Madison Neal

Education: Majoring in Agricultural Communications and Journalism, Mass Communications
Mentor: Lonnie Hobbs, Jr., Ph.D.
Project: The College Choice Journey: Understanding College Decision Drivers Among High School Students

This study examines the factors that high school students value when considering higher education. A survey was sent to Texas high schools to assess their views on varying factors. The survey findings revealed that cost and strong academic programs are the most important values, with the least important being sports and school prestige. The survey also revealed that students gather information from official university materials and social media, but prefer to be contacted directly by email or text message. This research underscores the importance of aligning university messaging with students’ values to better reach and influence prospective students.