Unlocking the Mystery of the "Yield"How Colleges Use Behavioral Data to Predict Your Next Move

In today’s competitive college admissions landscape, it’s no longer just about your grades, test scores, or extracurriculars.

Colleges are increasingly relying on behavioral data—your digital interactions with their institution—to predict how likely you are to enroll if accepted. This data plays a crucial role in helping colleges optimize their yield rates.

What is Behavioral Data?

Behavioral data refers to the actions you take as a prospective student that can be tracked by a college’s admissions office. These include:

• Visiting a college’s website and specific pages

• Opening and clicking through emails

• Signing up for and attending virtual events like webinars or campus tours

• Engaging with the college’s social media posts or direct messages

Colleges use this data to assess your level of interest, a concept known as demonstrated interest. The more you interact with the school, the more likely you are to enroll if admitted, according to their predictive models. For colleges, this is crucial information in deciding whom to admit, especially in the context of limited spots and a rising number of applications.

Why Behavioral Data Matters in Admissions

In the past, colleges primarily evaluated applicants based on academic performance and extracurricular achievements. But as application numbers have soared—due in part to the ease of submitting multiple applications through platforms like the Common App—colleges have turned to additional data points to make more informed decisions.

Behavioral data helps schools predict yield, which is an important metric for them. If a college admits too many students who don't enroll, it leads to wasted resources and unmet targets for class size. On the other hand, admitting too few students forces colleges to turn to waitlists, which is not ideal for their reputation or operational planning. By using behavioral data to better predict which students are most likely to enroll, colleges can optimize this process and maintain high yield rates.

Key Types of Behavioral Data Colleges Track

Here are the main types of behavioral data that colleges actively track:

Website Visits: Admissions offices often track how many times you visit their website and which specific pages you explore. For example, repeatedly visiting academic program pages, financial aid resources, or admissions requirements may signal serious interest in attending the school.

Email Engagement: Many colleges send out frequent emails to prospective applicants. By tracking whether you open these emails and, more importantly, whether you click through links or respond to calls-to-action, admissions officers can measure your engagement. High engagement through email often correlates with genuine interest.

Virtual Event Participation: In a post-pandemic world, virtual events like online information sessions, webinars, or virtual campus tours have become major touchpoints between applicants and colleges. Not only do colleges track if you sign up, but they also monitor whether you attend and how long you participate. Active participation (such as asking questions or staying until the end) can further enhance your demonstrated interest.

Social Media Interactions: While not as universally used as email or website data, some colleges track engagement on their social media channels. Liking posts, sharing content, and interacting with their accounts can show that you’re paying attention to what’s happening at the school.

Campus Visits: In-person visits, though not digital, are often captured in behavioral data systems. Whether you sign up for an official campus tour, attend an open house, or participate in on-campus programs, these actions are logged and can signal a higher level of commitment to the school.

The Role of Predictive Analytics in Yield Management

Colleges are increasingly using predictive analytics to combine academic and behavioral data, creating models that help them forecast which students will accept their offer of admission. Schools like Northeastern University and Tulane University are known for their advanced yield management strategies, which use these data-driven insights to shape their incoming classes.

These predictive models often weigh behavioral data alongside traditional metrics like GPA, test scores, and extracurricular involvement to create a comprehensive profile of each applicant. The result is that students who demonstrate high levels of interest in a school may be more likely to receive an offer of admission—even if their academic credentials are comparable to others.

In many cases, behavioral data is used to prioritize applicants who are on the edge of acceptance. For example, if two applicants have similar academic profiles, the one who has shown more engagement with the school through behavioral data may have the edge. In an environment where many students apply to dozens of schools, this can be a crucial differentiator.

Ethical Considerations and Transparency

While the use of behavioral data in admissions has clear benefits for colleges, it’s important to consider the ethical implications. Not all applicants are equally aware that their digital interactions are being tracked, and some may not have the same opportunities to engage with a school. For example, students from lower-income backgrounds may not be able to attend in-person visits or pay for flights to open houses, potentially putting them at a disadvantage in showing demonstrated interest.

Colleges are increasingly aware of these disparities and are working to ensure that their use of behavioral data does not unfairly penalize certain students. Some schools have made their policies more transparent, clearly stating on their admissions websites how they value demonstrated interest and what types of behaviors they track.

How to Use Behavioral Data to Your Advantage

Understanding how behavioral data works gives you a strategic advantage in the admissions process. Here are some ways to ensure you’re sending the right signals to colleges.

Engage Early and Consistently: Start visiting college websites, signing up for emails, and attending virtual events early in the process. Consistent engagement throughout the admissions cycle shows sustained interest, which can be more impactful than sporadic interactions.

Prioritize Schools that Track Demonstrated Interest: Not all schools value behavioral data in the same way. Do some research to identify which schools consider demonstrated interest a significant factor in their admissions decisions. For those schools, make an effort to engage frequently.

Follow Up After Events: If you attend a webinar or campus tour, don’t just stop there. Follow up with an email thanking the admissions team or asking a thoughtful question. This adds another layer to your engagement profile and shows initiative.

Be Genuine: Don’t overdo it by trying to game the system with meaningless clicks or sign-ups. Colleges can often distinguish between genuine interest and superficial engagement. Focus on engaging with schools you truly want to attend.

Track Your Own Engagement: Keep a log of your interactions with colleges to ensure you’re not missing any opportunities to demonstrate interest. This can also help you stay organized as you move through the admissions process.

Final Thoughts

Behavioral data has quietly become a key factor in college admissions, shaping how schools predict enrollment and make decisions. By understanding how this data is tracked and used, you can take a more informed, strategic approach to the admissions process.

Do you need even more help building a college list that gives you the top tips on which colleges track super key things like demonstrated interest, yeild, and more? Sign up now to get on the waitlist for our upcoming app!

Looking forward to your success!

Best,
Joshua S.R.
Founder
75 Percent Chance