Social media is no longer new. Neither is mobile. And yet, it still seems extremely difficult to stay current and up-to-date with what prospective students want and need. With constant changes in student preferences and behavior, how are enrollment marketers to keep up? Delve into data from the 2017 Social Admissions Report to learn about recent trends and shifts in the use of digital tools. Learn how students use college help sites, social media platforms, and mobile technology during their college search and selection process.

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TL 2: The Maturation of Mobile
and Social: The 2017 Social
Admissions Report
Sasha Peterson, TargetX
Oakland, CA
Gil Rogers, NRCCUA
Lee’s Summit, MO

2. #NACAC17
Mobile and Social are No Longer New
• However, with consistent changes to algorithms and platforms, we continue to
stay on our toes
• There is a consistent shift in what platforms students use and value most
• It’s important to stay informed and understand where college help sites and social
media influence behavior, and the impact mobile access has

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Methodology
• Background: Objective is to get greater insights into high school students’ use of
social media, in general, and in selecting a college or university
• Methodology: Survey invitations were emailed to
Chegg high school students
• Survey Dates: Q4 2016
• Past Social Admissions Report fielded since 2012. Trends are highlighted throughout
the presentation
• High School Students:
– 3,500 high school juniors and seniors were included in this survey (over 7,000 in total since
we started this survey).
• Weighted data to 42% male, 58% female

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Respondent Breakdown
53%
23%
17%
10%
1% 2% 4%
Ethnic Breakdown
Caucasian
Hispanic
African American
Asian
Native Hawaii/Pacific Islander
American Indian/Alaska Native
Prefer Not to Answer
34%
39%
19%
8%
1 - 3
4 - 6
7 - 10
+10
Number of Schools
Applied tooTop States of Residents

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IT’S IMPORTANT TO
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
WHERE DIGITAL TOOLS
AND SOCIAL TOOLS FIT
IN THE COLLEGE SEARCH

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DIGITAL TOOLS
Students use these tools to determine:
Does this school offer what I want?
Can I afford it? How do I apply?

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SOCIAL
NETWORKS
Students use these tools to ask: Will they like me?
Will I like them? Are the students like me?

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Segmenting Digital Tools
STUDENTS USE A
COLLEGE
SEARCH/REVIEW
SITE WHEN
RESEARCHING
SCHOOLS
Informative Social
Specialize
d
9 out of 10
Which of the following online resources have you used to research colleges?

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Type of Content Looking For
85% 84%
73%
63%
57% 56%
Scholarship
information
Information about
college (e.g., specific
majors)
Admissions
information
Financial aid College ratings Information about life
on campus
Which types of content are you looking for on these sites?

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What Students are Looking For
$$$$$
4 in 5 For
Scholarships
3 in 4 Looking for
Admissions Info
Students are in “discovery” mode when using digital tools.

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Most Useful for College Research
11%
17%
28%
40%
24%
35%
41%
37%
45%
40%
28%
14%
20%
8%
2%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Social media sites
Ranking sites (e.g., US News
and World Report)
College reviews and
scholarships sites (e.g.,
Chegg, niche)
College/university sites
Extremely useful Very useful Somewhat useful Not very useful
College “.edu” is a marketing vehicle for prospective student outreach
69%
Indicate
very-extremely
useful
35%
How useful were the following types of sites during your college research?

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Insights on Digital Tools
• Differentiate between “digital” and “social” tools. While it may be appropriate for a
youthful member of your team to manage your social networking presence, this
person may or may not be the best fit for managing your entire digital recruitment
strategy.
• Nearly all students report using at least one college search/help site for their
research. These sites are oftentimes the first
(and even last) stop on a student’s college search.
• Digital sources are used for discovery and information gathering.
An effective digital recruitment strategy focuses on reaching students on the
channels they use, when they are using them.

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DIALING IN ON
MOBILE

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35%
Hand
Held
Device
14%
Desktop
50%
Laptop
Which device do you primarily use to research colleges??
Primary Device Used for College Research

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College Research on Mobile
85%
42%
38%
20%
14% 12%
6%
Visited College
Website
Scheduled
Campus Visit
Taken Virtual
campus Tour
Downloaded App
from College
Asked Question
on Social Media
Texted with
College Rep
Live Chat with
College Rep
Actions taken on mobile when considering which college to apply to or enroll in.

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What Students are Looking For
8 in 10 Students Visit
College Websites on
Mobile
4 in 10 Schedule a
Visit or Take a Virtual
Tour

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College Websites on Mobile
More than half
of students
access
college sites
on a mobile
device at least
weekly
17%
65%
11%
7%
Excellent
Okay
Challenging
Not Applicable
Quality of Experience on Mobile Site
Once a
Day
18%
Once a
Week
41%
Once a
Month
13%
Every
Once in a
While
28%
Frequency of Visiting College Websites on Mobile
How frequently do you visit college websites on a mobile browser?
How would you rate your mobile experience interacting with the college websites?

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The Application Process Rarely Ends on Mobile
Which of the following have you done on a mobile device when considering which
colleges to apply to or where to enroll? (select all that apply)
SUBMITTED AN
APP THROUGH
A MOBILE
DEVICE
13%

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Sample Table
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6
Subhead # # # # # #
Row 1 # # # # # #
Row 2 # # # # # #
Row 3 # # # # # #
Row 4 # # # # # #
Row 5 # # # # # #

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Track Conversion from the Initial Click…

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Track Conversion from the Initial Click…
Track Conversion
from other devices
after the first view

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60%OF STUDENTS EXPECT A
RESPONSE WITHIN THE SAME DAY
ou contact a college representative, how soon do you expect to hear a response??

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92% AGREE
“I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE
COMMUNICATION FROM COLLEGE
ADMISSIONS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO
ME”
I would like to receive communication from college admissions tailored specifically to me

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Email Preferred Mode of Communication on Mobile
13%
13%
26%
32%
53%
76%
37%
24%
32%
38%
33%
20%
29%
23%
19%
19%
9%
3%
21%
40%
23%
11%
5%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Phone call
Messaging
App
Text
In-person
Mail
Email
Often Sometimes Rarely Never
How Often Would You Prefer to Receive the Following Types of
Communication from College Admissions?

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Preferred Content via Top Channels
47%
66%
67%
67%
75%
45%
21%
27%
26%
19%
1%
2%
1%
1%
1%
2%
5%
2%
2%
3%
5%
5%
2%
4%
2%
0%
1%
1%
0%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Admissions
decision
Housing/
roommate
assignment
Receipt of
transcripts
Financial aid
information
Application
completion
Email Mail Social Media Text Messaging App
How Do You Most Likely to Receive Communication from
Colleges About the Following?

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App Happy

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Your institution’s website
is the first marketing tool
for attracting and
engaging prospective
students.
Mobile browsing is a key
element during the
discovery phase of
college search.
Improve student
experience through
the funnel.
Faster, easier access to
information and people
once students have
demonstrated interest
in your institution.
Provide a two-way, direct
form of communication
thanks to push
notifications, student
preferences etc.
Mobile Browsing vs. Mobile Apps

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Private Messaging
63%
39%
36%
11%
5%
1%
7%
Kik GroupMe WhatsApp Whisper WeChat FireChat Other
Have you used any of the following messaging apps?
Private Messaging Apps
Continue to Gain Ground
Over HALF of Students Use
WhatsApp or GroupMe

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There is a Trend Shifting to Messaging Apps
31.87%
47.64%
55.48%
61.16% 63.02% 65.19% 66.60%
85.00% 86.00% 87.00% 87.70% 88.50% 89.20% 89.75%
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Mobile phone messaging app users (% of mobile phone internet users)
Social network users (% of internet users in group) ages 18-24
Source: eMarketer, March 2017

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TAKE NOTE:
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEER-TO-PEER
AND STUDENT-TO-SCHOOL INTERACTIONS.

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Mixed-Use
Mobile Apps
Specialized
Mobile Apps
What is it? Mobile app experiences
for everyday life
“De-bundled” mobile app
experiences for admissions
interactions
Who is it for? Reserved for friends
and family
Other admitted and current
students, admissions staff
Actions
Text messaging, private
messaging
Personal admissions info,
virtual campus tours,
private message with
admissions rep
Examples
WhatsApp, GroupMe,
SnapChat
Native apps for your institution
(e.g. Schools App)

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Text Messaging vs. Private Messaging

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Top Reasons to Download an App
76%
72%
66% 65%
58%
53% 51%
48%
40%
10%
Stay Updated
on Admissions
Info
To Manage
Schedule,
Check Grades,
Etc.
Be Informed of
Campus News
& Events
Learn about
Types of
Programs
Offered
To View
Campus Map
Submit
Application
Communicate
with College
Rep
Take a Virtual
Tour
Interact with
Admitted and
Current
Students
I Wouldn't
Download an
App
Half of students would
download an app to
communicate with college reps
For what purpose would you download an app from a college?
(select all that apply)

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Key Findings on Mobile
• The path to application is fragmented. Students stop and start their search
across multiple devices. Connecting the dots is a challenge but important.
• Students want mass personalization. 9 out of 10 students want information
tailored specifically to them within 24 hours of requesting it. “Students want what
they want, when they want, where they want it”.
• There is a difference between student-to-student and student-to-school. With
respect to each platform and channel, it is important to understand intent versus
use.

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Getting Social

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Frequency of Use: Overall
9%
26%
32%
50%
57%
7%
9%
16%
13%
10%
9%
5%
10%
6%
4%
5%
3%
4%
1%
1%
18%
13%
13%
7%
6%
51%
44%
26%
23%
22%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Snapchat
Multiple times a day Once a day Once a week Once a month Every once in a while Never
How often do you use the following different social media websites?
-19%
Use daily or
more often %
change YOY

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Frequency of Use: College Search
3%
8%
12%
12%
14%
16%
3%
8%
8%
10%
10%
12%
4%
11%
6%
14%
15%
15%
4%
5%
3%
7%
8%
7%
11%
14%
13%
20%
21%
17%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Pinterest
Twitter
Snapchat
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
Multiple times a day Once a day Once a week Once a month Every once in a while
How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?

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Discovery Engines vs. Decision Drivers
40% 20% 16% 13% 7% 8% 7% 5%
42%
27%
24%
18%
12% 10%
8% 8%
Watched a video
from a college
Watched a video
from a current
student
Read a student
blog
Searched for a
specific hashtag
Participated in a
live chat
Posted a question
to a college
representative on a
social media site
Posted a question
to a current student
on a social media
site
Tweeted with a
specific hashtag
Have Done in Past Week Have Done in Past Month or Longer
4 in 5 students have watched
a video during their college search
How often have you done the following during your
college research process?

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Shifts in Social Media Use: Overall
48%
87%
51%
31%
64% 63%
82%
54%
37%
81% 80% 79%
66%
51%
77% 78%
74%
56%
49%
Instagram Snapchat Facebook Twitter Pinterest
2013 2014 2015 2016
Q4. How often do you use the following different social media websites?

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Shifts in Social Media Use: College Search
28%
60%
31%
14%
48%
26%
67%
46%
20%
70%
48%
67%
56%
21%
68%
42%
63%
46%
24%
Instagram Snapchat Facebook Twitter Pinterest
2013 2014 2015 2016
1 in 2USE 5+ PLATFORM
S
Year over year comparison: How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?

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Discovery Engines vs. Decision Drivers
Yes, 37%
No, 63%
1 in 3 Have Used Social Media to
Research College/Universities
Did (or will) you use social media to research colleges that you have
applied to (or to which you are considering applying)?
60%
have liked or
followed a school in
their consideration
set.

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Only 1 in 4 find content on college social media accounts relevant
Not at all
Relevant, 3%
Slightly
Relevant, 21%
Moderately
Relevant, 40%
Very Relevant,
21%
Extremely
Relevant, 7%
How relevant is the information posted on colleges'
official social media accounts or posts?

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INTERACTIONS
MATTER
Nearly 40% of students say interactions they have on
social media impact where they choose to enroll.

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Key Findings for Social Media
• Social is Visual: The majority of students use YouTube most frequently when
researching colleges online.
• Networks consistently shift: Twitter is down, SnapChat is up – But still not the
#1 platform used by students to specifically research colleges.
• Interactions matter: Decisions to enroll are influenced by the interactions they
have with other admitted/current students.

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Thank You!
Gil Rogers
gil@nrccua.org
@gilrogers
Sasha Peterson
peterson@targetx.com
@TargetX