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Abstract
Digital engagement as a tool for communication offers a variety of formats for reaching and potentially attracting prospective college students. While printed materials were once the primary means for colleges to communicate with and subsequently influence student’s choice, the internet has created a virtual world for digitally engaging with students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the role of digital engagement in traditional students choosing to enroll at a community college. The qualitative research method included in-depth interviews, and the sample included 12 full-time, traditional, community college student ambassadors enrolled in one community college during the spring semester of 2022. Coupling quantitative data provided through E-Expectations with qualitative data collected from current community college students, this study provides insight into the significance digital engagement plays in student college choice. Posited by Chapman (1981) in his Model of Student College Choice, student characteristics and external influences can be shaped by students’ generalized expectations of college life. The research findings suggest that digital engagement can influence and shape students’ expectations of college life. Thus, further refine data-driven decision-making in digital marketing practices. As digital technologies available to market higher education evolve, continued research is necessary for a better understanding of the relationship between digital engagement and college choice. Keywords: college choice, digital engagement, digital marketing, digital media, full-time student, Generation Y, Generation Z, organic results versus ads, Millennials, prospective student, and traditional student.
