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.
Source: photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik via photopin cc
The purpose of this post is not to debate the worth or value of rankings, like US News, but rather to accept that they exist and then consider what they mean for international student recruitment. There are so many rankings and ratings scales that have developed in addition to, or in opposition to, US News. While US News might be the best known abroad, there are other rankings methodologies that can provide insight into American higher education.
The emphasis placed on rankings, widespread in the US, is rampant and viral internationally. Counseling offices and agencies feature rankings, like those created by US News, prominently in their waiting rooms and offices. Students and parents are directed to the rankings to determine the best ranking school to which a student may be admitted. With such emphasis on rankings what's an institution to do when the raw number doesn't seem so impressive? How can US institutions minimize the impact of rankings if they play such a fundamental role in international student recruitment?
Those institutions that fare positively under the US News ranking system should celebrate and highlight the ranking on all of their marketing materials. US News provides rankings for national universities, liberal arts colleges, majors, programs, regional distinctions and more. So there are many rankings to highlight just from US News. It's also important to consider the other organizations that provide rankings. Washington Monthly recently published their list of rankings for national universities, liberal arts colleges and more. With a different methodology than US News their order of institutions is quite different. If your institution received praise from Washington Monthly this would be another important distinction to highlight in your digital and print materials.
Times Higher Education recently published the Alma Mater Index. (Clearly it's not coincidental that all of these ratings and rankings come out in the fall at the height of the admission recruiting season.) Reviewing the top 500 companies globally and then determining the alma mater(s) of the CEOs, Times Higher Education was able to create an index of institutions most attended by future CEOs. This creates another interesting opportunity for an institution to highlight itself.
One of my personal favorites is the Alumni Factor which uses a methodology of rating (not ranking) institutions according to alumni success, happiness and life experience. It's a refreshing alternative to traditional rankings. While the Alumni Factor ratings have not yet reached the tipping point, the information provided through the ratings is incredibly valuable for prospective students and parents. In the future I hope that the Alumni Factor will consider translating some of their data to share with international parents who may not be comfortable with the level of English on the website. I would encourage institutional colleagues to see how your school rates. This might provide an additional factor for highlighting your institution's strengths.
Getting back to the title, ratings and rankings often lead to rantings-- certainly by those institutions who are (often unfairly) unfavorably perceived. If your institution doesn't benefit from a marketing push from rankings, you should consider other means to highlight your institution internationally. International parents are very interested in return on investment, i.e. will their son/daughter have the necessary skills to find a job upon graduation. If one of your strengths is your career services, co-op programs, internships, or alumni network, using this information in your marketing materials can help to offset a weaker ranking.
At the core it's important to develop your brand message, identify your strengths and use your marketing materials, both print and digital, to reinforce the message of your brand and identity. Yes, rankings matter, especially internationally. But don't despair if your ranking or rating isn't where you'd like it to be. No need to start ranting. Better yet, spend some time identifying and developing your core brand message. That, in the long haul, is far more meaningful than a ranking.
