The 5 cs of college choice

It gave me a perfect window into the academic approach and experience.” “The top thing I look for on each college’s website are the majors.” “I want to know they have my major, but oth

The 5 C’s

of College Choice.

“Boring.”

“Vague.”

“Generic.”

We’ve identified a set of

key factors that colleges

can use to connect best with potential students and

their families.

The five core topics

THE

Diving

deeper.

“I liked talking to my new professors and

to other students who are interested in

the same stuff I am.”

“I’d like to receive more emails about

various degree programs and majors.”

“Not only did they have my major, but

I could watch some rehearsals It gave

me a perfect window into the academic

approach and experience.”

“The top thing I look for on each

college’s website are the majors.”

“I want to know they have my major,

but other options too in case I want to

switch it.”

“The reputation of the academics

is really important.”

think a prestigious reputation is an

Majors ranked as the

number one factor in

considering a college

or university.

83%

haven’t chosen a program or major

50%

32%

Is the college or professor well

known?

Real World

What experiences

enhance the curriculum?

“Visiting campus, I expected to see

places where students spend a lot of

time, studying or just hanging out.”

“I want to know there are things to do

off campus — cool places to hang out,

day trips I can do with my friends.”

“Eating in one of the cafeterias was

great I got a sense of what I’d be eating

all year long.”

“All the campus tours seemed exactly

the same Nothing stood out It was just

about pointing out buildings.”

“I look at the location: something

unique that every other college isn’t also

want to know about popular places to hang out with friends

want to know about places

to visit off campus.

are curious about food options on campus

are curious about big

campus events

Prospective students

want to see pictures of

student life more than

any other subject.

78%

78%

83%

61%

“Speaking to current students during

the campus tour was the best part I got

a sense of the people there.”

“I first check out the campus online and

see if it’s a place that I can fit in.”

“We were given an introduction

by ‘student ambassadors’: horribly

overzealous and painfully awkward.”

“I prefer person-to-person contact The

internet is convenient, but face to face communication and research trumps

looking at a screen any day.”

“A sense of belonging is

really important to me.”

“I want somewhere that feels like home,

a place where I feel comfortable, and for

me, it’s all about the people.”

are curious about campus safety

are less likely to enroll

if they feel they don’t

current student was

the only authentic

Belonging

Are there people

that think like me

so I can fit in?

Familiarity

Does it resemble where I went to high school?

Connections

Can I meet the people that I’ll interact with?

3 4 5

1 2

“I want to love what I do as a career I

want to make a difference.”

“Real world experience and internships

are really imortant I want to be

prepared for anything.”

“I want to make a difference, so I’m

attending college to get the education

I’ll need.”

“I have a lot of goals: internships, study

abroad, research opportunities Those

will help me with my job search.”

“I want to make more money, plain and

simple.”

“I don’t want to get out and have all this

debt and a degree that’s meaningless.”

of a degree

A job they will love is

more important than

financial security

Career preparedness

ranked 5th in importance

73%

83%

5th

❤

Passion

Will I be able to get

a job in the field I

love?

Results

Will I see financial

gains from attending college?

flexible?

Reputation

Is the school

or program prestigious?

3 4 5

1 2

“Finances made a large part in my

decision — a much larger part than

I was prepared for.”

“I looked for the best value:

cheapest, but enjoyable and offering

what I needed.”

“I looked over cost with my parents:

the financial aid package and

scholarship options.”

“The deciding factor was cost,

and how it was tied to location.”

“Cost to attend was one of my top

three factors My parents emphasized

the importance of reviewing everything.”

“Initially I ask about how much it costs

to attend and whether they give out a

lot of scholarships.”

want a financial aid calendar

want amounts of the scholarships awarded

couldn’t attend their

first college of choice

on financial aid and the

How will I manage

to pay back the debt I accrue?

Redefining

recruitment.

of students apply

to and visit multiple colleges as practice.

85%

• Students don’t know how to prepare

years in advance to apply to college

• Students don’t know how to translate

college terminology and jargon.

• Students don’t have all necessary

information to evaluate colleges.

Know your best-fit students and their influencers well.

Plot the student journey and uncover ways to improve it.

Determine which tactics will make the biggest impact.

Design seamless experiences

that build trust.

Attract attention for doing something memorable.

Know your best-fit students and their influencers well.

Plot the student journey and uncover ways to improve it.

Determine which tactics will make the biggest impact.

Design seamless experiences

that build trust.

Attract attention for doing something memorable.

Engage each audience with

the right information.

Fix the places where the student is dissatisfied.

Edit existing tactics and keep the stronger ones.

Educate students earlier and build a relationship.

Try something new and distinct to stand out.

If you’re a higher education professional and want to talk more about how we can help

craft your brand communications, email us:

kpalmer@ologie.com

building brands with purpose.