We at Ivy Coach might be in the business of helping students secure admission to highly selective schools, but just as important is our commitment to dispelling widespread misconceptions about the college admissions process. One of the most pervasive misconceptions is that colleges do not track Demonstrated Interest when the reality is that every single elite school does! 

Understanding Demonstrated Interest in College Admissions

Demonstrated Interest is just what it sounds like: a factor in the admissions process related to how likely an applicant is to enroll if admitted. Colleges want to admit students who haven’t been shy about demonstrating interest because the students who do so — A.K.A., the students that attend information sessions, take tours of campus, express deep knowledge about the college’s specifics in their applications, etc. — are far likelier to enroll if admitted.

Even though all elite colleges track Demonstrated Interest, and the student who demonstrates interest in their dream school is far likelier to earn admission than the one who doesn’t with all else being equal, virtually no admissions offices own up to the fact that they weigh Demonstrated Interest! 

Emory University Invented Demonstrated Interest.

Case in point: Emory University. This esteemed private research university was among the first to pioneer the process of tracking an applicant’s interest and factoring that into the admissions process. Back in the day, admissions officers at this school termed this the “Interest Quotient.” But nowadays, Emory refuses to own up to their role in popularizing Demonstrated Interest and completely disavows it on their website:

“There are many reasons we do not factor demonstrated interest into an applicant’s decision. One of the most important is that we truly want to admit students based on who they are. From our perspective, filling out an entire application, finding teachers to write letters of recommendation, and submitting your short answer responses is not a flippant decision. If you’ve taken the time and energy to do that, then that’s all the interest we need to see! Obviously you are interested in attending Emory University.”

The page goes on to describe situations in which a student ostensibly wouldn’t be able to attend an information session or a campus tour and therefore could not demonstrate interest, intending to reassure students who don’t demonstrate interest that they won’t be at an admissions disadvantage.

Why Don’t They Own Up to Weighing It In Their Admissions Process?

While this rationale sounds reasonable, it’s simply not true. Emory continues to actively track Demonstrated Interest just as all other highly selective schools do, including for those students who don’t attend a campus information session for whatever reason! In the internet age, there’s no reason why a high school student can’t attend an online information session about their college of choice. Emory knows this just as well as the rest of us! 

And while we’re on the subject, some might object to our dispelling of this misconception because Emory’s application doesn’t contain a Why College essay, which is a supplemental essay that asks applicants to detail all of the institutional specifics that have led them to apply to Emory. A Why College essay is a cornerstone of the Demonstrated Interest process. But Emory nonetheless tracks Demonstrated Interest, Why College essay or otherwise.

Emory University is the Only School to Which Ivy Coach Advises Our Students to Attend Two Campus Tours!

A word to the wise: if you ever find yourself visiting Emory’s campus, be sure to log your name in any and all mailing lists, information sessions, tours, or the like. You must have a strong paper trail indicating Emory is your top school choice.

We at Ivy Coach have helped a lot of students gain admission to Emory over the years (including all of our students who applied Early Decision to Emory’s Class of 2029). Not only do we advise our students not to take Emory at their word that they don’t demonstrate interest, but we actually encourage students to attend not one, but two campus tours and two information sessions at Emory. It’s the only school for which we advise two tours — that’s how much this private research university cares about Demonstrated Interest!