University Business - August 2006 - (Page 79)

INTERNET TECHNOLOGY License to Recruit? Admissions-sponsored student blogging can get real results for your institution. By Karine Joly S to specific needs better than others. TUDENT BLOGS THAT ARE With TheU's blogs getting several sponsored by Admissions offices thousand visits per month, chances are a have quickly spread all over the lot of information about your institution country. If you haven't started a blog like is already available on this website, which this yet, you are probably looking at what is promoted to high school counselors. other institutions are doing with great in- On these blogs, visitors can find good terest, envy, or fear and definitely with feedback about college life as well as not- some pressing questions. so-good takes as in this post dated April Should you launch your own student 24, 2006, by Judy L. from MIT: blogs to support your recruiting efforts? It is lonely up here, and that is why so How can you ensure these blogs about many of us drink or get depressed. Some, college life will end up generating more maybe even most, of the heavy drinkers applications as well as bigger and better Student blogs have at MIT never even touched a drink in classes of freshmen? Beyond the media become sought-after high school but they can pound a 30- hype, can these interactive diaries trans- commodities in the rack [of beer] away in one night without late to better yields? even blinking here. college selection process. So, what's a school to do when this type THE ALLURE OF has made student blogs sought-after com- of testimonial is available and promoted ADMISSIONS BLOGS modities in the college selection process. on the internet? Join the fray, add other Consider why they can help attract the best viewpoints, and make them easily accessi- prospective students and persuade them BLOG'SHONEST TRUTH ble to high school seniors and their parents to attend your school. Everything comes Some corporate players have noticed, tak- which MIT does, with its student blogs down to the Holy Grail of authenticity ing advantage of this new trend. sponsored by the Admissions office . or at least a perception of authenticity. There's TheU, for instance. Founded Interaction between these audiences Whether you call them Millenials or by Doug Imbruce, a recent graduate from is inevitable and already occurring else- NetGeners, today's prospective students Columbia, the company produces and where, so why not facilitate the conversa- just don't buy marketing messages deliv- sells DVDs created to reveal the real col- tions and take advantage of it on our own ered on glossy brochures. They've spent lege experience at different institutions. websites? Prospective students and their their teen years watching all sorts of real- Recently, current students have had the families are visiting RateMyProfessor.com, ity TV shows and fallen in love with their opportunity to set up blogs and share the LiveJournal.com, or TheU.com to learn transparency. They rely on their peers' lows and highs of their college life. Blog- `the truth' about our institutions, says opinions and recommendations on music, gers for TheU.com are incredibly aware of Bob Robertson-Boyd, web manager movies, and education. And, according to the many different shortcomings of their the report Teen Content Creators and schools and help students enjoy a happier, Consumers Pew Internet & American Karine Joly is the web editor behind www.college less stressful college transition by preparing Life Project, 2005 , 38 percent of all teens webeditor.com, a blog about higher ed web mar- these kids for challenges, big and small, who are online say they read blogs. keting, public relations, and technologies. She is says Imbruce. The bloggers are also on Already fueled by the prosperous col- also a web editor for an East Coast liberal arts hand to document and illustrate the many lege guide market, this generation's yearn- college as well as a consultant on web projects for different ways in which some schools cater other institutions. ing to find out the truth about college life www.universitybusiness.com August 2006 | 79 IntTech.indd 79 7/21/06 2:35:50 PM http://TheU.com http://TheU.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - August 2006

Contents
College Index
Advisory Board
Company Index
Editor's Note
People Watch
Sense of Place
Stats Watch
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
On the Hill
Admissions
Future Shock
An Education in AV Technology
Retention Intentions
Endowment Management
Good Data In, Good Data Out
Sticking with the Tried & True
Home, Sweet Home
Faculty Issues in Online Education
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - August 2006