Where Institutions Meet (and Miss) Prospective Family Expectations in Recruitment

College recruitment is a bit like hosting a dinner party. You might set the table beautifully, prep your best dish, and send out invitations. But if you forget dessert or serve something your guests did not actually want, you will still leave people hungry.

That is the story unfolding when we compare two recent sets of data: the 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report (RNL, 2025) and the 2025 Prospective Family Engagement Report (RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP, 2025). Together, they show where colleges are feeding families exactly what they want, and where they are still serving mystery meat.

Email is king, but do not ignore texts and portals

Email is still king, and on this, families and colleges are totally in sync. Nearly all institutions rely on it to connect with prospective students and their families (98–100%), and approximately 90% of families consider it their top way to receive college updates (RNL, 2025; RNL et al., 2025). But that is not the end of the story: lower-income and first-generation families are more likely to prefer text messages, with about 30% say getting updates on their phones suits them best. And when it comes to college portals? Most families are not shy about their feelings. Seventy-seven percent call these hubs “invaluable” for keeping track of deadlines and details.

Here is the practical takeaway. If your family portal is still in beta, you are late. The portal is the digital front porch. Families want to step in. They do not want to just peer through a window.

However, this is where institutions often fall short.

• Lower-income families: They may not have unlimited data plans or reliable Wi-Fi. For them, text updates are not just convenient. They are a lifeline. Use SMS for deadlines, aid reminders, and quick check-ins.
• Multilingual families: A portal that exists only in English is a locked door. Translation tools, multilingual FAQs, or videos with subtitles are not extras. They are necessities.
• Busy working families: They may read email at odd hours. Keep messages concise. Make them mobile-friendly. Pack them with links that get families directly to what they need. No scavenger hunt.

Email may be the king, but texts and portals are the court. Together, they make families feel included, informed, and respected. Income, language, and schedule should not become barriers to access.

Cost clarity: The non-negotiable

Families shout this from the rooftops. Show me the money.

Ninety-nine percent say tuition and cost details are essential. Seventy-two percent have already ruled out institutions based on the sticker shock (RNL et al., 2025).

Meanwhile, many institutions are still burying their net price calculators three clicks deep or waiting until after application to share the real numbers (RNL, 2025). That delay does not just frustrate. It eliminates your campus from consideration.

Here is the practical takeaway. Put cost and aid at the forefront. Homepage, emails, campus events. If families cannot find your numbers, they will assume they are bad.

Widen the lens for a moment.

• Lower-income families: They do not just compare sticker prices. They seek reassurance that aid is real, accessible, and does not come with hidden strings.
• First-generation families: Jargon like “COA” and “EFC” confuses them. Use plain explanations, visuals, or short videos to demystify the process.
• Multilingual families: Cost info in English-only PDFs will not cut it. Translations, bilingual webinars, and multiple-language calculators build trust.
• Busy working families: Parents reading on a break or late at night do not want to hunt. Make your cost breakdowns mobile-friendly. Spell it out: “Here is the average monthly payment after aid.” No guesswork.

Clarity is equity. Make costs easy to find, easy to understand, and easy to compare. If you do, you keep your institution in the game.

Portals: High demand, low supply

Only 45% of private and 38% of public institutions offer family portals (RNL, 2025). Seventy-seven percent of families consider portals “invaluable” during the planning process (RNL et al., 2025). That is not a gap. It is a canyon.

Here is the practical takeaway. Stop debating whether you need a portal. You do. Build one. Promote it. Keep it fresh. A portal is not just another login. It is a family’s command center.

Here is why the design matters:

• Lower-income families: If they juggle multiple jobs or devices, the portal must be mobile-first. No exceptions.
• First-generation families: Use the portal as a step-by-step guide through the admissions maze. Clear checklists and “what comes next” nudges make all the difference.
• Multilingual families: A portal only in English is a locked gate. Multilingual menus, downloadable resources, and translated FAQs turn it into a real access point.
• Busy working families: On-demand matters. Record sessions, post how-to videos, and archive key communications. Parents can catch up after a late shift.

Think of your family portal as the ultimate cheat sheet. If it answers questions before families even think to ask them, you have built trust.

Campus visits still rule the court

Institutions know visits are powerful. Families confirm it. Ninety-seven percent say seeing campus in person shapes their decision (RNL, 2025; RNL et al., 2025). First-generation families value them even more.

Here is the practical takeaway. Do not just host cookie-cutter tours. Offer tailored experiences for first-generation families, local students, or academic interest groups. If your best tour story is still “this is the library,” you are missing the emotional connection.

And do not forget the families outside the “traditional tour” box.

• Commuter students: Show them where they will spend their days. Lounges, commuter lockers, meal plan hacks, parking solutions. These matter.
• Students working 20 hours a week to pay tuition: Highlight flexible scheduling, evening classes, and campus jobs.
• Busy working families: Are you offering evening and weekend options? Can families join virtual sessions during a lunch break? If not, you are leaving them out.

The real question: Are your campus experiences built for everyone, or just for the students who can spend a sunny Thursday afternoon strolling through your quad?

Families want in, not just students

Three out of four families want at least weekly updates or timely news when it matters (RNL et al., 2025). Institutions are trying, but too often, communication still feels like a one-size-fits-all t-shirt. Technically wearable. Not flattering.

Here is the practical takeaway. Treat families as partners, not sidekicks. Share updates in plain language. Offer Spanish-language options. Spotlight ways families can support their students. Yield is not just about students. It is about family buy-in.

And remember:

• Lower-income families: They may not have time to comb through long emails. Keep communication concise. Highlight financial deadlines.
• First-generation families: Spell out key milestones. Provide clear “what comes next” instructions.
• Multilingual families: Translate emails, texts, and portal content.
• Busy working families: Send reminders multiple times of day. Record webinars. Make resources on demand.

When communication feels clear, inclusive, and personal, families lean in. When it does not, they check out. Sometimes, they cross your institution off the list.

Mind the gaps: Equity and information access

Families across the board say cost, aid, program details, and outcomes are critical. Lower-income and first-generation families face significantly larger “information deserts” when searching for them (RNL et al., 2025). Yet institutions often double down on generic email campaigns or broad digital ads. They assume everyone is starting from the same place (RNL, 2025).

Here is the practical takeaway. Equity in outreach is not just a value statement. It is a recruitment strategy. Translate materials. Send proactive aid guides. Partner with community groups to get info where it is needed most.

And remember:

• Lower-income families: Scholarships and payment plan info should not be three clicks deep. Put them front and center.
• First-generation families: A one-page roadmap with plain-language admissions and aid steps can level the field.
• Multilingual families: One brochure in Spanish is not enough. Provide translated FAQs, videos, and multilingual staff at info sessions.
• Busy working families: Host virtual Q&As in the evenings. Record them. Make sure materials are mobile-friendly.

If families cannot find or understand what they need, they will assume you do not have it. Or worse, that you do not care.

Digital tools are only as good as the content behind them

Institutions love their toys. Chatbots, SEO, and retargeted ads. These tools can be powerful (RNL, 2025). But families are not impressed by bells and whistles if the basics are missing. They want clear, easily accessible information about costs, aid, programs, and outcomes. Too often, they click into a chatbot or portal and leave frustrated because the answers are not there (RNL et al., 2025).

Here is the practical takeaway. Do not let technology become window dressing. Audit your site from a family’s perspective. Can they find costs, aid, majors, and career outcomes in under two clicks? If not, no chatbot in the world can fix it. No amount of flash will.

Think beyond the default user.

• Lower-income families: Spotty internet access means your site needs to be mobile-first, fast-loading, and crystal clear.
• First-generation families: Chatbots must speak plain language, not acronym soup.
• Multilingual families: Add multilingual chatbot capabilities or direct them quickly to translated resources.
• Busy working families: On-demand support matters. Chatbots at midnight. Video explainers that can be paused and replayed. Not just a nine-to-five phone line.

Digital tools are not about looking modern. They are about making life easier. If your tech feels like another hoop to jump through, families will bounce. If it feels like a helpful hand, families will lean in.

The big picture

The alignment is clear on some fronts. Families want email, visits, and cost clarity, and institutions largely deliver. But the gaps, portals, aid communication, and equity in outreach are where recruitment wins or loses.

Families are not just support systems. They are decision-makers. Right now, they are asking colleges to meet them with transparency, respect, and practical tools that make a complicated journey a little simpler.

In other words, if institutions want families to stay at the table, they will need to stop serving what is easiest to cook and start serving what families ordered.

References

• RNL. (2025a). 2025 Undergraduate Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz. https://www.ruffalonl.com/practices2025
• RNL, Ardeo, & CampusESP. (2025b). 2025 Prospective Family Engagement Study. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.