Demonstrate Interest!! A list of colleges that really care.

by | May 10, 2020 | College Admissions

Students need to show colleges that they are interested in attending by doing more than just filling out the application.

The college landscape has changed significantly in the last few years and decisions are made based on big data. What does that mean to you? Colleges are trying to have more students apply because it helps their standing in U.S. News and World Report. Once they have all their applications, they need to determine which students will actually attend, versus which students see them as a safety school, or even fifth on their list (this ratio also helps their ranking because unless they are a big state college, they care about who accepts their offers).

What should you do to look like an interested applicant?

Please note: This does not apply to many large state colleges who generally do not track this.
First, if you live within 4 hours of a college they want you to visit the school and take the tour. If haven’t visited the college, you should consider visiting before your application is due.

Here are a number of ways to show interest to the admission office:
•    Request that the college sends you information. Then open every e-mail that they send because they track that.
•    Find out, by a phone call or e-mail, when your admissions representative will be in your area so you can meet with them. Attend admissions talks and ask the admissions officer a pre-rehearsed, thoughtful, intelligent question, so that they remember you. Ask for their business card and be sure to follow-up.
•    See if representatives are coming to your school for an official visit and attend the session. Afterwards shake their hand, get their business card, ask your pre-rehearsed question, and send them a follow-up e-mail.
•    Clean up your social media and then “like” / “follow” them on Facebook or Twitter.
•    See if the college offers interviews and schedule one. Please meet with me to review interviewing techniques before you have it.
•    If you play a sport, contact the coach and let them know about your interest.
•    Submit an art or music supplement. Ask a real questions which cannot be answered by looking on the website.
•    If a college is your first choice school, let admissions know in an e-mail, and tell them why it is a great match for you.

Some colleges track every interaction that you have with the school, spend your time wisely and let the colleges know that they are important to you.

Colleges Where Demonstrated Interest is Important or Very Important

College Kickstart LLC May 2020

Institution State Demonstrated Interest Link to School
Allegheny College PA Important
American University DC Very important
Antioch College OH Very important
Appalachian State University NC Important
Assumption College MA Important
Auburn University AL Important
Augustana College IL Important
Bates College ME Important
Bellarmine University KY Very important
Bentley University MA Important
Boston University MA Important
Butler University IN Important
California Baptist University CA Important
Cedarville University OH Important
Champlain College VT Important
Christopher Newport University VA Important
College of Wooster OH Important
DePaul University IL Important
Dickinson College PA Very important
Eckerd College FL Important
Elmira College NY Important
Emmanuel College – MA MA Important
Emory & Henry College VA Very important
Evergreen State College WA Important
Fairfield University CT Important
Flagler College FL Important
Florida Gulf Coast University FL Important
Florida Institute of Technology FL Important
Florida Southern College FL Important
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering MA Very important
Gordon College MA Important
Guilford College NC Important
Hawaii Pacific University HI Important
High Point University NC Important
Hillsdale College MI Very important
Iona College NY Important
Ithaca College NY Very important
Kansas State University KS Important
Kenyon College OH Important
Lehigh University PA Important
Louisiana Tech University LA Important
Loyola University Chicago IL Important
Manhattanville College NY Very important
Marlboro College VT Important
Marymount California University CA Important
Marymount Manhattan College NY Very important
Mercer University GA Very important
Merrimack College MA Important
Moravian College PA Important
Morehouse College GA Very important
Mount St. Marys University – MD MD Important
Nazareth College NY Important
New College of Florida FL Important
Notre Dame de Namur University CA Very important
Oglethorpe University GA Important
Pacific University OR Very important
Pratt Institute NY Important
Quinnipiac University CT Very important
Reed College OR Important
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY Important
Roanoke College VA Important
Roger Williams University RI Important
Rutgers University – Camden NJ Important
Sacred Heart University CT Very important
Saint Johns College – MD MD Important
Saint Johns College – NM NM Important
Seattle University WA Important
Seton Hall University NJ Very important
Skidmore College NY Important
Soka University of America CA Important
St. John Fisher College NY Important
State University of New York – Environmental Science and Forestry NY Very important
Susquehanna University PA Important
Syracuse University NY Very important
Trinity College CT Important
United States Air Force Academy CO Very important
United States Military Academy NY Important
United States Naval Academy MD Very important
University of Arizona AZ Important
University of Dayton OH Important
University of Massachusetts – Amherst MA Important
University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley TX Important
University of Texas – Tyler TX Very important
University of Tulsa OK Important
University of Washington – Bothell WA Important
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse WI Important
Utica College NY Important
Vanguard University of Southern California CA Very important
Wabash College IN Very important
Washington College MD Very important
Washington University in St. Louis MO Very important
Webb Institute NY Very important
Western Carolina University NC Important
Westmont College CA Very important
Wheaton College – MA MA Important