Student Experiences of Text Message College Counseling: Evidence From a 15-State Intervention

• In Event: Pebbles in a Field and Other Nuggets Learned From Four Text Messaging and Advising Interventions

Abstract

Text messaging advising programs using semi-automated and personalized college counseling are rapidly proliferating, yet very little is known about how students experience this mode of advising. The goal of this study is to assess the experiences of low-income students with college counseling delivered by text message.

Theoretical Framework
Human ecology theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) and nudge theory (Thaler & Sustein, 2008) provide the framework for understanding how text message advising operates within a system of reciprocal interactions among individuals, environmental contexts, and temporal factors.

Methods and Data Sources
Digital Messaging to Improve College Enrollment and Success (DIMES) was an IES-funded study in which 33,500 low-income PSAT-takers in 15 states signed up as high school juniors to receive 15 months of one-on-one advising in the form of text message outreach, prompts, and two-way communications designed to help them meet key deadlines in the college application process. Two sources of DIMES data study were used for this study of student experiences with the texting program: 1) transcripts of four online student focus groups, and 2) student text message responses to end-of-study questions about DIMES experiences and outcomes (n=3600). Thematic coding (Saldana, 2015) was conducted using a qualitative data analysis program (Hyperresearch) with a codebook that was refined until two independent coders achieved an interrater reliability rate of >80%.

Findings
Students who had never texted with their advisors indicated that they were suspicious about the legitimacy of texts from unfamiliar numbers, that they never received the messages, or that they were not planning to attend college. Overall, advisees who engaged with counselors found DIMES helpful, particularly in navigating financial aid processes and reminding them of important tasks and deadlines such as completing the FAFSA or signing up for the SAT. Students appreciated having a source for thorough answers to their questions and said their counselors brought important topics to their attention that they had not known about or had overlooked. The most frequent responses included expressions of overall thanks and appreciation for the program, with students highlighting that counselors helped them “choose the right path” by advising them on college options and helping them make important decisions related to enrollment. Students also highlighted that counselors made the college process easier, assisted them with logistical tasks, provided clarity when they were confused, and informed them of different aid options to help pay for college. In response to the end-of-study message asking them to evaluate their DIMES experience, students continued to initiate substantive advising conversations with counselors, chiefly about financial aid and initial college bills.



Scholarly Significance
This study contributes to understanding how the increasingly popular text messaging mode of college counseling functions for participants and what students need from this type of virtual advising. Findings support an ecological interpretation and give moderate support to the effectiveness of nudges. Results also provide potential explanations for the mixed results that are beginning to be reported for texting programs (Gurantz et al., 2019; Phillips & Reber, 2011) and suggest implications for more effective designs.

Authors

• Venus Israni, Boston College

• Karen D. Arnold, Boston College