Many colleges have jumped head first into exploring new ways to get information to students. Setting up university profiles in social networking Web sites like MySpace or Facebook and allowing administrative staff to keep blogs are just a few of the ways that schools are embracing new technologies to go where the students are "hanging out." But a new report from Noel-Levitz, James Tower, and the National Research Center for College & University Admissions shows that while a segment of the student population is interested in receiving information through social networking Web sites and blogs, the majority prefer to get their information about financial aid from a good old fashion Web site.
Still, don’t count these new mediums out completely; the report shows that schools may still have good reasons to experiment with new technologies in an attempt to reach students.
As part of their "E-Expectations" survey series, Noel-Levitz, James Tower, and the National Research Center for College & University Admissions conduct annual surveys to track the online behaviors and expectations of college-bound high school students. This year’s survey paid special attention to how prospective students are using social networking Web sites and blogs to gather information.
Obtaining financial aid information, finding the total cost of college, and completing a financial aid form are the top activities that college students want to handle online. Even though only about half of all students surveyed said they had actually completed a portion of their financial aid online, 80 percent said they would do so if they could. The majority of students also said they preferred online access to materials via the school’s Web site as opposed to print materials.
Given the explosion of social networking sites in recent years, many schools have set up online profiles in sites like MySpace and Facebook in an attempt to better recruit and disseminate information to students. More than 60 percent of students surveyed said that they liked the fact that many schools have set up profiles on social networking sites. But only 20 percent of students surveyed have actually used those venues to find information about a school. Less than 30 percent have actually read a blog written by another student and only 21 percent of students have read a blog by a faculty member.
But don’t throw in the towel on social networking sites or blogging just yet. The report finds that the students who have used those mediums before are extremely more likely to use them in the future. More than 90 percent of students who used a school’s social networking profile or blog to connect with current or future students or obtain information about a school would do so again, indicating that once students use them, they are more likely to use them in the future.
Focusing Resources On E-Solutions That Work Best
The report offers some suggestions for schools that are left wondering which technologies they should invest scarce resources. The report suggests the following actions schools should take to match students’ preferences with school tactics.
- Focus on current Web content. The majority of students still prefer to use a school’s Web site to obtain their information. Most students prefer to receive information online as opposed to receiving written information.
- Clearly display college costs. The number one thing students want to obtain online is the cost of college. Students want to receive this information on a school’s Web site. They are also looking for tuition calculators and financial aid estimators online.
- Incorporate new technologies. More than 60 percent of students said they would be willing to communicate with a school via instant messenger or text message. Instant messaging might be a good way to help students work through financial aid issues and cell phone text messaging may be more effective than email to remind students of upcoming financial aid deadlines.
- Experiment and evaluate. Even though most students prefer traditional Web content to social networking sites, they shouldn’t be discounted completely. Starting a pilot program that utilizes different technologies may give schools an indication whether it is useful. It’s important that schools determine a method of evaluation before experimenting with any new technology.
The entire report, Building an E-Recruitment Network: Connecting With College-Bound Seniors in the Era of MySpace, is available on the Noel-Levitz Web site.
By Justin Draeger
NASFAA Assistant Director for Communications
Posted 08/29/07 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.
