Your month-to-month roadmap for family communication
Families are the top influencers of today’s college students. At CampusESP, we’ve helped over 400 colleges and universities leverage the power of parents with a coordinated, personalized communication plan. 73% of parents say content from CampusESP helps them better advise their student.
We analyzed more than 18 million clicks from families using CampusESP in order to understand what information they need – and when. We also surveyed 20,487 parents of current college students at 46 institutions — 70% of them expect to hear from their student’s institution at least weekly. Those expectations are even higher for Black, Hispanic, lower income, and first-generation families.
Consider this your Roadmap for Family Communication.
A PSA for our stretched-thin readers:This may seem like a lot of work. It is. But CampusESP can take it off your plate. We handle 90% of content curation for our partners. We take best practices from our roadmap and pair it with unique information from your campus. All you need to do is approve it.Want to learn more?
Guiding theories behind the roadmap
Our family communication plan is informed by two student success theories: The W-Curve framework for first year students and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory.
The W-Curve demonstrates the five phases of adjustment that new students experience during the first year of college, and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory explains how the student transition continues throughout college. As students face new challenges with academics, career development, mental health and more, families require continued guidance on how to support their student’s transition and success, even beyond the first year.
We took these frameworks and the trends we've seen from over 10 million families to build our own methodology for family engagement and student support.
August-September: Adjusting to a new lifestyle
Students are at the top of the W-Curve rollercoaster. They’re excited about going or returning to college, living on their own and connecting with friends. Families are typically happy for their student but sad to see them leave. This is also when we see that families are the most engaged — now is the time to provide the information they want (and need)!
At this point, we recommend sharing advice on the following topics:
Packing and preparing for move-in
Understanding how college life is different from high school
How parents can set communication plans and expectations with their student
This is a good time to remind families that their feelings are valid… as well as set the expectations for what healthy parent involvement looks like. This will benefit the student, the family, and your institution in the long run.
This is also a great time to foster a sense of belonging and community at your institution — not just with students, but with their families as well. 40% of families want to feel more connected and involved in their student’s institution. The start of the school year, whether it’s at Move-in, Welcome Week, or other early fall events, is the perfect time to make families feel welcome and get them excited about how they can stay involved with campus throughout their student’s college journey.
September-October: First challenges and financial questions
First-year students experience their first struggles. Returning students feel heightened stress as they take on more challenging academics, or start a new major. Families begin to worry about their student as they notice these personal changes.
It’s also important to note that the FAFSA typically opens on October 1, so this is when families start thinking about financial aid planning for the year ahead. This probably comes at no surprise, but 67% of families say they want better information on financial aid.
It‘s helpful to share information about:
Coaching students through their first failures
Handling homesickness from afar
November-December: Finals and the return home for break
First-year students are getting adjusted to their new environment. Meanwhile, many students are anxious about their impending finals and first return home. Families are excited to have their student home again, but here’s when they noticed their student is changing.
During this time it’s important to focus content around family conversations, covering topics like:
Finals support and academic challenges
How to talk to students about their experiences in the first semester
Coaching students through feelings of not wanting to return to school
January-February: “Back to school” and planning for next year
Students come back to school after reconnecting with family and friends. This is when mental isolation creeps in. Especially in colder regions, students are in desperate need of sunshine and Vitamin D.
No matter where they are, though, students are stressed and navigating mental health struggles. Families need the tools to help their students seek support and thrive through to the end of the semester. We found that only 53% of families are satisfied with the information they received about mental health resources available on their student’s campus.
It’s also time to start thinking about the Fall. It may feel early (for you and families!) but this is when students are starting to weigh their options for future plans - Where do I want to live? Should I change my major? Do I even want to continue pursuing my degree? That last question is BIG, but we know that even simple, weekly touchpoints with families have a positive impact on retention.
With all this in mind, the content during this time of year should focus on:
Second semester blues and how the spring semester is different
Mental health resources and identity development
Housing options for the year ahead
March-April: It’s almost summer. But first, finals and career development!
Students are eager for summer. But first they must make it through impending finals, summer opportunities, and career development. At this point in the year, they’re likely more comfortable with adjusting, adapting, and finding balance.
That means family communication should be focused on:
Planning for summer opportunities (families of graduating seniors, it’s time to think about career prep!)
Expectations around student social habits, such as Spring Break or drinking
Applying to scholarships for the coming year
April-May: Finish the year strong
Students feel a sense of accomplishment for surviving the year. But they’re about to leave their comfort zone once again with new summer experiences. Many parents are especially nervous and involved when their student starts their first internship, study abroad program, or summer away from home.
At this point, we target content around:
Supporting students through jobs, internships and study abroad programs (plus graduation for seniors)
Test-taking and study tips to finish out the semester strong
How to navigate the move-out process
June-August: Prepare to do it all over again
The school year is over! It’s almost time to do it all over again. But first… A strong parent communication plan can help with student retention and melt prevention.
For families of returning students, you should communicate:
Summer events on campus
Fall billing information
Registration deadlines for the upcoming semester
For families of incoming new students, the messaging should focus on:
Dorm shopping and pre-arrival checklists
The value of parent orientation
FERPA education and expectations for the term ahead
The “evergreen” content (when in doubt, do this!)
We get it — most institutions don’t have the time or resources to create such a tailored parent communication plan. So maybe you’re just looking for an easy place to get started. Here are three “evergreen” topics that are always helpful for families, no matter the time of year:
General Parent Advice
Whether it’s their first or last student attending college, families are always looking for ways to be better supporters. How do we know? Parent advice was our #1 most clicked topic last year. A topic this broad can feel overwhelming, though. Start with what (and who) you know. Not only do college families love advice and guidance, they want to hear it from the experts and those who’ve experienced it themselves. Write an article sharing the top 5 ways families can support their student at your institution. Call on your campus partners to share resources from their departments with families. Ask your most engaged family members and student leaders to share what their experiences have been like on campus. The possibilities truly are endless, and this type of content is great to have in your back pocket during quieter times of the year.
Financial Aid Information
The most common feedback we get from parents is that they want more financial aid information, especially this past year. We shared 2024-25 FAFSA soft launch and timeline details in December 2023. It was our most-clicked post. EVER.
College is a tremendous financial endeavor for many families: Today, parents absorb more student educational debt than ever before. Parents are craving resources on how to navigate the financial aid process. Supporting families here will create lasting trust with your institution.
First-Generation Family Support
Did you know that first-generation families are 20% less likely to know where to find critical information? But they tend to engage with their students on a daily basis more often than continuing generation families. Make the most of those interactions by providing the information you know they need, but probably don’t know where to begin looking for it. Odds are, the information you share with first-generation families is going to be helpful to all your families, so it’s really a win-win.
What next?
Open up your notes app and evaluate your family communication strategy. What are your goals? What should families know in order to support these goals?
We know from experience that creating a content calendar is a big task. If you need a quick win, you can always begin with a single month, quarter, or semester. The most important part is getting started!