The college search process no longer begins with a thick stack of brochures or a single campus tour. It now starts much earlier—and much more strategically—within the technology systems that students interact with daily in their high schools. Admission leaders need to understand how these shifts are changing the way students think about, evaluate, and ultimately choose their college options.

Three Shifts Changing the College Search

1. Early Career Discovery Creates Early Pathways
Students are beginning to explore careers as early as elementary school through structured technology platforms. This career awareness sets off a domino effect: students select courses, electives, and extracurriculars aligned to those goals, which narrows and shapes their college options earlier than ever before. For admission teams, this means students may already be “pre-qualified” for certain programs by the time they start their applications, or have their mind set on programs much earlier than junior year.

2. Integrated Technology Connecting Grades, Courses, and Interests
School-based technology platforms are no longer siloed. Today, systems track how student performance, course history, and career interests intersect. These tools guide academic decisions and help students visualize the pathways that connect high school to college to career. The result: more intentional students arriving at the college search with a clear narrative about who they are and what they want.

3. A Surge in Experiential and Work-Based Learning
High schools are rapidly scaling work-based learning opportunities, including internships, apprenticeships, and project-based learning. According to a 2023 Advance CTE report, over 80% of high schools now offer some form of work-based learning, and participation has grown by more than 25% in the last five years. These experiences give students real-world exposure and skills that shape their expectations of what higher education should provide.

What This Means for Admission Leaders

The evolution of technology in K–12 isn’t just a change in how students manage their education—it’s a change in how they shop for colleges. To stay relevant and attractive, admission teams must lean in strategically:

1. Get really clear on your programs and pathways. Show how your programs connect to careers and articulate the outcomes they deliver. Students want a roadmap, not just a major.
   
   
2. Engage with the technology students already use. Partner with the platforms shaping their choices, ensuring your institution is visible when students are exploring careers and planning courses. Platforms are trying to enhance student experiences and often have free features to let you engage with students along their journey! (Hint hint … that’s what SchooLinks has!)
   
   
3. Offer early experiences. Summer programs, dual-enrollment opportunities, or virtual learning modules can give students a first-hand look at your campus and offerings long before senior year. Consider ways your campus can offer early learning, teasers, opportunities for students who are already planning on a pathway to get a sense of how it will feel to dive in deeper at your campus.
   
   
4. Acknowledge and reward work-based learning. Consider ways to recognize the skills students bring—through digital wallets, Comprehensive Learner Records, or even by granting credits for experiential learning. This signals that you value the learning happening outside of traditional classrooms and are staying up with what districts are doing and valuing the work they are doing in these efforts. With students gaining more experience, employers are partnering with districts to align the efforts to their jobs. Many students will get recruited right out of high school for employment. This kind of competition makes it necessary for colleges to highlight the longer term value of their programs and degrees.
   
   

The Takeaway

Technology is fundamentally reshaping the college search process. Students are entering the funnel earlier, more informed, and with higher expectations for relevance and return on investment. Admission leaders who adapt—by aligning programs with pathways, embedding themselves in the K–12 tech ecosystem, and valuing experiential learning—will be the ones best positioned to attract and support the next generation of learners.

Partner with us in this. We want to invite you to be a part of our community as we serve our network of districts reaching 8 million students. Sign up for a free training today to learn about these options and get a first-hand look at how districts use SchooLinks for college preparation. 

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