“I am genuinely really, really grateful I had Nearpeer,” as an out-of-state transfer student at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
“I do a lot of D&D... and I found 3 or 4 people. Nearpeer helped me... be at ease," as an out-of-state student at Suffolk University (Boston)
“Nearpeer made it really easy to get to meet people…I met one of my best friends,” as a new student Cal State Monterey Bay
“Having to make friends and new connections... I was terrified... Nearpeer was miraculous,” as a new student at Butler University
“Nearpeer was like my best friend when making friends,” as a new student at DePauw University
“I just met my best friend on [Nearpeer]," as an incoming student at Southern Utah University
As one of the nation’s largest residential campuses seeking ways to get students out of their rooms and socializing in healthy ways, UMass Amherst offers Nearpeer to its first-year, and 3-in-4 new students use Nearpeer.
“I encouraged Baylor to use Nearpeer for the impact on retention…students finding a sense of ‘this is a good fit for me’…a sense of belonging, finding a group, a community, that helps them to say, to retain, and to develop socially and in all ways” – Lynn Wisely, Dir., Undergraduate Enrollment Initiatives
Nearpeer provides key insights to DePauw wellness leaders to identify needs and gaps, and to offer meaningful social events, well-being exercises, relaxation events, and in-person socialization opportunities. Nearpeer is also a key tool to help students studying abroad feel less disconnected from the DePauw community while away.
39% of incoming students who were nervous about starting college reported that Nearpeer reduced their anxiety, and 43% of incoming first-generation students who were anxious reported that Nearpeer lessened their feelings of stress and impostor syndrome. Read the case study and eCampus News article, “Building social connection without the pitfalls of social media.”
MINDful College Connections (MCC) is a student mental health consortium of Indiana private colleges and is supported by funding from the Lilly Endowment. MCC reports that Nearpeer is the most-used mental health support tool. MCC describes Nearpeer as, “a leading technology that helps to improve human flourishing and well-being by supporting greater community, connection and belonging.”
“Because our AU student body is so geographically dispersed, we wanted to find a tool that allowed for students to foster a sense of connection and find like-minded peers. Nearpeer provides the perfect platform to do that.” – Richard MacLeod, Director of Strategic Enrolment Management