Creighton Students Get Decisions by Text Message

Creighton University appears to be the first U.S. institution of higher education to use text messaging to inform applicants of admissions decisions.

Director of Admissions Mary Chase told a student reporter that Creighton added a question to this year's application form asking students whether they would like a text message sent to them if they were accepted. A number of applicants welcomed that option.

Chase said that she and her staff decided to try text notifications after noticing how Creighton students used text messages to communicate with one another on campus.

Only positive admissions decisions were communicated to students by text. Formal notification of all admissions decisions was made by letter and email.

Chase was pleased with the outcome of this year's experiment, noting that many applicants appreciated receiving expedited information about their acceptance. She thinks it best to continue the program on an opt-in basis only, however, since some services charge users a fee to receive text messages.

Source: "College Tries Texting Letters of Admission," by Lexie Clinton - the Daily Cardinal, June 1, 2006