Kristen Hatfield, director of admissions, and Carlee Hackl, content manager at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with the Star Tribune about the important role social media plays in recruiting new students, and the innovative approach to creating engaging videos that resonate with prospective students.
From the story:
Three University of St. Thomas interns spent the lunch hour dashing around campus, cell phones and microphone in hand, asking fellow students: Do you want to be in a video?
They were on a mission to film a TikTok video outlining 23 reasons teenagers should enroll at the private university in St. Paul. One by one they gathered answers. “Dance team.” “Rowing team.” “The music program.” “My cousin.”
As the competition for new college students intensifies and crucial admissions deadlines loom, a growing number of Minnesota universities are handing their TikTok accounts over to their students, who understand the social media platform best. Schools still offer tours and other events on campus, but TikTok gives them a chance to catch teenagers’ attention while they’re scrolling through their phones.
“Obviously, the way students do their college search is changing always,” said Kristen Hatfield, the university’s director of admissions. “And so, it’s great to have student interns who have been through it not that long ago.”
