Lexington, KY - Remember the good old days, when we used college guides the size of telephone books to help us choose a college, and when what we knew about a college came primarily through friends, family, and the college catalogs mailed to us?
If you've been engaged in a college search recently, you know how much has changed. People don't wait for the Sears catalog to arrive in the mail any more; neither do they wait for print materials from colleges. Students eager to learn about colleges surf the Web, visiting Facebook, YouTube and perhaps, if they are really diligent, the colleges' own Web sites.
EKU's Power of Maroon
Colleges in our region are increasingly savvy about the way in which their Web presence matters. Eastern Kentucky University, mindful that students can put anything on YouTube they'd like, has produced a set of videos telling the university's story. Originally developed for downloading from iTunes, interviews with campus leaders about its past and present and videos focusing on athletic and academic programs are all a part of "The Power of Maroon" now available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/ powerofmaroon). Material about a wide range of academic programs is easy to find, including two of EKU's most distinctive: fire and safety engineering technology, and interpreter training (American Sign Language).
Doug Cornett, from EKU's Media Production Center, explained to me that the University wanted to find a way to expand outreach to all of its constituencies, including students, parents and alumni. EKU leaders felt the YouTube presence made eminent sense as a complement to print materials and personal outreach. Since November, Cornett and his colleagues have posted 83 videos on YouTube, all produced in-house, many utilizing faculty as anchors. Work is in progress on more.
All of this careful work competes for viewers' attention, however. If one searches YouTube for "Eastern Kentucky University," the list returned also includes videos produced by students showing, well, students being students, quite possibly to the chagrin of the administration. But this is part of the charm and beauty of the Web, and these honest videos depicting student life do tell a story. A generation ago, colleges could control their images fairly easily through printed publication design; today, the best design and most carefully crafted message, whether in print or online, must compete within the sea of information available online.
Additional Web resources for college searches
Walter Mossberg's technology column in the Wall Street Journal focused recently on a new Web site called Unigo, which features videos of current college students discussing their experiences and synopsizes information received about particular colleges. The site is a modern-day college guide, reflecting elements of the YouTube and Facebook experiences. It has promise for the future, but many colleges are not yet represented. Unigo relies on college students' willingness to provide information and the folks behind the site are working to develop awareness of their venture on campuses nationwide.
Facebook has been a gold mine for many of my advisees; when they start to zero in on a particular college, they search Facebook for students at that college and begin conversations online. They have learned quite a lot from these exchanges, and I have learned a lot from their initiative.
Traditional college guide publishers, like the College Board, ACT and Peterson's, have a great deal of information on their Web sites to help in the college search. And colleges themselves have developed marvelous Web sites, allowing students to learn about far more than admission policies. Academic departments and faculty are showcased; athletic programs can be researched; student life, residence life, clubs and organizations are given sections on colleges' sites so all can explore. Wise students will click around freely, taking copious notes, to gather information about what a college can offer to meet their needs and interests.
An important ingredient
Of course, what one finds online is one ingredient among many in the information-gathering process. My advice: utilize YouTube, Facebook, Unigo and the like liberally along with colleges' Web sites. And bear in mind that extensive online research can lead to useful decisions as a marvelous complement to personal contacts and firsthand information. The latter can not yet be relegated to the dustbin of history.
Jane S. Shropshire guides students and families through the college search process. Send questions or suggestions to JShrop@att.net.