The Interfolio Blog

Last month, higher ed consulting group Noel-Levitz released the latest E-expectations survey of 1,005 college-bound high school seniors in 2009. The results detail what incoming freshman expect from the Web site of a school they are considering, including data regarding social networking expectations and what kinds of information students seek out during these searches.

One of the themes I found most interesting is the request from students for contact with faculty, information about specific classes, and profiles of current educators and students alike.  These applicants are looking for a personal and in-depth look at the college atmosphere, both from a peer and student-professor standpoint, than the typical college Web site offers.

What's important to note is that these students not only requested this kind of access to information, they referenced it in conjunction with questions around how colleges could better use social networking sites to connect with them. This means that colleges shouldn't just create a static page where a professor's credentials are listed, but instead allow dynamic interaction with the faculty profile, give access to research, syllabi and other pertinent information, and provide ways for prospective students to interact with faculty via the site.

This trend will likely extend to graduate school applicants in the coming years as well, and highlights the importance of displaying faculty and student achievement by creating online portfolios and profiles that display academic accomplishments, not just personal details.

For more information on the results of this study, see the complete highlights at .eduGuru.