7 Don'ts of Demonstrated Interest

U.S. colleges and universities all operate differently when it comes to factoring demonstrated interest into their admission decisions. Although many don't track demonstrated interest, others do and they have very particular reasons for this. Every school has the desire to lower its acceptance rate and become more competitive in the higher ed arena. Admission offices don't want to admit more students than needed to make a class. They want to admit students they expect to yield, which is why demonstrated interest matters. That means opening emails, signing up for (or submitting) an interview, doing a virtual tour, or watching an on-demand webinar can matter. Students must understand how to engage meaningfully with admission offices because it could play a role in whether they are accepted or rejected. What follows are seven don'ts, but, more importantly, sevens dos regarding demonstrated interest.

1. Email Etiquette and Timing

Be mindful about the volume of emails sent to the admission office, and always contact the appropriate staff member if possible. Avoid sending an overwhelming number of emails. September to March is an incredibly busy time for many reps, so responses to emails may be delayed due to seasonal recruitment travel and app reading demands. During this hectic period, reps likely don't have the ability to spend two to three hours a day on emails. Spend a minute visiting the admission staff page, and chances are the email of the appropriate contact can be found as well. If the contact info can't be located, then email the general admission account. Remember that we always want to hear from and help you, but we can answer more emails when we have fewer emails to answer!

2. Professionalism in Communication

Be intentional and respectful when emailing your admission counselor. Don't make a poor impression. Spending five minutes on a school's website may be all that is needed to find answers to many admission-related questions. Consider whether the answers to any questions can be readily found online. If a school's website is less than user friendly, use a search engine to find the desired information. Instead of emailing to ask about application requirements, Google the school's name and "application requirements for international students.” Admission offices recognize the importance of transparency during the college search and application process, so there may be a frequently asked questions page or specific pages dedicated to application requirements, financial aid, virtual interviews, etc. When emailing, use appropriate language and always address the recipient.

3. Student-Driven Interaction

It's not demonstrated interest if a parent, guardian, or counselor emails the admission office on behalf of a prospective student. Legit interest comes from the students themselves. They should be the ones sending the emails and corresponding with the admission office. This also means that parents should not send emails pretending to be their children - it can be incredibly obvious when this is happening, and it could even cast doubt over the integrity of the application and materials. Let the students send the emails themselves. The application process is a learning experience (a life experience!) and going off to college means stepping into adulthood, becoming independent, and developing a sense of accountability. After all, would parents or a college counselor email a professor on behalf of a student?

4. Consistent Engagement Throughout

Be engaged with schools throughout the application process. Don't wait until it's potentially too late. Again, colleges want to admit students who they can realistically yield. That means don't wait until after the application deadline has passed or until it's almost time for admission decisions to be released. It's better to send a few emails throughout the application process than to have no email correspondence, and it's also better to sign up for a webinar and miss it than to have no history of engagement. No engagement or late engagement means a school could question the overall level of interest. The review committee might deem an applicant admissible, but no engagement or late engagement could have members leaning towards a waitlist decision.

5. Utilizing Optional Application Components

Don't overlook the importance of application materials that may be noted as “optional.” Demonstrating interest means submitting certain materials even if they aren't required. To provide context, this does not include the decision to apply test optional. Rather the “optional” items referred to are supplemental essays/questions, (virtual) interviews, or anything else unique to a school's application process. There is a clear purpose to having these items because they can impact a school's decision to admit a student. Supplemental essays can offer students the chance to share more about unique personal experiences that qualify them for admission. Interviews offer the chance to self-advocate and share more than what can simply be learned about in an application. It also lets the admission office put a name and a face to an application. Finding the time to write a 250- or 500-word essay and do an interview signifies a heightened level of interest in a school.

6. Participation Beyond Sending Emails

Demonstrated interest means reading emails, not just sending them! It's widely known that colleges and universities can see whether or not a student is opening their emails. Students should open all of the emails from the schools that they're applying to. It's perfectly fine to skip or delete the occasional email, but mass deleting emails is not recommended. When a school can see that the majority of emails are skipped, that tells a school that the student has little to no interest in attending. Have students create an email account specifically for the college search and application process. Many students recommend not using their high school email addresses because they may miss important emails from both their teachers, counselors, and colleges.

7. Balancing Interest with Academic Achievement

Don't expect demonstrated interest to compensate for poor academics. When it comes down to it, any offer of admission must be earned. No volume of emails, phone calls, or virtual events attended can make up for academics.