<p>I have heard that a couple of times already, on these forums of course, and I was wondering: what the heck is that supposed to mean? There are many ways to show interest in something, I know, but how would I show my interest to Carnegie Mellon? Interviews and visits are the obvious answers, so please don't say that! I am thinking of creative stuff, joggling on the roof of the admissions office with a shirt that says "I <3 Carnegie Mellon" or something!
But seriously, what could I do to show interest?</p>
<p>Demonstrating Interest = attending events organized by the admissions office so the adcoms can record your attendance. Your demonstrated interest will definitely help your application when you apply to said college.</p>
<p>Demonstrated Interest Events = visiting campus, attending information sessions locally or on campus, doing interviews (if availible), and any other events held by the admissions office for prospective students.</p>
<p>You really have to demonstrate interest to be competitive at any private top-25 college (like CMU). In your post, however, you seemed to have confused “showing/demonstrating interest” with “random ridiculous stunts that make you look desperate and pathetic.” Carnegie Mellon, and every other prestigious college, has been reading applications for over 100 years. CMU’s admissions office has received everything from boxes of CMU cupcakes to life-sized plush Scottish Terriers to hand-sewn kilts with the CMU logo sewn in. You can’t impress the adcoms with a random stunt because they really have seen everything at this point. Trust me, what you’re thinking of is stupid not creative.</p>
<p>The only demonstrated interest that the adcoms want is through attendance and completion of the events I listed above. For the sake of your application, don’t try to do anything more than that.</p>
<p>I was making a joke, nothing more
Okay, I think I see your point.
But I am unsure, how does going to Carnegie Mellon University’s events increase my chances. I unsure of what that “conversation” in the head of the admissions officer would look like!</p>
<p>
This is not true. Most top colleges do not consider demonstrated interest. CMU is an exception to this since they do factor in demonstrated interest.</p>
<p>You can check each school’s common data set (CDS) to see if they consider demonstrated interest. For example, on page 2, section C of CMU’s CDS, “level of applicant’s interest” is marked as “important.”</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/pdf/cds_2011_12/c-first-time-first-year-admission.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/pdf/cds_2011_12/c-first-time-first-year-admission.pdf</a></p>
<p>You can google other school’s common data sets to see if they look at demonstrated interest. You will find that most top schools do not consider it.</p>
<p>Most common ways to demonstrate interest: campus visits, college interviews (and following it up with a thank you email), contacting your local rep (usually through email to ask a few questions), and attending college fairs or other events.</p>
<p>Applying early (ED >>> SCEA > EA) and specific supplements are probably the best ways to “show interest,” but most schools offer these options (including most top colleges) and they are not considered “demonstrated interested” on each school’s CDS, though they are usually a factor.</p>
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</p>
<p>Sorry, but that’s simply not true. If you read my initial post, you’ll notice that I grouped “interviews” under activities which show interest because interviews are almost always optional at top-25 schools. Ivy-league schools, Stanford, MIT, and Caltech don’t care about whether you visit campus or do information sessions. These top colleges still care, however, about whether you do an optional interview (MIT is the only exception because it has mandatory interviews). Furthermore, I said private top 25 colleges to deliberately exclude UC Berkley, UCLA, and UVA, which don’t have interviews and don’t care about demonstrated interest. Every other college in the top 25 that I haven’t already mentioned definitely cares about all forms of demonstrated interest. </p>
<p>.'. You do have to show interest to be competitive at a top college. If you don’t show any interest, the admissions committee will think that you’re not serious about applying to their college. CMU in particular really values demonstrated interest. I don’t know anyone who got into CMU without doing a campus tour, info session, and/or interview.</p>
<p>Like the story about a bacon and egg breakfast, “the chicken is involved but the pig is committed.”
Apply ED and send them 4 years of prepaid tuition. All other things being solid, you’ll move right to the top!</p>
<p>HA I like it, although, I am afraid I don’t have any money, I was robbed by a man bear pig, so, I need an other option ;)</p>
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</p>
<p>Let’s take a look at the ivy leagues + Stanford, MIT, and Caltech since you mentioned them (and they are generally considered “top colleges”):
Harvard: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
<a href=“http://www.provost.harvard.edu/institutional_research/CDS_2011-2012_Final.pdf[/url]”>http://www.provost.harvard.edu/institutional_research/CDS_2011-2012_Final.pdf</a>
Yale: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
[Common</a> Data Set (CDS) | Office of Institutional Research](<a href=“http://oir.yale.edu/common-data-set]Common”>Common Data Set | Office of Institutional Research)
Princeton: Level of applicant interest - Considered
<a href=“http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/common_cds2011.pdf[/url]”>http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/common_cds2011.pdf</a>
Cornell: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
<a href=“http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000504.pdf[/url]”>http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000504.pdf</a>
Dartmouth: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/~oir/pdfs/cds2011_2012_final_estimated.pdf[/url]”>This Page Has Moved;
Brown: Level of applicant interest - Very important
<a href=“Office of Institutional Research | Brown University”>Office of Institutional Research | Brown University;
Columbia: no common data set (or I can’t find it?)
UPenn: Level of applicant interest - Considered
<a href=“http://www.upenn.edu/ir/Common%20Data%20Set/UPenn%20Common%20Data%20Set%202011-12.pdf[/url]”>http://www.upenn.edu/ir/Common%20Data%20Set/UPenn%20Common%20Data%20Set%202011-12.pdf</a>
Stanford: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
[Stanford</a> University: Common Data Set 2011-2012](<a href=“http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2011.html#admission]Stanford”>http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2011.html#admission)
MIT: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
[MIT</a> Office of the Provost, Institutional Research](<a href=“MIT Institutional Research”>MIT Institutional Research)
Caltech: Level of applicant interest - Not considered
<a href=“http://finance.caltech.edu/documents/138-cds2012_final.pdf[/url]”>http://finance.caltech.edu/documents/138-cds2012_final.pdf</a></p>
<p>So out of the schools you mentioned that you claim considered demonstrated interest, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth, Stanford, MIT, and Caltech do not consider demonstrated interest. (7) Princeton and UPenn consider demonstrated interest. (2) Brown strongly considers demonstrated interest. (1) I couldn’t find a reliable resource on whether or not Columbia does or doesn’t.</p>
<p>I got my information straight from data/information that each college published. Interviews are not included and are not considered demonstrating interest as they are in a different category. Again, I am going by the info and definitions given by colleges. I think it’s safe to say that most top colleges do not care bout demonstrated interest.</p>
<p>Here are some other excerpts taken from a few Stanford’s and Dartmouth’s websites addressing demonstrated interest (again going straight to the source):
[FAQ</a> : Stanford University](<a href=“Page Not Found : Stanford University”>Page Not Found : Stanford University)</p>
<p>
[Admissions</a> Officers](<a href=“Home | Dartmouth Admissions”>Home | Dartmouth Admissions)</p>
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</p>
<p>Really? Let’s take a look at a few:
JHU: Level of applicant interest - Not considered <a href=“Registrar - Homewood Schools (KSAS & WSE) | Office of the Registrar | Johns Hopkins University”>Registrar - Homewood Schools (KSAS & WSE) | Office of the Registrar | Johns Hopkins University;
Vanderbilt: Level of applicant interest - Not considered <a href=“https://virg.vanderbilt.edu/virgweb/CDSC.aspx?year=2011[/url]”>https://virg.vanderbilt.edu/virgweb/CDSC.aspx?year=2011</a>
Georgetown: Level of applicant interest - Not considered <a href=“https://gushare.georgetown.edu/PlanningAndInstitutionalResearch/Public%20-%20Website/CDS_2011-2012.pdf?uniq=-wv5gve[/url]”>https://gushare.georgetown.edu/PlanningAndInstitutionalResearch/Public%20-%20Website/CDS_2011-2012.pdf?uniq=-wv5gve</a></p>
<p>I agree that the further down you move on rankings the greater likelihood that demonstrated interest will be taken into account, but it isn’t true that every college in the top 25 considers all forms of demonstrated interest.</p>
<p>Of the top schools WUSTL, Brown, as Emory take interest into consideration- at least the common data set suggests that for the latter 2 schools; I can’t find a CDS for WUSTL, but multiple anecdotes on this website indicate that WUSTL takes demonstrated interest into consideration. But the interest you show can not make up for the more important factors- grades, GPA, test scores, etc.</p>
<p>for top schools, the best thing to do is to show that you’re serious about attending in your supplemental essays. definitely take advantage of other opportunities should they present themselves, but imo your supplement is the most important. demonstrated interest will rarely increase your chances (unless you apply ED to a school like CMU), but more often than not it can hurt your chances if you don’t show that you’re fairly serious about the school.</p>
<p>include specifics in your supplement and let the reader know that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in attending. a vague, general essay could be a turn off for schools that want to have high yield rates. but other than that, i dunno if universities really care whether or not you attend a half hour info session about them in your school auditorium, lol.</p>
<p>good luck!! :)</p>
<p>@FateGoneAwry16
“I don’t know anyone who got into CMU without doing a campus tour, info session, and/or interview.”</p>
<p>lol, hi.</p>
<p>Thanks guys!</p>