By now you've all heard of the term "demonstrated interest" - a factor used by some colleges to assess the likelihood of an applicant attending their school. Hopefully you have all been demonstrating lots of interest throughout the exploration, research, and touring process as you came up with your final college lists.

Now that you are applying, it's a good time to check in and confirm that you have in fact been demonstrating interest to your target colleges. There is still time this fall to get in a few more touchpoints that will greatly benefit your application and decision making.

Broadly speaking, "demonstrating interest" is important whether or not a college officially tracks your engagement. Doing deep research on a school, connecting with representatives, and staying on top of their email correspondence benefits you because the more you learn about a college, the better informed you will be to make a selection once it's decision time.

But for some colleges, tracking an applicant's interest is a factor used in the admissions process. To determine if, and how much, a college considers "demonstrated interest" in the selection process, refer to column "BN" in your application tracker. This information is pulled from the college's Common Data Set, which is the official institutional report on all things admissions and enrollment.

If a college says interest is "Important" or "Considered", you will want to make sure you have been interacting with the school in several ways to show you are seriously considering it. Column "BO" has a list of many ways in which you can do this so you can check yourself! Here's a recap on the most impactful:

• Campus visits: In-person campus tours. Verify that you have registered for an official tour using the same email address you are using for your applications. If you have only done an unofficial/drive-by tour, you can email admissions to let them know you visited and ask that it be recorded in your file

• Virtual events: Virtual information sessions, panels, or tours. Again, verify that you have registered using your application email address

• College fairs / campus rep visits: High schools are currently active with fairs and small group information sessions from a number of colleges. Be sure to sign up, or leave your contact information with the rep, to get credit.

  • (Pro tip: to double your demonstrated interest power, send a quick thank-you email to the rep after the event!)

• Email your admissions representative: Search the college's admissions contact page to locate the name and contact info for your regional representative. If you cannot find it, call the general admissions number to try to get it. Send a friendly email to your rep introducing yourself, expressing your interest, and asking a well-thought-out question or two (something of personal interest that can't easily be googled). 

  • (A quick word of caution: don't over-communicate. One or two emails are fine, more than that is overkill!)

• Interview: Some colleges offer in-person and/or virtual interviews. To see if a particular college offers these, check the admissions website or call/email. Even if they are simply informational, it can be a valuable experience. Most interviews are friendly and conversational!

  • (Note: some colleges are moving towards video submissions in lieu of an interview. Even if this optional video seems less personal, a video will still go a long way in demonstrating your effort and interest!)

• Answer the Optional Essay Supplement: Unlike "Test Optional", optional supplemental essays really aren't optional if you are serious about attending a college. Putting time into these extra opportunities shows your interest, especially if it is a well-thought-out response to a question like "Why do you want to attend College ABC?"

• Open Emails: This is a little sneaky, but be sure you a) are subscribed to the college's email communications and b) are actually OPENING and CLICKING THROUGH the content. Some colleges are tracking open rates, click-through rates, and duration of website visits, so taking the time to read through what is being sent from your target colleges can pay off (and again, this will also actually help you learn more about a college, write a great "Why us?" essay, and help with your eventual decision! Win-win-win!

  • (Side note: We know your inbox is flooded. We get it. You can probably unsubscribe from the colleges you know you are not applying to, and help streamline your inbox)

• Apply Early: You probably know that applying via a binding Early Decision plan is the ultimate sign of demonstrated interest because you are committing to attend if admitted! However, applying Early Action (or early in the fall for Rolling Admissions schools) also is great for demonstrating interest because it shows you are prepared and eager to attend.

Whew! You may feel like you are in the middle of a marathon, and you are. But think of these demonstrated interest tips as these little bursts of energy that will power you through to the home stretch, and maybe even fuel a final sprint that will help you finish ahead of the rest of the crowd. As always, we're rooting for you!