[In part 11 of the Counselor Training Blog Series we look at how a college can differentiate itself by relieving some of their prospective students’ stress.]

Deciding which college to attend is a stressful process for many students and parents.

Who would think that a college would ADD anxiety to an inherently stressful process? No college would do so intentionally, but as an industry, we do it all the time.

Through our pre-enrollment research, we communicate with hundreds of thousands of prospective students and parents every year. Here are the 6 stress-inducing actions most often cited about the college admission’s industry:

1.  That we communicate poorly
2.  That we’re slow to offer or reject admission
3.  That we have burdensome processes
4.  That admissions people are not responsive
5.  We are poorly organized, and
6.  In some cases, they believe we’re being DISHONEST

Ouch!!!

Are you ready for some good news? Since these things happen more than you can imagine, it gives us an opportunity to differentiate ourselves by doing the opposite. You can differentiate your institution by RELIEVING, rather than ADDING, stress to the college selection process.

Here’s how.

Based on our research, this is what students and parents say you can do to relieve their stress and anxiety during the college selection process:

• Communicate well. They need information that’s relevant to THEM.
• Provide helpful advice and counsel throughout the college shopping process.
• BE RESPONSIVE. Return calls and emails promptly.
• Make decisions promptly.
• Treat each prospective student as you would expect and hope to be treated.
• Above all, show a sincere interest in the student.

These may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how many colleges fail to practice these proven behaviors that will serve a prospective student and parent well. And, it’s not isolated to the admissions office. It extends to every department on campus.

A recent national study we conducted on this topic revealed that colleges are LOSING enrollments because of the poor customer service they deliver during the college shopping process. Students and parents see the service they get pre-enrollment as predictive of what they would get IF they enroll. (See the report here.)

So, think about the pre-enrollment service you are giving. If you make it better – campus-wide – you’ll be more successful in your enrollment efforts.

[Subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.]

Rick Montgomery is as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company. With over 20 years in higher education marketing, he brings an innovative approach to helping colleges and universities meet their enrollment goals. Rick can be reached at 913/492.1265 x.708 or via email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com.

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