College is either far too expensive, too far from home or too “elitist,” a new survey suggests. Here are eight more reasons students aren’t applying to college.
Perhaps unsurprisingly to you, politics has a significant influence on where high school graduates choose to go to college, according to a from education company EAB. In fact, nearly one-third of the students surveyed reported removing at least one school from their list of considerations for a political reason.
“Gen Z students aren’t just evaluating academic offerings and campus amenities,” said Pam Royall, EAB’s head of research for enrollment services. “Whether they lean left or right politically, feeling welcomed and supported is central to the college experience they want.”
The full list of reasons students might reconsider college includes:
- Too expensive: 71%
- Too far from home: 47%
- Too close to home: 22%
- College isn’t well known: 19%
- Too elitist: 14%
- Campus is too conservative: 14%
- Located in a state that is too conservative: 12%
- Did not know anyone attending: 12%
- Campus is too liberal: 8%
- Student protests on campus: 5%
- Located in a state that is too liberal: 4%
EAB also asked students where they gather information about colleges to inform their decisions. Most often, students refer to online resources, including specific college websites, followed by:
- Search engines
- Communications from colleges
- High school resources
- Family
- In-person events
- College apps
- Friends and classmates
- Social media
- Adult advisors
- AI chatbots
Using this list, the researchers recommend that higher ed leaders ensure their college’s website is search engine optimized for both traditional and zero-click (AI-based) search results. Additionally, leaders must provide academic information on their site to not only include resources on programs and majors, but also the support services that can help students feel confident that they will succeed.
More from 91心頭: How to manage relationships with state leadership, beyond politics
Engagement strategy matters
The research adds that email is the best way to reach potential college applicants. Eighty-eight percent of high school students say they check their email at least once a day. However, students say they want colleges to take a personalized approach to their outreach strategy.
“When I say email, I mean less automated and more personal emails with information that actually will engage me into the school and not just statistics that reflect the school positively,” said one high school student in the survey.
Here are a few recommendations for leaders wanting to redesign their email strategy.
First, start by prioritizing responsive email campaigns. Acting quickly to respond to signals of intent may give your college a competitive edge.
Secondly, stay vigilant about deliverability. With email providers using machine learning to lighten their controls on inbox management, a deliberate strategy is essential to ensure your emails are not getting marked as spam. Monitor emails regularly and tailor your campaign structure to audience engagement to mitigate deliverability issues.
Read the full survey .
