Demonstrated Interest

Apply to any well-known university and be rest assured there will be tens of thousands of other applicants vying for a spot at admission. One way to make yourself stand out against the crowd is to show demonstrated interest. Demonstrated interest can be calculated in many ways, but it really boils down to showing the college that you are interested, engaged, and enthusiastic about the prospect of attending their school. 

For international students some of the more well-known forms of showing demonstrated interest are not as accessible to them, such as attending college fairs or visiting campus. In fact, according to a study done by the NACAC, the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, 64% of colleges report that they do not consider demonstrated interest in their final admission decisions for things such as college visits and college fairs. 

Regardless, the best way for international students to show demonstrated interest from the comfort of their own homes is to do research about the colleges they are interested in and email the admissions office asking well-researched questions. Even if college states that it doesn’t take demonstrated interest into consideration, establishing communication with the people who will eventually decide your admission can only be a good thing. Use the college’s website to find your region’s admissions officer and show them how enthusiastic you are about their college with engaging and thoughtful questions. It is good for an admissions officer to remember your name when they are making the final decisions on who gets admitted from their region. After all, it is only human nature to feel partial to someone you have corresponded with over a complete stranger.