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The Spark Admissions Guide to Demonstrating Interest to Colleges and Universities

Spark Admissions

Demonstrating Interest to Colleges and Universities

What is demonstrated interest?

Demonstrated interest refers to the practice of letting a school on your college list know you’re excited about potentially attending, both before and after you apply.

Why should you demonstrate interest?

At many colleges that track demonstrated interest, your chances of admission will improve if you take the proper steps to show your enthusiasm for their school. Furthermore, making an effort to explore and show excitement for each school on your list will also help you get to know schools better and will help you to write stronger admissions essays.

Do all colleges look at demonstrated interest?

No, some schools do not track students’ demonstrated interest. But even for those schools, you should still go through the steps below, to make a good impression on admissions officers and learn more about the colleges that interest you.

How can I demonstrate interest?

Below, we have outlined several steps that you should follow to demonstrate interest in the schools on your list. It is especially important to complete these steps for schools you may think of as “safety” schools, as without this show of interest, those admissions officers may assume that your credentials are too strong for you to be genuinely interested in attending their school and reject you preemptively to protect their matriculation statistics.

How to Demonstrate Interest Before You Apply

  • Sign up for mailing lists through each school’s admissions website. Remember to use the same email address when you complete the Common Application.
  • Spend time on the college’s website and note specific academic and extracurricular opportunities that interest you. This will prepare you to talk about why you are interested in the school in essays and interviews.
  • Create a prospective student profile on each college’s website (where this option exists). Make sure you use the same email address for all these interactions.
  • Open all emails that colleges send, download images in them, click on links, and leave them open for a period of time. Some colleges track your digital activity as a sign of demonstrated interest.
  • Visit as many of the schools on your list as possible (particularly targets and safeties). Register for an official tour before your campus visit and be sure to sign in when you arrive for the information session. If there is an overnight option, you should do that, as well.
  • Attend college fairs in your area. Introduce yourself to the admissions representatives or alumni from colleges on your list and leave your name and contact information. Take business cards, when available, so you can send the representatives thank you notes.
  • Attend information sessions when colleges on your list visit your high school. This is a great way to meet the person who may be reading your application. Again, take a business card, if one is available, so you can send the representative a thank you note.
  • Complete an interview. If a school offers an on-campus or virtual interview, you should take them up on this offer. But please prepare first. Of course, not all colleges offer interviews and if this is the case, you will not be able to interview.
  • Communicate with admissions office. Please address any potential interviewers or admissions officials in a formal tone via email (never, ever text message them).
  • Send thank you notes. Whenever you speak with a college representative or complete an interview, you should send a brief thank you email the next day.
  • Write extremely specific supplemental essays. Many colleges have an essay question about why you want to attend their school. Make sure your response is not generic. Provide details and demonstrate clearly that you know exactly why the college is a good fit for you.
  • Apply Early Decision or Early Action if possible. The best way to demonstrate interest is to commit to Early Decision. If you cannot do that, applying Early Action or sending in your materials earlier than the decision deadline also shows interest.

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How to Demonstrate Interest After You Apply

  • Frequently return to the school’s online admissions portal. Some colleges count how many times you visit your portal after you have submitted your application.
  • Contact your admissions representatives. You do not want to bother admissions officers, but you can reach out with questions and updates one or two times. Plan your emails in advance and edit them carefully to make a good impression.
  • Write a letter to any Early Action or Early Decision schools that defer you to Regular Decision. Let them know you remain deeply interested in their college and update them on any academic or extracurricular achievements since you submitted your application.

If you follow all these steps, you will show all the schools on your list that you are excited to potentially join their incoming class! You may even want to make a checklist for each school and check off each demonstrating interest activity as you complete it.