First Destination Survey season is here—and for many, the numbers aren’t looking great.
If your FDS response rate is under 50%, you’ve got a problem.
And if your knowledge rate is below 65%, you're not alone—but you are in risky territory.
In a recent Ask Me Anything session with Career Services Accelerator members, the most urgent topic was clear: getting more students to complete the FDS. It wasn’t just about compliance or NACE standards—it was about credibility.
What followed was a brainstorm of smart, creative, and doable strategies. Some came from Accelerator members. Plus I crowd-sourced even more from leaders across the career services community on LinkedIn.
But all of them were designed to answer one key question:
How do we get better data—fast—without overhauling the whole system?
Before we dive into solutions, here’s why the stakes are higher than you might think.
"TheCareer Services Acceleratorserved as an insightful community for career services directors. Rebekah's wisdom, care, and intentionality about the work we do is motivating. I appreciate her strategic lens on ways to take our respective departments to the next level. What I enjoyed most was having a space to have honest dialogue about challenges and successes, as well as the opportunity to learn from others."
Tiara Randle, Director, Career Center at Heartland Community College
You can’t advocate with weak data
We all want to tell a great story about student outcomes. But if your data is incomplete—and your reporting leans overly optimistic—you’re not helping your students, your office, or your institution.
In fact, you might be doing harm.
Under 50% response? Your data is biased.
It reflects students who are more connected, more confident, or already employed—and those are the students most likely to respond. The ones still searching? Still struggling? Not seeing a happy ending yet? They’re far less likely to fill out the survey. So their experience disappears—and your data tells a falsely positive story.
Under 65% knowledge rate? Your story is incomplete.
Without enough information, your story is incomplete.
You can’t confidently analyze trends, identify equity gaps, or push for new interventions. And stakeholders know it.
Reporting a 96% placement rate off a 23% response rate? Let’s call it what it is: unethical.
That number may look great in a press release, but it gives prospective students and families the wrong impression. They're making life-changing financial decisions based on data we know isn’t representative.
That erodes trust—and it undermines your mission.
And here’s the kicker: 🎯 When the data looks too perfect, your leadership assumes everything is going great.
Why would they increase staff? Boost your budget? Invest in new systems? Inflated numbers make it harder to build your case for support—right when you need it most.
Accurate data doesn’t just build trust—it builds your case. For resources. For growth. For better results next year.
10 ways to increase your FDS response rate
You don’t need to scrap your whole process. You just need smart, well-timed action.
Here are ten strategies that career leaders are using to raise response rates—fast:
1. Make it matter
Tell students their responses help future students. Better programs. Smarter hiring. More support. This isn’t about you—it’s about them and the students who come after.
2. Repeat it—15 times
Students are just like consumers—they need to see your message at least 15 times before they take action. Add it to Instagram stories, Canvas announcements, grad checklists, newsletters, lawn signs, and texts. Repetition leads to action.
3. Faculty = your best messengers
Ask faculty to send personal emails to seniors. Students are far more likely to respond when the ask comes from someone they trust.
4. Use QR-codes at in-person events
Cap and gown pickup. Grad fairs. Senior pic day. Bring your QR-code (and iPads if you want to!) and get responses on the spot. Don’t wait for them to open your email later—they won’t.
5. Make it part of commencement logistics
One school set up a table that students had to visit before picking up their name card. No survey = no card. It worked.
Probably one step too far. LOL
6. Add graduation cords
Offer special cords for students who complete the survey. And when students ask, “Where’s your cord?”—boom. Instant FOMO. You just gained a response.
7. Give something meaningful
Partner with the Alumni Association to offer a branded cup, sticker, or t-shirt for those who complete the survey. Bonus: you’ll get their permanent email, too.
8. Show department chairs their response rates
Department chairs want outcomes data, but they won’t get it if their students aren’t responding. Motivate them by showing their major’s response rate. Data drives behavior.
9. Embed it in capstones
Ask instructors in senior-level and capstone courses for 5 minutes to complete the survey in class. Students are way more likely to respond when the ask comes from someone they know.
10. Use a small incentive well
A $10 gift card raffle won’t fix everything, but it can move the needle—especially if you promote it clearly, repeatedly, and enthusiastically.
Final thought—
This isn’t just about checking a box.
It’s about building a culture of career accountability, shared ownership, and student-centered truth-telling.
When students understand the impact of their response… When faculty feel like partners… When leadership sees the real story…
That’s when your data becomes power. Power to drive change. Power to earn investment. Power to shape a better future—for your office and your students.
Let’s finish strong. You’ve got this.
This edition is brought to you by a sleek new tool that turns reporting into a strategic advantage—
so you can influence decisions, not just document outcomes.
