Now more than ever, the process of choosing a college is rooted in digital marketing. As a prospective student, I was blasted with recruitment emails, targeted Instagram posts, and even Pandora radio ads. The sheer amount of content was overwhelming. I was nowhere near a final decision on which school would be right for me.
A Critical Flaw
“The school will just feel right.” I heard this phrase over and over again throughout my college search. Frankly, I thought only parents believed this outdated saying. Digital marketing made my decision process more dynamic than theirs – right?
Today, I recognize a critical flaw in the reliance on social media and online content in one’s college decision process. Social media does an exceptional job of showing us the good: what people want us to see. However, it is impossible to get a holistic view, or “feel” of anything solely through the screen of a device.
Austin City Limits
I attended an event at the University of Texas at Austin called “Best of Texas” during my senior year of high school. Essentially, this was a massive marketing stunt – a weekend intended to persuade prospective students to accept their admission offers to UT. The Moody College of Communication held a luncheon in one of their buildings on campus. Here, the dean explained that we were eating in what was once the Austin City Limits Live studio, and that the school continues to work closely with the studio today. Sitting there opened my eyes to the opportunities that living in the city of Austin would provide. Here, I could envision a successful future for myself as a Texas Longhorn.
All One Could Truly Ask For
It is because of this experience that I stress the continued importance of traditional, in-person marketing in the college decision process. Visit a school that interests you. If you are still unsure, visit again – I did! Touring the campus and asking enrolled students about their experience first-hand allowed me to weigh pros and cons of the decision myself, not just with the help of an Instagram post. I am beyond satisfied with my decision. My school pushes me to be the best version of myself, and that is all one could truly ask for.