Understanding students’ needs and preferences, reflected in their tech use, will lead to lasting recruitment and enrollment success.

Leveraging prospective students’ tech use for stronger recruitment, retention outcomes


Understanding students’ needs and preferences, reflected in their tech use and preferred methods of communication, will better position institutions for lasting success

Key points:

It’s no secret that prospective college students use varying types of technology, but higher education institutions looking to increase enrollment need to be aware of how these digital natives–and their parents–are using modern tools. Recent research reveals that prospective students are increasingly leveraging GenAI, social media platforms, and technologies like voice assistants and gaming programs to help them find and choose the right school.

This technological shift creates an inflection point for colleges and universities. To effectively engage with prospective students and their families, administrators must recognize the change in behavior, understand the role each tool plays in the college search and selection process, and adapt their outreach strategies accordingly.

GenAI helps students evaluate schools

Concerns surrounding AI, and specifically GenAI, in higher education have mostly focused on students using large language model (LLM) tools like Gemini and ChatGPT to write applications or essays. But today, more students are using AI to evaluate schools, using these LLMs to gather information about the quality of a school’s programs, the vivacity of campus life, and other factors. In some instances, prospective students are even prompting AI to drill down into details of specific courses.

While the factors prospective learners evaluate when measuring their willingness to attend a specific institution vary depending on who you ask, many individuals place the long-term return on education investment at the top. Because of this, high school and college-aged learners and their families are using AI to assess a school’s values and mission, processing vast amounts of data to determine whether an institution aligns with their skills, experiences, and priorities. Colleges and universities need to take these factors into consideration when determining how to attract and better connect with their target demographics.

Social media platforms operate as search engines

The most successful schools are evolving and taking a more holistic and personalized approach in providing students and families with tailored information or answers to critical questions.

As part of this approach, colleges and universities must account for changes in social media behavior among prospective students. While people have always used social channels to update others about their daily lives and key moments, the number of posts students make about college acceptance and enrollment milestones is actually declining. Instead, students are using social media as an intelligence gathering tool to collect information on campus life, for example, and help them narrow their college search.

Higher education institutions need their digital presence to resonate with the lifestyles of digital natives who have grown up with social media platforms. If schools are committed to meeting students and parents where they are, then social channels should be a focal point. Research shows that 60 percent of graduating high school seniors spend at least three hours each day on social media, primarily on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Meanwhile, roughly 66 percent of parents spend up to four hours a day on platforms that include Facebook and Instagram. An institution’s social media channels should be used to engage with students and parents as an alternative–but no less important–form of communication.

Forward-thinking strategies are emblematic of forward-thinking schools

Colleges and universities that connect with prospective students in the platforms and environments of their choice require a comprehensive understanding of emerging technologies and how to use them. The next generation of college learners is already technologically savvy, particularly when it comes to GenAI and social media. Perception is reality, and schools that know how to engage with potential learners across their preferred channels come across as forward-thinking academic and administrative institutions.

Institutions can leverage technology partners to support this forward-thinking approach and revolutionize student engagement. By integrating advanced AI technologies into enrollment marketing strategies, colleges and universities can identify and engage with prospective students, personalize communications, and streamline the inquiry process. Tools such as interactive AI chat can generate leads from inbound text, improving student engagement, response rates, and application conversions. These innovations enable more effective communications and increase the overall efficiency of recruitment efforts.

The battle for recruiting students has never been more intense. How schools leverage emerging technologies to engage and communicate with students and their parents goes a long way towards informing those choices. Institutions that understand the needs and preferences of students and their families, reflected in their technology use and preferred methods of communication, will better position themselves for lasting success.

Sign up for our newsletter

Newsletter: Innovations in K12 Education
By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

eSchool Media Contributors