Keywords

Virtual Campus Tour, Student-Institution Fit, College Choice Model, College Choice Process, Campus Tour, Enrollment Management

Abstract

College recruitment practices have remained stagnant for quite some time. However, due to decreases in state funding and hypercompetitive applicant pools colleges must adapt their recruitment practices to remain competitive. Due to precautions and social distancing guidelines which occurred in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, college information sessions, college fairs, campus tours and other recruitment events were suspended. As such, admissions administrators were forced to rely on virtual recruitment practices, including virtual campus tours, to recruit applicants. Virtual campus tours allow colleges to expand their applicant pool by engaging with prospective students, who may not possess the required finances or ability to travel to campus. While considerable research has centered on the factors that influence the college choice process, there is a lack of research pertaining to virtual campus tours. This study reviews the influence of virtual campus tours in the college choice process by interviewing 13 matriculated college students about their experiences with virtual campus tours. This qualitative phenomenological study focuses on the role of virtual campus tours in the college choice model and their influence on perceived levels of student-institution fit.

Completion Date

2023

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Letzring, Timothy

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Educational Leadership and Higher Education

Degree Program

Educational Leadership

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

DP0028096

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0028096

Language

English

Release Date

December 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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