PRINCETON, N.J., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- March survey results by Thinking Cap Agency,
a media partner for university enrollment marketing, show that the
coronavirus is changing attitudes toward how students consider what
schools to attend. The study of 1,900
college students found that just over half (52%) of
transfer students are likely to
take virtual tours instead of visiting open houses on campus. This
is a dramatic shift to virtual information sessions that is a new challenge
for college and university recruitment.
Timothy Gerstmyer, President of
Thinking Cap Agency, believes that multiple factors are involved.
"Fears of COVID-19, travel restrictions and, in some cases, even
shelter-in-place orders are substantially altering the higher education enrollment
landscape," says Gerstmyer.
Age was determined to play a factor in the recruitment decision
process. Thirty-nine percent of students 18-24 years old indicate
that they are "likely to take virtual tours" instead of attending
an in-person open house. The trend increased with student age
with three out of five adult learners (post-graduate continuing
education) opting for a virtual tour.
The study also found that some
students are putting off school entirely. Almost half (46%) of
four-year undergrads are considering "taking some time off from
school for a year or so" given the current coronavirus
situation.
Gerstmyer says, "The reality is that life will go on after
COVID-19, but when we look back at its impact on higher education,
we're going to see that this was
the genesis of a major shift in not only how they recruit students,
but with higher emphasis in overall online learning."
Numerous colleges are moving quickly to
present themselves to prospects utilizing social short-form
storytelling since screen time is rising rapidly as a result of
school closings and social distancing. Thinking Cap's U-Social™
program is especially well- suited to this targeted bite-sized
virtual presentation.
About Thinking Cap Agency
Thinking Cap (TCA) is a collaborative
media + content marketing agency that partners with colleges and
universities across the U.S. for specialized enrollment marketing.
As a sister company of Refuel Agency, and majority owned by
Prospect Capital (NASDAQ: PSEC), we leverage over 30 years'
experience achieving positive results for individual university
programs and initiatives.
Thinking Cap is headquartered in Princeton, NJ with offices in New York, Los
Angeles and Santa Barbara.
thinkingcapagency.com
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SOURCE Thinking Cap Agency