Who And What Influences Choice Of University? Student And University Perceptions.

Abstract

Emerging peer-to-peer communication via social media, and the role of influential peers, is changing the way that marketers communicate with prospects.  The model is changing from a sender-receiver model to one that includes influential peer-to-peer and receiver-to-sender communication.  This research examines this phenomenon in the context of student choice of a university.  What is the relative influence that various sources of information have on students’ choice of university?  How does the influence of friends and family members compare to the influence of non-personal media?  How do high-touch tools like campus visits compare to high-tech tools such as social media sites?  Results of a survey of students showed that parents, along with other family and friends, were the most influential sources of information.  Outside of personal contacts, a student’s visit to campus was highly influential.  Surprisingly, social media was not rated as highly influential compared to traditional media.  Results of a second survey of university employees generally predicted student responses well, although employees underestimated the influence of university representatives (faculty members, staff, and coaches) and underestimated the impact of a visit to campus as sources of information for prospective students.