The Blog
Whether you're just starting or scaling, the trends, tips, and to-dos to improve your parent engagement strategy.
Featured
Introducing CampusESP’s Family AI Assistant: Always-On Support for Today’s Families
Deliver instant, personalized support while offering deeper insight into what families need most. Beta tested across 9,000 parent interactions at 25 colleges and universities, our AI Assistant was designed specifically for the front lines of college family engagement.
CampusESP welcomes Customer 550: University of Pittsburgh!
The University of Pittsburgh is joining the CampusESP network, launching The Pitt Family Connection to give enrolled students' families a centralized, intentional communication hub. The Pitt team is building something purpose-built — because families aren't a nice-to-have audience. They're core to why students succeed.
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.
What 43,000+ families really want from your college
New data on how families communicate, what they expect, and where most institutions still aren't keeping up.
From move-in chaos to connection: How Flagler College rebuilt family trust
A chaotic move-in day became a turning point for Flagler College. By rebuilding trust with families through smarter communication, they reduced summer melt by 4% and dramatically improved payment and retention outcomes.
How Morgan State University modernized *student* orientation registration in 6 weeks
Discover how Morgan State transitioned from a patchwork of siloed orientation systems to CampusESP for Student Orientation, an all-in-one platform that increased registrations and decreased student phone calls.
How to turn family engagement into a record-setting giving strategy
Molloy University built a culture of philanthropy by helping families see their place in the mission. That approach led to the largest Giving Tuesday in Molloy’s history, raising $40,000+ and a six-figure Giving Day that continues to grow
Texting families isn’t optional anymore. Here’s how to do it right
Text messages drive up to 3x higher engagement than email, yet most colleges still underuse them. Learn how Marymount University and New Mexico State University are turning everyday communications into timely, action-driving texts.
Your new parent orientation playbook
Orientation is a high-impact moment for families, but it can also be overwhelming. FSU turned three days of information into a lasting resource with their New Nole Orientation Hub, extending support well beyond move-in.
Inside DigiPen’s yield strategy: Why admits don’t enroll alone
DigiPen shares how engaging families during the admit-to-deposit window led to students with a connected parent enrolling at rates 16% higher than the institutional average.
Students stay enrolled when parents are engaged
New research from nine universities and more than 20,000 students shows that when families are engaged, students are more likely to stay enrolled. In this year’s CampusESP retention case study, students with a connected parent saw 6.9 percentage points higher retention than those without.
Summer Toolkit: Your guide to decreasing student melt
One of the best ways to ensure your newly deposited incoming class makes it to their first class? Keep in touch with their families this summer. Our guide takes you step by step through when, why, and how.
From “Ramily” to results at WSSU
WSSU’s culture of “Ramily” extends beyond students to the families who support them. Learn how the university partnered with CampusESP to create a centralized family engagement strategy that supports students from admissions through graduation, resulting in students with engaged families yielding rates 5 points higher than average.
2026 Top Trends in Family Engagement Report
Higher ed is facing rising pressure from enrollment and ROI concerns to budget and staffing strain. See how expectations are evolving among 7.8M+ family members — and how institutions are using engagement to meet the moment.
New research: Family engagement drives student retention
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) research found students with high family engagement were 2.65x more likely to be retained, reinforcing family engagement as a measurable higher education retention strategy.
From admit to graduation: How the University of Montana centralized *student* communications in CampusESP
With a flood of emails from every corner of campus, see how the University of Montana used CampusESP to create a more centralized and personalized student experience.
CampusESP AI-powered workflows to transform family engagement
85% of CampusESP customers utilized AI workflows to scale their impact in 2025. Learn how built-in AI helps higher ed teams communicate more clearly with families, reach more people across channels, and deliver better support — without extra systems or staff.
Win yield through family confidence: communicate financial aid and ROI effectively
When families lack clarity around financial aid and cost, enrollment decisions stall. Learn how UNLV expanding their family communications around cost and ROI to drive yield, all while reducing call volume to financial aid and cashiering offices by 50%.
How institutions are unlocking parent giving with CampusESP
Parents are ready to give — institutions just need the right strategy. Read how five colleges saw results — including up to a 2x increase in giving day donations and a 28x ROI — by engaging parents through CampusESP for Parent Giving.
Engaged families give more: How connected families drive college philanthropy
When families understand the value of the student experience and know they’re partners in that progress, philanthropy becomes a natural next step. See how Flagler and Miami used this approach to grow giving days by up to 30%!

