Recruiting Intelligence

This past weekend further developments unfolded in the Korean SAT debacle. As you may recall widespread cheating caused ETS to cancel the May 2013 SAT exam in Korea. For background information read our recent blog post: May SAT Cancelled- Will It Hurt International Student Recruitment? Earlier in May there was some debate whether the SAT would be given in Korea in June. In the last few days there seem to be some answers coming out of Korea. A Korean colleague notified me that several students were banned from taking the SAT in any country in June. The Korea JoongAng Daily confirmed my colleague's report. Read the article Test Maker Bans Some From Taking June 1 SAT. And the follow-up article: Missing The SATs Can Be Worse Than Taking Them. Even the Wall Street Journal is reporting on the Korean debacle: South Korean SAT Cheating Scandal Continues.

Why your international student applicants won't brag. Susan Cain's book  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking reminded me of my own experience as a German student applying to U.S. graduate schools 25 years ago. I wrote my draft essays and shared them with a Canadian friend at my German university. She gave me a lot of advice and edit suggestions on how to present myself in the essay and how to talk about my accomplishments. I was rather taken aback to change the more modest style to describing overtly how great I was.  From a German cultural perspective, this was inappropriate.  Well, my friend's editing suggestions seem to have been helpful and I was admitted to three U.S. graduate schools.  

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

We have developed a unique university and college system as well as a unique admissions process in the United States.  This unique enrollment and application process appears arbitrary, opaque and difficult to master. As a result independent admissions counselors have become a critical intermediary in many countries, not to mention the United States. *For full disclosure, Lisa works as an independent admissions counselor. 

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.

As a former admission counselor I have firsthand experience with the benefits of traveling to recruit prospective students. Having the ability to meet students on the road is priceless. Well, not exactly priceless, as there’s always a fee for travel and incidentals and often a very high cost to taking the show on the road. Determining the best recruitment travel plan is a fundamental part of the admission counselor’s responsibilities.

Admission counselors who are fortunate to travel internationally have many options available through various tour companies. Since travel is one of the key components of recruitment, selecting the right tour company is a critical decision. In determining which travel company is the best fit, admission counselors must consider their institutional needs and goals, travel budget, and fellow travelers. Word of mouth seems to be an essential means of researching tour companies. We hope that our chart will provide a convenient comparison between the major tour companies.

We have a great deal of respect for the role of admission officers. They show impressive persistence and dedication in the relentless marketing through high school visits, college fairs, international travel and so forth. They are road warriors. Now admission officers are asked to engage and connect through social media and video. The job requirements and skill sets can be daunting.

Bill Gates gave an interview recently and described himself as a "professional student" in response to the comment that he was a college drop out.  I appreciated that description. Our professional careers require that mindset today.  

We are great believers in the iPad as a presentation tool for university admissions staff. The iPad still has a coolness factor, offers a compelling content experience for one-on-one and large presentations, is convenient for travel and offers many other benefits.