The purpose of this qualitative descriptive design study was to explore how college freshmen attending an out-of-state undergraduate university describe the influence of social media on the search and choice phases of the college decision process. The study's foundation was Hossler and Gallagher's college choice theory which divides the college decision process into three separate phases: predisposition, search, and choice. This study specifically explored the search and choice phases to answer how out-of-state college freshmen describe social media's influence on these phases. The researcher collected questionnaire data from 94 out-of-state college freshmen, 15 of whom also participated in semi-structured virtual interviews. This data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis as recommended by Braun and Clarke. Five themes emerged from this data related to prospective college students during the college decision process: (1) they use social media for a variety of daily activities; (2) they use social media to collect information and ask questions while researching universities; (3) they found researching out-of-state universities to be challenging; (4) out-of-state students use social media to connect with students and alumni before making their final college decision; and (5) they choose to attend out-of-state universities for more opportunities and new experiences. Study findings can guide advertisers within higher education. Future research is recommended to explore how social media influences parents and online students during the college decision process, as well as the influence of new social media platforms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]