Stephanie Geyer, Associate VP for E-communications and Web Strategy at Noel-Levitz, presented the results of a recent online survey her company conducted just last month with 454 (helicopter) parents.
Results were just released last Saturday, so this is fresh from the oven.
What she said confirms what most of the people working in admissions have learned to cope with: parents are now very (too?) involved in the college search.
Parents actually do most of the homework – researching colleges on the Web – and the work – even filling out online forms for their child.
41% have submitted inquiry forms
32% calculated tuition costs
28% requested campus visits
14% have impersonalized their student
11% have completed applications for their student
5% participated in IM chat
Websites need to include a section targeted to parents.
40% reading the mail sent to to their child… with their permission
7% read nearly everything… without permission
Who’s paying for college and associated living expenses?
66% student and family will share responsibility
25% family only
10% student complitely
You need to present cost/benefits analysis to students AND parents.
What have they done up until now/wish they could?
IM with counselor/student: 48% done / 42% would like to do it
Email counselor: 25% / 62%
Cost calculation: 32% / 51%
Request campus visit: 48% / 40%
Online applicaton: 11% / 47%
Email current student/faculty: 35% / 37%
Virtual tour: 48% / 30% – Are your virtual tours targeted to parents?
Opt-in texts: 20% / 38%
School page on social networking website: 17% / 39%
Read blogs: 21% / 31%
16% report that their students has been invited to join a SN within a school site or sponsored by the school
Web content priorities:
Academic programs/majors
Scholarships
Admissions requirements
Tuition and feeds
Campus safety
Financial aid
Info for parents of prospective students
Accreditation
Info for accepted students
Visiting campus
Payment options plan
Housing and residence life
Faculty and teaching
Graduation rates
Student life and activities
Job placement rates
85% would like you to email them — include parents contact info field in your inquiry form.
76% mail
49% call
Communicate with me…
49% after my student has inquired
19% after I have inquired
15% after my student applies
9% after my student is accepted
6% after my student visits
1% never
To say what?
94% tuition, aid, scholarship info
84% dates, deadlines, procedures
76% application status
74% residence life details
70% visit opportunities
69% academic program details
69% location/campus info
65% student life details
50% virtual tour/campus view
[…] Live blogging from eduWeb 2008 – Circling Over Enrollment: The E-Expectations of Parents by Stephani… NEW 2:00pm 7/22/08 […]
[…] survey her company conducted in June 2008 with 454 parents. At that time in a blog post titled “Live blogging from eduWeb 2008 – Circling Over Enrollment: The E-Expectations of Parents by S… I shared the (incomplete) notes I had been able to take during the […]