Technology in undergraduate admissions : the future of Internet capabilities within college admissions websites

Computer technology became a vital part of college admissions recruitment during the 1990's. Advancements in Internet and electronic mailing capabilities did not transform theannual objectives for admissions professionals; instead, they drastically changed how these goals were achieved. At the time of this project, technology was a vital component for enrollment services. Periodic advancements were flexible enough to meet the changing needs of admissions departments and prospective students, yet powerful enough to accomplish these objectives with increasing effectiveness.At the beginning of the 21St Century, admissions officers were focused on meeting the needs of prospective students throughout the college search process. A foundation of literature equated the Millennial generation with advancements in technology. The Internet was its primary information source, and electronic mailing its preferred method of communication. Contrastingly, only two studies were found that assessed the concerns of Millennial students as they began the college search process. Neither of these surveys incorporated student concerns with advances in technological capabilities for enrollment services. The following project traced this literature on the Millennial student, focusing on technological preferences and general concerns during the college search process. An analysis of technological capabilities in admissions recruitment was also performed. The findings of these two objectives were then applied to Ball State University, outlining the specific technologies that would help a designated institution maximize its Internet recruitment efforts for the 2006-2007 academic year.The significant contribution of the following text was its combination of trends in enrollment services, Internet technology, and student concerns through a foundation of research. Based on the current status of the entire admissions field in 2004, these findings were thenapplied to a single university to help the admissions office achieve its objectives. The methodology, research, and applications associated with this project would be generalizable to any postsecondary institution wishing to use technology to increase the effectiveness of its recruitment efforts.Department of Educational LeadershipThesis (M.A.