Here is nugget of information that every admissions professional deals with: There are admitted students in your pool who are going to surprise you, and not necessarily in a good way.
In our recent national co-sponsored study of over 12,000 students, The Excitement Factor, we found that over 40% of students replace their first choice college with another they find more attractive. That’s a significant number of prospective students who are likely to make a shift in their thinking based on their experience with your college.
What changed their minds? About half cited cost as a factor and the other half said that they were swayed by their excitement about attending, or that they found better quality programs and facilities at the college they ultimately chose.
This insight offers you opportunities. For those students you had deemed “unlikely to enroll,” they may actually still be in play. You may still be able to demonstrate how your college is the right fit. Meanwhile, don’t take for granted the students you are confident are going to enroll. They may be getting excited about another college. We see this happening when the summer melt looms large.
A number of the national studies we have done (including Your Value Proposition) have pointed to one sure way that you can distinguish your college from all others and have a direct impact on your yield. Build a relationship with the student. You may think this is a “no-brainer” but the statistics tell us otherwise. In a previous post, we recently shared with you that 64% of college-bound students told us that the colleges they were interested in did not show a personal interest in them.
Making a connection with a student, asking questions and really listening to the answers, is the simplest and most effective way to present your college’s unique value in a way that best resonates with the student.
We will be releasing the full report on The Excitement Factor nationally soon and we would like to share it with you. It is full of highly-valuable information that you can use to improve your recruitment efforts. Put your name on the list for a copy here.
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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.
Karen Full is a highly-respected higher education professional who has held positions in admissions and enrollment management at several institutions in the Midwest and Florida. With her vast experience working with large and small, public and private colleges, Karen brings a valuable perspective to her role as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company.
Those five words, “tell me more about that,” can open the door to a meaningful conversation with a prospective student. More importantly, you will be signaling sincere interest in the individual student and that alone will differentiate your college from others in the mix.
Bob Longmire is President of Longmire and Company, Inc. He is a recognized expert on the topic of how prospective students and parents form their college selection decisions – and how colleges can use that knowledge to grow and control their enrollment. He can be reached at (913) 492-1265, ext 709 or at blongmire@longmire-co.com.
