Real time means realtime...

It is no longer ok to lag behind in communications. People want updates immediately, they want them on the fly. Twitter is a new servic, which is skyrocketing to be one of the most popular internet sites, that allows people and organizations to give real time updates seen by all of their "followers". Colleges have not been slow to jump onto this trend and are now using twitter as a recruiting device, and giving potential students regular updates.
Some notable Universities with twitter accounts are; Harvard, Hofstra, Johns Hopkins University, Marquette University, and Penn State University.

Another way that Universities are mobving towards real time recruiting is subscribing to text messaging services like clubtexting.com, where they can have potential students sign up for text message updates. The time of waiting to check emails is no more. SMS or "text messages" over cell phones are one of the most widely used communication with over 75 billion texts per month and that number increasing 250% per year.

The University of Michigan has a service that students can sign up for in order to receive updates on important dates and deadlines for the application process. They are an early adopter to a trend that I believe we will see more and more consistently. A bulk sms messaging service is extremely cheap and the realtime information that an organization will be able to deliver is easily worth the cost.

Most times being on the cutting edge will cost you top dollar, however not in this case...

In today's environment the competition for recruiting prospective students is becoming increasingly competitive. Universities have begun to utilize modern social technology in order to bring their recruiting to the next level. Harvard University has been on the cutting edge of this recruiting trend.

Harvard has been utilizing online social networks in order to recruit potential students. One example is their promotion of their new "2+2 Mba Program. In order to make the market aware of this program they have created a facebook page, a twitter account as well as created podcasts in order to keep their information accessible.

Harvard is able to draw people towards their information and stay current with these simple and easy to maintain technologies. They are at the cutting edge of recruiting. Typically being at the cutting edge usually means bearing a high cost. However all of these technologies are free to use and easy to maintain. They give Universities a direct link to their target markets. Researchers estimate that up to 65% of high school students, and 85% of college students have facebook accounts and twitter is rapidly expanding.

In today's age a brochure sent through the mail is no longer getting the job done. The younger generation needs to be convinced by multimedia and real time information. I am troubled by the fact that many Universities, including the University of Montana, are not utilizing this technology.

The benefits of using these tools are too many to count, and at the cost of next to nothing, there is little reason not to use them. Maintaining them could litterally be done by creating a student position for a few hours /week. My advice to UM and other Universities is to jump on board as soon as possible and begin creating an online presence as soon as possible; For all ofthe benefit that they bring, you really can't beat the price.

Exploring the use of technology by Colleges: The introduction

I am going to exploring new and innovative ways that colleges are using technology in order to new students and enrich the experiences of current students. Currently, I am attending the University of Montana, a campus that I wouldn't say is really behind on technology but definitely not an innovator. I am especially interested in the way that technology is being adopted in order for colleges to recruit new students.

Social networking sites like facebook and twitter are being utilized by many top schools in order to begin the recruiting process earlier and more in depth than before. Students are being contacted and introduced to schools at far younger ages. Just last week my 7th grade sister told me that she wants to go to Stanford, when I asked her why she said that her friend follows the school on twitter and it seems like the best one.

Many schools are using youtube as a way to promote their schools and are able to give students a much more in depth look at their campuses and facilities, without requiring a visit.

Some schools have been able to use increase the efficiency in their career services departments by utilizing text message notifications to inform students of opportunities that they might be interested in.

I am going to focus on the way that colleges are adapting to the "real time" speed that we have come to in our society today and giving examples of both failures and successes.