Tag: Connection

  • Balancing Technology and Connection in College Recruitment

    Balancing Technology and Connection in College Recruitment

    Let’s be real: college planning is not the only thing on your prospective students’ minds. They’re juggling school, jobs, relationships, social media, and, you know, just trying to figure out life. So, when we talk about AI in college planning, it’s crucial to remember that it’s just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

    At RNL, we’re constantly looking at the trends shaping higher education, and AI is definitely a big one. But here’s the thing: it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. To truly connect with students, you need to understand how they’re using (or not using) these tools, and meet them where they are.

    It’s all about personas

    Our latest research dives deep into student attitudes toward AI in college planning, and the results are fascinating. We’ve identified four key “AI Adoption Personas” that can help you tailor your outreach and messaging:

    Pioneers (early adopters, enthusiastic users): These digital natives are all-in on AI, using it for everything from college research to essay writing.

    • Key takeaway: Pioneers are already on board but value human guidance. 76% would feel more comfortable if a school advisor explained the benefits and risks of AI.

    Aspirers (interested but cautious adopters): Aspirers see the potential of AI but need a little nudge.

    • Key takeaway: Show them the value! 51% are motivated by easy access to free AI tools, and 41% want to see success stories from other students.

    Fence Sitters (uncertain, passive users): These students are on the fence about AI, often lacking confidence in their current college planning approach. Y

    • Key takeaway: Don’t overwhelm them. 40% haven’t even used online college planning tools! Focus on highlighting the potential of AI and offering advisor support.

    Resistors (skeptical, avoid AI in college planning): Resistors are the most reluctant to embrace AI, preferring traditional methods like guidance counselors and college websites.

    • Key takeaway: Respect their preferences, but don’t write them off entirely. 48% would feel more comfortable with an advisor explaining AI, even if they’re not ready to use it themselves.

    Beyond the bots: human connection still matters

    Image of high school students looking at the cell phones

    No matter which persona your students fall into, one thing is clear: human connection still matters. While AI can provide valuable information and streamline certain tasks, it can’t replace the empathy, guidance, and personalized support students crave.

    Think about it: choosing a college is a huge life decision, and students want to feel understood and supported throughout the process.

    Our research shows that students use a variety of resources for college planning, and these often involve human interaction:

    • College websites (often reviewed with parents or counselors)
    • Parents/family (a trusted source of advice and support)
    • Social media (connecting with current students and alumni)
    • Guidance counselors (providing expert advice and personalized recommendations)
    • Friends/peers (sharing experiences and offering encouragement)
    • Books/online articles (supplementing their knowledge and exploring different options)

    AI is just one tool in their toolbox. It’s a powerful tool, no doubt, but it works best when it complements these other resources, rather than replacing them.

    What does this mean for you?

    It means your staff—admissions counselors, enrollment specialists, and marketing team—are more important than ever. They are the human face of your institution, who can build relationships with prospective students, answer their questions, and alleviate their anxieties.

    The good news is that institutions already know this. Our 2025 Marketing Practices For Undergraduate Students Report confirms that “human-based” enrollment strategies are consistently rated highly effective, often more effective than just two years ago.

    For example, the report shows that:

    • In-person meetings remain a top strategy across all institution types (4-year private, 4-year public, and 2-year), with effectiveness ratings consistently at or near 100%.
    • Personalized videos sent directly to students have seen a significant rise in effectiveness, particularly for 4-year institutions.
    • Even with the rise of digital tools, strategies like SMS, social media, and email communications remain foundational and highly effective, largely because they enable personalized, one-on-one communication.

    These findings underscore that in an increasingly digital world, the human touch truly sets institutions apart.

    Here are a few ways to bring that human touch to your college planning efforts:

    • Invest in training for your staff. Ensure they understand AI’s benefits and limitations, and how to integrate it ethically and effectively into their work.
    • Encourage personalized communication. Don’t rely solely on automated emails and chatbots. Encourage your staff to contact students individually, offering tailored advice and support.
    • Create opportunities for connection. Host virtual or in-person events where students meet current students, faculty, and staff.
    • Highlight the human stories. Share stories of successful alumni, dedicated faculty, and supportive staff. Show prospective students what makes your institution unique.

    Ultimately, success in today’s ever-evolving higher education landscape hinges on a delicate balance: embracing the power of technology like AI while never losing sight of the fundamental importance of human connection.

    By deeply understanding your students – their individual needs, their preferred college planning resources, and their unique “AI Adoption Persona” – and leveraging data to personalize their experience, you can create an effective and genuinely human recruitment and enrollment strategy.

    It’s about blending the efficiency of AI with the empathy and guidance that only your dedicated staff can provide, ensuring that every student feels seen, supported, and confident in their college journey.

    Ready to dive deeper?

    Do you want to learn more about AI in college planning and how to connect with today’s students?

    3 Reasons to Attend the RNL National Conference

    Join us in Atlanta July 22-24 for the most comprehensive conference on enrollment and student success.

    1. Choose from more than 120 sessions on recruitment, retention, financial aid, and more.
    2. Hear the keynote from former Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona on the future of higher education.
    3. Interact with campus professionals and national experts about ways you can achieve your goals.

    See all the details

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  • Alumni Connection and College Student Satisfaction

    Alumni Connection and College Student Satisfaction

    Julie Bryant

    This post was co-authored with Julie Bryant, Vice President for Student Success at RNL. Julie oversees the RNL Satisfaction-Priorities Surveys used by colleges and universities nationwide. She provides service to educators by assisting them in determining relationships between perceptions of importance and satisfaction of students, special populations, campus personnel, and the parents of currently enrolled students. Julie identifies ways these data can inform retention planning and be shared with the campus community. She also oversees the annual national reporting and trend analysis of these data.

    Collaborating with 21 institutions as part of our second annual National Alumni Survey was a privilege. Nearly 51,000 alumni participated, and from their direct feedback, we learned more about what inspires their volunteer activity, what is likely to motivate future engagement, generational trends, and how student debt impacts charitable giving.

    We also invited alumni to share more about their satisfaction with and current connection to their respective alma maters. Survey responses confirm what feels intuitive: Alumni with a favorable student experience are more likely to feel connected to and give back to their alma maters.

    Student satisfaction makes a major difference in the likelihood to give

    Alumni who report feeling “very satisfied” with their student experience and the education they received are up to 40x more likely to have donated to their alma mater in the past year than their “neutral” counterparts, and up to 80x more likely than those who report feeling “not very” or “not at all” satisfied with their student experience and the education they received.

    Of the eight insights highlighted in this year’s report, this strong correlation between student satisfaction and alumni giving feels important for advancement teams to share with colleagues across departments, campus stakeholders, and executive leadership.

    Alumni satisfaction and connection are shaped long before graduation. The interaction students have with faculty, staff, advisors, coaches, and the administration sets the groundwork for satisfaction, affinity, and a philanthropic relationship post-graduation. Therefore, the responsibility of improved alumni engagement, participation, and giving can’t rest solely on the shoulders of the advancement division. It’s a team sport (or should be).

    Increasing student satisfaction can lay the foundation for long-term alumni engagement

    This research study underscores the importance of influencing student satisfaction while students are enrolled in order to build strong, long-term alumni engagement. Through RNL’s Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), we measure student satisfaction and priorities, showing how satisfied students are as well as what issues are important to them. This is actionable data that colleges and universities can use today to inform and shape improved student programming and outreach.

    The results from the SSI clearly identify institutional strengths (areas of high importance and high satisfaction) that can be celebrated with current students, alumni, and as part of the recruitment process. Institutional challenges are also clearly noted. Challenges are areas that are still very important to current students, but where they may be more dissatisfied. Identifying these areas provides direction to campus leadership, as they prioritize areas for improvement to show students their feedback matters and that the institution is working on their behalf. By gathering and acting on student satisfaction data, colleges and universities can show that they value students and help set the stage for ongoing engagement.

    Through our RNL research, we have found that items related to campus climate and how students feel about being on campus are among the strongest indicators of overall student satisfaction and ultimately student retention. When institutional leadership works to change the experience or the perception students have around areas such as “it’s an enjoyable experience to be a student on this campus,” “the institution cares about me as an individual,” “I feel a sense of belonging here,” and “tuition paid is a worthwhile investment,” they can begin to see an impact on the long-term relationships ideally established between the student (future alum) and their alma mater.

    Four things you can do to increase alumni connection

    Blog on student satisfaction and alumni connection: image of a line of graduates in cap and gown.

    Good friend and strategic advisor on this project Howard Heevner is a fan of disrupting—leaning into new ways of genuinely connecting with students and alumni alike. He challenges fellow practitioners and leaders to:

    • Gather direct feedback and actively listen to learn what alumni need to feel our institution is a viable home for their philanthropic support.
    • Instead of touting institutional loyalty to inspire financial support, let’s build relationships that provide mutual value to both the individual and the institution.
    • Find new ways to support donor passions, choice, and self-determination in giving at all levels to attract a larger, more diverse set of donors.
    • Redefine philanthropy so that it is broader and more inclusive, recognizing gifts of service as well as financial gifts.

    If you haven’t done so recently, engaging students and alumni through a survey project is an important first step. Do you have budget dollars left to spend this spring? Looking for fresh feedback and useful qualitative data from the audiences you serve to help inform planning for the new fiscal and academic year ahead? If you’d like to learn more about RNL’s survey instruments, please reach to Julie Bryant (Student Satisfaction Inventory) and Sarah Kleeberger (Alumni Survey).

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  • “AI-Empowered” Site Accuses Yale Scholar of Terrorism Connection

    “AI-Empowered” Site Accuses Yale Scholar of Terrorism Connection

    Yale University suspended an instructor after a news site powered by artificial intelligence accused her of being part of a terrorist group, The New York Times reported.

    The news site, Jewish Onliner, said that the scholar was connected to Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian organization that the United States government has labeled a terrorist organization. Jewish Onliner said Helyeh Doutaghi, who is an associate research scholar at Yale and deputy director at Yale Law School’s Law and Political Economy Project, spoke on panels at events sponsored by Samidoun, according to the Times.

    Doutaghi told the Times that she’s not part “of any organization that would constitute a violation of U.S. law.” Yale put Doutaghi on administrative leave last week and barred her from campus. In a statement to the Times, Yale officials said they take the allegations seriously and are investigating.

    Jewish Onliner bills itself as an “AI-empowered, trusted online hub for insights, actionable intelligence, exposés, and essential updates about issues impacting the Jewish community worldwide,” according to its Substack page. The organization told the Times that humans, not AI, make the final edits on stories.

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  • AI and Student Recruitment: Bridging Technology and Human Connection 

    AI and Student Recruitment: Bridging Technology and Human Connection 

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing student recruitment, offering tools to meet the growing demands of efficiency and personalization. As higher education institutions face shrinking pools of applicants and increased competition, the ability to deliver targeted, meaningful engagement is more critical than ever. AI not only enhances how a college or university understands prospective students but also how it interacts with them at every stage of the enrollment journey. 

    Leveraging AI for Data-Driven Decision Making 

    At the core of these advancements are customer relationship management (CRM) systems like TargetX and Outcomes, which centralize student data and lay the groundwork for AI-driven insights in higher education. By integrating AI with CRMs, institutions can unlock the potential of their data to deliver smarter, more effective recruitment strategies. However, the key lies in leveraging AI to augment human effort, not replace it. 

    Analyzing Data for Actionable Insights 

    Enrollment marketing thrives on data, and AI enables institutions to transform raw information into meaningful insights. With centralized student data in place, AI tools can: 

    • Identify high-value prospects | Predictive modeling analyzes behaviors, such as frequent visits to financial aid resources or high engagement with email campaigns, to identify students with the greatest likelihood to enroll. 
    • Discover growth markets | AI uncovers patterns in geographic and demographic data, highlighting regions or populations with untapped enrollment potential. For example, data analysis might reveal an increasing interest in online programs among working professionals. 
    • Enhance segmentation | AI’s ability to analyze large datasets allows institutions to refine audience segmentation, enabling hyper-targeted campaigns tailored to specific student profiles. 

    Prescriptive Strategies for Recruitment 

    AI doesn’t just interpret data—it help enrollment management professionals generate actionable strategies to optimize recruitment efforts: 

    • Financial aid optimization | By evaluating a student’s financial profile and likelihood to enroll, AI can recommend targeted aid packages that maximize yield. 
    • Campaign personalization | AI suggests tailored outreach strategies, such as sending event invitations to students interested in specific programs or nudging inactive prospects with relevant content. 
    • Continuous improvement | Enrollment marketing campaigns benefit from AI-driven feedback loops that analyze performance data and recommend iterative improvements for future campaigns. 

    Enhancing the Student Journey with AI 

    AI in the Exploration Phase 

    Most prospective students begin their college search online, making search engines a critical touchpoint. AI has significantly altered how search engines present results, directly impacting recruitment efforts: 

    • AI-enhanced search results: Tools like Google Bard or ChatGPT increasingly offer conversational responses, summarizing key information without requiring users to click on external links. For instance, a search for “top nursing programs” might yield an AI-generated list, bypassing institutional websites. 
    • Adapting to AI-driven search: To stay competitive, institutions should create conversational, Q&A-style content optimized for AI algorithms. Structured data and schema markup can enhance visibility, ensuring accurate representation in AI-driven search results. 

    Personalization Across the Enrollment Journey 

    Personalization is no longer a luxury—it’s an expectation. AI enables enrollment marketers to deliver individualized experiences to potential students: 

    • Dynamic content | Emails, ads, and landing pages can dynamically adjust based on a student’s preferences or behaviors. For example, prospective engineering students might see content highlighting research opportunities, while transfer students encounter information about credit evaluations. 
    • Real-time engagement | AI-driven tools monitor student interactions and trigger timely responses. If qualified students visit a program-specific webpage multiple times, marketers can automate follow-up emails with relevant resources or event invitations. 

    Guiding Students Through Key Milestones 

    AI supports students by providing actionable, personalized guidance throughout the recruitment process: 

    • Next-best actions | AI-driven solutions can recommend tailored next steps, such as completing an application, scheduling a virtual campus tour, or exploring scholarship options. These nudges keep students engaged and on track. 
    • Proactive assistance | AI can analyze behavior patterns to identify potential barriers, such as incomplete applications, and prompt intervention. For instance, a student frequently visiting pages about financial aid might trigger outreach offering a one-on-one consultation. 

    Navigating the Limitations of AI 

    The Irreplaceable Value of Human Connection 

    While AI excels at data analysis and automation, human interaction remains indispensable: 

    • Fostering relationships | Admission counselors play a vital role in addressing nuanced questions, providing reassurance, and building trust during critical decision-making moments, all of which support student success. 
    • In-person engagement | Face-to-face interactions, whether through campus tours, phone calls, or personalized advising sessions, create memorable experiences that AI cannot replicate. 

    Challenges in AI-Generated Content 

    AI-generated content, while efficient, has limitations that institutions must navigate carefully: 

    • SEO considerations | Search engines prioritize high-quality, original content with human authorship. Over-reliance on AI-generated text can harm visibility and credibility. 
    • Authenticity matters | Prospective students value content that reflects institutional expertise and culture, reinforcing trust and engagement. 

    Striking a Balance Between Technology and Humanity 

    AI should enhance, not replace, human efforts. While AI handles initial outreach and data-driven recommendations, human staff focus on relationship-building and addressing complex inquiries. This synergy ensures a recruitment strategy that is both efficient and personal. 

    Supporting the Institutional Mission

    AI is reshaping student recruitment, offering powerful tools to analyze data, personalize engagement with the right student each time, and optimize strategies. However, its limitations underscore the importance of human connection and authentic communication. By leveraging an AI-driven recruitment strategy, institutions can enhance recruitment efforts and support student success while staying true to their mission of fostering meaningful connections with prospective students. 

    Jess Lanning began her career in higher education at a private university where she served as director of enrollment marketing on a record enrollment team. Over her decade-long career, she has focused on strategizing and implementing digital marketing campaigns as a senior vice president of strategy and senior partnership manager for higher education-specific agencies. In these roles, she served undergraduate, adult, and graduate audiences across the verticals of paid social, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization, digital PR, and user experience. Jess now serves as a Director of Digital Strategy at Liaison and we are very lucky to have her!

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