What are prospective students looking for when they enter a college’s website?

With the Net generation coming to age (and going to college), this is definitely the million-dollar question…

If you’re a regular, you probably know that I like to discuss possible answers in my posts targeted to Admission Offices.

In an article written by Dan Carnevale and titled “To Size Up Colleges, Students Now Shop Online,” The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on this new trend:

“The same high-school students who think nothing of going to J. Crew’s Web site to order the right pair of jeans — sifting through the plethora of styles that seem to change by the week — are turning out to be equally sophisticated online consumers of college information.
[…]
But selling colleges online is more difficult than selling boot-fit jeans. The competition from other institutions is stiff and getting more so, leading to a kind of online arms race that pits splashy Flash graphics against the latest interactive features, like admissions blogs and podcasts.”

After describing the state of the online college matchmaking business (independent websites that help prospective students find the right fit), this article concludes on a very puzzling note:

“Besides, although students depend on the Web to conduct research about colleges, they don’t always buy what the institution is trying to sell them. Britni E. Wilcher, a graduating senior at Claremont High School, in California, says she bypasses much of a college Web site’s bells and whistles, like blogs and podcasts, for the important information, such as what courses are available and who the professors are.”

Are blogs and podcasts really just bells and whistles?

I don’t think they are just marketing gimmicks, but rather very attractive and interactive ways to distribute important information. After all, what better way to find out about who the professors are than to read their blogs or to listen to their podcasts?

Judy Hingle, the director for professional development at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, responded to your peers’ questions and comments in an online chat organized and hosted by The Chronicle of Higher Education on June 9. You can read the transcript of this chat about the role of the website in the college admission process.