Students Want More Of These From Colleges

On average I travel about a 150 days each year. When it comes to my dinner choice after a full day of speaking, I prefer a nice non-chain restaurant where I can experience something new.

To help with my decision I go to Google, Yelp, or I ask a staff member from the school for their thoughts. I’m looking for testimonials from other people who can verify that I’m not going to be disappointed.

Peer reviews and testimonials have become a trusted source of information for Gen Z. Prospective students place a high value on the current student point of view during their college search because it feels more authentic and relatable.  

How much storytelling are you doing from the current student point of view? 

Sharing relatable and relevant stories fills in gaps (they don’t know what they don’t know) and can also help create connections.

Here are a handful of ways that you can put this concept into practice:

• In your messaging to drive more campus visits, share feedback from first-year students who visited campus or other rising high school seniors who have already visited. Have them touch on why coming to see things in person was helpful and what surprised or excited them most during their visit.

• During campus tours, in addition to speaking with the tour guide/student ambassador, provide an opportunity for the student visiting to chat with one or more current first-year students who are majoring in their program of interest, or are also from out of state (if the visiting student is), or are also first-generation (if the visiting student is), etc.

• If you choose to do an ‘information session’ during a visit, instead of having slides that are loaded with the same stats and info that’s on your website, include one or more short videos from current students where they speak to a specific topic (i.e. what they love most about your school’s location; thoughts on their classes and professors, etc.)

• Have a current first-year student record a quick video that mentions a specific student by name and says something like “Hi Jeremy, heard that you were considering applying to <College>, that’s awesome! One of the things I love most about being a student here is <Insert fact>." This is similar to what they’d see on social media, but more personalized because they’d be getting the video emailed or texted to them from their admissions counselor.

• As part of your app push messaging, get current first-year students to share a sentence or two about why they chose to apply to your school last year.

• Building off the last bullet, ask current students for their feedback on a specific topic and incorporate the direct quotes into an email campaign as a way to reinforce a point you’re trying to make about your school. 

  
  

A few additional things to also keep in mind…

Other than correcting spelling or obvious grammar mistakes, don’t edit the quotes you receive from current students. It’s okay if they sound a little wordy or relaxed.

Whenever possible let your newest students do the talking. Why? Because they’re closer in age, and according to my research that makes them more relatable and trustworthy in the eyes of a prospective student.

And finally, you can take this concept and also apply it for parents or guardians of prospective students. Parents find it helpful to hear from fellow parents who have navigated and experienced what they’re about to go through.

If you found this article helpful, go ahead and forward it to someone else on your campus who could also benefit from reading it. You can also encourage them to sign up for my weekly newsletter.