Social Media and College Admissions: Higher-Ed Beats Business in Adoption of New Tools for Third Year [STUDY]

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research recently released the latest edition of the study “Social Media and College Admissions: Higher-Ed Beats Business in Adoption of New Tools for Third Year.” The study compares data from 2007, 2008, and 2009 and examines the fundamental question “How does a college or university recruit in this new, highly networked, constantly ‘on’ world?” How does your school compare to the findings?

95% of college admissions offices use at least one form of social media.

Is your school using Facebook, Twitter, or another social media site to connect with prospective students? According to the study, 87% of admissions departments are using social networking sites, 59% are using a school Twitter account, and 51% have a blog.

91% of admissions departments feel that social media is at least “somewhat important” to their future strategy.

Even if your school hasn’t adopted social media as part of your overall strategy yet, it’s important to begin considering your options and putting a plan in place for the future. Social media is not going away – if anything, it’s becoming more popular with prospects and students.

32% of schools have a blogging or social media policy that defines what is acceptable via the institutions’ online communications.

An important first step in any social media strategy is creating a policy for your employees. You will want to explain the rules of engagement to any and all staff who may be involved in the school’s social media. This will ensure that marketing and admissions messages are kept consistent across all platforms and that expectations are in place for proper behavior.

73% of schools are monitoring their school name online.

Whether you’re actively engaged in the online space or not, it’s important to understand what other people are saying about your school. Review sites like Yelp are becoming increasingly popular and offer your prospects another place to learn about your school. What are they going to find when they start looking?

The study shows that colleges and universities continue to embrace social media, outpacing both Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 companies. Is your school part of this ongoing growth?

Read the entire study here.