The college search process has changed a lot in recent years, fueled by not only modern opinions and wants, but adjustments and reassessments triggered by the COVID pandemic. Enrollment teams are facing a new playing field, and need to master modern skills in order to compete. 

We partnered with Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) this year to find out exactly what prospective families expect and want in their student’s college search. We heard from nearly 5300 families about how they are evaluating schools, and in turn how colleges need to reconsider their admissions approach.

Here are the biggest takeaways from their responses.

1. Onsite visits are back; but virtual ones aren’t gone

2020 saw a dramatic increase in how many families were requesting and utilizing virtual visit tools to evaluate colleges. In the midst of COVID spread, safety was of utmost concern, and more than half of the families surveyed that year were in need of a digital way to experience prospective schools. 2021 brought vaccine availability, and in turn, more families willing to travel again and see campuses in person, lowering the virtual preference to 20%.

But that drop doesn’t mean you should downgrade your Zoom account just yet. 20% is still thousands of prospective families that won’t be able to get a feel for your institution without digital access. It also bears noting that this 20% is mostly made up of populations that historically need to be more engaged in the enrollment process, including first year families and those with lower incomes.

2. Families want you to email them. Like every week

We asked families how they want to keep in touch with the schools their student is considering.

While family portals and text messaging got some strong requests, email hands down was the most favored form of communication, with 95% of families placing it in their top-two channels.

Then we asked how often they want institutions to be in touch. The answer, in short, is a lot. 76% of families said they want to hear from schools weekly or more.

So build out that multi-touch email campaign with gusto. Campus visits, financial aid details, FAFSA deadlines, application information — if there’s a milestone you need your prospective students to hit to keep moving through the funnel, email their parents about it. 

3. Make financial aid a centerpiece of your family communications strategy

College is expensive. Full stop. And families are a huge part of the conversation when it comes to tuition costs, financial aid packages, and payment plans. So help them understand their options.

Families we surveyed were clear that financial aid info was front of mind for them, with 91% deeming it “very important”.

No surprises here. But what was interesting was that the percentage of families who said they had been given clear information about financial aid was very different based on demographics. Low-income families, families of color, and families with no four-year college experience reported having trouble finding this information.

Enrollment teams can build trust and help families navigate their investment in higher education with straightforward, easily available details on financial aid and financing options, reminders on deadlines, and supplemental information on graduate outcomes.

What else can you reach out about? In addition to financial aid, families surveyed requested content on academic options, program strength, and logistical information on how to complete the admissions process.

Need help building out a prospective parent engagement strategy to keep your families informed on these and other topics? Reach out!

Learn more about today’s prospective families in the full report.