Mongoose Research

From our highly creative friends at Paskill Stapleton & Lord.  For more information on Paskill Stapleton & Lord, please visit: http://www.psandl.com/ 

Prospective students’ collective consciousness resides on Facebook. Surveys indicate that over 75% of prospective students are on Facebook. They check it multiple times a day - and many have over 400 friends.

Recently, I asked a high school junior "Do you have any friends who are not on Facebook?”

After 15 seconds of careful thought, he replied: "No"

Students feel comfortable and in control while on Facebook. They are Facebook experts and use these skills to evaluate potential colleges and universities.

TIME's Claire Suddath provides a great overview on how students are using Facebook to "get a feel for" different colleges and universities. TIME.com | Facebook's Latest Role: College Guidance Counselor

We are in the process of completing the "High School Student Lifestyle Survey".  Orchard Park High School (OPHS) in Orchard Park, New York partnered with Mongoose Research on the study.

While we are still completing the video recorded round-table discussions and student interviews, the survey portion of the study is complete. I have shared a couple interesting tidbits below:

Facebook vs. Myspace- My perception before this study was that myspace trends younger, with an emphasis on music and musicians of all ages. Facebook trends older (even for high school years) and tends to be a better platform to communicate with prospective students for many reasons. My assumption was confirmed. Notice the difference in facebook vs. myspace for the two different class years:

Sophomores:
  

Seniors:
  

In general, students are facebook addicts.  It is not just a "fun" Web site for them to visit.  It is real life.  It is where plans are made and relationships are fostered.  It is the absolute center of a student's social conciseness. Combining the stress, formality and professionalism of the higher education admissions process with the free spirit openness of facebook is a delicate but important balance for your institution to maintain.

Who are your best ambassadors? The overwhelming most comfortable response to "people you would potentially be interested in connecting with on Facebook" was current student.  Makes sense. Current students are believed to give the "real story" and does not create the likely unreasonable fear of a Dean of Admissions looking at their often extremely informal pictures and wall posts.

Andy (right) and I (left) had the honor of speaking at to a OPHS marketing class about the "role of surveying in marketing" and how marketers use the results to make better decisions on how to communicate with customers (or prospective students - yikes, did i say customers!?).

Future posts will further explore facebook trends as well as their receptiveness to mobile communication from a college or university.