Millennials Splinter on Where to Attend College Based on Demographic Differences, According to New Research

CHICAGO, Aug. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennials who grew up as unwitting subjects of niche marketing and narrow-casting are taking the lessons they've learned since childhood to the college selection process.

A new national survey of college students presents some surprising results. African-American males were less influenced by financial aid/scholarship awards than white females were. And Hispanic males were much more inclined to pick a school based on where a friend is going than Hispanic females were.

Students of color across the country reported that college fairs and emails from the admissions offices were key information sources. Simultaneously, those sources didn't even rank for white students.

Surveyed students from the South, who will be sophomores this fall, cared more about "appealing college traditions" than did New England students, who were more focused on "international/global experiences."

The findings are mined from an online research visualization tool loaded-up with data from Lipman Hearne's newest study, The Super Investigator Goes to College, which captures the responses of more than 2,300 students across the U.S. The results are available without cost, and any user can "order up" their own queries by selecting their own parameters (such as type of institution and college setting) to examine the exact insights they want about these students.

Female students with high SATs and ACTs said nearly all of their top attributes, when looking for a college, related to academics. Meanwhile, male students with lower SAT scores said "appealing campus traditions" and Division I athletics were attributes they desired.

Lipman Hearne, a leading national marketing and communications firm serving higher education organizations, partnered with college search website Cappex.com to survey its users. Cappex users make up 25 percent of the U.S. college-bound population.

The majority of students had enrolled at their first choice (58 percent). Among these students, reputation and a "sense of community" were more likely to be important factors. For students not enrolling at their top choice, financial aid was more frequently cited as a decision driver.

"In this time of tight budgets and increased pressure on institutions to better understand students, this is a valuable tool," says John Pyle, Ed.D., vice president for enrollment, marketing and strategic initiatives, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. "The research gives enrollment managers and marketers a launching off point for further exploration as to why groups are influenced."

"Where a student chooses to attend college is highly personal, and many cultural norms play out in the process. The key for higher ed enrollment management and marketing professionals is to know how to customize messages about their institution to specific student segments and choose the best channels for reaching them in a way that appeals to each grouping, while telling a consistent and appealing brand story," says Tom Abrahamson, chairman, Lipman Hearne.

Because respondents to this survey were college freshmen who had settled into their chosen college, it differs from most studies that examine factors in college choice prior to enrollment.  Thus, it gathered reflections on their overall experience in choosing a college after they crossed the finish line. For example, the study asked these new freshmen how accurate colleges' assertions were in their marketing communications.

Among the many areas measured in the multivariate model were preference for institution of enrollment, initial awareness and preference (when college search began), number of deposits submitted and distance of enrollment institution from home. In the end, the model was driven, in large part, by initial awareness and preference. Compared to the national statistics, the survey respondents were more likely to enroll at residential-dominated, research and private institutions and less likely to enroll at commuter, associations-granting and public institutions.

Based on the study, among the 84 information sources included in the survey, admissions-generated content (e.g., admissions packet, admissions web page, admissions letter) provided the most persuasive information about a topic of keen interest to the student. Simulated experiences, such as taking an online class, touring the campus and reading a course description, were among second-tier information sources.

About Lipman Hearne
Lipman Hearne is the nation's leading marketing and communications firm serving higher education organizations. For nearly 50 years, the firm has worked with more than 450 colleges and universities, conducting extensive market research, developing strategic marketing plans, and providing creative and tactical implementation services to help its clients achieve their aggressive bottom-line goals in enrollment, fundraising, and brand building. Located in Chicago, Lipman Hearne is led by marketing specialists whose executive and agency backgrounds include tenures in higher education and nonprofit marketing, advertising and branding, market research, fundraising, and enrollment marketing.
www.lipmanhearne.com

About Cappex.com
Cappex is dedicated to connecting students and colleges. Since its founding in 2006, Cappex has helped nearly 5 million students achieve their college dreams, and more than 750 higher education clients with recruiting and enrollment business solutions. Cappex is based in Chicago.
www.cappex.com

MEDIA CONTACT:
Adam Shapiro
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202-427-3603

SOURCE Lipman Hearne