As the smart phone is becoming the communications device of choice for high school and college students, higher education institutions better get mobile if they want to reach their customers. While it is important to connect on social network platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram and others, colleges also are developing their own mobile applications to address their unique needs. These customized apps are helping recruit college-bound high school students, while fostering interactions with those already on campus.
How should schools get started? By listening – the number-one rule of social engagement – to students about what they want in an application before creating it.
Here’s what some college apps enable users to do:
Apply to College (an “App App”) – The convenience of the online application process has expanded to the smart phone. Prospective students can submit their applications, as well as accompanying supporting materials, such as YouTube videos or photos, via their mobile device. The days of waiting for that bulky envelope to arrive in the mail box also are fading, as the colleges’ newly admitted students can be notified of their acceptance through their smart phones – then promptly share the good news with friends on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Get Around Campus – Maps, parking information and interactive tours are popular features on some college apps. Visitors can easily navigate the campus with the use of a smart phone, rather than attempt to decipher an unfamiliar map or seek a campus kiosk. Some schools also have developed transportation applications, which enable students to see the progress of shuttle buses, to decide whether they need to sprint to make it to the next stop.
Obtain Valuable Information – Details about courses, majors, departments and faculty members, including contact information, can all be included in a college-specific application. Events, such as upcoming athletic competitions, concerts and lectures; the latest campus news and videos; and specials at the dining hall or local restaurants also 
are featured. The college app is a great marketing tool, as it supplements traditional materials sent to prospective students, such as Viewbooks, catalogues and program brochures. It also can be used to engage alumni and donors by keeping them up to date on the latest campus happenings.
Access Academics & Financials – Almost all college students with smart phones say they use them when idle during the day, such as when riding in a bus, train or car. That is the ideal time to tap an app to accomplish necessary tasks, such as adding or dropping a class, paying a bill or posting to an online discussion board.
Receive Emergency Alerts – College administrators grapple with identifying the best strategies for communicating with the campus during a crisis. The college app can provide an effective vehicle for delivering important messages and alerts as the phone is usually at a student’s fingertips. This would supplement other methods being used to get the word out to campus as quickly as possible.
More than 90 percent of undergraduate college admissions officers believe social media marketing strategies are worth the investment, with most planning to employ them more in the coming year, according to a recent UMass Dartmouth study. Half consider downloadable mobile apps to be the most useful tools for recruiting undergraduates. One-third report that social media is more efficient in reaching their audience, while helping reduce the costs of traditional media advertising.
As more high school students use mobile devices to learn about colleges and universities, the institutions can no longer afford not to play in that arena.
Really great and interesting blog to read this week Patti! I did not know that colleges and universities were creating apps where students can apply to a school via their mobile phone. Do you happen to know how many schools actually have this mobile app as a way to apply to their school? I think that having the maps, parking information and interactive tours is a great idea for a mobile app…I know that a lot of people tend to get lost at the Saint Anselm College campus because of the one way streets and having a mobile application so people could find out where they are would be great. Nice blog this week!
Thanks Lucy. I could not find hard data on the number of colleges that have mobile apps. However, my research indicated that they are growing in popularity. While not all the apps have the capability to receive applications, most at least include information about the admissions process, such as deadlines and requirements. At UMass Lowell, we have a transportation app and a responsive web design for iPhones, which we are expanding to other devices. We have launched a mobile strategy committee that will help us make decisions about what to include in a customized app. This is something that students are demanding to enable easy access to University services and information.
Really interesting post I don’t know very many universities that use mobile applications but I think its a great move in the right direction. Many students have smartphones or tablets and are always using them. So it would be a good idea to have a mobile app. I think the app would be really useful to freshman especially on a large campus when they are trying to find their way to different classes. More universities should think about making mobile application sooner than later since they already have a large presence on social media.
Excellent post. Colleges are doing the right thing by listening to what students want first and then creating an app around that. What an excellent way to produce a win-win situation for everyone. I was a little surprised to learn about the app that lets you apply to schools. I remember applying to schools the “old fashioned” way and definitely thing this is a step in the right direction. Sure admission rates might go down but if the application process is easier maybe high school students will apply to schools they never would have otherwise.
Wow this is great Patti. I wish this was made available when I was a senior at Lowell High School applying to UMass Lowell, it would’ve helped me tremendously! I know the whole college applying processing for me was very stressful and I am sure it’s the same for everyone as well. I’d imagine many soon to be college students have smartphones now so these mobile applications will help ease the college applying processing and as you mentioned it can also be useful in signing up for classes and paying tuition bills, meal plans, etc. I will definitely pass this along!
I was very interested in your post-I use to work at a secondary education school which taught individuals Networking skills in order to obtain their Microsoft Certifications. Unfortunately this was before the digital world, an app to help us with admissions and driving students to our school would have helped tremendously. Instead at that time we had to rely on VERY expensive TV and radio ads which worked well but I think an application to drive sales (students) would have been great!