Most families spend months perfecting grades, test scores, and essays. Almost none of them spend any time on demonstrated interest. That is a strategic mistake.

A peer-reviewed study by Lehigh University economists, published in Contemporary Economic Policy, examined over 12,500 applicants at a highly selective university and found that on-site contacts like campus visits can increase admission probability by roughly 22 percentage points for strong applicants. For applicants with the highest test scores, the effect was even larger. That is not a rounding error. That is a material edge that most applicants leave on the table.

What it is and why schools care

Demonstrated interest is how a school measures whether you will actually enroll if admitted. Yield, the percentage of admitted students who choose to attend, is one of the metrics that drives college rankings. Schools care about it deeply. A student who has visited campus, opened emails, connected with their regional admissions officer, and written a specific “Why Us” essay is a much safer bet than a student who applied cold.

Not every school tracks it. Check the Common Data Set for each school on your list. If “level of applicant’s interest” is rated as important or considered, everything below applies.

The 12 things you should be doing, ranked

1. Get on the school’s email list. Fill out an information request form. Takes two minutes. Use the same email address you will use for your application so they can connect your activity to your file.

2. Open their emails and click on links. Some schools track open rates and click-throughs. Read what they send. Click on something relevant.

3. Spend time on their website. Explore specific departments, programs, labs, and courses. This also prepares you for your “Why Us” essay.

4. Follow the school on social media. Find their accounts, follow them, and occasionally engage with their content.

5. Attend a college fair. Virtual or in person. Submit your inquiry card. Have a real conversation with the rep.

6. Contact your regional admissions representative. Introduce yourself. Ask a genuine question. Build a relationship over time. Do not be annoying. Be authentic.

7. Visit campus. If you live within a few hours, not visiting is a signal. Sign up for an official tour so they have a record of your visit. Use the same email.

8. Interview. If offered, take it. An alumni interview is good. An interview with your regional rep is better. Prepare seriously.

9. Apply early. Early Decision or Early Action is the strongest signal of demonstrated interest. But understand the financial and strategic implications before committing.

10. Write a strong “Why Us” essay. Show deep, specific knowledge of the school and how it connects to your narrative. If they are genuinely your top choice, say so.

11. Submit before the deadline. Especially for schools that read applications on a rolling basis. Better to be the first strong application a reader sees than the sixth.

12. Send thank-you notes. After interviews, college fair meetings, or campus visits. Brief, genuine, human.

The one rule that ties it all together

Use the same email address for everything. Your information request, campus visit registration, emails from the school, and your application. Schools need to connect your demonstrated interest signals to your file. If you use three different email addresses, you have three disconnected profiles instead of one strong one.

Which schools care the most

Schools in the middle of the selectivity range care the most. The top five schools have more demand than they need and can ignore demonstrated interest. Schools below the top 50 are actively managing enrollment and yield, and a student who has shown sustained, genuine engagement stands out.

The schools on your list where demonstrated interest matters most are often the same schools where it can make the biggest difference in your outcome. These are your target schools, the ones where you are a competitive applicant and where showing genuine interest can tip the balance.

The bottom line

Demonstrated interest is not a trick. It is a signal that you have done your homework, that you know what the school offers, and that you will enroll if admitted. Schools reward that signal because it reduces their risk.

If your student has a college list but has not started engaging with those schools yet, that work should begin now. Not senior fall. Now.

If you want help building a demonstrated interest strategy tailored to your student’s specific list, that is exactly the kind of work we do in a 30-minute strategy session. No pitch. No contract.

— Amit Khemka, Founder, Elite College Advising

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