Who is measuring demonstrated interest?
A list of the top-75 schools and who among them is tracking your engagement
If you are in the process of researching colleges, building a college list, or scheduling tours, then you may have heard the term “demonstrated interest”. We have written at length about what demonstrated interest is, in case you want to do a deep dive, but here’s the gist:
Some colleges are measuring how much a student engages with their recruiting materials. This can mean anything from opening emails from the admissions office, to reaching out to regional representatives, to visiting a campus, to attending online information sessions. If you are a student who is doing many of these things, then you will fare well in the ‘demonstrated interest’ category.
Why do colleges do this?
Colleges want a high yield on the students they admit. In their perfect world, if they admit 100 students, then all 100 would accept admission and attend in the fall. This, of course, doesn’t happen. Most students receive admission to many colleges and have to choose which one to attend based on personal and financial factors.
To put it simply, colleges are more likely to admit students who, the admissions officers believe, have the highest likelihood of actually attending the school. This protects their yield, which affects school rankings, among other things.
There are other factors that influence the above metric. For example, if you live geographically close to the college, you will likely receive preferred admission compared to someone who lives far away. But if your dream school is far away, then it can help to prove how interested you are in attending. Hence, the value of demonstrating your interest.
How do I know if a school is measuring demonstrated interest?
The more competitive a school is, the less likely they are to measure demonstrated interest because students are less likely to reject admission to great schools. However, for some colleges, and particularly colleges outside of the top 50, demonstrated interest is really important, so it’s helpful to know if the schools on your list are measuring your engagement.
To determine if a school is measuring demonstrated interest, we can rely on the Common Data Set, a standardized record of admissions data that most American colleges use.
Here is how you locate a school’s Common Data Set:
Google “(name of college) Common Data (Example: Boston University Common Data Set)
Find the search result ending with .edu, so that you know the source is legitimate
Locate section C-7 in the Common Data Set
Refer to the last line of data: Level of applicant’s interest
The Common Data Set divides metrics into four categories: Very Important, Important, Considered, and Not Considered. If you see that a college is measuring demonstrated interest in any of the first three categories, then it is a good idea to engage heavily with their recruiting materials, reach out to regional advisors, and consider scheduling a tour.
Who is measuring demonstrated interest?
Though the Common Data Set is a reliable way to discover who is measuring demonstrated interest, it is undoubtedly annoying to go through every school this way. How do I know? Well, I did it for you, dear readers :) Please find below the list of the top-75 schools in America and their various policies on measuring demonstrated interest.
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