The Blog
Whether you're just starting or scaling, the trends, tips, and to-dos to improve your parent engagement strategy.
Featured
Featured
How 6 institutions boosted Fall 2024 yield with CampusESP
We analyzed data from 6 institutions using CampusESP and 127,987 prospective parents. See how families increase likelihood to apply, enroll, and more.
Learn more >
How 6 institutions boosted Fall 2024 yield with CampusESP
We analyzed data from 6 institutions using CampusESP and 127,987 prospective parents. See how families increase likelihood to apply, enroll, and more.
Learn more >
First-gen families: Support from day one
Early communication sets the tone for first-gen success. See how Montclair State University and Southern Oregon University are making thoughtful, strategic shifts in communication that help first-gen support feel personal, accessible, and culturally aware.
Orientation en Español: Inside Montclair State’s first Spanish family orientation
As Montclair’s Latinx and international student populations surged, the university recognized that an English-only orientation left many families behind.
AI and The Future of Family Engagement
AI talk is everywhere in higher ed. And yeah, it can sound like one more complicated, overwhelming thing on your plate. But here’s the good news: AI doesn’t have to be intimidating.
In fact, it can actually make your life easier and your family engagement efforts stronger.
Cut through the FAFSA confusion: Strategies to support families
This year’s FAFSA is smoother but success depends on more than system updates. Collaboration and consistent communication are what help families feel confident, informed, and supported throughout one of higher education’s most stressful processes.
From recruit to retain: FAU’s blueprint for full-lifecycle family engagement
Families don’t care what office sends the email. And they shouldn’t have to. Every outreach from a college should feel like one voice: clear, consistent, and focused on student success.
Goodbye rogue parent Facebook Groups – CampusESP’s Discussion Boards are here!
Louisiana State University, The University of Kansas, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and Webster University piloted our newest feature. They saw big gains in parent engagement, while spending only 30 mins a month managing it!
Florida Atlantic University pilots student orientation registration in CampusESP
FAU launched a new orientation reservation system for students and families in just 4 weeks and achieved a 21% increase in reservations within the first two weeks.
Peak season playbook: Proven strategies to onboard first-year families
The summer before college is filled with questions for both students and their parents. That’s why the transition to college isn’t just about preparing students; it’s about equipping families with the information and support they need to guide them through it.
4 top takeaways from the 2025 CampusESP Summit
Last month, we welcomed hundreds of higher ed professionals to the 2025 CampusESP Summit. From campus collaborations to hyper-personalization with AI, these four takeaways show how institutions are turning ideas into action.
Big Impact with Limited Bandwidth: How the University of Montana scaled family engagement with CampusESP
A small team doesn’t mean small impact. See how UM built a robust, personalized family engagement strategy for 11,000+ families using student workers, campus partnerships, and CampusESP’s AI features and content automation tools.
What we heard from 32,423 college parents
This year, over 32,000 families from 81 colleges told us exactly what they need to stay informed, connected, and confident about their student’s college experience. Spoiler: it’s not more Facebook Groups.
AI strategies for family engagement: save time and scale impact
Let’s face it — AI is everywhere. You’ve probably heard “AI is here to stay” more times than you can count (maybe even in your sleep). But here’s the thing: when it comes to family engagement in higher ed, AI is a game-changer.
Your ultimate guide to managing Family Weekend
Planning Family Weekend? We know it’s not all smiles and selfies—behind the scenes, it’s a full-blown production! From getting the word out to managing check-ins and everything in between, pulling off a smooth Family Weekend takes serious hustle. Check out how CampusESP makes it easier to plan, promote, and actually enjoy one of your campus’s biggest events.
How 10 universities increased retention with CampusESP
CampusESP’s annual exploratory study looks at the connection between family engagement and student retention. Our 2025 study looks at 11,442 first-time, first-year students that enrolled at ten universities in the Fall of 2023 and returned for the Fall 2024 term.
Top Trends in Family Engagement for 2025
Each year we look across all the data to elevate the 5 trends in family engagement that you need to know to hone your strategy and hit your goals. Based on insights from more than 420 institutions and 15 million families, get the top takeaways to connect with families now.
UMBC scales family engagement with AI, cutting content creation time by 80%
When CampusESP released a generative AI content editor, UMBC slashed content creation time from one hour a day to just one hour per week – while also boosting clicks on content by 33%!
January 2025 CampusESP Feature Launch
From AI-personalized content, to student enrollment report, to customer newsletters and MORE, check out the latest and greatest from CampusESP!
Scale family communication with campus partners
One of the easiest ways to create more family content is also one of the smartest — partnering with other departments across campus. Learn how the pros at UNC Wilmington and K State created content teams, and how CampusESP helps you manage your new content engine.
The top family engagement resources of 2024 — it’s CampusESP Wrapped
Time to recap the top resources, advancements, and moments in higher education family engagement. We cover how over 400 colleges and universities used CampusESP to engage millions of families in 2024 … and the RESULTS.
4 ways to communicate FAFSA 2025 changes to families
Learn how admissions and financial aid teams are navigating the delayed FAFSA release to keep students and families informed about changes and resources for timely completion.

