Recruiting Intelligence

Every month the 2nd and 4th Thursdays will be devoted to highlighting our library of podcasts. We believe stongly that information can be conveyed in a number of ways. We hope that you will continue to read our blog and also take advantage of the opportunity to listen to our podcasts at your desk, the gym or during your commute. Through 20-30 minute podcasts we hope to introduce our readers/listeners to a variety of compelling topics related to international higher education. We hope you enjoy our podcasts and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

In addition to working for Intead as the Academic Advisor, I also work alongside high school students counseling and preparing them for the college application and admissions process. As an independent counselor I don't work for a specific high school or college. I am paid directly by my clients. I treat each family as if the students were my own children, eager to go into the world, but in need of advice to get to the next step. Because of my work with Intead I am incredibly interested in the great agent debate primarily because it affects our clients and their ability to recruit students, but more personally because, abroad, I would likely be assigned the title "agent." This post isn't intended to perpetuate the agent debate but given my unique perspective as one who works with students and parents, in the US and internationally, and who partners with universities, I have an ability to see these issues from numerous sides.

Marketing to prospective students, especially prospective international students can no longer rely on print materials and websites alone. The array of digital engagement tools available for marketing and admission departments is vast. These engagement tools are affordable, entertaining and can help to distinguish your institution from the competition.

Remember the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic? For enrollment marketers and admission counselors, the three Rs have a much different meaning. This time of year there is such focus on rankings. In fact, today is the official release of the US News and World Report College Rankings. So happy college rankings day to you, dear colleagues.

When it comes to international student recruitment and marketing there are many obvious factors that affect a student's interest in one institution over another. Things like (US News and World Report) rankings, cost/financial assistance, availability of desired programs, an international student presence, post-graduation opportunities. These factors all play into a student's decision making process. But there are other factors, which I'll call "soft" factors that also affect student's decision making. In building or maintaining recruitment and marketing efforts it's certainly worth your while to consider these factors.

You are reading an excerpt from our e-book "88 Ways to Recruit International Students" (Click here to read the entire book)

#57. Search Engine Optimization

At the 2013 ICEF Toronto Workshop I had the pleasure of attending several thoughtful sessions. One of those sessions, led by Anna Ryzhova of the Association of Russian Educational Advisors, was particularly useful. For those institutions that are looking to expand recruitment into Russia, understanding how to enter the Russian market is critical. Through our blog we try to give you a deeper knowledge of various markets to help you begin or expand your recruitment efforts.

We are thrilled to announce that our mystery shopper experiment we announced last month is now featured in two videos created by the ICEF Monitor. This is Intead's fifteen minutes of fame-- actually it's not quite that long! If you're curious about how nearly 25% of institutions we surveyed didn't reply to prospective international student inquiries, here is your chance to check out the video explanations. It's summer-- take a break, pour yourself a glass of lemonade and enjoy the two part video series. 

You are reading an excerpt from our e-book "88 Ways to Recruit International Students" (Click here to read the entire book)

#59. Create a Wikipedia page in local language

Disney/Pixar continues to amaze me with their ability to create fictitious worlds that seem real. The amount of time that their design team spent researching college websites to create the new Monsters University site is considerable. This fictional website is better than many real college websites. Attention to detail is amazing. Real institutions can learn a great deal from the Monsters University site. Even without a monster budget (ha ha) like Disney your institution can emulate the best of this site to enhance viewers' experience with your website.