Episode 37: How Students' College Research Patterns are Shifting Due to COVID-19

Have you thought about what it might be like to be a high school senior right now? Prom has been cancelled, basketball and soccer seasons have been cut short, and there’s a good chance you won’t be going to college this fall (well, at least not physically). We wanted to better understand how the search behavior of high school seniors and high school juniors has changed as a result of COVID-19, so we sat down with Alex Stepien, the CEO of Cappex. Cappex is a platform that helps bridge the gap between student, parent, and institution. Since 2007, they’ve had more than 13 million students register to use their platform and in the last 12 months, they have seen more than 1.4 million students create accounts. On this week’s episode, Alex shares detailed insights into the questions and concerns the classes of 2020 and 2021 are asking search engines and expressing in surveys. Among others, Alex answers the following questions: - Do you think the new NACAC rules coupled with this reality we're all living through will have any meaningful effect on yield? - What search queries are most popular among high school seniors right now? What about high school juniors? - How will students whose high schools have chosen to evaluate them with pass or fail criteria, and who are pursuing acceptance at standardize test-optional institutions, stand out? - What sort of bearing do you believe COVID-19 is going to have on higher education and what do you think enrollment marketers can do to best prepare for this fall and beyond? Tune in for an engaging, thought-provoking conversation.- - - - Connect With Our Co-Hosts: Mallory Willsea https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea Seth Odell https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/ https://twitter.com/sethodell About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager. Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way. Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register