How do you use LinkedIn to search for old classmates?
You search for old classmates on LinkedIn by going to your old high school's company page and clicking on the 'Alumni' tab. Here you can easily filter by graduation year to see a list of former students. This gives you direct access to people whose names might have changed over the years.
2. The snowball effect: let others do the searching for you
Once you have found one person, immediately ask who they still talk to. Almost everyone is still in contact with at least two or three others. Before you know it, you have a tree structure covering the whole class, saving you hours of research.
3. The school administration: reach the entire database at once
Call the administration of your old school to save time. Some schools have an alumni association or keep lists for event purposes. They often cannot give you the list directly due to privacy rules, but they can usually forward an invitation link to your free event website to their entire database.
4. Family detective: track people down via their hometown
If you really cannot find someone, search for their surname in the region they grew up in. Parents often still live at the same address or in the same town. A polite message to a sibling on Facebook yields quick results and gets you back on track.
5. WhatsApp: gather the core team (but prevent chaos)
A WhatsApp group is handy for the core organising team, but it quickly becomes chaotic for a whole class. It is much better to centralise registrations. You can easily share the link to your registration page in any group chat, so people can register without the group being flooded with messages.
6. Local media: reach the offline group
For events 25 years or more after the fact, a small notice in the local paper works perfectly. Many people still live in the area, or their parents still read the paper. This ensures you also reach the people who are not active on social media.
7. Public guest list: create FOMO with your own website
By making the guest list public on your website, you create a sense of urgency. When people see who is already attending, they get excited and start messaging others they notice are missing. This takes the pressure off you as an organiser. Need help setting this up? Read our guide on how to organise a school event.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find an old classmate?
You can find an old classmate fastest by using the 'Alumni' function on your old school's LinkedIn page. Here you can easily filter by graduation year and location. If someone doesn't have LinkedIn, search via Facebook for family members in their original hometown.
Where can I search for old classmates for free?
Searching for old classmates for free can be done via social media, your school's alumni network, or the local newspaper. Once you have found a few people, use the snowball effect by asking them who they still talk to. Collect all these contacts clearly on one central event website.
How do I reach all my old classmates?
You can reach all your old classmates efficiently by creating a central place, like a free event website with a public guest list. This way, you don't have to message everyone yourself, but people can share the registration link with each other via WhatsApp. This saves you as an organizer a lot of time.