Honestly, we should be applying our clown makeup as we write this post, because Harvard is Harvard. Who doesn’t want in? Interest is implied. You don’t get brownie points for wanting to go there because, um, duh. You want to go there, your neighbor wants to go there, every teen rom-com protagonist wants to go there, and — we’re pretty confident in this assumption — even your imaginary friend wants to go there. Yeah, we’re talking Rory Gilmores out the wazoo.
Nevertheless, we persist, centering our red foam nose and donning our rainbow wig. Laugh all you want, but we have to make sure you’re fully informed. Demonstrated interest is a significant consideration for many admissions departments, and you need to know which institutions track demonstrated interest so that you can craft your application strategy accordingly.
Good News
The cut and dry? Harvard, unequivocally, does not consider demonstrated interest. At all. Actually, their dean of admissions went on record in the Harvard Crimson to affirm that “Harvard does not plan to track demonstrated interest,” even as their yield continues to rise and runs the risk of getting more enrollments than they expected (and larger class sizes than they can accommodate).
And, frankly, that makes sense. Dean Fitzsimmons says demonstrated interest is “too variable” a metric to go by, and that checks out. Plus how useful could an accurate assessment of prospective students’ interest really be? It’s a safe bet that anyone who applies to Harvard wants to go there. And, although Harvard does have serious competition, and they have a vested interest in admitting the students who play well with others and will choose to move to Cambridge instead of blowing them off for, say, Yale (sorry — this example is purely hypothetical, not at all based on a historic rivalry and a pivotal plot point in Gilmore Girls Season 3 (again, this is not personal, but seriously? Given the choice between a pilgrim and a bulldog to show school spirit, let’s just say Plymouth Rock can get lost)), Harvard’s yield is high and has always been high.
Sure, the Class of 2026 hit a historic peak of 84% yield, up from 76% of the Class of 1996, but soaring yield and dipping acceptance rates are the trend for the Ivies overall as college admissions become increasingly competitive. So, long story short, Harvard knows it’s going to have high yield regardless, and they’re not tracking visits, social media engagements, or outreach to admissions officers.
What This Means for You
Ironically, Fitzsimmons is very clear about admittance considerations and acceptance rate for the sake of transparency — in other words, to inform students and help them prepare their expectations — but the takeaway is a bit unclear.
The benefit of knowing Harvard doesn’t weigh demonstrated interest is that it makes applications more equitable — theoretically, it means students who have the resources to visit the grounds won’t have a leg up on applicants who can’t afford to travel to campus or otherwise “pay to play.” On the other hand, this takes away avenues for Harvard’s most invested applicants to distinguish themselves. Attending virtual info sessions, reaching out to the office, and liking every @harvard gram? None of that matters.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t demonstrate interest, though. We’re just pointing out that the primary reason to demonstrate interest is to inform yourself and not to woo the 24-year-old drinking a flat white and reading hundreds of apps a day. Any pre-existing relationship with Harvard will help you clarify your goals. Did you attend a pre-college program, love the campus, meet a few undergrads, and think “this is EXACTLY what I’m looking for?” Great! You’ll have more authentic enthusiasm and personal anecdotes to draw from when working on your essays. Did you stalk their YouTube channel, go on a tour, talk to current students, and say to yourself, “Wow, Cambridge is a one-piece when I’m looking for a structured but vibrant tankini?” That’s ALSO good. It’s not wasted time you dedicated to one school rather than another — remember, admissions isn’t logging any of this at all. It’s an insight you got because you spent a few hours looking into Harvard, and it helped you redirect your focus to schools that ultimately feel like a better fit. Yay!
The Upshot
We hear you — Harvard’s “demonstrated interest” indifference is pretty much a mixed bag. There’s no acceptance hack, and nobody’s a “shoe-in” for Harvard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move forward. If Harvard is the number one priority for you, you’ll proceed in the exact same way you would have anyway: learning as much as you can about Harvard to make your application as specific, persuasive, and remarkable as possible. Go you!
Connect with us today if you want to get started.