Just How Social Media Site Shapes College Planning for Trainees

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Blog: How Social Media Shapes College Planning For Students. Image of high school students liking content on smartphones. Blog: How Social Media Shapes College Planning For Students. Image of high school students liking content on smartphones.
Social network is a front door for student outreach.

Let us be straightforward: University planning is not almost university excursions and glossy sales brochures anymore. These days, it has to do with late-night scrolling. It has to do with discovering your future in a 15 -2nd TikTok or enjoying a day-in-the-life dormitory vlog on YouTube, possibly squeezed between a skate boarding pet and a viral dance difficulty. And let us confess, none of this is meaningless. Students materialize choices right there in the center of the scroll, about where they belong, that they want to be, and what opportunities are out there (Astleitner & & Schlick,2025

That is the tale the 2025 E-Expectations Fad Report tells us. Social network is not a bonus network for student outreach; it is the front door. As a matter of fact, 63 % of trainees are on Instagram, yet only 53 % see university material there. That is a missed opportunity (RNL, Halda, & & Modern School,2025 Below is the spin: Universities understand social is effective, too. The 2025 Marketing and Employment Practices Report for Undergraduate Trainees programs that registration teams place social media sites, retargeted, and video advertisements amongst their most effective electronic methods. Still, when it comes time to take out their wallets, colleges invest a lot of their investing on Instagram and Facebook, while TikTok and YouTube, where young adults invest much of their time, are left underused (RNL,2025

Social network is where the search starts

The E-Expectations information programs that for 56 % pupils, social media sites matters most when they begin thinking about college. Before they ever request information or take a trip, they are watching you. They are searching for ideas, hints, and maybe an indicator that this might be their future home.

We understand they are asking themselves:

  • “Could I see myself there?”
  • “Do these students appear like me?”
  • “Would certainly I fit in?”

This associate findings from the Church bench Research Center (2024, which reports that over 90 % of young adults utilize social media sites each day, and systems like Instagram and TikTok are where they are most active. A lot more notably, teens count on these systems for assistance in decision-making, including school choices (American Trainee Assistance,2021

For first-generation and underrepresented pupils, that early scroll matters much more. Social media site frequently acts as their very first “window in,” a method to check out campus life and construct confidence before they ever before connect (Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, & & Gray, 2013; Brown, Pyle, & & Ellison,2022 Perhaps they are wondering if the dining hall food is comparable to those Instagram tales declare, or if the trainees in the videos hang out with each other.

Your social media sites must say:

“We see you. We want you to really feel welcome prior to you also set foot on campus.”

Yet, the 2025 Advertising And Marketing Practices Record suggests that several organizations lead with brand name identification campaigns, brightened facilities video clips, or rankings as opposed to authentic trainee stories that assist them feel like they belong (RNL,2025 Students are looking for belonging; colleges are still flaunting prestige. That void is where connections can obtain lost.

What makes trainees follow?

2025 E-Expectations Trend Report. Explore the online expectations, experiences, and behaviors of college-bound high school students 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report. Explore the online expectations, experiences, and behaviors of college-bound high school students

The E-Expectations data makes one thing clear: Pupils desire greater than shiny images. They want real, raw, pertinent web content that speaks with their life and dreams.

  • 37 % comply with colleges for trainee life material.
  • 31 % want “the lowdown” on exactly how to use.
  • 30 % are all about content in their significant

That need for sincerity is backed up by study: Secondary school trainees value user-generated content for credibility however still expect main accounts to offer reputable details. The wonderful area is when both collaborate (Karadağ, Tosun, & & Ayan,2024 Emotional validation from peers does not simply stimulate a like; it strengthens their feeling of connection (Brandão & & Ramos,2024 In other words, pupils are not just following but searching for an area where they feel recognized.

Not simply where, yet when

The E-Expectations information information a critical reality: Social media matters most when pupils start college preparation. More than half (56 %) are scrolling and viewing before getting a brochure or visiting a web site. After that, social media’s impact drops steadily as they move with applications, brows through, and acceptance. By the time they are accepted, just 21 % claim social networks still plays a substantial duty (RNL,2025

The Marketing Practices Report , nonetheless, shows that lots of universities still dial up their social invest around yield campaigns (RNL,2025 That timing inequality suggests establishments might miss out on the essential “imagination stage” when pupils decide if a school also makes their list. We wish to fulfill them at the beginning, not simply at the goal.

Other research study backs this up: Colleges with regular, energetic visibilities across systems are far more likely to remain on trainees’ minds (Capriotti, Oliveira, & & Carretón, 2024, and lining up articles with mathematical sequencing guarantees they see the material when it matters (Cingillioglu, Gal, & & Prokhorov,2024 We wish to see to it we are in their feed when they require us the most, not simply when organizations require them.

Human connections start with digital ones

Behind every comply with, like, and tale tap is a trainee searching for an exciting and secure future. Study on elite universities shows the highest possible involvement originates from Instagram material that blends professionalism with credibility (Bonilla Quijada, Perea Muñoz, Corrons, & & Olmo-Arriaga,2022 Potential students make use of social networks to assess fit, society, and belonging in admissions (Jones,2023

When we lean right into authentic stories on students’ platforms, we can transform social networks from a megaphone into a welcome mat. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report programs that social advertisements work, however they function best when they align with the raw, real, and relevant material students claim draws them in (RNL,2025

This is what we need to be doing

Establishments ought to intend to do more than hope students do not scroll past. Urge exploration, curiosity, and the search for stories that seem like their own. Young adults are not interested in sleek perfection alone; they are searching for something genuine that feels possible for them.

You, as establishments, require to appear where trainees are. Satisfy them in their late-night scroll, not simply in a campus sales brochure. Answer their inquiries concerning laundry equipments and dining hall mysteries, along with the concerns concerning belonging and opportunity. When you share genuine stories and welcome every curiosity, regardless of exactly how uncommon, you assist students see themselves on your campuses.

Our collective mission exceeds applications and acceptance rates. We desire trainees to locate their individuals, place, and function. We appreciate more than numbers; we care about each student’s trip. Let us help them write the following phase, not simply enlist for the following term.

Be the reason a student stops scrolling and begins picturing a future with you!

Pupils are already scrolling. The question is: Will they quit on your story? Get the data, benchmarks, and functional recommendations in the 2025 E-Expectations Record The late-night scroll is actual. Let’s make sure students discover you there! Check out the 2025 E-Expectations Report for useful methods to build genuine, high-impact connections with possible pupils.

Talk with our advertising and recruitment specialists

RNL collaborates with institution of higher learnings throughout the country to ensure their marketing and employment efforts are enhanced and straightened with just how student look for colleges. Connect today for a complimentary consultation to talk about:

  • Trainee search approaches
  • Omnichannel communication campaigns
  • Personalization and interaction at range

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