College Recruiting Kit Must-Haves: Branded Merch That Attracts Students and Future Talent

A recruiter’s booth at a college career fair showcasing backpacks, tote bags, water bottles, and notebooks—swag designed to boost brand awareness and attract top student talent.

When it comes to college recruiting, first impressions matter. Students and even student athletes at NCAA Division I schools evaluate more than a salary or scholarship, they’re looking at your brand, culture, and communication. The way your organization presents itself during the recruiting process, from job fairs to career fairs, shapes how students perceive your employment opportunities.

That’s where a college recruiting kit comes in.

A thoughtfully designed kit filled with branded promotional merchandise communicates values, creates brand awareness, and makes you stand out. Instead of throwing cheap plastic items or random giveaways across a table, you provide swag ideas that actually resonate—tote bags, stainless steel water bottles, embroidered hoodies, USB flash drives, notebooks, and promotional tech gear.

Let’s break down the must-have swag items for your recruiting strategy, why they matter for your target audience, and how they support your employer brand, attention, and motivation.

Why Promotional Merchandise Matters in College Recruiting

Students are bombarded with advertising and marketing daily. To cut through the noise, your company swag must feel premium, environmentally friendly, and aligned with sustainability values.

Here’s why branded gear makes a difference:

• Boosts brand awareness: Your company logo on a backpack, tote bag, or water bottle creates visibility across campus.

• Reinforces values: A green, eco-friendly cotton shirt or bamboo product shows you care about plastic pollution and sustainability.

• Attracts the right target audience: Custom swag helps connect with student athletes, future employees, and interns who align with your organization.

• Creates loyalty early: Swag given during recruiting or onboarding makes students feel valued before they’ve even signed an employment contract.

1. Tote Bags: The College Essential

Every student needs a bag and a custom printed tote bag is one of the most practical promotional items. Whether they’re carrying notebooks, pens, a laptop, or snacks, a tote shows off your logo design around campus.

• Recycled Cotton Tote Bag (purple or green branding options available)

• FEED® Organic Cotton Pouch

Why It Works: Functional, sustainable, lightweight, and reusable, reducing plastic waste. Learn more about sustainable corporate gift ideas.

2. Backpacks: High-Value Recruiting Swag

For bigger impact, nothing beats a backpack. At a career fair, a Samsonite foldable backpack or Bellroy work bag is a top promotional product that students—and parents—remember.

• Samsonite Foldable Backpack

• Bellroy Via Work Bag

Why It Works: Premium branded gear enhances your recruiting event perception. Backpacks are used daily for classes, laptops, and sports gear, giving your company logo long-term visibility.

Keywords included: backpack, recruiting, brand awareness, swag items, promotional

3. Drinkware: Daily Logo Visibility

Water bottles and mugs are top survey-backed favorites at recruiting events. Students need hydration during lectures, athletics, and travel. A stainless steel CamelBak Eddy+ water bottle with a lid and straw will be carried daily, compared to cheap plastic bottles.

• CamelBak Eddy+ 25oz Bottle

• Hydro Flask Bottle

• Stanley Quencher

Why It Works: Reinforces brand visibility and helps reduce plastic pollution while promoting health.

4. Apparel That Gets Worn

Custom printed apparel with screen printing or embroidery remains a top performer. Students won’t wear scratchy shirts, but they’ll live in cotton hoodies, sweatshirts, and fashion-forward polos.

• Next Level Cotton Hoodie

• Comfort Colors Sweatshirt

• Richardson 112R Cap

Why It Works: Apparel makes your mascot and company logo part of campus fashion, creating pride and peer-to-peer advertising.

5. Notebooks and Stationery

Even with smartphones and laptops, students still use notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, and erasers. A Moleskine notebook with laser engraving or screen printing feels premium and is perfect for career fairs. Add a stylus pen, lanyard, or business card holder for bonus impact.

• Moleskine Notebook

• Nash Wheat Pen

• Kaweco Pen

Why It Works: Adds professionalism and boosts productivity while keeping your logo visible.

6. Tech Accessories

Gen Z loves technology, electronics, and mobile device gear. Swag like a USB flash drive, Popsockets, wireless Bluetooth speaker, webcam cover, or mousepad shows your innovation. These are also great for trade show giveaways.

• Mophie Wireless Power Bank

• Bamboo Phone Stand

• USB Flash Drive

Why It Works: Blends recruitment advertising with functional tech support for students’ daily lives.

7. Wellness & Comfort Items

Show care for students’ well-being with thoughtful items: lip balm, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, blanket, yoga mat, or microfiber towels. These giveaways make your brand memorable at a job fair or trade show.

• Lip Balm & Hand Sanitizer Kit

• Branded Sunglasses

• Cozy Cotton Blanket

Why It Works: Communicates gratitude, strengthens student attention, and aligns with sustainability and health values.

Packaging, Presentation, and Budget

Don’t just toss swag across a career fair table. Presentation matters.

• Packaging: Use branded drawstring bags, wallets, or boxes with your custom logo.

• Budget: Mix high-value stainless steel bottles or backpacks with affordable pens, stickers, candy, chocolate, or keychains.

• Design: Use custom ink, screen printing, or laser engraving to elevate perception.

• Colors: Bold purple, blue, orange, yellow, lime, and green help your swag stand out.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What should a recruiting kit include?

At minimum: a tote bag, water bottle, notebook, pen, apparel, and one tech item. Extras like stickers, lip balm, sunglasses, or keychains enhance perception.

2. Are eco-friendly giveaways worth it?

Yes—environmentally friendly promotional products like cotton totes, bamboo gear, or stainless steel bottles reinforce your sustainability story.

3. What’s the best recruiting kit for student athletes?

Focus on sports gear and hydration: hoodies, backpacks, water bottles, microfiber towels, and snacks. Great for athletic scholarship recruiting events.

4. How do I keep recruiting kits on budget?

Balance hero items like Samsonite backpacks or CamelBak bottles with budget fillers like pens, lanyards, stickers, or credit card-sized USB drives.

5. What items make the best career fair swag?

Survey-backed favorites include backpacks, bottles, tote bags, notebooks, Popsockets, and tech gear. These rank as top promotional products for attracting talent.

Stand Out With Recruiting Kits That Students Remember

College recruiting isn’t about random swag items, it’s about building a memorable student experience. Kits with tote bags, backpacks, stainless steel bottles, hoodies, notebooks, and branded tech gear show your organization values innovation, health, sustainability, and fashion.

At HighVolve, we design career fair giveaways, job fair swag, and custom swag ideas that make your recruiting events unforgettable. Whether it’s eco-friendly cotton totes, stainless steel bottles, custom printed apparel, or wireless tech accessories, our catalog delivers top promotional products tailored to your target audience.