Paving the Way for Greater Access – Effectively Communicating with Parents and Students

1. Paving the Way for Greater Access – • Effectively Communicating with Parents and Students Madeleine Rhyneer Vice President for Enrollment Management Albion College

2. Engaging parents creates greater opportunity for recruitment and enrollment, as well as improved student retention

3. Key findings:Communication and influence

4. Overview of studies on college costs, parental influence, and communication preferences Online surveys of students and parents of prospective students Students - 6,372 participants - 2012 enrollment cycle Parents - 4,878 participants from two surveys - Survey 1: Focused on parental influence and communication preferences – 2,832 participants during 2012 enrollment cycle - Survey 2: Focused on college options, cost, and decision criteria – 2,046 participants during 2013 enrollment cycle

5. A few key findings • from students

6. Devices used • Among the students who own smartphones: • 94.0% also own a laptop or desktop computer. • 42.1% have a smartphone, desktop computer, and laptop. 43.1% of students have a smartphone 90.8% of students have a cell phoneor smartphone 56.2% of parents have a smartphone

7. Devices used – longitudinal data Growing Smartphone Ownership Among Students 2012 2011 2010

8. Channels students view as necessary for colleges to use

9. Channels students view as less necessary

10. A few key findings • from Parents

11. The primary areas of parental influence Mean scores are based on a 5-point scale, where 1 = no influence and 5 = significant influence.

12. How parents engage in college choice Reported by 75% or more of parents responding • Talked with child about schools being considered • Searched for information on a college’s website • Read printed materials colleges sent to child • Read email messages sent directly to parent • Helped child compare options by weighing the pros and cons of different schools • Talked with child about different college majors • Talked with child about financing college

13. How parents get the information they need • 85.4% by searching on college websites • 84.3% by reading materials mailed to them and/or their child from colleges • 81.0% by reading email sent to them and/or their child • 75.0% by searching for information online using popular search engines

14. When parents want specific information

15. Parents want to receive information directly from colleges as well as view materials sent to their child 12.9% 13.7% 73.4% Parent communication preference Sent to Parent Sent to Student Sent to Parent and Student

16. How most parents prefer to receive information

17. Another view

18. Some popular digital channels … not so popular • Just 1.7% have followed a school on Twitter • Just 2.6% have used online chat with a school representative • Just 4.9% have used RSS to subscribe to school updates Overall, parents are unlikely to rely upon blogs, podcasts, chats, wikis, and other social digital channels

19. Key insights • Parents believe they have the most influence over the financial aspects of college choice • Parents desire information, and they also want their children to have information • With each entering class, parents are more likely to be Internet savvy and increasingly mobile in their use of technology

20. Key insights • Desired content will vary throughout the college search • Financial planning and feasibility > freshman year • General college information > sophomore year • Specific schools, majors, careers, scholarships and financial aid > junior year • Applications (tips and deadlines), enrollment, housing > senior year

21. Key findings:College cost and considerations

22. Key finding #1 College cost is a concern, but it is not the only thing parents are worried about when considering their child’s college choice. Means are based on rankings from 1 to 3, where 1 indicates greatest concern.

23. Additional concerns • Other expressed concerns include: • Debt their child would have upon graduation • Their child’s ability to complete college in four years • Whether their child will be admitted to graduate school after college

24. Key finding #2 More than one in four parents are unsure about how much they will invest annually in their child’s education.

25. Key finding #2 – by educational attainment • More than one in four parents are unsure about how much they will invest annually in their child’s education.

26. Key finding #2 –by type of schools under consideration • Unsure/don’t know • $15,000 or less • $15,001-$30,000 • $30,001 or more

27. Key finding #3 • Parents will rely on a number of different resources to cover college costs. • Parents indicated the portion of total education costs they expect to be covered by different sources • Grants and scholarships • Income and savings • Borrowed funds/loans

28. Key finding #3–expected funding by sources – some or all Income/savings Grants/ scholarships Loans Income/savings Grants/ scholarships Loans Parents who expect a portion of child’s education to be funded from each source Parents who expect 100% of child’s education to be funded from each source

29. Key finding #3 – expected funding by educational attainment Percentages represent the portion of the total education costs parents expect to be covered by each source.

30. Key finding #4 Parents may be waiting too late in the college search process to enable optimal decisions that balance cost and quality.

31. Key finding #5 The school characteristics parents value most are ones that will set their child up for success – in school and upon graduation. Means are based on rankings from 1 to 3, where 1 is most valuable.

32. Key finding #6 Parents want information about costs throughout their child’s high school career, but more seem to expect it in the student’s junior year.

33. Parent engagement strategies in practice

34. Global strategies for parent communications • Building communication campaigns specifically for parents • Providing financial information to support discussions within households • Designing on-campus events for parents • Strengthening your website with a parent “portal” • Maximizing online search outcomes (SEO efforts)

35. The case at Albion College A few examples: • Email campaign throughout admission process • On-campus and online events for parents • Structured faculty/parent interaction during campus visit programs • Web and print promotion of “The Albion Advantage” and alumni success stories • Mail piece to parents debunking the myth that college is too expensive and not worth the investment • Flyer included in each visit packet for students/parents on campus describing paying for college as a partnership where the parents, the college/university, the student, and perhaps the state/federal government all play a role.

36. The case at Albion College Albion is focusing efforts on trying to collect parent email addresses to make a more holistic experience Parent Email Submissions Search 2013 Albion has 4,531parent email addresses from last year’s Search. These will be used to communicate with parents in the future. Provided Parent Email 4,531 46% No Parent Email 5,271 54%

37. The case at Albion College Provided Parent Email 4,531 46% No Parent Email 5,271 54% Can parental involvement improve application submission rates? • Test goal • Can we increase the application submission rate by sending email deadline reminders to the parents? • Test setup • Control group – emails sent to only the prospective students • Test group – additional emails sent to the parents

38. Questions?