Mongoose Research

More from the High School Student Lifestyle Survey.

Mobile updates are 100% opt-in text messages that are used to communicate with prospective students throughout the admissions process.

Students were asked: "If a college that you are interested in offered to send you alerts and information via TXT, would you choose to receive:"

 
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Extrapolating that data - in general the majority of students would opt-in for mobile updates.

 
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Our results from the High School Student Lifestyle Survey indicate that "texting" was the most common use of a prospective student's mobile phone (ironically edging out "making phone calls").  Text messaging (SMS marketing) allows us to communicate with virtually every prospective student.

“Simple phones with limited extras” is still the most common owned and used device.  Note – most students view taking pictures and sending them to friends as “limited extras”.

What does this tell us in Enrollment Management?

More from the High School Student Lifestyle Survey... This one was surprising to me.  96.2% of the student responders do not use Twitter.  Seems to be more of an adult thing.  This question created a real buzz around school. I walked the halls the morning of the survey and even two periods later students up and down the halls were still making fun of the word "twitter".. expressions like:

"What was that question with Twitter all about?" 
"What the &#%! is Twitter?"
"Hahaha Twitter..."

Twitter does not appear to be a sexy option to Undergraduate Enrollment Managers. Status updates and news feeds on Facebook are leading the way captivating prospective students.  That said, Bob Johnson did a good piece on graduate schools testing the waters with Twitter.

If you are interested, the complete Twitter demographics. 

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.