Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

Royall & Company Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era Insights and Implications from our 2017 Student Communication Preference Study

Executive Summary Effective student outreach is vital for enrollment leaders. But it is increasingly complicated. The rapid proliferation of communication channels, compounded by unprecedented shifts in the demographic composition of future entering classes, can be challenging for even the most seasoned and best-resourced enrollment professionals. To help our partners begin to understand the changing dynamics of student outreach, EAB s enrollment management division, Royall & Company, recently surveyed 5,580 college-bound high school students regarding a range of college communication concerns. As part of an ongoing analysis, this survey indicates clear although still nascent trends to follow now and track in the future. As we will elaborate in the following pages, student responses indicate: ¾¾Communication channels must be multiple and mobile ¾¾Shifts in use of social media suggest opportunities to reach underrepresented students ¾¾Traditional outreach media are still effective in a digital age ¾¾Message timing should be informed and deliberate across communication channels

Multichannel communication is expected and valued In keeping with the proliferation of communication channels in recent years, almost half of our study s participants indicated they prefer to receive information from colleges and universities via multiple communication channels. Of the 21% of students who prefer a single channel, 76% designated email as their channel of choice. Part of the ongoing popularity of email may be attributed to the rapid growth of smartphone ownership among prospective students. Since our first survey about communication devices in 2010, smartphone ownership has increased by 326%, and the percentage of students who use a smartphone to interact with one or more Royall & Company partner institutions has increased 650%. This data suggests mobileoptimized channels will continue to gain favor with college-bound students. Most students identified a mix of institutional and personal resources for gathering information about colleges. Email messages, campus visits, schools websites, and personal letters were the institutional resources used most frequently; parents and other family members, high school classmates, friends already in college, guidance counselors, and high school teachers/coaches were the personal sources used most frequently. As in past iterations of this survey, students indicate a strong preference for parental involvement in college choice. Almost half of our respondents, for example, would like their parents to receive information directly from colleges and universities, particularly materials about college costs tuition, scholarships, financial aid, and other opportunities to help finance higher education. Most students identified a mix of institutional and personal resources for gathering information about colleges. Institutions wanting to enroll more firstgeneration or underrepresented students should bear in mind that these students were less likely than more advantaged students to turn to parents and other personal contacts for information regarding college choice perhaps because those with knowledge of college choice are less prevalent in their communities. For example, while 81% of Caucasian students said they rely on their parents as a source of college information, only 61% percent of Hispanic/Latino and 67% of African American students made the same claim. Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 1

Social media offers opportunity to reach underrepresented minorities Our research indicates underrepresented students are more likely than their counterparts to rely on social media channels to learn about and interact with colleges. For example, 27% of first-generation students initially encountered a favorite school via social media, whereas only 17% of non-firstgeneration students initiated a relationship with a college via social media. Similar disparities exist between Hispanic/Latino (25%) and Caucasian (16%) students, and between students from lower-income families (24%) and those from more privileged economic backgrounds (13%). Once students establish social media relationships with a college, they can continue to interact with the school through likes and shares of content. First-generation students are seven percent more inclined to like a post and 5% more likely to share content from a college on Facebook. Results regarding Snapchat now surpassing Facebook as the most popular forum for social media are similar. Because many students in these populations are also less inclined to draw on personal information resources such as parents and campus visits, we infer that they are turning to social media to fill information gaps not experienced by more privileged students. We believe there is an opportunity for colleges and universities to modify their social media outreach efforts to reflect and enable the communication channel preferences of first-generation students as part of a multichannel approach to recruiting more diverse incoming classes. 2 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

Traditional channels are still preferred by college-bound students The growing importance of social media coexists with the somewhat surprising longevity of traditional communication channels. Nine of the ten most useful information channels cited by respondents predate social media, and eight of those predate the Internet, entirely. When receiving information from colleges and universities, students ranked email and mail as their preferred communication channels at both the beginning of their college search and after they have established a relationship with the college. Although 80% of students believe schools should maintain a social media presence, they did not rank it among their most important sources for college research. Instead, social media seems to be emerging as a gateway to preferred and more traditional channels for school information; nearly 20% of students report first learning about a favored college via social media, but few use it as a primary source of college information. media display advertisements, for example, as click-enticements to college websites the traditional channel used by 93% of prospective students. 78% of survey respondents cited paper mailings from colleges as a useful source of information Although snail mail may seem antiquated in this digital age, it, too, is still favored among college-bound students. Seventyeight percent of our survey respondents cited paper mailings from colleges as a useful source of information, and 62% indicated that personal letters received from colleges had influenced their choices. Students who used these mailings were more likely to be first-generation, lowerincome, and African American. We surmise that the highly-visual social media channels used most by students are in tension with the more narrative, factrich content of college information, and we encourage colleges to approach social Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 3

Correct communication timing is essential Across the years, our student communication preferences studies have tracked how the actual and optimal timing of communications has evolved. This most recent study validates and extends our findings on the timing of, for example, college search outreach, social media consumption, and text messaging. This study confirms that students are beginning their college search ever-earlier, and enrollment leaders must respond to their timing. While students are beginning their college search at different points in their high school career, more students report they started researching their college options during their sophomore or junior year of high school, and 11% (most likely to be female, first-generation, African American, and lower income) started their college search before their freshman year. Social media interaction, conversely, thrives later in the recruitment cycle. Students are most likely to use social media channels to follow a college after they have established a relationship with a school. More than half of the students surveyed indicated the more interested they are in a school, the more likely they will interact with it via social media channels. Students also reserve optimism for text messages from schools with which they have an established relationship. Text messages are best received if they communicate timely and relevant information such as deadline reminders and responses to specific questions. Institutions should curate and limit their text-message outreach to avoid becoming an annoyance to prospective students particularly to non-first-generation, Caucasian, higher-income students, of whom 16% indicated they would never want to receive text messages from a college. 4 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

Summary of Selected Findings When should schools engage with prospective students? While a majority of students (61.0%) indicated they began researching college options between their sophomore and junior year of high school, it is important to note that students are beginning their college search throughout their high school years and, for some, even before high school begins. FIGURE 1: WHEN THE COLLEGE SEARCH BEGINS 20% Senior Year 11% Before Freshman Year 8% Freshman Year Students who indicated they began their college search before their freshman year in high school were more likely to be female, first-generation students, African American, and students from lower-income households. 43% Junior Year 18% Sophomore Year FIGURE 2: STUDENTS BEGINNING COLLEGE SEARCH BEFORE FRESHMAN YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL Gender First-Generation Status Ethnicity Household Income 12% 8% 10% 14% 15% 9% 12% 10% 13% 12% 10% Female Male Non-First First African American Asian Hispanic/Latino Caucasian Lower Median Higher Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 5

How should schools engage with prospective students? When asked how they prefer to receive information from colleges, almost half of the students (49.4%) indicated they prefer to receive information via multiple communication channels. Twenty-one percent (20.8%) had no preference, but almost one in three (29.8%) indicated they favor a single channel. The vast majority of these students designated email as their single preferred channel (75.9%). Students were asked how they prefer to receive information from colleges both at the beginning of their college search and once they have established a relationship with the college. As displayed below, email and mail are students preferred channels at both stages. However, once a school makes it on to a student s short list of options, students are also open to college visits, text messages from colleges, and calls to their mobile phones. Many students are willing to receive text messages from a school if those messages are timely or in response to the student s action. Additionally, most students (76.1%) would like to be able to text colleges with questions. A smaller yet significant percentage of students (15.9%) indicated they would never want a school to text them; these students were more likely to be non-first-generation, Caucasian, and students from higher-income households. FIGURE 3: STUDENTS PREFER TO RECEIVE INFORMATION VIA MULTIPLE CHANNELS 85% 90% 69% 70% At Start of Search Ongoing Communication 48% 39% 41% 53% 23% 20% 17% 33% 11% 27% 4% 11% Email Mail Website College Social Text Visits Media Mobile Phone Home Phone FIGURE 4: STUDENTS PREFER COLLEGES USE TEXT MESSAGE TO COMMUNICATE SPECIFIC INFORMATION 80% 79% 79% 76% 69% Respond to Question Remind about an Event Announce Application Deadline Confirm Receipt of Application Material Financial Aid Information 6 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

What resources are prospective students using? When asked how they are gathering information about colleges and universities, students indicated they rely more heavily on institutional resources and personal sources than other information outlets/channels. Websites: Websites are used most frequently when students are researching college options (93.2%). This has been true for years. Websites are easily accessible to students and when designed well provide the kind of information students need when considering a number and variety of schools. When searching for information about colleges, specific college websites were rated as helpful by 70.8% of students. Females, first-generation students, Asian and Caucasian students, and students from higher-income households were more likely to find specific college websites helpful than were other students. When asked to identify the top three search topics used on specific college websites, most students listed majors/minors (77.6%), followed by information about college costs (38.6%), general information about the school (32.9%), and financial aid information (27.6%). Emails: Email messages are used by most students when researching their college options (78.2%). First-generation students were more likely to use email for research than nonfirst-generation students (82.1% vs. 77.6%), and students from lower-income households were also more likely to use email for research (82.2%) than students from median- (78.2%) or higher-income households (75.6%). Given the prevalence of smartphones 95.0% of survey participants reported they own one email is no longer something students can check only when on their computers. Email is in their hands virtually 24/7. Sixty percent of the student participants completed this survey using a mobile device! Mail: Snail mail in this digital age may seem antiquated, but it is still a channel used by the majority of students. More than three-quarters of students (78.0%) indicated they used mail from colleges when researching their college options. Almost 62% of students indicated personal letters from colleges were helpful to them during their college search. Students who used mail from colleges to research their college options were more likely to be first-generation college students, African American, and students from lowerincome households. FIGURE 5: SNAIL MAIL IS STILL AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REACH STUDENTS First-Generation Status Ethnicity Household Income 78% 82% 83% 72% 77% 79% 82% 78% 77% Non-First First African American Asian Hispanic/ Latino Caucasian Lower Median Higher Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 7

In addition to institutional resources, students are using a variety of personal/ human resources to gather information about colleges and universities. Parents/family members: Parents and other family members are second only to email from colleges in terms of helpfulness during a student s college search. More than three-quarters of students (75.6%) indicated that their parents and other family members were helpful sources of information. When it comes to their college search, almost half of the students (45.9%) indicated they thought their parents/guardians would like to receive information directly from colleges and universities. Friends/classmates: Students are using their friends (71.4%) as resources when researching their college options. When asked to share the contacts that have been helpful to them during their college search, the majority of students indicated their high school classmates (65.8%) and friends already in college (58.6%). High school contacts: The majority of students also are using guidance counselors (52.4%) as resources when researching their college options, and many view counselors as helpful during their college search (57.1%). A significant percentage of students are also using teachers and coaches when researching college options (45.5%), and a majority report teachers and coaches are helpful during their college search (51.5%). It is important to note that while these personal/human resources are not within colleges control, schools can begin or maintain a conversation with those who influence students mainly parents and counselors and provide institutional resources directly to them as well as students. First-generation students were less likely than non-first-generation students to rate parents (56.1% vs. 80.4%) and friends (50.8% v 60.2%) as helpful, and they were more likely to rate guidance counselors (60.6% vs. 56.2%) and teachers/coaches (54.5% vs. 50.6%) as helpful. Males were more likely than females to rate parents (77.7% vs. 74.9%) and high school counselors (59.3% vs. 56.2%) as helpful. Females were more likely than males to rate email (77.1% vs. 74.1%) and school websites (72.2% vs. 67.1%) as helpful. Students from lower-income households are less likely to use personal sources such as parents, friends already in college, and high school classmates than are students from median- or higher-income households. FIGURE 6: PERSONAL RESOURCES INFLUENCE STUDENT DECISIONS 62% 78% 86% 55% 61% 63% 64% 68% 69% Lower Income Median Income Higher Income Parents Friend in College High School Classmates 8 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

To Snapchat or Not to Snapchat? Snapchat was launched in September of 2011. By the end of 2016, the app had more than 156 million users worldwide. While Snapchat is the social media channel used by most participants, few students are using it to interact with colleges. More than three-quarters of students (76.0%) indicated they use Snapchat, and 28.5% indicated it is the social media channel they use most often. The next most popular types of social media (used by a significant majority of participants) were YouTube (75.6%), Instagram (72.4%), and Facebook (67.7%). While interactions on social media have grown over the years, students are more likely to interact with colleges via social media once they are engaged with a school. More than half of the students surveyed (55.2%) indicated the more interested they are in a school, the more they will interact with the school via social media. Less than 20% of students have followed a school on Snapchat or watched a video posted by a student. Even fewer students (under 10%) have followed, liked a post, watched a video posted by a college, or mentioned or linked to a college using Snapchat. Similar to the early use of Facebook, students appear to be using Snapchat almost exclusively to interact with their friends. So far, they are not using the application as a primary channel to communicate with their parents or colleges. When asked what types of interactions they have had with colleges and universities via social media, channels varied depending on the type of action. Students were more likely to: Follow a college on: Instagram (32.4%) Facebook (28.1%) Twitter (21.0%) Like a post by a college on: Instagram (32.5%) Facebook (26.3%) Share content from a college on: Facebook (26.3%) Watch videos posted by a college on: YouTube (46.4%) Facebook (24.9%) Instagram (21.3%) Watch videos posted by a student on: YouTube (28.2%) FIGURE 7: SNAPCHAT SURPASSES FACEBOOK AS MOST POPULAR FORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA 84% 76% 78% 76% 72% 68% 0% 0% 18% 47% 2011 2017 Snapchat YouTube Instagram Facebook Twitter Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 9

While interaction with colleges via even the most popular social media channel is low, it is important to note that the majority of students think colleges should have a social media presence (79.6%). And even more noteworthy is the observation that nearly one in five students (19.2%) indicated he or she discovered a specific school of interest on social media. And 13% of students indicated they use social media to follow schools even if they are not interested in applying to them. Students who indicated they discovered a school via social media were more likely to be females, first-generation students, students of color, and from lower-income households. FIGURE 8: STUDENTS WHO DISCOVERED A SCHOOL ON SOCIAL MEDIA Gender First-Generation Status Ethnicity Household Income 20% 17% 27% 17% 24% 22% 25% 16% 24% 18% 13% Female Male Non-First First African American Asian Hispanic/Latino Caucasian Lower Median Higher 10 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

The following data was derived from past Royall & Company surveys and longitudinal analyses of student interactions with partner institutions. Smartphones and Mobile Interactions Smartphone ownership has increased by 326% since our first survey of students about their devices in 2010. Since 2010, the percentage of students who interact with one or more Royall & Company programs with a Smartphone has increased 650%. Students Who Own/Use Smartphone Mobile Usage in Programs 100% 87% 95% 100% 22% 43% 8% 26% 57% 60% 0% 2010 2012 2015 2017 0% 2010 2012 2015 2017 Social Media Interactions with Colleges Compared with students self-reported interactions in 2015, significantly more students are interacting with colleges and universities via social media today. Watched YouTube Channel Liked a Photo on Instagram Followed on Instagram Liked on Facebook Followed on Twitter Followed on Snapchat Shared a Facebook Status Shared a Tweet Followed/Subscribed to College YouTube Channel Followed on Pinterest 17% 18% 19% 21% 16% 12% 0% 9% 2% 9% 7% 7% 5% 1% 2% 26% 31% 33% 33% 46% 2017 2015 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 11

Implications for Enrollment Strategy Student Preference Data Drives Multichannel Marketing Tactics Our analyses of students communication preferences confirm that smartphones are ubiquitous among students, signaling the need for digital engagement that works in concert with traditional communication media such as mail and email. Multichannel marketing can be daunting and difficult, but our student preference data suggests effective and efficient campaign strategies that will drive strong campaign performance. 1 Move Early and Go Mobile Students are ready to communicate early and on their phones. Prepare to reach them as sophomores, and stay with them through their senior year. We recommend that your multichannel approach includes outreach through the phones that students report they check constantly. Mobile communications such as SMS messages enable students to respond easily and immediately, which our data indicates increases engagement at every stage search, application, and enrollment. All campaign elements from display ads to associated landing pages should be fully customized and mobile-optimized. 2 Socialize Your Strategies Use social media to complement traditional search channels. Although students may not initially interact with your institution via Facebook or Snapchat, most students expect colleges to have a presence on social media, and some will first encounter your school there. To fuel that engagement, dedicate and fully integrate a team of digital experts to create visually compelling, customized, carefully timed and student-centered messages about the subjects most likely to prompt students to link to your website such as college majors and costs. 3 Maximize Your Channels Leverage all of the channels of communication that reach your prospective students. Email, mail, websites, text messages, display ads they are all under your control. Analyze student responses to each channel, and constantly calibrate your campaigns to make the most of your marketing budget. People are communication channels too. Parents and school counselors influence students choices, and your multichannel marketing plan should include targeted messaging campaigns designed to impact the adults influencing college choice. Students want their parents to be informed about college costs, and parents want to be reached across a range of communication channels. Craft a fitting campaign. 12 Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era

About the Study EAB s Royall & Company division surveyed college-bound high school students in February 2017. The study, which investigated a variety of topics relevant to students, including the timing of their college search, resources they use to gather information about college, their preferred communication channels, and the social media they use, includes responses from 5,580 students. How do you identify? Percent Female 70.8 Male 28.0 Other 1.2 Ethnicity Percent African American/Black 12.7 Asian/Pacific Islander 12.4 Hispanic 14.3 Native American 2.1 White, Non-Hispanic 69.1 Estimated Household Income Percent I don t know 24.7 Low Income: $60,000 or less 26.2 Median Income: $60,001 $120,000 26.4 Higher Income: $120,001+ 22.7 First-Generation Status Percent Non-First-Generation 81.9 First-Generation 19.0 Region of Residence Percent Northeast 18.6 South 27.9 Midwest 26.0 West 27.6 Learn more about how Royall can help you achieve your enrollment goals with multichannel marketing at EAB/Royall.com Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 13

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EAB in Brief Start with best practices research Research Forums for presidents, provosts, chief business officers, and key academic and administrative leaders At the core of all we do Peer-tested best practices research Answers to the most pressing issues Then hardwire those insights into your organization using our technology & services Enrollment Management Our Royall & Company division provides data-driven undergraduate and graduate solutions that target qualified prospective students; build relationships throughout the search, application, and yield process; and optimize financial aid resources. Student Success Members, including four- and two-year institutions, use the Student Success Collaborative combination of analytics, interaction and workflow technology, and consulting to support, retain, and graduate more students. Growth and Academic Operations Our Academic Performance Solutions group partners with university academic and business leaders to help make smart resource trade-offs, improve academic efficiency, and grow academic program revenues. EAB BY THE NUMBERS 1,100 + College and university members 475M + Course records in our student success analytic platform 1.2B + Student interactions annually Student Communications in the Evolving Digital Era 15

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Authors Pam Kiecker Royall, Ph.D. Anne Dodson Contributing Consultants Tom Cakuls Garen Cuttler Project Editor Andrea Duff Designer Kate Young

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