SOCIAL RECRUITS: Social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook aren’t only good for selfies, memes and other frivolous ways to pass the time. Students are increasingly using them to learn about college. A recent study that looked at more than 5,500 college-bound students found 27 percent of first-generation students used social media to learn about a campus, compared to 17 percent of non-first-generation students. The study also shows that about a quarter of low-income students discovered colleges on social media feeds, while only 13 percent of students from households who earned at least $120,000 did so.
Researchers also found that 61 percent of Hispanic/ Latino students and 67 percent of African American respondents relied on parents for information, compared to 81 percent for white respondents.
The report suggests that under-represented college-bound students are turning to social media to fill information gaps. Dr. Kiecker Royall, head of research at Royall & Company, which conducted the study, said in a prepared statement, “there is an opportunity for colleges and universities to modify their social media efforts to provide students the information they need, where they are looking for it.”
