How To Text Students The Way They Want

Over the past few years prospective students have become more comfortable receiving text messages from colleges and universities during their search.

While that isn’t exactly breaking news, here are two things you need to be extremely mindful of as you continue to use this tool with traditional students.

First, I think we can both agree that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z has email fatigue. If Higher Ed is going to avoid text message fatigue it’s essential to listen to your audience when it comes to frequency. According to new data from Top Tier Higher Ed, when it comes to how often students were okay with colleges and universities texting them during their search, 36.4% said once a week – the top choice. Only 12.5% said more than once a week, while another 27.5% said their preference was once per month.

Timing wise, texting shouldn’t be incorporated into your communication plan until you’ve built some trust and rapport, or a student has taken a major next step like applying. Additional Top Tier Higher Ed survey data says just over 55% of students were not comfortable receiving text messages from a college until they had either applied or been admitted.

The second big thing is most students believe BOTS send every single text they receive from a college or university.

One of the comment box questions I ask in student surveys is, "What can admissions counselors do or say to help students understand the text came from them and not a bot?"

These five student quotes outline the most common pieces of advice:

“Start off by introducing who is sending the text. I can tell that it is a human when they tell me their full name and job at the school and also when they tell me why they are texting.”

“It is far more reliable if it is coming from someone that I met while visiting or someone I have already been in contact with.”

“Personalize it by including specific details about the student that you already know as well as encouraging further conversation by asking questions.”

“Just include some emotion in the message and sound like you are genuinely interested in helping. If the text has no emotion to it and doesn’t sound genuine most people would assume it’s a bot.”

“Stay a little less professional and use a more informal tone. Don’t use sophisticated words.”

When it comes to reasons why a college or university should send a text, students say the following:

• Reminder of an upcoming deadline or missing documents

• Inviting them to an upcoming event (in-person or virtual)

• Updating them on the status of their application or financial aid package

• Scheduling a phone call to talk about financial aid

• Alerting them to an email you sent or a voicemail you just left

• Gauging how students are feeling about something (ex. understanding next steps for financial aid, your school’s location, or making their college decision)

  
  

One final tip – Anytime you text prospective students it is imperative that whoever the text appears to be coming from is available to respond in a matter of minutes to any student engagement they might receive. When that doesn’t happen it reinforces the idea that a bot sent the original message.

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