High school counselors play a vital role in helping students prepare for attending college. They are the link between students and families and institutions, providing counseling, information, and motivation to help students make it through their enrollment journeys. Along the way, they have to help students cope with a wide variety of challenges:…

Nearly 40 percent of college students are transfers. They approach the college search process much differently than traditional students, choosing a college much more quickly and often having a more focused and specific reason for choosing a new school. How can your campus meet their needs, engage more transfers, and increase your enrollment of…

What are the experiences, expectations, and challenges of college-bound high school students and their families regarding college financing? To answer that question, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), Ardeo Education, and PLEXUSS surveyed 1,250 high school students from the 11th and 12th grades about how they become interested in colleges and…

High school students have been through profound changes and challenges in the last three years. The experiences of the pandemic, lockdowns, virtual classes, and economic and social disruptions have had tremendous--and possibly lasting--impacts on them. As they prepare to enroll in college, have those experiences changed how they search for…

This "2020 Perceptions of College Financing Report" provides insights that colleges and universities can use to engage students and families in conversations about cost. Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), PLEXUSS, and RaiseMe sponsored this poll to identify the concerns high school students have about paying for college and the resources that…

In the spring of 2017, the AISD Department of Research and Evaluation (DRE) administered the Substance Use and Safety Survey (SSUSS) to track middle and high school students' self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to substance use and perceptions of school safety. Results from this survey are used to inform and assist with…

High school students nationwide spent the whole academic year fully online or in and out of a cobbled together hybrid format. While these students are digital naturals, they were asked to do even more online and lost opportunities to engage traditional in-person milestones like prom, graduation, and college visits. After a year of "Zooming it…

Digital engagement is the most important strategy for engaging Generation Z, but what are the right solutions and strategies to maximize engagement with this crucial target market? Which approaches align with the expectations of the students colleges are trying to reach? And more importantly, how can a college make its institution's unique brand…

This "2016 E-Expectations Trend Report" examines the differences in how college-bound students used the digital tools at their disposal from the spring of their junior year to the fall and spring of their senior year. This report contains results from three web surveys: (1) May 2015 survey: 1,526 class of 2016 juniors (spring juniors);…

As they think about their future, high school students can face a wide range of education and career choices. How do they choose? Who helps young people make their educational and career choices? In particular, to what extent do schools help students with these decisions? Given the importance of education and career decisions for life success,…

The "2018 E-Expectations Trend Report" provides institutions with insights from high school juniors and seniors so institutions can engage and inform them wherever they interact with an institution online. This report answers key questions such as: (1) How do students rank admissions resources institutions provide, from most valuable to…

The perception of college affordability and financing is a grim one, fueled by the very real rising costs of higher education, as well as media coverage of how much students and their families are borrowing. While this perception is understandable given the realities of paying for college, how do students and parents feel about the process of…

This "2015 E-Expectations Report" examines the current expectations of college-bound high school students as well as how their expectations have changed over the last decade. The 2015 E-Expectations study polled more than 3,000 high school juniors and seniors, with a 50 percent representation from each class level as well as a 50 percent…

Every year, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) administers the Student Substance Use and Safety Survey to a random, representative sample of middle and high school students. The survey tracks student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior over time. These results are from the 2014-2015 school year.

International student enrollment in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. With domestic college enrollments expected to flatten for the remainder of the decade, many campuses may be interested in increasing their recruitment efforts into this growing pool of potential students. What draws international students to enroll at…