For students targeting Ivy League and other highly selective colleges, demonstrated interest requires a nuanced strategy. Many elite schools don’t formally track engagement because their yield rates are already exceptional, yet authentic connections with admissions representatives can still distinguish your application.
The most powerful demonstration of interest is applying Early Decision (the binding commitment signals genuine intent) while supplemental essays that reflect specific, researched knowledge of the school speak volumes at institutions where campus visits don’t get logged.
For ambitious families navigating this competitive landscape, our comprehensive guide to top-tier college application tips provides the strategic framework needed to maximize your chances.
What Is Demonstrated Interest?
Demonstrated interest refers to the various ways a prospective student shows a college that they are genuinely interested in attending. It has become a very hot topic in recent years during the college admissions process. And for good reason.
Admissions offices have enrollment targets, and to meet those targets, they need to keep an eye on their ‘yield’: the percentage of students offered admission that actually accept that offer. Therefore, as they examine each application, admissions officers ask themselves, ‘Is this student likely to attend if admitted?’ Gauging demonstrated interest is a way to help admissions officers predict yield.
How to Show Demonstrated Interest to Colleges?
Common ways to demonstrate interest include:
- Campus visits: Taking an official tour and attending information sessions
- High school visits: Meeting with admissions officers when they visit your school
- College fairs: Connecting with representatives at college fair events
- Virtual engagement: Attending online information sessions, webinars, and virtual tours
- Email communication: Thoughtful correspondence with your regional admissions representative
- Interviews: Scheduling and completing an admissions interview when offered
- Portal engagement: Actively participating in admitted student events and communications
- Early Decision: Applying under a binding early admission program
While not all schools track demonstrated interest, a growing number do, and they keep tabs on the level of interaction the college has had with each prospective student. As the Handbook notes: “Whether or not a college tracks demonstrated interest, admissions is still a personal process. Admissions officers meet with students in person all the time, and if a student can develop some sort of personal relationship with that admissions person, their application will likely get a bit more attention than the application from the anonymous student.”
This makes demonstrated interest “one easy and important way your student can stand out in the admissions process”. Showing sincere interest in the school can make the difference between admission and rejection, even at a ‘likely’ school.
Do Ivy League and Top 20 Universities Actually Track Demonstrated Interest?
Many of the most elite colleges do not formally track demonstrated interest in their admissions process. The reason is straightforward: these universities are already guaranteed a high yield on their admissions. They know that most students who receive an acceptance letter will say yes.
However, even at schools that don’t officially track interest, admissions remains a deeply personal process. Veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger explains: “Admissions officers meet with students in person all the time, and if a student can develop some sort of personal relationship with that admissions person, their application will likely get a bit more attention than the application from the anonymous student.”
In general, it’s best to assume that most colleges do want to know of a student’s interests. Some even specify on their websites exactly what they want students to do to show interest.
Public universities present a mixed picture: while many don’t track demonstrated interest, some care quite a bit.
What Is the Most Powerful Way to Demonstrate Interest at a Hyper-Competitive College?
Applying Early Decision is the ultimate demonstration of interest. According to Jamie, “Signing that ED agreement is the ultimate demonstration of interest but should only be done if this is the right decision for your student and your family.”
Early Decision signals to admissions committees that a student is serious about attending and willing to enter into a binding agreement. The statistical advantages are real: many highly selective colleges accept 30-50% of their entire freshman class through the ED process, and the ED applicant pool is typically smaller than the regular decision pool.
However, ED should only be used when three conditions are met:
- The college is far and away the student’s first choice. Ask yourself: “If I got into every college on my list, would I choose this school?”
- The student has a reasonable chance of admission (grades and test scores within the school’s range, or a “hook” that makes them appealing)
- The family can afford the college without needing to compare financial aid packages, or the school meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.
If I cannot visit the Campus in Person, How Can I Effectively Demonstrate Interest?
Campus visits are the most obvious way to show interest, as Jamie notes, “The first way is to go visit and take an official tour that definitely lets them know that you’re not just throwing darts at a wall of colleges.” However, visits aren’t always possible for every family.
For students who cannot visit, Jamie advises: “If you can’t visit, write them a letter so they know you’re not just applying to 30 schools blindly. Something short, though.”
Beyond this, there are several powerful alternatives:
- Engage with virtual resources: Many campuses offer excellent virtual visit experiences, including virtual campus tours, virtual panels, information sessions, and interviews with faculty, students, staff, and alumni.
- Maximize portal opportunities: Once you’ve applied and gained access to the college portal, say yes to every opportunity: Zoom meetings, Facebook groups, webinars about specific academic programs.
- Connect with your regional rep: Write a brief, thoughtful email to your regional admissions representative expressing a genuine, specific interest in the school.
- Attend high school visits: When admissions officers visit your high school, sign up to meet with them. This creates a touchpoint without requiring travel.
How Do I Show Demonstrated Interest Through My Supplemental Essays?
Supplemental essays are your most powerful opportunity to demonstrate authentic interest, especially at schools that don’t track traditional engagement metrics. This is where many ambitious students go wrong.
Jamie has observed this pattern with high-achieving students: “They fall into this gamifying mindset of ‘what do they [admissions officers] want me to say?’ When you’re dealing with the most selective schools in the country, that is just the wrong way to go about it.”
Instead, shed the gamifying mindset and just do it authentically. The reason we spend months writing that main essay and those supplements with our students is that they have to shed that mindset.
What does this look like in practice? Research specific professors whose work excites you, programs that align with your interests, courses you want to take, research opportunities, clubs you’d join, or traditions you’d participate in. Don’t write generic essays that could apply to any school.
What Is the Right Balance Between Showing Interest and Being Too Aggressive?
There is a fine line between demonstrating genuine interest and harassing admissions staff. We like to warn parents: “If you catch your student emailing and calling admissions multiple times, remind them not to pester the people who will read the application. Showing too much love can backfire.”
Effective demonstrated interest should come through quality interactions, not quantity:
DO:
- Write one thoughtful thank-you note after a campus visit or interview.
- Follow up on meaningful conversations with a single email if you have substantive questions.
- Engage authentically with portal opportunities and virtual events.
- Have the student take the lead on all communications
DON’T:
- Send multiple emails asking the same questions.
- Call the admissions office repeatedly.
- Send gifts to admissions officers.
- Have parents advocate on the student’s behalf
How Can Demonstrated Interest Help at ‘Target’ and ‘Likely’Schools?
Demonstrated interest can be even more critical at target and likely schools than at reach schools. While elite colleges may not track interest because of their guaranteed high yield, many selective universities below the Ivy League tier care deeply about demonstrated interest to help predict their own yield rates.
Jamie explains the stakes: “Schools that care about demonstrated interest are trying to improve their yield rate: the number of people who apply to their school, who they accept, who in turn accept and go to their college. These days, since the Common App and everything is done online, students are finagling to apply to 30 schools, 12 of which they have no interest in. Demonstrated interest is helping the colleges weed those [students] out.”
The consequence? Some colleges have started to reject overqualified applicants who they don’t think have any interest because they know they won’t be able to ‘yield’ them.
The solution? Treat every school on your list with the same seriousness. As Jamie advises: “A reason not to apply to 20 schools is I want you to be able to write your best supplemental essays for all the schools on the list, not just like, ‘well, if I’m stuck going to this school.’ If you don’t like a school, there are hundreds of colleges out there. We’ll find you one you’ll like that you’ll get into.”
Having “happy target and safeties” is crucial; these are the schools you would genuinely be excited to attend and where you’ve demonstrated authentic interest.
What Should Students Do After Applying to Continue Demonstrating Interest?
The period after submitting your application is the perfect time to reinforce your interest without becoming a nuisance.
Strategic post-application engagement includes:
- Engage with the portal: Attend virtual events for admitted and prospective students, participate in major-specific sessions, and engage with content the admissions office shares.
- Excel in interviews: If you receive an interview invitation, prepare thoroughly and send a genuine thank-you note afterward
- Send meaningful updates: If something significant happens in your senior year (a major award, leadership position, or academic achievement), send a brief update letter.
- Stay informed: Continue researching the school so you can speak knowledgeably if you’re interviewed or end up being deferred or put on the waitlist.
The Great College Advice team emphasizes following up thoughtfully: “Sometimes the best ‘demonstrated interest’ is through conversations that show the student is truly engaged in the process and wants to learn more about the school.”
For families targeting the most competitive colleges in the country, the demonstrated interest strategy requires understanding when it matters, how to execute it authentically, and where it can make the crucial difference.
Get Personalized Guidance for Your College Journey
Every student’s path to a top-tier college is unique. The strategies that work for one applicant may not be right for another. Knowing when and how to demonstrate interest at your specific target schools requires expert insight tailored to your situation.
At Great College Advice, our team of veteran college admissions counselors has helped thousands of ambitious students navigate the complexities of elite college admissions. We’ll help you build a strategic approach to demonstrated interest, craft authentic supplemental essays that resonate with admissions readers, and develop an application strategy that maximizes your chances at your dream schools.
Ready to take the next step? Schedule your free strategy call today and discover how personalized guidance can make the difference in your college admissions journey.
