Summer Toolkit: Your guide to decreasing student melt
Warmer temperatures don’t have to mean summer melt if parents are involved. This summer you can empower families to support their students and keep them on track before Move-In by providing key information and campus resources.
It’s also the opportunity to build trust early — 72% of prospective families want to hear from you weekly or more.
Need some tips to get you through the summer? Use the ideas below as a starting point to inspire your summer communications!
The 7 key topics to cover with families this summer
1. Welcome new families!
Kick things off with a warm introductory email from your department. Even better — get leadership to record a welcome video!
2. Orientation details.
Whether it’s for students only or families as well, onsite or virtual, families need all the info. Share the important details such as how to register, the flow of the event, topics that will be covered, and all the logistics.
ESP PRO TIP: Consider offering orientation resources in the language spoken by the families you serve. Montclair State University launched a Spanish-language family orientation to better its community.
3. Housing next steps.
Exciting for students, nerve-wracking for parents—housing details matter. Keep families informed about deadlines and selection to ease concerns and build confidence.
4. Tuition and billing.
Finances are a top concern for families — 87% say paying for college will be difficult. Clear, consistent communication about FAFSA, financial aid options, and who to contact about billing is essential to keeping students on track.
5. Campus resources.
Families can help students navigate challenges — but only if they know where to turn. Many families say they struggle to find information on key resources like academic support, health services, and career outcomes — especially first-generation families.
6. Move-In planning.
Create content related to Move-In planning and consider sharing city or campus guides for when families arrive with their new student. Include any information for commuter students and critical logistical tips that apply to your campus like getting an ID card and parking pass.
ESP PRO TIP: Clear move-in communication reduces uncertainty for families. At Flagler College, stronger summer communication helped reduce melt by 4%.
7. Show the ROI.
Families want to understand the value of the degree. Only 78% say college is a worthwhile investment, and 94% say information about graduates finding jobs is important.
ESP PRO TIP: Highlight career outcomes, internships, and alumni success stories. See how DigiPen communicates career outcomes to families.
How to create your summer communication strategy
A successful summer communication plan starts with strong organization, strategic timing, and the right messaging mix. Follow these key steps to ensure families stay informed and engaged before Move-In.
1. Build and organize your contact list
To communicate effectively, you need an up-to-date list of incoming families. Gather parent emails and upload them into your family portal or communication system.
ESP PRO TIP: Import important information onto a parent's profile such as address, phone number, and student name. If you use CampusESP for Student Enrollment, you probably have most of this data in CampusESP already!
2. Plan your communication timing
Engagement in portal visits peak from June to August, with August being a crucial time to set parent expectations. Align your messages with these engagement trends and check for any overlapping communications.
ESP PRO TIP: If you’re creating posts in advance, save your work by not tagging the post to a community. That’ll leave the post in “draft mode” so you can come back to it later.
3. Choose the right communication channels
Different families prefer different forms of communication. While most families prefer email, 30% also ask for text— especially first-gen (56%), Hispanic (58%), and Black (64%) families. Meet families where they are.
ESP PRO TIP: Use CampusESP’s AI SMS editing tool to instantly shorten emails into text messages for quick and effective outreach.
4. Streamline orientation communication
For many families, orientation is their first real interaction with your office or campus. Set clear expectations about what they need to know and how to prepare. Create a family orientation hub so families can revisit key information anytime. Get FSU’s playbook here.
ESP PRO TIP: Hosting an onsite Family Orientation? CampusESP’s Event Check-in feature reduces wait times from over an hour to under 10 minutes, ensuring a smoother experience.
5. Get help from campus partners
You don’t have to do it alone! Families want and need information many departments across campus own — connect with those key teams and ask them to submit content ahead of time to be featured in your family portal. See how FAU coordinates communication across admissions, orientation, and family engagement.
ESP PRO TIP: You can set up partners as content admins in your portal, allowing them to submit posts for review directly and making it easier for you to manage resources.
6. Keep families informed — without reinventing the wheel
AI can help save time when creating family communication. If you’re already sending updates to students, use AI to quickly adapt that content for families.
ESP PRO TIP: CampusESP AI-powered workflows can help teams quickly draft, edit, and adapt family communication without starting from scratch.
7. Collect feedback
Gather feedback from families with a post-summer survey to improve your communication strategy for next year.
ESP PRO TIP: Set up your survey in User Profile Forms and share via email and in an Advertisement for first-year families for maximum visibility.
8. Celebrate your wins!
Summer communication is a lot of work — so don’t forget to acknowledge your success!
ESP PRO TIP: Treat yourself to some ice cream. Cherry Garcia is our favorite. 🍦
Email templates to get you started
Save time and streamline your summer communications with some help! Whether you want to craft emails from scratch or leverage AI for quick personalization, these resources will help you get started.
Copy & Paste Email Templates
Take these starter emails on Move-In and tuition bills, add your school’s details, and you’ve got your first two summer communications for families complete!
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Subject Line: Important Info for Move-In at [College/University name]
Body Text:
[Insert campus photo]
We’re looking forward to welcoming you and your student to campus soon! To make your Move-In experience as smooth as possible, please read the information below.
Dates and Times for Move-In:
[Insert dates/times]
Before you arrive to campus:
[Insert 3 most important things to know] – this could include a link to a packing list for students living on campus, how to label items, conversations to have with your student before they arrive to campus, etc.
When you arrive to campus:
[Insert 3 most important things to know] – this could include meeting locations, a campus map, parking information, a link to parent orientation schedule, etc.
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Subject Line: Reminder: Tuition Bills Due [Insert date]!
Body Text:
We hope you are having a great summer! We are excited to welcome your student to [College/University name] for the upcoming academic term.
Fall billing and financial aid information will be available on [insert access info] starting [date]. Please note that payment for the fall term is due on [date]. [Insert any information about installment plans].
How to pay online:
[Insert instructions on how to pay bill (with link)].
If you have any questions about tuition or billing or need extra help, you can email [support email] or call [support phone number].
AI templates to get you started
Use the built-in AI content tools in CampusESP, or your fave AI assistant to draft family communications quickly. Replace the placeholders with your institution’s information before generating the message.
ESP PRO TIP:AI works best when you provide context. Include links to your website or upload documents so the AI can review those sources and draft messages that reflect your campus’s policies, deadlines, and resources.
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Write a warm welcome email to families of incoming students at (college name).
Audience: parents and family members of newly admitted or deposited students.
Purpose: introduce families to the family portal and key resources that will help them support their student before the semester begins.
Include:
A friendly welcome from the university
Why families receive communication from the school
2–3 examples of resources families will find helpful (orientation, billing, move-in, campus support)
A clear call to action to join or explore the family portal at (insert link)
Tone: supportive, clear, and conversational.
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Write a friendly email reminder to families of incoming students at (college name) about an upcoming tuition payment deadline.
Reference the information at (insert billing or payment page URL) and include:
The tuition payment deadline: (insert date)
Clear instructions on how families can make a payment (online portal, payment plans, accepted payment methods)
A short explanation of why meeting the deadline is important
A reassuring tone that encourages families to reach out with questions
A clear call to action linking to the payment portal or billing office contact information
Tone: helpful, calm, and informative.
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Write an email to families of incoming students at (college name) that helps them prepare for move-in day.
Use information from (insert move-in or housing webpage URL) and include a short checklist covering:
Housing confirmation or roommate information
Move-in date and arrival instructions
Orientation or welcome week reminders
What students should bring to campus
Important next steps families should complete before arrival
Structure the checklist using clear bullet points and end with a link to the full move-in guide.
Tone: helpful, organized, and reassuring for families preparing for this transition.
