2025 E-Expectations Trend Report - Examining online experiences, expectations, and behaviors of college-bound high school students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

2025 E-Expectations Trend Report examines how college-bound high school students navigate their college search through websites, social media, email, ads, and emerging AI assistants. Using extensive data analysis and student feedback, it challenges assumptions about engagement while detailing where students spend attention and how they prefer to receive information. Key findings highlight high usage of college websites, meaningful email and in-person relevance, ad engagement on dominant platforms, personalization preferences, and privacy trade-offs in what contact details students share.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages51

Reading Time2 h 9 min

AccessFree to download

Beyond the Click: How and Why Students Reach Out to Colleges

Click, Chat, Connect: Uncovering Student Patterns with AI College Assistants

Digital Footprints & Follow-Ups: Understanding How Students Share Information With Colleges

Unraveling Students’ College Website Discovery Journey

College Planning Playbook: What Works and What’s Used

How Do Students Prefer to Hear From Colleges?

Inbox Insights: What Drives Students to Engage With College Emails?

Lights, Camera, Engagement: What College Planning Videos Students Want

Scrolling for Success: How Social Media Shapes College Planning for Students

Texting the Path to College: What Works for Students

Mapping the Student Journey: Experiences That Transform Campus Visits Into Adventures

From Click to Campus: How Students Engage With College Ads

Final Thoughts

Demographics

About the Sponsors

2025 E-Expectations Trend Report Examining the online experiences, expectations, and behaviors of college-bound high school students Co-sponsored by: Contents Beyond the Click: How and Why Students Reach Out to Colleges ...................................... 5 Click, Chat, Connect: Uncovering Student Patterns with AI College Assistants ............... 7 Digital Footprints & Follow-Ups: Understanding How Students Share Information With Colleges ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Unraveling Students’ College Website Discovery Journey ....................................................12 College Planning Playbook: What Works and What’s Used.................................................22 How Do Students Prefer to Hear From Colleges? ....................................................................24 Inbox Insights: What Drives Students to Engage With College Emails?............................25 Lights, Camera, Engagement: What College Planning Videos Students Want ..............29 Scrolling for Success: How Social Media Shapes College Planning for Students ............31 Texting the Path to College: What Works for Students .........................................................36 Mapping the Student Journey: Experiences That Transform Campus Visits Into Adventures ................................................................................................................................ 40 From Click to Campus: How Students Engage With College Ads ...................................... 44 Final Thoughts ...................................................................................................................................49 Demographics ...................................................................................................................................50 About the Sponsors .......................................................................................................................... 51 © 2025 RNL | 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report 2 Introduction College planning has transformed into a complex digital dance, where Instagram stories matter as much as campus tours and AI chatbots answer midnight questions about application deadlines. Colleges and universities need to be aligned with the expectations of today’s college-bound highschool students in order to engage them where they are in their journey and keep them moving toward enrollment. This 2025 E-Expectations report dives deep into how students navigate their college search today. Through extensive data analysis and student feedback, we’ve uncovered patterns that challenge conventional wisdom about student engagement. We found that while 31% of students still fill out traditional web forms, a nearly equal number now follow schools on social media. Perhaps most tellingly, 68% of students have already interacted with AI assistants on college websites—though not all student groups embrace these tools equally. What makes this research particularly valuable is its student-centered approach. Rather than focusing on institutional metrics or enrollment targets, we examined students’ behaviors and preferences at every stage of their college search. From 9th graders just beginning to explore their options to 12th graders making final decisions, we tracked how their engagement methods evolve and what they’re looking for when they reach out. The findings paint a picture of a generation that’s both digitally native and surprisingly thoughtful about how they share information. While they’re comfortable with AI chatbots and social media, they’re also strategic about their engagement—59% will share their email address with a college, but only 32% will provide their home address. These aren’t just statistics—they’re insights into how students protect their privacy while seeking authentic connections

FAQs

Which resources do students use most during the college search journey?

College websites are the most-used resource, and a high share of students find them helpful. Email and in-person visits also remain important across grades.

How do students engage with AI assistants on college websites?

A significant portion of students have used AI assistants on college websites, and adoption varies by grade. The report also compares adoption patterns and related preferences.

What do students’ privacy behaviors reveal about their outreach preferences?

Students are willing to share some contact details, such as email, but far fewer share home addresses. The findings indicate that privacy concerns shape how students interact with colleges.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai