Recruiting Intelligence

“It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future,” as the quote goes by Yogi Barra & Niels Bohr.  I was reminded of this quote as I read an article on trends in liberal arts colleges. "Since 1990, the number of liberal arts schools in the U.S. has dropped from 212 to 130, a 39 percent decrease". This information came from a study by Roger Baldwin from Michigan State University "Are liberal arts colleges disappearing"  The author states that only a handful of colleges have gone out of business, but many have added vocational programs in nursing and business and have changed their focus so dramatically that they no longer retain a liberal arts identity. It's a shift of great magnitude without any major headlines for the outside world to notice. I strongly feel that education will continue to change without dramatic public headlines.

 I want to discuss five predictions and analyze how these changes will affect student recruitment and marketing activities. 

Travel to international markets and personal outreach to students and parents is an important element of student recruitment. No different than in your home recruitment activities, the personal touch can be a critical starting point of a relationship and a future enrollment.

Would you spend $5 million to organize a discussion?   According to media reports*, that's exactly what Lynn University in Florida spent in preparation of holding the last presidential debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney this year.

Orientation is an important part of setting up, integrating and preparing international students for their new living and academic environments. We have heard questions and frustration about students missing orientation at the beginning of the semester. We'd like to give a few suggestions on how to encourage greater participation. 

I have heard quite a few U.S. colleagues asking me about the secondary schools in Vietnam and where they would find the most number of potential candidates for their programs. Where will you find students with strong academic performance, best English skills, and high propensity to seek a college education in the U.S.?

We couldn't help it, but the University of Chicago's recent letter to prospective students caught our attention.  We are awarding the University of Chicago's Office of Undergraduate Admission and the leader of the crew, James Nondorf, VP of Enrollment and Financial Aid the Intead Award for Creative Engagement.