Demonstrated Interest in Colleges: what is it and why and when it matters

Recently, I listened to  a webinar by a college admissions representative about “demonstrated interest.”  This is a term use by colleges for tracking students’ interaction with them through visits, emails, interviews and other means.  For some of the most selective schools like the Ivy League universities and for large public universities, demonstrated interest isn’t relative. 

But for many other schools, especially private liberal arts colleges and medium-sized selective schools, demonstrated interest plays a larger and larger role as schools try to make the best match with applicants in order to “yield” a full freshman class.

First point—students should not panic about demonstrated interest. It is not hard to show and it is not a critical part of the admissions process.  But it is a way for students to learn more about the schools that interest them and to develop strong self-advocacy skills.

Here are some ways that students can “demonstrate interest” in the schools they are considering:

• Fill out an inquiry card when you attend a college fair or presentation.
• Make a campus visit and be sure to log in at the admissions office.
• Send an email to the admissions office or admissions rep to ask a specific question about the college’s curriculum or other programs.
• Attend an information session at your high school or another regional location.
• Speak with a current student or alumnus.
• Interview with an alumnus or an admissions representative (not all schools offer this option).
• Email or meet with a faculty member in the academic department of your interest.
• Open marketing interviews sent from the school.  (Yes, schools can track which students open their emails!)
• Apply Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED).
• Show familiarity with the school and a personal interest in its programs in your supplemental essays.

How is demonstrated interest important for the student?

Students who carefully research the schools that interest them and visit the school either actually or virtually end up making a stronger fit with the schools on their college list.  They can often reduce the overall number of applications they submit, and they are better prepared for interviews and other interactions with college admissions representatives.  

Overall, by learning to advocate for themselves and to communicate their academic and extra-curricular interest to others, students gain valuable experience in self-presentation and self-confidence.

What to do after receiving a deferral from an EA or ED application

So you’ve received a deferral from your “dream school,” the one to which you applied early because you were ready to sign on the dotted line. What do you do now?

You can simply move on and finish your other college applications or you can let admissions officers know you are still eager to be considered in the next round. 

Here’s some advice on writing a letter of continued interest to a college/university from which you’ve received a deferral:

Read this still timely article from the New York Times college admissions blog, The Choice, “You Got Deferred. Now What?”  Two college admissions deans offer their advice on next steps.

Look over this suggested template for a letter of continued interest from AcademicHelp.Net.

Here are my additional suggestions for drafting a letter:

--Keep it short.  Academic Help suggests a page or less; I think a half page is better.

--Wait to write until you have something new to report—fall semester grades, an award, a completed project, something not mentioned on your college application.

--Don’t wait too late, however.  Time your letter to arrive early in the evaluation period for Regular Decision applicants.

--Be polite, but not stiff.  Make sure your personal voice and passion come through. 

--Be realistic about your chances of selection in the Regular Decision pool.  Many schools defer a large number of candidates from Early Decision, so the likelihood of being selected may be quite small.  Work harder on your remaining applications, making sure the schools you have selected are good fits for you academically and socially.

Good luck!

7 Reasons to Consider Applying to Emory University

We just returned from our Thanksgiving holiday in Atlanta, Georgia, where we had the opportunity to visit the Emory University campus.  Though few of my advisees have considered attending schools in the South, I think Emory deserves strong consideration.  Here are my 7 reasons why:

     

1) First focus of any college consideration should be academics, and Emory has strong programs in many areas including business, psychology, the natural sciences and history.  Pre-meds are particularly attracted to the school as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) is located on campus.

2) Emory’s size of approximately 8,000 undergraduates makes it an appealing medium-sized institution with plenty of variety in courses and majors, a diverse student body, and, though lacking a football team, plenty of school spirit for winning teams in swimming, baseball, volleyball and golf.  Students who want a smaller liberal arts experience can start their Emory career for the first two years at the Oxford campus, located in a small town near Atlanta with a total enrollment of less than 1,000 students.

3) Emory offers generous and attractive merit aid, unusual for a very selective school.

4) When we toured the campus we were impressed by the number of new buildings and the school’s excellent facilities including a state of the art gym, new dormitories, classrooms and laboratories—many in gleaming pink and white marble.

5) The city of Atlanta is at the campus doorstep with many cultural and entertainment opportunities.  It’s truly a sophisticated and interesting city—home to both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coca Cola.

6) Georgia’s climate allows for three comfortable seasons—fall, winter and spring—and who stays for summers anyway?

7) Emory has formed a partnership with the Dalai Lama to offer classes in meditation, Buddhism and Tibetan Art and Culture.  Through this program students can study on campus with visiting monks or study abroad at special summer intensives in Tibet.  Way cool!

I hope you’ll give Emory and colleges and universities in the South another look!

Is College Worth the Investment??

Will College Pay Off? is the title of a recent book by Wharton Business School Professor Peter Cappelli on college costs, graduation rates, and job placement.  As college tuition costs continue to significantly outpace inflation year after year, this question has become a hot topic.  The answer is complex and difficult to assess.  Skimming through the book, I encountered troubling statistics about U.S. college graduation rates—currently at about 60%--and the fact that Americans lead the world in spending for college degrees. 

Historically and continuing today, college graduates earn more on average than those without a college degree, but according to some studies, that gap is narrowing.   Many critics and parents ask: is the ROI—Return on Investment—worth it?

(For more discussion of the trends in college costs and job placement, see this week’s New Yorker’s discussion of Cappelli’s analysis in “College Calculus: What’s the Real Value of Higher Education?” September 7, 2015 issue. )

Although I don’t believe it’s possible to assign a monetary value on a college degree, I understand many families who are reluctant to pay such a high cost for their daughter’s or son’s undergraduate degree.

Aside from evaluating a college or universities career services and internship possibilities, how can applicants determine whether or not attending a particular school will help them establish a viable career afterwards?

Here are some databases you might use to infer the ROI and job placement of schools on your son’s or daughter’s college list:

--Collegerealitycheck.com: compares average net price and graduation rates of up to 5 colleges at a time.

--PayScale.com: ranks colleges that graduate highest earners--but this is skewed toward institutions

that only offer technical degrees, which brings up their ratings considerably.

--TheWhite House College Affordability and Transparency Center College Scorecard: gives college costs, graduation rate, median borrowing, and employment information for some colleges.

--PrincetonReview.com: after searching for a particular college, check under the career tab to see the school's graduation rates, ROI and and ROE (Return on Education) rating by the Review.  These are certainly not exact figures but might give you a basis for comparison among different schools.