While graduation marks the end of the high school experience, the steps needed to pursue many postsecondary pathways continue for many weeks. In fact, critical milestones for college enrollment continue right up until the first day of orientation, and changing life circumstances can require changes to enrollment or financial need. Given this complexity, as many as 40% of graduated seniors who intend to enroll in college nationally detour from their postsecondary plans, a phenomenon known as “Summer Melt.” To combat this, RISE’s Summer Melt texting campaign helps students by sending them key reminders and providing individualized support.
RISE launched Summer Melt campaigns in 2017 to ensure high school graduates meet all the milestones required to matriculate in college. In partnership with our school communities, we have continued to refine this process and, since 2021, have expanded our efforts to provide help to students across all postsecondary pathways (two and four-year colleges, trade/technical schools, military, workforce, and students still uncertain about their plan).
Through RISE surveys administered to seniors in our Core Network schools, we received feedback from students about their intended postsecondary plans, which informed the content of the text message outreach each student received during the summer. For example, students who had reported that their plan was to attend a four-year college got reminders about upcoming FAFSA clinics, roommate and housing form deadlines, immunization requirements, etc. Students have the option to respond to text messages, connecting them with a Summer Melt Coordinator at their school to ask clarifying questions or schedule time for a longer conversation with personalized support.
This summer, RISE educators were in touch with over 2,000 graduated seniors, sending over 24,000 messages to help them with key milestones.
Data is at the center of everything we do, and Summer Melt was no exception. Student responses during the Summer Melt campaign were tracked using the RISE Data Hub, where educators could view individual student profiles and check off milestones they had completed. New this year, Summer Melt Coordinators leveraged the Hub in new ways, using the software to note when additional help was requested. This summer, 18 percent of students contacted (410 students) received these extra one-on-one touchpoints.
Key data points were shared with educators throughout the network, who received support from RISE during a mid-program virtual check-in. During this session, RISE and partner educators reviewed senior survey data to better understand student challenges; discussed shared successes and obstacles; and reviewed school-specific data to inform goals for the second half of the program. Datasheets provided to schools highlighted their engagement rates, pathway representation, Data Hub tracking statistics, increases in FAFSA completion rates, and changes in students with no stated plans.
As a network, RISE schools achieved a 46 percent engagement rate and a 3.25 percent increase in FAFSA completion rates* at the conclusion of the Summer Melt campaign.
This summer’s results are not only a reminder of the importance of this key program, but also, represent real positive change in the lives of our students. The support provided through the Summer Melt campaign is crucial in helping graduates begin the next stage of their journey along their chosen postsecondary pathways.
*Engagement rate indicates the number of students who engaged with our texts, out of the total contacted. FAFSA increase is among participating students, measured from the beginning of the program to the end. FAFSA data from public-edsight.ct.gov.