Blog & Question of the week!

I am often asked as a professional College Admissions Planner and Consultant, how much colleges put weight on the rigors of the classes a student took in high school.  My immediate answer is always, in effect, “A lot.”   Although there is no set formula for how many AP or Honors classes a student’s transcript should demonstrate that they were willing to challenge themselves and not try to boost their GPA through less difficult courses.

In today’s highly competitive landscape for college admissions, it’s essential for students to demonstrate academic rigor throughout their high school years. Embracing challenging classes not only equips students with a strong skill set, but it also conveys a strong message to colleges about a student’s commitment to intellectual growth and resilience in the face of challenge.  It shows a university that a student does not shy away from challenges, but rather embraces them.  In common sense terms the logic goes- in eyes of admissions officers- “if a student is willing to push themselves in high school, they will push themselves in college also.” 

On the other hand, if a student opted not to take challenging courses in high school, it might raise questions in an admissions officer’s mind, especially at a more elite university.  Thus, how much of a positive influence on other students can this student have at the university?  Colleges are always looking for good role models for their campuses.  If they shy away from challenges, questions may arise: 

“Will this student be able to handle the rigor of college coursework?” “Can they demonstrate resilience and dedication in the face of academic challenges?” 

 After all, past behavior is often a strong indicator of future actions. Choosing a challenging course load in high school sends a signal to colleges that a student is ready to handle the rigors of higher education. 

And it is important to note that these academically rigorous classes, such as AP, IB, or dual enrollment programs, do more than just demonstrate a student’s capacity to handle tough coursework for university admissions. They also allow students to develop essential skills like time management and effective study habits, skills that are crucial for success at college and beyond.

Moreover, advanced classes also contribute significantly to the preparation for standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. By engaging with complex reading materials, challenging mathematics, and rigorous testing environments, students cultivate critical thinking skills and a broad knowledge base that can enhance their performance on these important exams.  At our SAT/ACT program at the Cambridge Learning & College Planning Center of New Jersey, we often find that students who have opted not to take the more challenging classes often find themselves lacking in necessary background content knowledge to do as well as they can on the reading passages.  Thus, we have to spend more time with them backfilling a lot of this information. 

Besides these advantages, another key advantage of AP and dual enrollment classes is the potential to earn college credit. Achieving high scores on official exams or paying for dual enrollment tuition could lead to college credit, saving both time and money once the student gets to college.

Finally, challenging classes serve as platforms for students to explore their academic interests and possible career paths. Whether they discover a passion for STEM through AP Calculus, or kindle an interest in history from a dual enrollment course, these rigorous classes can guide students towards their future academic and career choices.  Over the years as a teacher, College Planner, and Educational Director here at Cambridge, I have seen countless stories of students who found their passion in a class they initially took to enhance their college admissions portfolio. 

It is also important to note that even if a school offers a limited selection of AP courses, or none at all, students have various ways to demonstrate academic rigor. Admissions officers have often told me that they value the willingness to tackle challenging coursework in whatever form it takes.  Some students of mine who go to high schools with low AP course offerings have chosen to take college classes over the summer at Rutgers to demonstrate to a university that they are serious about challenging themselves. 

In conclusion, undertaking challenging classes in high school can significantly impact a student’s educational trajectory and college admissions chances. After all, how a student tackles academic adversity today can say a lot about how they will handle future challenges tomorrow. 

Is “Demonstrated Interest” a significant factor in admissions? 

Dear Mr. Buffer:

  “  I was at a lunch recently and one of the parents was asking another parent about “demonstrated Interest.”  I was worried because during our initial meeting I told you my son wants to go to Cornell or John Hopkins, and some others prestigious schools.  Is this something we should worry about?  Should we be showing these and other colleges we are “interested” to increase my son’s chances of admissions? “

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  This is a good question and one that I frequently get. Let me say first that “demonstrated interest” is something that is often very misunderstood and a concept, I have found, that many families unfortunately and needlessly worry about. Let me try in my answer here to allay your worries and give you a more clear and more panoramic picture of what “demonstrated interest” actually is and how it applies to the college application process. 

      Demonstrated interest is a term used to describe a student’s level of effort and interest toward a particular college or university. It is a factor that some- but not all – schools consider when making their admission decisions and reflects a student’s genuine enthusiasm for enrolling. Some examples of ways that colleges assess demonstrated interest include visiting the campus, attending events or informational sessions, communicating with the admissions office, participating in campus tours, and expressing interest in specific academic programs or extracurricular activities, as well as interacting with the university via social media or email. This can also be done through a student’s supplemental essay for the particular university by providing specific and unique reasons why they are interested in attending the college.

      The first thing to understand – and I hope this immediately gives you some calm- is that the vast majority of schools do not take demonstrated interest into account. Additionally, the ones that do are not the most prestigious schools. You can see the list on our website here. 

  This is not to say that the schools that do look at demonstrated interest are not reputable universities, but they are not the most academically competitive. So, now that we understand this, the next thing to understand is the simple reason why some universities look at demonstrated interest: they don’t like students whom they admit rejecting their offer!   Universities get rated, ranked, and perceived based on how many of the applicants they admit accept their offer. Thus, smaller, less selective schools may use demonstrated interest as a way to predict students’ enrollment, as the number of enrolled students directly affects their budget and resources (some colleges have recently closed their doors due to low enrollment). So, if these colleges that do take “demonstrated interest” into account can predict which students are more likely to accept an offer of admission, they can make more accurate projections and allocate resources accordingly.

   Selective colleges and universities, on the other hand, do not have this problem because they generally have a large enough pool of highly qualified applicants and can afford to admit students based solely on academic merit and other factors without considering demonstrated interest. These institutions, such as the ones you asked about- Cornell, Harvard, John Hopkins- often receive many more applications than they have available spots and have much more stringent admission criteria, such as high test scores, grades, and a rigorous course load.

So, if a student finds that one of the colleges they are interested in from the list provided is one that takes demonstrated interest into account they should, by all means, take steps to show the university they are interested in. By showing interest in the college through various actions, such as visiting the campus or communicating with the admissions staff, a student signals to the college that they are serious about attending if admitted.

      But, as I said above, for the schools that our students at Cambridge and locally apply to, “demonstrated interest” will not be a factor, and admissions officers that I have spoken to at very prominent schools have consistently told me they know driven students are very busy and have a lot on their plate. They are not measuring applicants’ interest in accepting their offers, as they know they will have many students whom will have to put on a waiting list.   

     I hope this alleviates your concerns and worries, and I will explain all of this soon more in depth during out college planning meetings. 

COLLEGES THAT CONSIDER DEMONSTRATED INTEREST

Colleges Where Demonstrated Interest Is Important