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The data included in this article is from December 2021. View a webinar on 2022 Student Outcomes data for more up-to-date information.
We believe having the right data at the right time is critical during the admissions process.
That’s why all of our products at Scoir are data-driven. Data empowers over 1.6 million students and parents/guardians on the Network to make informed college decisions and enables colleges to connect and engage interested students through personalized outreach.
We’re constantly gathering new data to help optimize the admissions process for the entire network, including students and families, high school counselors, and colleges. The data we collect is based on activity and engagement within Scoir, plus through surveys and user feedback sessions where we gather qualitative insights.
Unlike traditional college search tools, we don’t turn around and sell the student data collected, because we’re committed to student privacy. Instead, all the data insights we provide to colleges are in aggregate so that you can more easily identify trends, key areas of interest, and opportunities to invest in personalization.
In 2021, we surveyed Scoir students to understand how they were feeling about the college search process post-pandemic, as well as top interests and pain points. Within a day, over 1,000 students responded to share their sentiments. Below are some of the key findings. This data was also presented during a Dive Deeper webinar with Slate. You can watch the webinar recording here.
You can also view an infographic of the findings explained in this blog post.
Overall, students were feeling neutral about the college search process. When asked “How are you feeling about your college search and application process?” The average response was 2.96, on a scale of 1 (anxious or uncertain) to 5 (optimistic or confident). This is an improvement over 2020 when many students indicated they had anxiety about the process.
When evaluating a college, students said the top three most important pieces of information included:
Since 2021, we’ve rearranged our content in this order to align with student priorities.
When asked what college information was most difficult to find during the search process, students selected student life information, cost and financial aid, and academic programs and majors. We’re making this content easier to find, providing more in-depth information, and encouraging our college partners to share more insights into these topics through outreach messaging.
In another survey, we asked students what would be most helpful in the search process. Tied for first place was the ability to find and apply for scholarships and receive personalized college recommendations. Next, in order of helpfulness, was looking beyond sticker price to find your cost, access to free SAT and ACT prep, access to free essay prep, and connecting with students at your college of interest.
Following the survey in 2021, we also analyzed our existing data based on app usage to identify top interests and preferences across all Scoir students. We started with national data and then further divided the data into regional segments, public versus private high schools, and first generation students. Here’s what we learned.
Nationally, the top interests of students in 2021 were:
Interests are areas outside of academic focus and majors that are important to students.
The top preferences of students on Scoir in 2021 were:
Preferences are what students identify as important to them in the search process on their Scoir profiles.
Nationally, the top academic areas of interest in 2021 were:
The areas with the highest volume of student growth on Scoir in 2021 were:
These states reflect the areas where we’re experiencing the biggest growth in partnerships with high schools and districts and also where there’s overall growth in the high school population.
Zooming in on regional data, the top two interests of students, Music and Art, wereconsistent across all regions. Scholarships only appear as a top interest in the South Central region. Study Abroad appears in the top five interests for the Northeast and West Plains regions but does not for the South Central region. Internships were a top interest for the Northeast and South Central regions, but not for the West Plains region. Creative writing and video games were popular interests across all regions.
Northeast
South Central
West Plains
Similarly, top areas of academic interest were similar across regions with slight differences. Business and psychology were the top two interests. Medicine is in the top three for South Central, but engineering makes the top three for the Northeast and West Plains.
Northeast
South Central
West Plains
The top interests of first generation students on Scoir were the same as students in South Central in 2021.
Top Interests
Top Academic Focus
Top Majors
First generation students follow fewer schools on Scoir than non-first-generation students (5.1 compared to 7 for non-first-gen students). When a student follows a college on Scoir, it opens up the opportunity for enrollment marketing partner colleges to send them messages.
Shifting to compare public and private high school student data, the top interests and academic focuses were similar but in a slightly different order. Notably, study abroad, Greek life, hiking, outdoors, and volunteering were amongst the top 10 interests for private school students, but were not top interests for public school students. Video games, drawing, gaming, cooking, and photography were among the top 10 interests for public school students but were not top interests for private school students. Business, engineering, and psychology were the top academic focuses for both private and public school students. Chemistry appears in the top 10 list for private school students, but not for public school students. Criminal justice appears in the top 10 list for public school students, but not for private school students.
Top Interests
Private
Public
Top Academic Focus
Private
Public
With our new dashboard, college partners have access to real-time data insights about their prospective students (and stealth students!) on Scoir. Expanded insights like top interests, top academic focus, Title I high school attendance, and first generation student population are all available in our easily digestible dashboard. This is in addition to broader insights into the total student audience on Scoir, a school’s existing prospective student pool on Scoir, and the number of impressions of a school’s branded content across the platform.
These data insights enable schools to quickly understand the makeup of their current and potential Scoir audience and identify what marketing efforts will make the biggest impact. Partner colleges can act on these insights by messaging students or by sharing content related to what their student audience is most interested in.
View a webinar on 2022 Student Outcomes data for more up-to-date information.
This article was originally published on December 17, 2021. It was updated on May 14, 2024 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Megan Kauffman is a blog post contributor at Scoir.
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