How important are demonstrated interests for college applications?

Hi guys, as a junior I'm starting to get really stressed about college applications. I've heard about demonstrated interest, but I'm not quite sure how important it actually is. Can anyone help me understand the weight colleges give to demonstrated interest? Thanks!

Hey there! It's completely normal to feel stressed about college applications, but no worries! I'm here to help clarify demonstrated interest for you. Demonstrated interest is essentially the way in which you show a college that you're genuinely interested in attending their institution. Some colleges track and consider it; however, its importance varies from one college to another. Additionally, demonstrated interest is typically seen as one of many factors that colleges consider in the admissions process.

Examples of demonstrated interest include attending college fairs, participating in virtual or in-person campus tours, reaching out to faculty or alumni, and joining mailing lists or social media pages of the school. While it's true that for some colleges demonstrated interest can play a role in admissions, for others, it may not factor in at all. To get a better understanding of how much weight a specific college places on demonstrated interest, it's a good idea to research their admissions policies or reach out to their admissions office for more information. Good luck with your college search! 😊