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Help your student organize their college list by researching which schools track interest
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Encourage authentic outreach—not just “checking a box,” but truly learning about the school
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Set reminders for info sessions, tours, and application deadlines
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Review email drafts and brainstorm strong “Why Us?” responses together
✅ Key Takeaways
| Takeaway | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Demonstrated interest can influence admission decisions | Especially at smaller or mid-sized colleges |
| Over 300 colleges consider it | Use College Transitions’ list to check |
| Meaningful actions include visits, emails, webinars, and essays | Engagement should be authentic and consistent |
| Tracked by colleges through digital activity | Opening emails and visiting websites counts |
| Helps students better understand their college fit | Not just helpful for admissions—good for decision-making, too |
Help your student weave demonstrated interest into their overall strategy, especially when schools value it. It’s a low-effort but high-impact way to strengthen their applications—and in the competitive world of college admissions, that extra edge often makes a meaningful difference.
If you'd like help identifying which of your student’s target schools care most about interest—or if you'd like a template email example, feel free to reach out to us here.