The College Planning Playbook

What Works (and What Gets Ignored) According to Real Students

If you work in enrollment or financial aid, you’ve probably asked yourself: What actually helps students figure out college, and what just adds to the pile? For the 2025 E-Expectations survey, we went straight to the source—nearly 1,600 high school students themselves—and the answers are refreshingly straightforward. Spoiler: it’s not about the fanciest new tech, and it’s also not about drowning them in glossy brochures. When it comes to their “college planning playbook,” teenagers are looking for clear, actionable guidance that helps them make a huge life decision without losing their sanity (or their savings).

Here’s what we learned from our latest survey, and how you can use it to actually move the needle.

Students aren’t just window shopping

Forget the idea that students are passively leafing through mailers. Today’s applicants are strategic: they use whatever gets them closer to a decision and tune out the rest. When we asked, “Which resources have you used and how helpful were they?” the results were clear.

The top five: What really works

1. School emails still rule: Those emails you labor over? They’re not just spam fodder. Nearly 90% of students say they’re helpful, and just as many actually read them. The catch? Short, relevant, and timely messages work best. If you’re still sending email blasts that sound like a commercial, rethink your approach.

2. The official college website remains the king: When in doubt, students go straight to the source. Nine out of ten use college websites to research schools, making them the most-used tool, and 88% percent find them genuinely helpful. Students want the facts—what programs exist, what dorms look like, what deadlines are looming. If your website buries the basics, you’re losing them.

3. Nothing beats boots on the ground: Visiting campus is still the gold standard for gut checks. Eighty-eight percent say in-person visits are helpful, but only 80% manage to take one (travel and cost are real barriers). When they do, it’s a game-changer.

4. College planning websites make life easier: Think of these as digital guidance counselors. They’re used by 82% of students, and 85% say they’re helpful. The draw? Easy side-by-side comparisons and less spreadsheet chaos.

5. College fairs still pack a punch: They may be old school but they are effective: 80% of students attend college fairs, and 85% get helpful info they couldn’t find online. Sometimes, a face-to-face conversation is what tips the scale.

Mind the gap: Underused but powerful

There are plenty of tools out there, but some of the most helpful ones are flying under the radar. Here’s where colleges can do better:

Virtual tours and VR experiences: Students who use them love them (84% helpful), but only 77% have tried. Virtual can’t replace a campus tour, but it’s the next best thing—especially for out-of-state or lower-income students.

Online student communities: Authentic peer advice matters, but only 77% know about these platforms (even though 84% find them helpful).

Financial aid calculators: Nothing is scarier than the price tag, but only 81% use these tools, even though 85% say they’re helpful.

Live chats and chatbots: Quick answers, real-time help, yet only about 70% of students use them. Visibility is the issue, not usefulness.

And let’s talk about personalized texts and live messages from admissions counselors: students crave direct, real-time communication, but only 77% have gotten it, even though 84% rate it as helpful.

What enrollment pros should actually do

So what’s the actionable playbook? Here’s what our data says:

• Promote your virtual stuff: Highlight virtual tours, student communities, and interactive platforms, especially for students who can’t visit in person.
• Show the path to a job: Put career outcomes front and center. Students want to see how your programs connect to real-world gigs.
• Make digital tools impossible to miss: If you have a chatbot or live chat, make it obvious. Don’t bury these features on your website.
• Lead with affordability: Share scholarship calculators and cost tools early and often. Don’t make families hunt for them.
• Invest in personal touch: The more tailored your outreach (think texts, quick emails, not just form letters), the better.
• Make campus visits happen: Subsidize travel, host regional visit days, or beef up your virtual experiences for those who can’t make the trip.

The bottom line

Students don’t want a firehose of information. They want a GPS. The best colleges aren’t the ones with the flashiest websites or the most emails—they’re the ones who help students navigate from “I have no clue” to “I’ve got this.” Our job isn’t just to provide facts. It’s to be the trusted co-pilot on a student’s most important road trip.

Want the full breakdown, including more data and actionable insights?

Read the 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report to get a comprehensive experience of what students expect and experience when searching for colleges. If you’re serious about helping students (and your own enrollment goals), you’ll want to see everything we uncovered!