Maximizing Higher Education Admissions Yield: Seven Messaging Strategies for “Emerging Adults”

This is the final post in our three-part series aimed at helping higher education and enrollment marketing professionals increase yield by encouraging accepted students to enroll and matriculate.

In the first post, we shared a practical checklist of strategies and tactics to improve admissions yield. The second post offered a fresh take on audience-centered messaging tailored to today’s enrollment landscape. 

In this final installment, we explore the concept of “emerging adulthood” and two essential aspects of this age group – “future self” and “self-efficacy” – and how they provide a valuable perspective for engaging prospective students. 

Before we dive in, a quick but important caveat: The risk of bias and oversimplification is inherent in any attempt to generalize the attributes and traits of life stages, populations, or a specific cohort. The labeling of the group is less important than the identification of attitudinal and behavioral tendencies. Using emerging adulthood as a framework can help you create messaging that’s more relevant, empathetic, and ultimately more effective.

What is emerging adulthood? 

Emerging adulthood is a term introduced by Clark University psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Arnett in 2000 to delineate a distinct developmental stage between adolescence and young adulthood — typically spanning ages 18 to 25 and sometimes extending into the late 20s (Arnett, 2002). This concept reflects shifting societal norms, delayed life milestones, and new attitudinal and behavioral patterns among this age group.

According to Arnett, emerging adulthood is a time of exploration — of identity, values, relationships, and career paths. It often includes frequent changes in residence, jobs, and education; a focus on self-discovery and personal goals; and a delay in independent decisions including traditional adult roles such as marriage and parenthood. 

It’s essential to recognize that emerging adulthood is not a universal experience. In many cultures and socioeconomic groups, the onset of adulthood is driven more by financial necessity than the freedom to explore. Critics argue that the concept applies differently across social classes and mainly reflects the lives of upper- and middle-class individuals in industrialized nations. Others point out that it lacks clearly defined boundaries and may unintentionally reinforce delayed responsibility. 

Connect with the “hoped-for” self

During emerging adulthood, the psychological concept of the “future self” is especially relevant (Markus & Nurius, 1986). It posits that each of us, accepted students included, has three future-self narratives in play:

• The hoped-for self represents who a person aspires to become — their ideal future.
• The feared self reflects who they worry they might become, shaped by anxieties, insecurities, or worst-case scenarios.
• The expected self is who they realistically believe they will become, based on their current path. 

These imagined selves shape motivation, self-esteem, and behavior. In your marketing campaigns for this target audience, help them see their ideal selves. Show them how your school, programs, and community can help them on that journey. Encourage and motivate them by sharing a glimpse of what they can become.

Bolster self-efficacy 

Self-efficacy — the belief in one’s ability to succeed and achieve goals — plays a critical role in personal growth and well-being during this life stage (Bandura, 1997). This belief can be broad (confidence in managing life overall) or specific (confidence in handling particular challenges).

Self-efficacy is particularly important when making major decisions, such as enrolling in college or university. Accepted students must believe they can succeed not just in life generally, but also in the specific academic, social, and personal challenges they’ll face. As a communicator or educator, your role is to help students strengthen that belief — guiding them from “I think I can” to “I know I can.”

Seven messaging strategies for reaching emerging adults

As you aim to influence decision making and boost yield, the following marketing strategies will help you craft messaging and tactics that resonate with accepted students through the lens of emerging adulthood.

1. Support self-discovery. Highlight programs, flexible majors, services and student organizations that encourage and support exploration and personal growth.
2. Promote pathways. Connect prospective students with potential career directions (future selves), salary ranges, and growth opportunities with a degree and without to guide their exploration and consideration of academic programs.
3. Promote flexibility. Emphasize flexible programs, hybrid course options, internship opportunities, and policies that accommodate gap years or non-linear journeys.
4. Show diverse student experiences. Feature testimonials and profiles that reflect a range of student identities and experiences, including nontraditional students, first-generation students, commuters, and part-time learners.
5. Celebrate exploration and change. Use social media and your website to highlight students who changed majors, followed diverse interests, or created their own interdisciplinary paths. Share success stories that show how embracing uncertainty can lead to growth and discovery, and how these unique paths led to successful careers. Show tangible outcomes that students can get excited about meaningful outcomes.
6. Highlight support services. Promote the availability of advising, counseling, career services, and transition programs that help students navigate their evolving goals.
7. Normalize uncertainty. Reassure students that uncertainty is part of the process — and position your higher ed institution as a supportive environment for growth and discovery.

 A complete perspective on your audience

Emerging adulthood offers another valuable perspective for understanding your audience — one that can inspire messaging and communication strategies that genuinely resonate during enrollment recruitment and beyond. 

We hope this series has given you a well-rounded perspective — from practical tactics and timely marketing strategies to insights into the mindset of today’s students — as you work to boost yield this year and in the years to come.

Footnotes:

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.

Markus, H., & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41(9), 954–969.