Jeff Kallay on Campus Visits, Authentic Storytelling, and Why Students Need to Feel the Experience

Well, of course, look, I mean,

We evolve, I mean, it used to be transistor radio, then FM radio, then black and white TV, then color TV that looked like a football, then it's flat screen.

And then we got small devices, then we got mobile devices.

And so it's- And now we stream

it all.

Yeah, exactly.

And so I know that some of the things that we really believe in at Student Bridge, and I'd love to get your view on this, and some of the guests on the podcast we spoke about, is how much of the- of the impression the first impressions already made digitally how much of the opinions already made how's that shifted the role of the in-person visit because i'll make a sweeping statement and you can tell me it's wrong but i view it as by the time students look at 30 universities online brought down their short list of 10 apply through um common app to a bunch quite a bunch then visit they still visit three Is that the numbers you're seeing? Is that kind of how you feel about it? It's still that kind of important part of the funnel where it's gone from 30 to three?

No, I think it's, I think it's bigger than that.

Um, I think the pandemic and digital, more content, both official, you know, colleges, websites, and social media, but then I think things like Bama Rush and other things have impacted students.

But here's the challenge.

Yes, I think there are families that we have seen high no-show rates, you know, no one cancels.

I don't cancel if I sign up for a webinar and don't attend.

And and and so I think there is a certain percentage of the population that is saying, let's wait until you see if you get do all your research online, use all of those assets that are available to you, which I think for some Gen Z students is too much.

I think they're overwhelmed by all of the information.

that is out there and the campus visit still defaults to the real right place based education.

So I think that, I think that families are saying around the kitchen table, let's see if you get in, let's see how much money they give you.

Then we'll go visit, do all your research in advance.

I do see, however, Jonathan, that's shifting back to like, We're seeing some schools are having, it's shifting back to the rise, the return of sophomores and juniors.

And I think that's a generational shift as we're exiting out of Gen Z and are now recruiting on the cusp alphas with their predominantly satellite millennial parents and their baby boomer grandparents.

So we are seeing more grandparents attending.

campus tours, which is a whole other thing, I think, with more first gen.

So while we did have this decrease of junior events and junior visitors and sophomores, many of my clients are now beginning to see an uptick.

So I think that's going to shift with this new generation of traditional age students.

So you're in the in-person tour.

I guess the point I was trying to make was still it's a very pivotal part of the journey, right? I mean, it's still incredibly important.

Well, of course, look, I mean,

We evolve, I mean, it used to be transistor radio, then FM radio, then black and white TV, then color TV that looked like a football, then it's flat screen.

And then we got small devices, then we got mobile devices.

And so it's- And now we stream

it all.

Yeah, exactly.

And so I know that some of the things that we really believe in at Student Bridge, and I'd love to get your view on this, and some of the guests on the podcast we spoke about, is how much of the- of the impression the first impressions already made digitally how much of the opinions already made how's that shifted the role of the in-person visit because i'll make a sweeping statement and you can tell me it's wrong but i view it as by the time students look at 30 universities online brought down their short list of 10 apply through um common app to a bunch quite a bunch then visit they still visit three Is that the numbers you're seeing? Is that kind of how you feel about it? It's still that kind of important part of the funnel where it's gone from 30 to three?

No, I think it's, I think it's bigger than that.

Um, I think the pandemic and digital, more content, both official, you know, colleges, websites, and social media, but then I think things like Bama Rush and other things have impacted students.

But here's the challenge.

Yes, I think there are families that we have seen high no-show rates, you know, no one cancels.

I don't cancel if I sign up for a webinar and don't attend.

And and and so I think there is a certain percentage of the population that is saying, let's wait until you see if you get do all your research online, use all of those assets that are available to you, which I think for some Gen Z students is too much.

I think they're overwhelmed by all of the information.

that is out there and the campus visit still defaults to the real right place based education.

So I think that, I think that families are saying around the kitchen table, let's see if you get in, let's see how much money they give you.

Then we'll go visit, do all your research in advance.

I do see, however, Jonathan, that's shifting back to like, We're seeing some schools are having, it's shifting back to the rise, the return of sophomores and juniors.

And I think that's a generational shift as we're exiting out of Gen Z and are now recruiting on the cusp alphas with their predominantly satellite millennial parents and their baby boomer grandparents.

So we are seeing more grandparents attending.

campus tours, which is a whole other thing, I think, with more first gen.

So while we did have this decrease of junior events and junior visitors and sophomores, many of my clients are now beginning to see an uptick.

So I think that's going to shift with this new generation of traditional age students.

So you're in the in-person tour.

I guess the point I was trying to make was still it's a very pivotal part of the journey, right? I mean, it's still incredibly important.