Journal of Student Affairs
at New York University
Volume IV2008
Journal of Student Affairs at New York University
The Role of the Internet in Students’ College
Selection Process and Admissions Recruitment
Strategies: A Review of the Literature
Diana Richter
The use of the Internet in the college selection process
deserves attention not only because it provides insight
into a generation of students, but also because deliberate and purposeful communication promotes accessibility and depth of information that helps students to
think critically about their postsecondary options. This
article reviews the literature related to the growing role
of the Internet in students’ college selection process and
admissions offices’ marketing strategies. It begins by exploring the three-stage developmental process in which
students engage before matriculating in a college and
their preferred information sources. The review continues by exploring topics associated with the institutional
use of the Internet, ranging from marketing practices to
the changing culture of the admissions office. Finally,
the article concludes with a discussion of implications
and a call-to-action for college counselors, admissions
personnel, and researchers.
College admissions offices have heeded the call. With 79 % of high
school students regularly using the Internet to complete school assignments, play games, listen to music and stay in touch with friends (DeBell
& Chapman, 2006), researchers agree that the Internet also has a growing
presence as an information source used in the college selection process.
This, coupled with the increasingly competitive and complex
Diana Richter ([email protected]) is a Career Development Counselor at
NYU’s Wasserman Center for Career Development, and was formerly the graduate
assistant at NYU’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Diana is also a Master’s
student in the Higher Education / Student Personnel Administration program at
NYU.
Richter .Internet
nature of college selection, has required admissions personnel to understand students’ college selection process in order to develop effective
student recruitment strategies. Scholar-practitioners have examined the
intersection of the Internet and college admissions and have focused their
inquiries in the following areas: the ways in which the Internet fits into
the developmental stages of the college selection process, the type of information sought by prospective students, and institutional use of the Internet (Heydet-Kirsch, 2003; Hossler, 1999; Lynch, 2004, Smith, 2006;
Strauss, 1998; Tower, 2006). The use of online media in college selection
includes communication both from the college to the student and from
the student to the college; therefore, this literature review evaluates the
use of the Internet as a tool used by prospective students as well as its implications on the landscape of college admissions.
Existing Research on Student Use of the Internet
The College Search Process
In order to understand the role of the Internet in the college selection process, it is first important to be acquainted with the three-stage
developmental process in which students engage before matriculating at
a college. Researchers developed various models during the 1980s to help
meet the needs of admissions professionals for understanding the student
college selection process and designing appropriate marketing strategies.
In 1989, Hossler, Braxton and Coopersmith (as cited in Heydet-Kirsch,
2003; Lynch, 2004; Strauss, 1998) synthesized the work of other researchers by organizing the college selection process into the following phases:
predisposition, search and choice. The first stage represents the formation
of educational aspirations. The second stage, consisting of the acquisition
and examination of information about colleges students may consider attending, typically occurs during the end of the junior year and the first
half of the senior year in high school. When the student has decided to
apply to certain institutions, he or she enters the final stage of the college
selection process and weighs preferences, costs and benefits to choose one
institution (Lynch, 2004). The following paragraphs shed light on how
the Internet plays into these stages and what types of information students seek though different media.
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Sources Used in the Search and Choice Stages
A wide array of resources is available to high school students who are
searching for colleges or universities to which they might submit an application. Strauss (1998) studied a representative sample of 389 first-year
students who had recently matriculated at Ohio State University in order
to determine how much traditional age students use the Web in collegedecision making. His study found that students in both the search and
choice stages relied on print media far more than they did online sources.
This was true despite the fact that the majority of respondents had access
to the Internet at home and/or at school. Students also relied on parents,
peers and teachers more than they did the Web for information about
colleges. Although the Web was ranked low as a source of information, it
is important to note that students reported using college websites more
during the search stage than during the choice stage. Hossler (1999) rationalized Strauss’ findings, noting that during the search stage, “high
school students are not interested in learning detailed information about
individual institutions” (p. 14). Instead, they are concerned with whether
or not their academic interests and credentials align with an institution’s
academic offerings and acceptance criteria.
Internet and computer access has increased dramatically since the late
1990s, when Strauss (1998) explored the extent to which students used
the Internet in their college-decision making process. Thus, one significant limitation of his research, as well as other studies of the 1990s, is that
it runs the risk of becoming outdated. To better understand how the college selection process may be changing in the new century, Smith (2006)
created and administered a survey to approximately 1700 Western New
York graduating high school seniors. The data analysis included tests to
determine how students’ perceptions of different college search resources
varied according to their racial background, parents’ educational backgrounds, academic ability, academic aspiration, and geographic focus of
their college searches. Additional tests were run to determine, regardless
of demographic factors, which college search resources were perceived
to be the most helpful. Hypothesizing that the Internet had grown in
popularity during the college search and choice phases, Smith (2006)
explained, “the Internet and Web technology has become the dominant
media resource in the lives of the typical Millenial high school student. .
The comprehensive services the Internet provides has changed how students are entertained, how they communicate and how they conduct personal, as well as educational, research” (p. 90). Like Strauss, Smith found
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that students used the Internet more during the search phase, rating the
technology as most useful when compared to print media and interpersonal interactions with admissions personnel. During the choice phase,
students perceived campus tours to be the most useful resource.
Communication Channel Preferences
In spite of the fact that the literature is consistent regarding some
sources used during the college decision process, the question “How do
students choose a college?” has several meanings. Lynch (2004) sought
to answer this question by administering a survey-based study, which
compared communication channel selections of students who enrolled in
a small, suburban, private, liberal arts university in the Midwest. Lynch
divided communication channels into personal (email conversations, inperson meetings, college recruitment events and telephone contact) and
non-personal (college-produced print publications, college websites and
reference guides). Examining communication channel preferences based
on information categories that include academic program, social atmosphere, financial, and geographic location, Lynch found that, in both the
search and choice stages and across all information categories, students
prefer personal communication channels. Even so, the role of the Internet
in the college search process cannot be dismissed. According to Lynch,
the Internet was the preferred non-personal communication channel for
financial, social atmosphere, and academic program information.
Heydet-Kirsch (2003) also researched student communication channel preferences, but analyzed his findings according to a different set of
information categories: official and unofficial. Unlike the other literature discussed, Heydet-Kirsch employed qualitative methods to explore
and describe how high school students use sources of information. It was
found that students sought not only official information provided by the
college administration, but also sought “unofficial information” from other sources on the campus as well as information from outside the campus.
In terms of the Internet, Heydet-Kirsch explained that students seek official information via college website virtual tours, online course catalogs,
and internal publications, such as electronic departmental newsletters and
course syllabi. Students cited seeking unofficial information via contacting
students whose email addresses they received from older friends or relatives. Heydet-Kirsch quoted students as saying, “I liked email chatrooms.
Then you find people who tell you more than what’s in the brochures,”
Journal of Student Affairs at New York University
and, “I met two kids in a chatroom from the college website and they told
me where not to live” (p. 47).
Chat technologies like instant messaging appeal to students because
communication occurs in real-time. According to Tower (2006), nearly
three-quarters of college-bound students would like to communicate with
colleges through instant messaging, though less than 10 % of students actually did during their college search. As with other reports on communication channel preferences, Tower (2006) emphasized that the medium
of communication trumps the content, saying, “Though millenials trust
very little marketing, they have high expectations of it being personalized,
meaningful, and relevant to their unique situation” (p. 1). With today’s
college-bound students then, the Internet not only serves as a source of
information, but also as a facet of customer service.
Institutional Use of the Internet
Information Control
A review of the literature reveals a broad range of topics associated
with the institutional use of the Internet, ranging from marketing practices to the changing culture of the admissions office. Sources involve a
mixture of data-based articles and books as well as articles that integrate
observations from the field with opinions. Relevant to the “unofficial information” researched by Heydet-Kirsch (2003), many scholars and admissions professionals focus on how to maintain a consistent image and
brand through information control. For example, Guernsey (1998) indicated that “one-stop shopping” college websites, which provide online databases of information for thousands of colleges, cause admissions officers
to question where the information is coming from, its accuracy, and if
colleges can influence it.
Hossler (1999) echoed these concerns, citing that the Web “is a highly interactive medium and it gives [students] more control in choosing
information. In this environment it will be much more difficult for institutions to control and influence what students learn about our institutions” (p. 14). Hartman (1998) proposed a solution to the dilemma of
information control, indicating that institutions can either be “victims of
cyber-information,” or they can take the lead by employing recruitment
initiatives that “use the full strength of the Internet, including mailing
lists, chatrooms, Internet videoconferencing, the World Wide Web, and
targeted electronic mail” (p. 54). Tower (2006) added that colleges and
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universities should tap into blogs and podcasts, offering students a detailed, firsthand account of student life at their school as well as the opportunity to virtually attend events on campus.
The Changing Admissions Office
The National Association of College Admissions Counseling (2006)
reported that the average college spent 442 dollars to recruit a single applicant in 2006. In view of this, with decreasing admissions’ budgets and
increasing recruitment targets (Tower, 2006), using the Internet to build
and convert the applicant pool in real-time and for much lower costs is enticing (Hossler, 1999). A tug of war, however, is evident in a review of the
literature. Encouraging students to apply online and allowing the capability to track their application online reduces hard copy expense and paper
use, and also streamlines application processing (Hossler, 1999; Mentz &
Whiteside, 2003). At the same time, maintaining visibility on the Internet
and electronic systems requires a commitment of resources, time, technology and people, as well as hidden costs for updating and maintaining the
accuracy of all webpages (Hartman, 1998; Hossler, 1999). It may even
require a change in the hiring practices of admissions offices, whereas “colleges may want to look for people with some technical and/or high-end
computer experience when hiring new admission professionals in order to
build a staff who can contribute in building a stronger Internet presence”
(Smith, 2006, p. 118). These appropriations of financial resources and human capital change the admissions office from a place where relationships
with prospective students have been cultivated through print communication and face-to-face or over-the-phone interpersonal communication,
to one that is mediated electronically.
Implications for Admissions Professionals
While the Internet brings uncertainties along with its new demands
on personnel, new costs, and new modes for communicating with students, the literature points to one certainty: higher education administrators are beginning to see the value of implementing marketing strategies into student recruitment (Lynch, 2004; Smith, 2006; Strauss, 1998).
Smith (2006) emphasized this value, saying, “in a time where budgetary
constraints are common, a better understanding of effective information
resources may be profitable” (p. 197). In order to successfully use the In-
Journal of Student Affairs at New York University
ternet for educating students and targeting enrollment for new admission,
higher education institutions need to integrate the type of information
prospective students seek at different stages in the college selection process with the communication channels they prefer into their marketing
strategies
At the same time colleges and universities reassess the current status
of their Web presence and promotional strategies, admissions professionals remember the human element to admissions and college counseling.
The nuances among application procedures and requirements are often
overwhelming, and the decision-making process is not to be taken lightly.
Keeping in mind that students prefer personal communication channels
(Lynch, 2004), it is up to college guidance counselors and admissions
personnel to reach out to all students and make sure that they are asking
the right questions, seeking the right information, and are empowered to
make decisions about their future education. Moreover, counselors must
be sure to reach students who do not have access to the Internet at home,
or are less computer-savvy; often, these are the students who are underrepresented on college campuses.
While many cannot imagine life or work without it anymore, the
Internet has not reached its full potential either as a democratizing medium, or as a medium for sharing information. Future research is needed
to explore how and to what extent students of low-income or underrepresented backgrounds use the Internet to conduct their college search. Also,
there is a lack of research on the effect different college websites have on
students’ college selection; how are admissions offices tailoring their websites for each stage of the college selection process? Finally, new electronic
media—real time chats, message boards, blogs, and networking websites
like Facebook—lends itself to new opportunities and a need to discern
the best practices for incorporating these into recruitment strategies.
Understanding the role of the Internet in students’ college selection
confers a call-to-action for deliberate and purposeful communication
with students from colleges that promotes accessibility and depth of information. This type of outreach and communication can help students
to gather accurate and timely information as they make critical decisions
about their future education, making it more likely that expectations of
their chosen college will match the reality. The use of the Internet further
deserves attention by researchers and admissions personnel not only because it can strengthen recruitment and retention, but because it provides
insight into a generation of students. The ways students spend their time,
gather information, and prefer to communicate with an institution can be
Richter .Internet
gleaned from their activities on the Internet. The manner in which students make decisions about their college education is in many ways connected to these activities, adding force to the notion that college selection
is a dynamic process that mirrors the diversity of information sources and
the ever-changing media landscape.
Undoubtedly, higher education administrators and admission personnel can expect that as new applications for the Internet are created
and popularized, scholar-practitioners will be called upon once more to
revisit the role of the Internet in the college selection process, reevaluate
and revamp how colleges communicate with prospective students.
References
Debell, M., & Chapman, C. (2006). Computer and Internet use by students in 2003. Retrieved on November 23, 2007, from
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006065.pdf.
Guernsey, L. (1998). Admissions in cyberspace: Web sites bring
complications for colleges. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 45(7), A27-9.
Hartman, K. E. (1998). The Internet & college admissions: Implications and opportunities. Change, 30(2), 54-55.
Heydet-Kirsch, P. E. (2003). The use of the Internet within the college search process of high school juniors and seniors. (Ed.D., University of Miami).
Hossler, D. (1999). Using the Internet in college admission: Strategic choices. Journal of College Admission, (162), 12-19.
Lynch, A. B. (2004). Factors that impact communication channel
selection by traditional-age freshmen in the college choice process. (Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale).
Journal of Student Affairs at New York University
Mentz, G., & Whiteside, R. (2003). Internet college recruiting and
marketing: Web promotion, techniques and law. Journal of College Admission, (181), 10-17.
National Association for College Admission Counseling. (2006). State of college admission 2006 executive summary. Retrieved on November 23, 2007, from http://nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/78BCFBFB-6871
-4FCA-B1BF-50E330735706/0/06SOCA_ExecutiveSummarypdf.
pdf.
Smith, S. P. (2006). An exploration of perceived usefulness of admissions advisors, guidance counselors, family, friends, websites, campus tours, and print publications during the search and choice phases of the
college selection process. (Ph.D., State University of New York at
Buffalo).
Strauss, D. J. (1998). The use of the World Wide Web as a source of
information during the search and choice stages of the college selection process. (Ph.D., Ohio State University).
Tower, J. (2006). New technologies in student recruitment: Blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, and instant messaging. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://jtmd.com/NewTech.10-19.pdf.