Another Simple Tip That Will Get More Students Talking

In previous articles I’ve explained that prospective students are more likely to share key details about their college search process if you ask better questions – ones that are more casual, direct, and relatable.  

Sometimes though you can ask a great question and students still struggle to respond. That’s normal and often times it’s because they’re either worried about saying the “wrong thing,” or you haven’t established enough trust and rapport with them.

In that situation, here’s another communication strategy I encourage you to try.

Tell them what you think they might be thinking.

For example, you might have originally asked a rising high school senior “What worries you or gets you nervous when you think about the college application process?”

If a student gives you little or even no feedback, you could follow-up with “Other students have told me they’re worried most about writing the perfect essay. What about you?”

Framing your follow-up that way prompts the student to either agree or disagree with you, which sometimes is easier than verbalizing how they feel or why they haven’t done something.

The key with this strategy is to tell the student what you typically hear from other students when you ask that same original question. And if you didn't previously ask a question, what external information (i.e. surveys, studies, newsletter articles you’ve read or webinars and podcasts you’ve listened to) do you have about other students when they were in a similar stage or situation?

I encourage you to test this out the next time you find yourself struggling to get students to engage or respond to your outreach.

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