AL STRAIN STAFF WRITER
With the growing popularity of social media, Wartburg has begun utilizing social networking sites to gather interest from prospective students, Assistant Vice President for Admissions Todd Coleman said.
“I recently placed a series of ads on Facebook that were viewed over a three-week period by 2.5 million 14 to 18-year-old students and 1,500 students clicked on the ad for more information,” said Coleman.
Coleman said that Wartburg posts events on their Facebook fan page and that it is updated regularly by the staff in the Admissions and Alumni offices.
A recent article in the Baltimore Sun reported that more students are using social network sites to get acquainted with people in a college environment.
Sites like Facebook and Twitter are being used to connect students to admissions counselors as well as other students.
According to the Baltimore Sun, in a survey of 401 colleges and universities, 71 percent of admissions counselors received a friend request from a student on MySpace or Facebook.
Junior Doug Zepeski believes that Facebook is a valuable resource for college students.
“Whether you’re looking at colleges or already a student, sites like Facebook allow you the chance to meet people so that you don’t feel so out of place once you get to school,” said Zepeski.
Zepeski said sites like Facebook also help him keep in touch with friends from school when classes aren’t in session.
The Baltimore Sun reported that admissions counselors are seeing students find more value in social network sites than virtual tours of campus.
“You can really see that the counselors are making an effort to get to know you on a more personal level, it’s not just the college’s file information,” he said.
He said that the use of social network sites are useful in recruiting prospective students, but that students need to see what college is like outside of the sites.
He said that the sites provide a glimpse into the life of a college student, but that a visit to the school is still the best way to see if the school is where the student belongs.
“All the social networking sites in the world or Web sites can’t replace making a campus visit to the institution that students are considering,” said Coleman.