Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Colleges Turn to New Media to Recruit Students

Recruiters using blogs, social networking, even text messages

By Laila Weir,  Newser User

Posted Jan 7, 2008 4:35 PM CST

(Newser) – If MySpace and Facebook are where the high school kids are, then that’s where college recruiters are headed. Schools competing for today’s tech-savvy teens are reaching out to them through podcasts, online videos, virtual campus tours, live chats, blogs, and social networking profiles, reports the Boston Globe—and those stuffy old admissions officers are increasingly in touch with prospectives via IM and text.

"This is how they prefer to communicate, and it gives us a chance to build a relationship with them," says one admissions director. "Technology is changing the admissions landscape very quickly." An increasing number of students who find colleges online, plus declining response rates for direct mailings, have driven the change. "Students find us on the Internet," said another admissions officer.

An undergraduate watches during an undergraduate College of Engineering graduation ceremony at Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., Saturday, May 12, 2007. Student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and then himself on April 16 on the campus of Virginia Tech. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
An undergraduate watches during an undergraduate College of Engineering graduation ceremony at Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., Saturday, May 12, 2007. Student Seung-Hui Cho killed...   (Associated Press)
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre shares a text message from his nephew with the media during a press conference Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 Rye Brook, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre shares a text message from his nephew with the media during a press conference Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 Rye Brook, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)   (Associated Press)
Steven Roy Goodman, a college admissions strategist, left, speaks with his client Kayani Bhatt, 17, of Bethesda, Md., and his mother, Anand Bhatt, as they discuss which colleges Kayani would like to apply to in Washington on Monday, July 23, 2007.   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Steven Roy Goodman, a college admissions strategist, left, speaks with his client Kayani Bhatt, 17, of Bethesda, Md., and his mother, Anand Bhatt, as they discuss which colleges Kayani would like to apply...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Colleges Snoop on Applicants' Online Lives

GPA, Personal Essay, SATs ... and Sabotage?


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne