From the annual CIEE conference in Paris to Pie Live in Boston then AIRC in Phoenix and a super quick turnaround to ICEF in Miami, Q4 literally flew by. You, too? We wouldn’t change a thing, of course. It’s hard to replace the simple act of togetherness. It’s how ideas come to life. Cliché? Fine. But it’s so true.
Sharing our research and student recruitment campaign results with our community always feels great. We’re here to make you more effective (and have interesting insights to share at your team meetings).
A few key Q4 takeaways we will absolutely be bringing into the new year:
- The global competition for international students is stronger by the day, and institutions need to be increasingly smarter in their approach to international education, including recruitment. Can you be? (hint: it has to do with the skill sets you access to do the work)
- China and India are hot topics as always, especially India’s dramatic rising numbers of incoming graduate (and undergraduate) students.
- Enrollment departments are eager to leverage AI. The question is: how? And, is it ready for us?
- More must be done to support student mental health. So much more.
- And how about the new IIE Open Doors report?! Lagging data that points toward the future.
Just a few notes we’re thinking about. Clearly there’s no lack of issues for our industry to address. So, if in the midst of this really busy few months you didn’t have time to read all of our posts, we understand. That’s why we’ve compiled this quarterly at-a-glance post. It covers all our news from how to navigate TikTok’s ad platform to what’s going on with higher ed in India and so much in between that you and your team won’t want to miss. Read on…
Practical tips for the social media hungry:
Navigating the TikTok Ad PlatformWe know you’re curious about how your marketing team can use TikTok effectively. And your instincts tell you to give it a try. Maybe you’ve already tried. We’re right there with you. In this two-part series, we talk all things TikTok advertising. Read on to understand how TikTok ad targeting works and what pitfalls to be aware of to make the most of this social media platform. Read part 1 and part 2.
Should Threads Be in Your Edu Marketing Strategy?
Students and digital media, right? TikTok rules! Oh, and Instagram. But, email is dead. Search is dead. Facebook is dead. (Pro tip: these all still have value to you). And now Threads. Your team wants to know: Is now the right time to add Threads as a tactical element to our student recruiting strategy? How hard could it be? Is there any value here? Is our audience here? Get our take here.
Geographic expansion perspectives:
Yes! You Should Be in India, But Here’s the Thing…Forget Wordle. Here’s a real problem for you to solve: If India, which recently unseated China as the world’s most populous nation, has over 1.4 billion people and 17.5% are aged 15 – 24 (that's ~240M students), will its roughly 1,100 universities have enough seats for all its university-eligible students? The short answer: no. Here’s what that means for you.
Bangladesh + Vietnam: A Case Study in High-Value RegionsMarket diversification is one obvious answer to sustaining enrollment numbers. How to successfully go about it, however, is often less obvious. Looking beyond your own campus to see how others are doing it can help. And do we have a story to share. Find it here.
Student recruitment messaging tips:
Get Your Students Career Ready. Here’s How!Bringing the real world into the classroom is so important to the future of your students. In part 1 of this series, we share one way Suffolk University is taking action. A sort of Career Readiness 101. In part 2 we talk about you and offer a helpful career-prep checklist, complete with on-campus practices and recruiter tips. Authentically talking about jobs and careers leads to enrollment growth.
Summarizing industry leaders:
Listen Up: New EdUp—International Podcast with NAFSA Chair Dr. LaNitra BergerWe may have found the next best way to get you through your commute (assuming you still have one). And yes, it’s a podcast. Called EdUp—International, we are thrilled to have been host to the inaugural episode along with special guest Dr. LaNitra Berger, president and chair of the board of directors of NAFSA. Read our summary post here or go directly to the full podcast episode here.
Constructive Friction from PIE Live in Boston
The PIE Live North America event in Boston did exactly what it was supposed to do. We gathered, we laughed, we explored, and in some cases, we clashed. Not dramatically, just a bit. But there were definitely some presentations and ideas shared that prompted collegial discussions with some friction. And that is exactly what a news publication should foster. Get the inside scoop here.
NACAC 2023 ReflectionsMost inspiring feature of NACAC ‘23: Angel Perez, NACAC CEO, interviewing Maryland Governor Wes Moore and US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in the opening Plenary for 7,000+ attendees. Representation matters. This conversation, and the conference that followed shows that NACAC has still got it. Our key takeaways here.
…And that’s an early wrap for us this 2023. Next week we break for the holidays but will be back at it January 3 with our annual Top 10 Posts of the past year, which includes a few reader favorites that surprised even us. You won’t want to miss it. Until then, cheers!
