By Heather Zimar, Managing Editor, Journals and Publications, AACRAO, Live from #SEM2026
What do prospective students really need before they apply? At Delaware County Community College, the answer comes straight from the students themselves.
DCCC’s website features an interactive video, developed by Allied Pixel, that asks prospective students questions ranging from how to pay for college to their academic interests. The video adjusts to each response and points students to a next step, such as applying, chatting with an AI agent, or connecting with an advisor. New applicants also receive a customizable video.
“You are empowering your students to be their own best advocates,” said Gina Macklin, Vice President of Recruitment and Enrollment Management at DCCC, during her session “Students as Strategic Partners: Leveraging Peer Power for Enrollment and Retention” at the 36th Annual AACRAO Conference on Strategic Enrollment Management. When you ask, she said, students will tell you what they need.
To decide which questions to ask, DCCC worked with Hanover Research to conduct a needs assessment of workforce needs and program viability, matching offerings to what the community needs. Macklin strongly encourages other institutions to do the same.
The results of the initiative surprised the DCCC team. Of the prospective students who use it, 78% go all the way through to registration. In addition, currently enrolled students use the platform as well as prospective ones.
Asked by an audience member whether efforts such as these at community colleges might be perceived as coddling students too much, Macklin pushed back. “We are giving students what they need to move forward,” she said.
“Helping a single mom get childcare is not coddling. Helping a single mom get to class is not coddling; it’s life-changing,” she added. “You are removing a barrier.”
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