MAKE IT PERSONAL Experts agree that understanding what factors influence students is just the beginning. How institutions communicate with students is just as important. Patch said that Niche’s research found only three communication channels were reported as having a positive influence on student inter- est: email, personal letters, and social media. Phone calls and text mes- sages resulted in the highest negative impact. Yet, arguably, the most effective form of communication doesn’t use technology at all. Students today, who suffered isolation for at least two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, want to visit campuses, have in-per- son communication, and relish per- sonal contact from colleges. “Nearly 84 percent of students said visiting a school in some capac- ity was part of their college search process, with the vast majority (87 percent) of those visits being done in person,” according to Spark451 research. “Only about a quarter of students chose to wait until after get- ting admitted or depositing to finally visit.” Reid said that 90 percent of pro- spective students felt that one-on- one meetings and campus visits were the most useful sources of informa- tion during college selection, accord- ing to Eduventure research. Kerge also said that students often make up their minds during those visits. “We hear so many students saying that if they can see themselves on that campus on their first visit, it is a big factor in their decision,” he said. Further, Niche found that 67 per- cent of students were influenced by the personalized and relevant information they received, but only 9 percent reported that they were
receiving that type of information. In fact, it found that the share of stu- dents who said that all colleges look and sound alike nearly doubled from 15 percent in 2022 to 27 percent in 2023, pointing to a need for colleges to personalize their message. “Emails that provide value and link back to highly relevant landing pages build trust, relationships, and affinity,” said Patch. “Students need more information, more context, and more excitement. This is how col- leges break out of the cookie-cutter experience and become an exciting community.” Calkins suggests a personal note: “I had a student who got a personal note from a college he was interested in and I’m sure it influenced his deci- sion. He came to me and said ‘Oh, my gosh, can you believe they wrote me a letter?’” All in all, experts suggest that col- leges monitor these trends, have a good understanding of their prospec- tive students, and appreciate how well informed they likely are about each college they are considering. “Colleges can’t have a one-note story,” said Reid of Eduventures. “Colleges today have to know about and serve all types of students. There are a variety of different mindsets about college, and colleges need to have a constellation of experiences and messages to serve them. The key takeaways from our recent research are that they should focus on meet- ing students when and where they are and with the relevant information that matters most to them.” Jim Paterson is a writer and former school counselor living in Lewes, Delaware.
prioritization of arts and culture; and a student body with students who are active in social issues,” said Patch, cit- ing Niche’s research. A diverse student body was appealing to 42 percent of stu- dents, of which 37 percent said that it was a must-have in their college experience. Mackey, the school counselor from Los Angeles, said that she believes students are more concerned about diversity on campus. “My school is an urban, highly diverse public school in the city of Los Angeles. Several of my students, no matter their background, religion, ethnicity, or socioeconomic group, share diversity and tolerance as being an area of importance for them on a college campus,” she said. Diversity among faculty and staff was appealing to 45 percent of stu- dents in the Niche survey and an additional 31 percent identified it as a must-have feature. Mackey said some students are wary of places where resistance to abortion rights, immigration, gay rights, and critical race-theory are in the news. Similarly, Kerge said the Spark451 research showed that about half of students would choose a school based upon a state’s political stance on issues such as climate change, Roe v. Wade , LGBTQIA rights, immigration, gun control, and other issues. Mackey also noted that there is a growing interest among students of color in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, perhaps driven by the racial unrest seen in 2020 and the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admission. “HBCUs offer cultural-affirming environments that students feel they may not experience at predominantly white institutions,” Mackey said.
SPRING 2024 • 37
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator