Demonstrated interest is one of the lesser-asked about parts of the college admissions process, but that’s why we’re here to talk about it. At TKG, we’re all about the details! Demonstrated interest is when a school tracks and takes into consideration the level of interest you’ve demonstrated. We know it’s generally uncool to use the phrase in its own definition, but it’s pretty straightforward.

Schools track demonstrated interest in a variety of ways: being on the email list, opening said emails and clicking on things, going on virtual or in-person tours, meeting your regional admissions officer on a tour, going to a summer program, etc. If one of these schools is at the top of your list, then you need to take steps to make yourself KNOWN! Get on that email list, girl!

A range of factors go into a school’s decision to admit you or not, both academic and non-academic, and range in importance from “not considered” to “very important.” At most schools, demonstrated interest is “considered,” but at one school on our list, it’s important!

If one of these schools is on the top of your list, you should strongly consider doing things to demonstrate interest, but also know that applying ED or EA will go a little further with them. Now, without further ado, here’s a list of nine schools that care about demonstrated interest.

Barnard

Barnard College is an all-women’s college located within the greater sphere of Columbia University. In fact, when you graduate, you have a diploma from Columbia. Barnard is a part of the Seven Sisters, a group of historically women’s colleges that were created to be counterparts to the, at the time, all-male Ivy League. Barnard is the only one of the Seven Sisters to be absorbed into their counterpart and still be a functional women’s college.

Barnard is known for their classic liberal arts curriculum, and has strong programs in the humanities and social sciences. Students at Barnard can take classes at Columbia and Julliard in addition to their Barnard courses.

Dartmouth

The only Ivy on our list! This surprised us; we definitely thought Cornell and Penn would end up on this list, but we were wrong. Dartmouth is the crunchier Ivy – they even have their own forest! Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth is a rural school. And, fun fact, it was one of nine schools to exist before the American Revolution.

Dartmouth’s claim to fame is their D-Plan. The D-Plan allows for students to pursue research and internship opportunities outside the normal timeline expected at other schools – and they can help you find, secure, and fund these endeavors, too.

Duke

Duke being on this list is wholly unsurprising. Out of every school we help our clients with, Duke is one of the most legacy-, athlete-, and demonstrated interest-minded colleges out there. Students who fit the Duke Mold™ are excited about Duke and usually already do the things we mentioned – they’re quick to sign up for a summer program, eager to tour, and email their admissions officer with relevant questions.

Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina, a part of the state’s “Research Triangle,” which includes UNC Chapel Hill (their ultimate rival) and NC State. Duke’s known for being the ultimate work-hard, play-hard school and has recently developed an acceptance rate that rivals most Ivies, at 5%.

Michigan

One of the few state schools on our list, Michigan is known for so many different programs. Whether you are interested in studying business or comp sci or history, Michigan is one of the top-tier public universities in the country. And, if Duke is #1 for work-hard, play-hard, Michigan isn’t far behind.

Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan is a large public research university, which means there’s a lot of funding and research opportunities for students who want to pursue those avenues. Michigan Ross, their business school, is right up there with Wharton, Stern, Berkeley, and MIT in the rankings, and it’s one of the most popular programs with our clients.

Northeastern

Northeastern is known for their co-op programs – they’re dedicated to finding you a job and will do almost anything to help you achieve that. Because of this, Northeastern has a pretty distinct pre-professional vibe, similar to what you might find at UPenn or Cornell. For students who are single-minded about their career path, Northeastern might be the right call.

Due to their co-op programs, Northeastern is not going to have a lot of ~liberal arts~ classes and requirements. For some students, this is a huge perk, and for others, a big downside.

NYU

The largest private university in the country, NYU is most famous for Tisch – their school of the arts. If you’re a frequent user of Wikipedia to look up actors on shows you watch, you’ve probably noticed most of them went to NYU. Outside of their acting and film programs, NYU also has a killer business school (Stern) and solid engineering school (Tandon), too.

NYU does not have a true “campus.” The school surrounds Washington Square Park, which sort of functions as the school’s unofficial quad. But, you can take classes in the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, so that’s neat!

Rice

Located in Houston, Rice is primarily a STEM school. Engineering, math, pre-med all stand out as their top programs. However, due to their proximity to NASA, Rice is also known for fantastic programs in aeronautical engineering, astrophysics, and astronomy.

Rice has a lot of solid liberal arts programs too, and if you’re interested in a more well-rounded STEM education, Rice’s core requirements will help you do just that. The school is also a more urban campus, and while it’s no NYU, a lot of students enjoy and want to be in a big city with access to a lot of resources and future career options.

Tufts

Tufts is located right outside of Boston, the ultimate college town. Tufts, in our opinion, is one of the nicest schools out there and if you’re looking for a college where you’ll get a great education and be around kind people, this is one for you. We see a lot of students accepted to Tufts through ED and ED2, so if you’re excited about this school, we very much recommend it.

Tufts is one of the few NESCAC schools to be a university, rather than a college. That means the school has a lot of graduate opportunities and, in turn, more research opportunities for undergrads. Tufts also has a variety of unique majors and joint programs that combine the arts with the humanities, which might be a great fit for a lot of students out there.

Tulane

Tulane is the only school on this list where demonstrated interest isn’t just considered, it’s IMPORTANT! This is unsurprising, since Tulane accepts the vast, vast majority of their students from ED, EA, and ED2. By that, we mean their RD rate is like less than 3%. Tulane wants students who want Tulane, and the best way to show them that is by visiting, talking to admissions, and applying early.

Tulane is in the heart of New Orleans and is known for their pre-med and STEM programs. This is mostly due to the fact that Tulane started as a medical school, and still has a really strong med program to this day. Tulane is also one of the oldest law schools in the country, so students interested in pre-law or related humanities like history, poli sci, sociology, etc. will get a great education here.

Demonstrated interest only goes so far. While demonstrating interest will help you at these schools, you also need to make sure you have great grades, strong extracurriculars, and good test scores. Demonstrated interest is just one piece of the puzzle, and you need to check that you have all the other pieces, too.

Need help with strategizing for college or choosing what schools to apply to? Reach out to us today.