April 19, 2013

Psst!!! What 5 Busy Higher Ed Administrators Think About Student Recruitment

Apr. 19, 2013 at 07:54 AM | By Robynn Anton | Comment Count

Student recruitment is and always will be a hot topic in our industry. Last August, we pulled together a panelist of admissions professionals from various private and public colleges and universities to have an open, candid conversation about their recruitment challenges and how they were going to do things a little bit differently in the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. We are continuing that conversation on April 25th and invite you to join us for the live webinar.

Below is a recap of the tips gathered from Part 1 of our discussion with the admissions professionals and an introduction to what we will discuss in the webinar next Thursday.

Financial Education is a Recruitment (and Retention) Priority

In order to help students and families plan and budget for all four (or five, or six) years, institutions must educate and set proper expectations, as it relates to students and financing, early in the recruitment process. At the same time, admissions and financial aid departments must also ensure messaging to students and families is clear, consistent, and comprehensive.

Questions to ask:

Do you survey your students to measure your messaging effectiveness?
Is your net price calculator accurate and helpful?
Does your institution offer a successful balance of financial vs. merit based aid in order to attract and retain students most likely to succeed?

Targeting Niche Markets Works!

Focusing on recruiting niche populations of students through personalization can result in a dramatic increase in applications from the targeted niche. For example, one school was determined to bring in more veterans. They developed marketing strategies and personalized messaging around this segment. They dedicated space and campus support services to veterans, including a veterans’ lounge.

By focusing marketing, messaging, and services on niche markets that are personalized and scalable - whether for veterans, international students, non-traditional students, etc. – schools can begin to build relationships that offer constituents a sense of familiarity that, in turn, influences college choice and enhances student retention.

Keep these challenges in mind when creating your niche marketing strategy . . .

Higher initial cost to recruit and make an impact, especially if your institution is new to the niche.
Unique communication barriers: language barriers for international students need to be recognized and addressed.
Target audience discrepancies: questions on VIP pages may need to be altered based on niche target.

Join our Live Webinar April 25th

As we approach the end of the academic year, we will reconvene our panel to revisit these topics, as well as discuss new challenges that have surfaced this year.

The evolution of student expectations for the recruitment and enrollment experience
Changes in technology or processes that have had the greatest impact
Recruitment and enrollment trends that have emerged over the past year and
Trends in data management and analysis that affect the jobs of admissions professionals

Live Panel Includes:

David Mee, Associate Provost & Dean of Enrollment, Belmont University
Tonya Roth, Director of Admissions, University of Wisconsin-Superior
Steven Smith, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, D’Youville College
Carl Stange, Director of Admissions, Winona State University
Todd Gibby, President Higher Education, Hobsons
Darren Wacker (Moderator), Account Executive, Hobsons

*Panel subject to change without notice.