PRO/CON: Demonstrated Interest
Should colleges factor in campus visits for admissions?
October 8, 2019
PRO: Demonstrated interest shows clear interest for college
Students may already know that some colleges take into consideration “demonstrated interest,” a measure that doesn’t correspond with the applicant’s GPA, SAT and ACT scores or any extracurricular activities. While many believe that it shouldn’t be considered since it requires travelling to the college before acceptances are sent out, I think it’s important that schools know how passionate an applicant is about the university they are applying to.
Students can apply to many colleges without any thought, but this presents a problem for colleges when they read applications. Colleges cannot be sure if an applicant is genuinely excited about attending their college as it is easy to fake interest through a written essay.
According to a survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 15.5 percent of colleges report that demonstrated interest is significantly considered in applications. The data also shows that the requirement is more important than teacher recommendations in many colleges. In addition, 21.4 percent put a moderate amount of importance on this factor.
Colleges value students’ specific interest because it allows them to know if an applicant actually wants to attend their school instead of applying just because they could.
It seems reasonable for colleges that don’t use waiting lists to factor in demonstrated interest as it helps to accurately admit the proper number of students. Only 34 percent of colleges use waiting lists, according to Peterson’s College Search.
Students can also benefit, gaining insight into colleges by touring campuses and attending official information sessions to decide whether a college is a good fit for them.
Undoubtedly, the income of a student’s family affects demonstrated interest because of the cost to visit colleges, especially those far away from a student’s home.
But there are alternative ways to get involved with a college. For example, students can also convey their interest in a college by signing up for online events offered by colleges or by attending high school visits or local college fairs.
Considering demonstrated interest doesn’t mean that a student with a 2.3 GPA will be chosen over one with multiple extracurricular activities and a 4.0 GPA—it’s simply a tool that will allow colleges to choose genuinely interested students.
Demonstrated interest is a college admission factor that benefits both the applicant and the college. Instead of convincing the college that the applicant is simply “interested” in attending, applicants should be genuinely attentive to their college if they want to find the school that is right for them.
CON: Demonstrated interest only achievable by some
The college admission process is like no other, and students are constantly trying to do the things they believe a college will favor to get accepted.
With more high school students applying to college than ever before, students with high GPAs, great SAT scores and outstanding essays still find it hard to stand out to admissions officers. Decisions sometimes come down to demonstrated interest, an aspect of the admissions process that not all students are fortunate enough to benefit from. Demonstrated interest shouldn’t be used for or against determining your college admission fate.
Demonstrated interest is solely based on ways in which an applicant has shown their interest in a school. Most of the time, it’s measured by whether or not the applicant has actually paid a visit to their campus of interest.
The biggest problem with demonstrated interest is that it gives students who have the opportunity to travel to the university an upper hand. Not all students have the luxury of being able to visit campuses, mostly because of the cost.
Planning a trip to a school can cost an arm and a leg, especially if it’s on the other side of the country. Round-trip plane tickets, a hotel room to stay the night and transportation fees can start to add up.
To favor students and families who are well-off and have the resources to take a trip of this nature is a perfect way to separate the wealthy from the middle class or poor families, giving the more affluent yet another advantage.
Another thing that could prevent a student from being able to show demonstrated interest in a school is having to work around parents’ work schedules. It is difficult for many working parents to take time off work to supervise a trip to their child’s dream school. As much as parents want to help their children, this is a big favor to ask for, which is why demonstrated interest should not be considered as a factor in the admissions process.
Another negative about demonstrated interest is that not all forms of it are considered equal. According to Inside Higher Ed, many students go to college fairs, talk to college representatives and sign up for mailing lists, but colleges prefer students who actually pay a visit.
Using demonstrated interest as a guide to set apart qualified students from other qualified students based on an element not equally accessible to all students is unjust.
Instead, students should be set apart by the positive impact that they have made on their schools, communities or any people. This is a better way to see how students will continue to change and impact the world than knowing whether or not they have visited a particular campus.
It’s clear that not all students can take advantage of the perks that demonstrated interest can give a student during the application process. The challenges it can impose on a family and the inequality that lies between demonstrating different forms of interest are the main reasons why demonstrated interest should be removed from the college admissions process.