Demystifying Demonstrated Interest

You’ve probably heard someone say that certain colleges “track interest.” And you’ve probably wondered what that actually means…and whether you’re supposed to start acting like a college stalker to get in. Good news: demonstrated interest is way less dramatic than it sounds. Here’s the quick version of what matters, what doesn’t, and how to approach it with the colleges on your radar. So what actually is “demonstrated interest”? Some colleges want to know whether you’re actually excited about them because they’re trying to predict if you’re likely to enroll if admitted. That’s it. No secret point system. Mostly smaller or mid-sized colleges track it. Big-name and super-selective places do not. If you really want to find out if a school you’re eying tracks this metric, google “[School Name] Common Data Set” and scroll down to the bottom of section C7 where the colleges themselves rank how important demonstrated interest is in their admissions decisions.

Here are some ways you can demonstrate interest (that colleges actually) see and the ones they absolutely don’t care about:

Things that can help:

• Filling out the “request info” form

• Attending a virtual info session

• Visiting campus and checking in (this second part is key!)

• Showing up at a rep visit at your school

• Opening their emails (yes, they track this)

• Determining who your regional representative is and emailing them with a genuine question about their school or application process (something that can’t be found out on the website!)

Things that don’t matter at all:

• Following them on Instagram

• Buying merch

• Taking an unofficial stroll around campus without checking in

• Emailing random professors “to show interest” (please don’t!)

You don’t get bonus points for doing everything. Two or three touchpoints is plenty! So, pick a few schools you genuinely like: Do an info session, visit if possible, open their emails. Done. For every other school: Fill out the info form, skim the emails, and call it a day. If you have to fake enthusiasm for a school just to get “credit,” that’s already a sign it’s probably not your place. This should never feel like a part-time job!

Why it actually helps you to engage with schools beyond the baseline level. It’s about you noticing:

• Which schools felt genuinely appealing or interesting to you?

• Which ones bored you to tears during the info session?

• Which ones kept sending emails you actually opened because the vibe felt right?

Those reactions are extremely useful when you start building your list.

Bottom line: Demonstrated interest matters at some schools, matters zero at others, and never requires you to “perform”. A couple small actions can show you’re genuinely curious and that’s all the admissions office is trying to gauge. Do the basics. Don’t overthink it. Save your energy for the parts of this process that actually reflect who you are!