Summer Melt-alleviated through the use of Social Media

This spring, our HS alumni were asked to prepare to be peer mentors for the current seniors who were about to become graduates. Our graduates have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. The Facebook page was used for the post below.

"Peer Mentors for our class of 2013
Nationwide 40% of students intending to go college change their minds during the summer.(http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/bencastleman/files/castleman_page_-_summer_nudging_-_april_2013.pdf)
As the new graduates begin joining this group, please reach out to them and encourage them-expecially if they will attend your college. Help them maneuver through the process of beginning college.
They will begin joining the week of graduation."


As is the spirit of our students, several chirpped right up to volunteer to peer mentor our graduates who would attend their specific university. Today, after reading "Summer Melt" in the Ed.gov Blog, I posted the article for our graduates, and reminded them to check in on their fellow graduates. Together, our graduates can prevent the dreaded summer melt by supporting each other. 
 While we won't know the summer melt statistics for our graduates until the fall, I know that by simply encouraging them to reach out and support each other we've taken steps that will help. 

Some colleges are extremely proactive regarding summer melt.Hendrix College  @hendrixcollege continually sends mail (weekly! sometimes with small gifts!) to incoming students and parents and invites the parents to attend orientation-all in a huge effort to alleviate summer melt.


What steps do your schools take to minimize summer melt?

http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/07/summer-melt/ by Alejandra Ceja