Virtual Event Student Survey Results
June 2021
In June 2021, we wanted to find out how popular virtual events were with students over the past academic year, and how useful they were in helping students decide where to go to school.
We asked students about their virtual event experience in general, and specifically what type of events they attended how influential and helpful they were.
Survey Results
1,126 responses total» 89% of respondents were high school students; 10% were in college or university.
» 90% of respondents said they had attended a virtual education event within the past year.
Students attended on average 5 virtual events over the year
In terms of popularity, Virtual Program Events/Information Sessions were by far the most attended, with 724 out of 873 students participating. This was followed by Virtual Open Houses and Virtual Campus Tours.
| Virtual Event | Participation |
| Program Event/Information Session | 724 |
| Open House | 568 |
| Campus Tour | 544 |
| Panel of Alumni or Current Students | 434 |
| Scholarship Fair/Webinar | 419 |
| Education Fair | 386 |
| Chat with a Recruiter | 342 |
| Advising Appointment | 325 |
| Career Fair | 297 |
| Masterclass/Webinar with a Professor | 278 |
In terms of utility, the most helpful events were Virtual Program Events, Virtual Panel of Alumni or Current Students, and Virtual Open Houses.
Events had an impact on which school to attend
52% of respondents stated that attending the event(s) helped them make a decision about which school to attend.
Looking at this across different events, some of the less popular ones were more influential in swaying students. 62% who attended a Virtual Chat with a Recruiter stated the event had an impact on their decision, and 58% of students who attended a Virtual Education Fair or Virtual Advising Appointment stated the event had an impact on their decision.
| Ranked List of Events by Impact |
| Virtual Chat with a Recruiter |
| Virtual Education Fair |
| Virtual Advising Appointment |
| Virtual Panel of Alumni or Current students |
| Virtual Open House |
| Virtual Campus Tour |
| Virtual Scholarship Fair/Webinar |
| Virtual Career Fair |
| Virtual Masterclass/Webinar with a Professor |
| Virtual Program Event/Information Session |
Overall, students were satisfied with virtual events:
- “I found the virtual fair platform easy to use” 64%
- “I found the event(s) informative and useful” 75%
- “The event(s) I attended helped me make a decision on which school(s) I’d like to attend” 52%
- “I would attend future virtual events” 55%
However, virtual events are still less popular than in-person ones:
- “I enjoyed the virtual format more than in-person” 16%
Lack of awareness was mostly to blame as to why students didn’t attend virtual events…
For the 10% of respondents who indicated they had not attended a virtual education event, we asked them why. Here’s their reasoning:
- “Didn’t know of any” 47%
- “Didn’t have time” 36%
- “Wasn’t interested” 17%
- “Couldn’t find the event I was looking for” 24%
Written Feedback
We asked students for their direct feedback regarding what they liked/disliked about the virtual events as well as what they’d like to see at the next event they attend. Here are those insights:
Overall, students liked:
» The amount of information provided
» Getting their questions answered more efficiently and effectively compared to in-person events
» How organized the events were
» Hearing from alumni/current students
Overall, students disliked:
» Lack of connection; emphasis on Zoom fatigue and how events can do a better job at encouraging audience participation
» Connectivity issues
» When there wasn’t enough time during sessions to have their questions answered
To view all of the written responses in XLSX format, download the file below.
To learn more about virtual events or if you’d like to have your events posted on the SchoolFinder.com or StudyinCanada.com sites, don’t hesitate to reach out (or use this form)!
The SchoolFinder Group Team
info@schoolfindergroup.com
