Using Technology in Undergraduate Admission: Current Practices and Future Plans

Journal of College Admission, Summer 2009 by Lindbeck, Robin, Fodrey, Brian

Introduction

The face of the prospective college student is changing. As part of the Millennial generation and described as "smart, practical, techno-sawy" (Lancaster and Stillman 2002) these students are forcing colleges and universities to adapt and change in a variety of ways in order to draw and appeal to their specific set of interests and expectations. One way institutions are changing to accommodate the Millennial student is by integrating various technologies into admission practices. A recent survey conducted by Noel-Levitz (2008) benchmarking e-recruiting practices at two-and four-year institutions found 50 percent or more of the responding colleges and universities are integrating technologies such as cell phones and Web pages into their recruiting practices. Across institutions, however, little attention is given to identifying other uses for technology or measuring the level of effectiveness these technologies are having in recruiting students (Strauss and Howe 2007).

It is expected that by the 2016-17 academic year there will be an increase of 26 percent in bachelor's degrees conferred within the United States (Hussar and Bailey 2007). This increase depicts a tremendous opportunity for colleges and universities to take advantage of a growing market of incoming students and increase their enrollment- but will current practices be effective in recruiting them? Examining the use and effectiveness of e-recruiting activities will create the data needed for admission departments to make strategic decisions on how they will use various technologies in the recruiting process to meet the goals of their institutions,

Literature Review

Characteristics of the Millennial Generation

Born in 1982, the first of the Millennial generation graduated college in 2004 and will continue to populate the undergraduate ranks of colleges and universities for years to come (Lancaster and Stillman 2002). It is estimated that roughly 70 percent of the Millennial generation will seek higher education opportunities upon their high school graduation (Strauss and Howe 2007). With these record-setting numbers Millennial students will have an enormous influence on how higher education institutions address their admission and recruiting practices well into the future.

It is well documented that the characteristics of the Millennial generation differ from previous generations (Lancaster and Stillman 2002). For example, this generation demonstrates an enhanced commitment to being team-oriented with a desire to collaborate with their peers which creates a need for increased levels of communication and connectedness. Archetypically, Millenniais believe what is good for one is often good for all and frequently look to each other for growth and development opportunities. Their exposure to a variety of media from an early age and their quest for achieving a well-balanced life has contributed to the perception that Millennial have short attention spans and are reluctant to pursue endeavors that provide value to the perceived greater good (Strauss and Howe 2007).

Millennial also seek out information and resources that are easily accessible and in already familiar formats. One common example of this is the world of video and online gaming. Though it can be argued that the popularity of these gaming environments have been detrimental to this generation's face-to-face interpersonal skills, some suggest that these games have opened a door of opportunity for a new method of communication. The world of gaming has become increasingly more online and advanced, as well as designed to maximize the strengths and characteristics of the Millennial student (Squire and Steinkuehler 2005). Players are often stimulated by both exercising and acquiring a variety of critical thinking and literacy skills necessary for competing and communicating in the game, while simultaneously being entertained and engaged (Squire and Steinkuehler 2005). This generation knows little to nothing about life before highly-connected and real-time technologies and information sharing were so widely available, thereby enhancing their inability to focus on one thing at a time. Recognizing this characteristic and placing emphasis on capturing the communal and collaborative avenues in a Millennial^ life may prove to be the most beneficial strategy in trying to connect with them on a more personal level. (Elam, Stratton and Gibson 2007).

Another unique characteristic of this generation is the role of their parents. Millennial parents are often highly involved and influential in the decisions their prospective students are making regarding higher education, as well as throughout their collegiate careers (Coburn 2006). These expectations also have contributed to the association and reputation of being a "helicopter parent." This new role has caused the privacy boundaries and acceptable levels of parental involvement to blur and create new practices in student recruitment (Elam, Stratton and Gibson 2007). As a result, parents are expecting to be informed, recruited and acknowledged by an institution just as their Millennial children would be. However, though parents and Millennials alike expect to be accommodated and acknowledged by an institution, admission departments should still express some level of authority and confidence. This type of behavior displays a sense of fairness, expertise and accountability, all of which are respected by both Millennial parents and their children (Elam, Stratton and Gibson 2007). Though most Millennial families are less focused on class or privilege, and more about personal well-being, institutions must account for these types of variances because each student brings different experiences, knowledge and access to the recruitment process (Elam, Stratton and Gibson 2007).