CampusESP and Ruffalo Noel Levitz recently surveyed over 12,000 parents of prospective college students – the largest survey of its kind to date – to find out what they really want. Don’t have time to flip through all the survey results? Read on for our top six takeaways from the 2023 Prospective Family Report — or hop down to the bottom of the page and watch a recording of the webinar where we chatted through these trends with Jordan Holliday-Millard, Director of Enrollment Programs & Communications at UNC Charlotte. Use these learnings to inform how you leverage parent influence in the enrollment process to improve results.

1. Parent communication expectations are higher than ever

88% of families expect communication at least weekly. That’s up from 64% three years ago, 76% two years ago, and 85% last year – a 24% total increase! It’s clear that parent expectations keep growing, and it’s becoming more and more critical to prioritize a family communication strategy.

2. Email is a prerequisite for communicating with prospective families

In the survey, we asked parents to indicate their top two preferences for receiving communication. 93% of prospective families selected email, which is consistent with survey data over the last two years. Here’s the reality – if you’re not emailing prospective parents, you’re probably a little behind at this point. If you’re just starting your parent communication strategy, focus on email first.

3. Tailor your communications to improve access

Technology barriers are out there for families, so it’s important to consider alternative communication channels as well. For example, we found that first-generation families and lower-income household families are more likely to select text messaging as a preferred communication channel. Additionally, personalizing content for the parent audience can help get them the information that they need and care about most.

“Today, everyone expects personalization,” said Holliday-Millard. “When you go on Netflix, you don’t want them to show you things that you don’t want to watch. We expect the systems to learn about us. So when we’re thinking about more advanced communication strategies, we also have to think about how we’re using the data that we have about our family members.”

4. All prospective families care about the same topics…but there’s a shift in 12th grade

Prospective parents want the same information. The top 10 topics indicated by families centered around very similar themes: cost, academics, admission requirements, and the application process.

But things shift in 12th grade, where what makes the institution different gets introduced as a top information topic. By the time that their student is applying for college, families are thinking more about fit and what their student’s experience will look like there.

“By 12th grade, it’s really about differentiation,” said Holliday-Millard. “Our approach to it is that families have been contacted by a lot of institutions at this point, and they’re thinking more about what’s going to set your institution apart and make their student successful here.”

5. Lean into how you communicate about cost to families

Building awareness and transparency around cost, financial aid, and scholarships is integral. 58% of families said that paying for their student’s college education will be difficult or very difficult – an increase of 13% since last year. And the families that are most likely to think so are first-gen families, families of color, and lower-income household families. Plus, 68% of surveyed families ruled out an institution because of the sticker price – up 10% from last year. 

“We want to make it as easy and clear as possible to find the information families need,” said Holliday-Millard. “It’s not only about communicating the cost of attendance, but also communicating the value and ROI of your institution,” said Holliday-Millard.”

6. The parent experience matters in college planning

Not only do parents want more communication, but they also want quality information. Parents told us that how well a school communicates with them directly is the second most important experience in determining where their student will attend, after only on-campus visits. Parent engagement has evolved to a need-to-have when it comes to reaching enrollment goals.

“Parents are the key influencer for enrollment,” said Holliday-Millard. “As an institution, you have an opportunity to help influence the influencer and make sure that they’re getting the information to help their student make the best decision.”

Looking to dive deeper? Watch the full webinar below.

Whether you’re just getting started with engaging families or already have a fully developed strategy, we hope these takeaways have your wheels turning on how strategic family engagement can help you meet enrollment goals.

Want to learn more about today’s prospective families?