Spark451’s 2024 annual college-bound pupil survey acquired responses from just about 5,400 graduating seniors. After graduation, this survey is issued to highschool seniors to collect enter on their school search quest. Of people who responded, school college faculty college students attend a mixture of private, public, religiously affiliated, liberal arts, evaluation institutions, and HBCUs. Some school college faculty college students chosen a neighborhood school, technical school, a spot 12 months, or have gotten a member of the navy.
This report consists of knowledge and insights on school college faculty college students’ social media utilization, hottest promoting methods, impressions of the admissions course of, and additional.
Following are the crucial situation insights of the survey
Social Media Habits
Larger than 90% of students reported spending not lower than one hour on social media on every day foundation. Two-thirds talked about they spend three hours or additional on social media on every day foundation. When you take into account the schedule of a typical highschool pupil who sleeps for eight hours and is at school for however one other six, that means that 60% of students are spending increased than one-third of their free time on social media.
When requested to seek out out which social media channels school college faculty college students spend probably most likely primarily essentially the most time on, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have been the best three, with Snapchat falling fastidiously behind. Not solely are school college faculty college students spending probably most likely primarily essentially the most time on these three platforms, nevertheless moreover they reported using these three as items for his or her school search. 65% used Instagram to look out school knowledge, 54% used YouTube, and 46% used TikTok.
Promoting Communication Preferences
Larger than half of respondents began their school search all by the use of their junior 12 months. After over a 12 months of interacting with colleges and reviewing promoting offers, school college faculty college students have commonplace opinions on widespread strategies. The search course of is shifting earlier. Closing 12 months, over 85% of students reported beginning their school search inside {the summertime} of junior 12 months or later. This 12 months, the share dropped to 80%, with 20% starting to find as sophomores or youthful.
All by the use of Spark451’s panel of highschool school college faculty college students and folks at SparkThink@JAM (our particular curiosity dialogue board on enrollment and experience), most school college faculty college students talked about they don’t pay cash for mail, so after they do, it feels considerably private and particular. Up increased than 10% from remaining 12 months, 55% of students reported receiving textual content material materials supplies messages from colleges by the search course of. Quite a few-third talked about texting was okay at any time, whereas 28% talked about after inquiring, and fewer than 2% talked about they hottest not at all to be texted.
Utility Preferences
Utility swimming swimming swimming swimming pools are getting additional wonderful whereas the inhabitants is shrinking. School college faculty college students are making use of to far more colleges than ever sooner than. Up from 39% remaining 12 months and 37% in 2022, 45% of respondents utilized to 10 or additional colleges this 12 months. Larger than 80% of students talked about that the Frequent Utility is more likely to be most likely primarily essentially the most fascinating approach to utilize. Affordability could very nicely be an unlimited contributor—64% of respondents utilized to additional colleges than deliberate on account of they’d acquired utility worth waivers. Lastly, fewer requirements contained within the utility course of are rising attain. 44% talked about a school’s test-optional security was a take into accounts making use of, and 50% each didn’t take a check out or didn’t submit their scores.
Enrollment Willpower Drivers
The 2024 senior class comes from a interval of discerning promoting prospects. They price authenticity and satisfaction themselves on accessing knowledge on their very non-public. Academic top quality and value are persistently rated as terribly important when evaluating decisions, merely as in earlier years. Scholarships and placement have been as shortly as as rapidly as further an crucial elements. School college faculty college students proceed to steadiness getting a return on funding with discovering one of the best match.
This 12 months, it focused on getting the scholar’s perspective on the 2024 FAFSA course of. 82% talked about they filed. No matter 55% reporting that submitting was simpler than anticipated, the selection 45% reported frustrations with the strong course of, the shortcoming of folks with out social security numbers to file, and the delayed timing. 35% talked about they felt like they wished to attend a really very very very long time to make their school choice, and one fully completely different 9% talked about they’re nonetheless prepared on pretty a few financial assist presents. 12% talked about they in the long run chosen a neighborhood school, technical school, or fully fully completely different chance on account of their FAFSA experience.
95% of survey responders had made their school dedication by the purpose they took the survey this summer season season season. Some have been, in actual actuality, nonetheless prepared on their financial assist presents to resolve. The others have chosen to hitch the navy or workforce, some are taking a spot 12 months, and an excessive amount of are hoping to spend the 12 months turning into additional financially and academically able to strive as rapidly as further for Fall 2025.
Spark451 surveyed over 1,100 dad and mother of latest highschool graduates inside {the summertime} of 2024 to hunt out out about their college-choosing experiences. Some observed dad and mother’ children attend school this fall, whereas others have taken a spot 12 months, joined the navy, or entered the workforce. This report showcases the knowledge and insights gleaned from this survey, along with dad and mother’ attitudes throughout the course of social media utilization, financial assist, the making use in any case of, promoting messaging, political climates on campus, and significantly further.
Utility Worth Waiver
43% of the mom or father respondents talked about that the provision of an utility worth waiver did not affect their toddler’s dedication to make the most of to an institution, per outcomes from remaining 12 months’s survey. Nonetheless, some indicators counsel this may be shifting: Closing 12 months, 22.5% of responders indicated that their toddler was not equipped a worth waiver as an incentive to make the most of to any faculties, in distinction with 19% this 12 months. Further importantly, the number of dad and mother who felt their toddler could very nicely be swayed by a worth waiver rose from 32.5% to 38%.
Early Willpower
70% of folks talked about that incentives harking back to scholarships, early registration, or diminished enrollment deposits would have influenced their toddler’s choice to make use of Early Willpower (ED) to their hottest school. This resolve aligns with responses from the sooner 12 months nevertheless represents a sharp decline from 75% in earlier years. Nonetheless, which incentives school college faculty college students are equipped elements; 91% of folks indicated that scholarships would have significantly impacted their dedication to make the most of to ED.
Direct Admission
For the first time, the survey requested dad and mother how they actually truly actually really feel about direct admissions (whereby highschool school college faculty college students who meet particular requirements are equipped a nonbinding current of admission). Most dad and mother (73%) responded that such a suggestion would have been fascinating.
Social Media Utilization
Like their children, 66% of the dad and mother reported spending between one and 4 hours on every day foundation on social media. Not solely are dad and mother on social media, nevertheless they’re using it to evaluation faculties: 83% of folks talked about that they used all of it by the use of their toddler’s school search and selection course of. Fb continues to be the favored platform for folks (in distinction to their children), with just about 58% of folks rating it as their hottest social media website to assemble particulars about faculties. The following hottest platform was Instagram, coming in at 41%.
Memorable Promoting
The survey signifies that of the entire varsity promoting dad and mother pay cash for, spam helps institutions stand out from the group. Larger than half of the dad and mother surveyed (55%) talked about that the mailings they or their school college faculty college students acquired have been probably most likely primarily essentially the most memorable—an increase of 5 proportion elements over remaining 12 months.
Communication Preferences
Over 77% of folks select e mail for direct communication with universities, with print mail following second and textual content material materials supplies messaging coming in third—far ahead of cellphone calls and social media. Curiously, when requested how they like colleges to work along with their children, dad and mother select textual content material materials supplies messaging over spam (although e mail nonetheless leads).
Worth and Financial Help
Nearly 31 per cent of folks would have truly useful a particular school for his or her toddler if funds weren’t an issue. Over 77% of folks regarded worth as “Wished” or “Terribly Wished” of their school search, up from 70% the sooner 12 months. When assessing a school’s perceived academic top quality, money was prioritized oversize, location, and athletics. Though dad and mother and school college faculty college students may also be additional cautious about in search of pupil mortgage debt, 66% of folks reported encouraging their toddler to take out pupil loans—nevertheless 20% talked about they’d solely obtain this if it have been beneath a optimistic amount. Over half of the respondents talked about that their school college faculty college students had not principally chosen probably most likely primarily essentially the most fairly priced chance for varsity.
FAFSA Frets
This 12 months, delays in releasing the model new FAFSA affected the varsity search course of. When requested about their FAFSA experience, dad and mother could react of their very non-public phrases. Many replies highlighted the hardships encountered this 12 months. No matter these challenges, increased than 91% of households reported filling out the FAFSA; nonetheless, over half reported having matter submitting.
About Spark451
Spark451 is a Jenzabar firm and the next educating enrollment approach, experience, and promoting agency that mixes creativity with sturdy experience to know measurable outcomes. With a mission to help faculties and school college faculty college students gasoline their future, the company integrates many communication channels and platforms for environment nice enrollment promoting, pupil search, ingenious suppliers, and digital media. Since 2011, Spark451 has labored with over 200 faculties and universities nationwide.
