Did you know some colleges track how much you engage with their school? It’s true! It’s called demonstrated interest. Not every school does this, however, so when is it worth your time, and when is it a waste of time? 

What is demonstrated interest, and how is it measured?

Demonstrated interest is the interaction you have with a school. It’s how some colleges measure “How much do you really love me?” when it comes time to decide who to admit.

Demonstrated interest includes visits (so take official tours); signing up for the email list; opening and exploring email links; meeting with a rep visiting your school; emailing the admissions officer for your region with a question (that can not be easily answered on the website); attending a virtual recruiting program; doing an interview if offered; applying early decision; and following and interacting on social media.

Be careful what you post on your own social media in case they can see that, too.

Activities are not all weighted equally, either. Think of it as the more effort it takes on your part, the more impressive it is to them. Applying early decision is the ultimate demonstrated interest.

Which colleges track demonstrated interest?

As a general rule, large public schools generally do not track demonstrated interest. Some notable exceptions include the University of Michigan, Rutgers, U of Arizona, University of Texas at Austin, and a few state universities in New York.

The University of California and Cal State campuses do not track it at all. 

Private schools are a different story. Elite-level schools do not track demonstrated interest. They can fill their classes many times over and have predictable high yield rates- meaning almost everyone who gets in attends.

Their name recognition gives them the privilege of assuming if you are admitted, you are coming.

Stanford, for instance, has an 80% yield rate. By comparison, UCLA has about a 50% yield rate, and that is the highest among the UCs. UCSB is around a respectable 16%. 

But the private colleges in the tier below single-digit acceptance rates probably do track it. These are often the backup options for students who are not accepted to Ivy+ schools.

Tulane is an extreme example. They consider demonstrated interest extremely important, and it is rare to get in on regular decision without extensive, consistent demonstrated interest.

Schools rate themselves for demonstrated interest as “very important,” “important,” “considered” or “not considered.” 

Why do colleges track demonstrated interest?

In simple terms, they want to offer admission to as few students as possible while still filling their class. This keeps the admission rate as low as possible, making them more selective.

In many college ranking systems, selectivity is a heavily weighted variable in the algorithm.

Many families also equate a lower admission rate with a more prestigious or “good” education. That is a completely false assumption, but we live in a consumer culture that values scarcity as an indicator of value rather than the real benefits of the learning experience. So colleges play the game.

Lots of contact indicates a higher likelihood you will enroll, rather than using them as a backup option. This makes their yield more predictable.

How can I find out if a college tracks and values demonstrated interest?

You can either ask the school directly or search the Common Data Set. The Common Data Set contains all kinds of information that the schools self-report. For demonstrated interest information, you want section C7 specifically.

A final thought

Do not turn this into a full-time job. Like everything in the world of college admissions, do it for the right reasons, not to impress some anonymous reader you will never meet.

Be naturally curious and intentional about researching schools to find the colleges (yes, plural) that will challenge you, support you, and value you for exactly who you are instead of an imaginary checklist of “perfection.” 

Do you have questions about applying to college? I can answer them. I am also happy to speak to groups if you work with a PTSA or other youth organizations.

Reach me at HLMcCordDuncan@gmail.com for more information.