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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); (2) October 2015 survey: 2,064 class of 2016 seniors (fall seniors) and 2,064 class of 2017 juniors (fall juniors); and (3) May 2016 survey: 1,559 class of 2016 seniors (spring seniors) and 1,558 class of 2017 juniors (spring '16 juniors). The report is divided into four sections reflecting the stages of a student's consideration: (1) Discovery--how students learn about colleges and universities in developing their list; (2) Exploration--what types of information they seek in researching potential schools; (3) Interaction--how students "raise their hands" online and request interaction with potential schools; and (4) Engagement--how they seek to have institutions engage and inform them. To help the reader readily shape and optimize their online strategy, the report shares key findings and recommendations related to these findings within each section. [For "What 10 Years of Research Has Told Us about College E-Recruitment. 2015 E-Expectations Report," see ED608179.]

An initial measure of success for any higher education enrollment or marketing effort is engagement. And, while students and parents may be engaged with several prospective schools, stronger engagement with your institution may affect their final choice. With the value of engagement in mind, the "2017 E-Expectations Trend Report" explores the keys of engagement by answering four guiding questions: (1) When and how do parents engage in the college admission process? (2) How do parents and students engage when they seek information? (3) When and how do parents and students engage to signal their interest? and (4) What information do parents and students want, and how do they prefer to receive it? These guiding questions align directly with four action steps that encapsulate the student and parent journey in making their final choice of a higher learning institution: (1) beginning engagement; (2) seeking information; (3) signaling interest; and (4) receiving information. To help the reader create and execute an engagement strategy that optimizes online, digital, and social media channels, the report provides key takeaways and practical recommendations in each section. [For "Examining Transitions from Junior to Senior Year. 2016 E-Expectations Trend Report," see ED608180.]

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 split between male and female participants. Among the findings: (1) 70 percent of students have looked at a college website on a mobile device; (2) Search engines have become the dominant method for finding college websites; (3) Students are much more receptive to receiving text messages from campuses; (4) Prospective students are much more drawn to images of a campus than to photos of current students; and (5) Nearly 80 percent say that a campus website affects their perception of an institution. The report includes 10 recommendations for connecting with prospective students online. [For "Meeting the Expectations of International Undergraduate and Graduate Students. A 2014 E-Expectations Trend Report," see ED608178.]

International student enrollment continues to grow at a rapid pace in the United States. Given these increases, what can campuses do to engage international students and encourage them to enroll? What are the needs, concerns, and preferences of international students, and do they vary from undergraduate to graduate students? To answer those questions, Noel-Levitz and CollegeWeekLive conducted a survey of prospective international undergraduate and graduate students in early 2014. Among the findings: (1) 60 percent of international students said an interest in a particular campus is their main motivation for studying abroad; (2) 58 percent of prospective undergraduates and 49 percent of prospective graduate students acknowledged that their parents were involved in their decision to study abroad; (3) More than 65 percent of all international students listed funding as a concern about studying abroad, which was by far the largest area of concern; (4) International students rated campus websites, college rankings, and conversations with campus representatives and current students as the most influential factors on their enrollment decision; (5) When ranking website content, international students ranked academic, admissions, and cost/financial aid information as the most important; (6) Nearly 30 percent of international students said they use a mobile device as their primary means of accessing the web; and (7) 45 percent of students reported that they had no plans to visit a campus before applying; 22 percent said they would not visit even after being accepted. This report shares the findings of the survey, as well as seven strategies for recruiting international students based on the findings. [For "Recruiting Abroad: Understanding the Expectations and Behaviors of Prospective International Students--A Study of College-Bound High School Students from 146 Countries. An E-Expectations Trend Report," see ED608181.]

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 colleges and universities in the United States? What resources do they use when researching college choices abroad? What do they expect during the enrollment process? To answer those questions, Noel-Levitz and CollegeWeekLive conducted a survey of prospective international students in early 2013. The respondents revealed their expectations, attitudes, and intentions on a variety of recruitment topics. Among the findings: (1) A student's desire to attend a specific university was the greatest factor driving their interest in studying outside of their home country; (2) Campus Web sites were the most influential resource on the application decision; (3) Students cited funding as their top concern with studying abroad and cited financial assistance from American institutions as their top source for paying for college; (4) Students placed a high value on live conversations with college representatives and current students; (5) International students rated e-mail as their top communication method, but are open to a wide variety of online communication channels, including live online chats and live Webcasts; (6) Seventy-two percent said it was important to have conversations with campuses at all stages of the enrollment process; and (7) Nearly three-fourths used home computers as their main method for accessing the Internet; 74 percent had also viewed university Web sites on a mobile device. The report includes eight recommendations for strengthening international student recruitment.