I am interested in applying and I understand that WashU cares about demonstrated interest, but what does this mean? Will they make decisions based on demonstrated interest between other students? How much does it really matter?
WashU does like demonstrated interest! Have you visited the school? Can you attend a college fair or meet with reps if they visit your school? I know, especially with ED, that interest shown can help – they want people who really want to be there and love the school.
WashU is one of the schools that really takes demonstrated interest into account. At every info session I attended they made sure to let you know that demonstrated interest is important, and it seems as if they almost expected you to have shown some sort of demonstrated interest. It can’t hurt to express as much interest as possible if WashU is one of your top choices. Emailing your admissions officer is a great way to do this.
Demonstrated interest could be visiting college fairs, going to the campus, or applying ED. The school visits will usually include a discount coupon for the bookstore and a meal voucher. So WashU does its best to make a good impression.
WashU really does track interest-my son visited a local WashU presentation in the Bay Area as a sophomore in high school and the mailings came pretty soon.
Wash U sounds like a wonderful school but unfortunately don’t have the resources to visit. Would meeting with an Alum show enough interest?
If you can’t visit the campus, there are many other ways to show DI. As pointed out above, attend your school and or regional information sessions if possible, and fill out anything that shows you attended. Do this every time. Get on their mailing list and OPEN and read any email correspondence they send you. Find out who your local WashU admission rep is and introduce yourself. Send an email asking him/her a question about the university that can’t be easily found on their website. If you are a URM or low income, research if they offer a diversity or fly in visit, and apply. A binding ED application will improve your chances greatly, but make sure you can afford it. My nephew is a second year and he loves it there. Good luck!
In the end, the best way is to nail your app and supp. Understand your match (to what they want) so well that it’s clear you’re interested enough to dig in and self-assess. WashU is sensitive to the fact that their applicants overlap with other colleges.
Lots of kids visit or get on the mailing lists at multiple colleges. "Demonstrated Interest " is a lot more than that- and yes, takes more work. Start with what they say and show.
I harp on this because I’ve seen so many kids who do the minimum.
If you apply early enough, you could get offered an alumni interview (if they are available in your area). I know one of the questions I ask is if the student has visited, and I do note when they have not due to financial reasons. Not sure if it helped but certainly the school must understand that not everyone has the means to visit. Showing interest in other ways as noted above will help as well. As for applying ED, I would not apply ED anywhere that you have not visited.
@Hamurtle Did your son follow-up with a visit to the campus? I’m wondering if attending a local info session is enough to demonstrate interest. While we have the financial means to make the trip (airfare, hotel, etc.) I don’t know that it’s necessarily a good use of money considering Wash U is a reach.
@curiousme2 son visited twice, interviewed, applied ED, and met some professors from programs he was interested in, so he showed the ultimate demonstrated interest.
He certainly did! Well done!