Skip navigation
EAB Logo Navigate to the EAB Homepage Navigate to EAB home
Insight Paper

Recruiting the Digital Native

Crafting an effective communications strategy is becoming increasingly complex. Today’s high school students, the first generation of true digital natives, have multifaceted and shifting preferences. They are online nearly constantly, yet they still value traditional forms of communication highly. They are quick to adopt new communication platforms, and quick to leave them. Furthermore, this generation can be difficult to engage: having grown up surrounded by social and digital media, they are masters at filtering out information that they deem irrelevant.

9,000+

High school students surveyed to better understand their communication preferences and behaviors, and identify opportunities for improving student engagement
High school students surveyed to better understand their communication preferences and behaviors, and identify opportunities for improving student engagement

To help our partner colleges and universities better understand this complicated landscape, EAB Enrollment Services recently surveyed over 9,000 high school students about their communication preferences and behaviors. As the white paper explains, their responses reveal clear trends and opportunities for improving student engagement.

In this Report you’ll discover:

  • How students’ social media preferences have changed within the past two years
  • Which channels matter most in students’ search for information about colleges and universities
  • Whether students are receptive to website-based chat
  • How communication preferences vary across student demographics
  • When colleges should begin contacting students

More Resources

Research Report

Help prospective students complete enrollment with email nudges

Current headlines about enrollment declines often neglect a more troubling issue–low applicant conversion rates. Learn how progressive institutions…
Strategic Advisory Services for Community Colleges
Research Report

How to capture stealth prospect applicants

As community colleges face declining tuition revenue and state funding cuts, they must find new ways to win…
Strategic Advisory Services for Community Colleges
Tool

How community colleges can win mindshare of prospective students in the digital age

Community colleges have to work harder to earn prospective student mindshare in the digital age. These tactics can…
Strategic Advisory Services for Community Colleges