The final installment of our demonstrated interest mini-series is focused on the ever-popular University of Michigan. If you’re wondering why everyone seems to love the school so much, start here. If you (or your child) have recently set your sights on The Big House you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading for the low down on demonstrated interest on everyone’s favorite campus.
As we continue to reach out to schools in hopes of defining their stance on demonstrated interest, we have come to the conclusion that numbers matter. The University of Michigan received nearly 60,000 applications for the class on 2021. It is entirely possible that it is simply unfeasible to track demonstrated interest for 60,000 students. Here’s what Michigan said, direct from a friendly representative on the live chat feature of their website: “While we do note visits from prospective students who attend our information sessions or other events, that is not a factor in the admissions decision.” Note the wording here. Michigan “notes” visits, but they do not factor said visits into their ultimate decision on your candidacy. P.S: Wondering why we’re quoting a robot, instead of calling the school? Of course we called. More than twice. But if you’re looking for Michigan verbiage direct from the website, and quoted materials, the bots almost always come through.
What does this mean?
If you can, we always suggest visiting any school that you plan to apply to. This is for you to gauge your interest in the school.
If you do visit, do not trick yourself into thinking that you are at an advantage over a student who can’t make the trip.
If you can’t visit, but love Michigan, you should still apply.
When schools say that demonstrated interest is not a factor, it means that more students will apply. By discounting it entirely, it’s safe to say that application numbers will continue to increase.
And then, the plot thickened. We were told that some schools, such as the School of Nursing, do factor in demonstrated interest. We were pointed to this section of the Nursing website:
“We encourage students to have exposure to the health care field. This can be done through working or volunteering in a health care setting. Examples of this include volunteering at a blood drive, volunteering at a nursing home, doctor’s office, etc. Another way students can demonstrate interest in the nursing field is by job shadowing a nurse or having an informational interview with a nurse. Exposure to different health care settings can help students solidify their career aspirations. Many of our students are involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, student organizations and community service; competitive applicants will address these experiences throughout their application.”
What’s curious about this excerpt is that it does not mention anything about Michigan. “Exposure to the health care field” is very different from “You should have most certainly visited campus and spoken to a professor in the Nursing department.” Most people, ourselves included, consider demonstrated interest anything that a student does to put themselves onto the radar of a school. For example, doing a summer program, signing up for email lists, and reaching out to schedule an interview.
We asked Michigan to clarify, and this is where we landed. Throughout your high school career, you should be demonstrating interest in the field you plan to study at Michigan. Want to be an engineer? Start a club, do an internship, and write about those experiences in your supplements. Want to be a nurse? Work at a hospital, volunteer at a nursing home, and write about those experiences in your supplement. Notice a trend? Us too.
One of the most crucial aspects of the college application process is spending your time wisely and focusing on worthwhile opportunities that show dedication and growth over the years. We say with utmost confidence that you’re better off going that route, than spamming the inboxes of Michigan employees in a display of eagerness to attend.
If you’re reading this, you might still be wondering “But I really want to go to Michigan, how do I show them I care?” We understand that it can be difficult to give up the idea the demonstrated interest will put you ahead of the game, but you’re better off knowing the facts before you apply. Demonstrate interest, if you can, as a way to get to know the school better and get honest about why you love it so much. Then keep your grades up, study for your standardized tests, demonstrate growth in your extracurricular activities, and use all of the information that you’ve gathered in the pre-application process to write an amazing and well-researched supplement.
We’re pros at helping students figure out next steps. Contact us here if you need help.