Recruiting Intelligence

The element of surprise has gone missing. Eighteen months into an administration at odds with education, we’ve moved past shock. What remains is something more useful: resolve.

Ours is an industry worth fighting for. And we’re not fighting alone. Between ASU+GSV, WIEC, and NAFSA (access valuable conference presentation decks and other resources below), Q2 connected us with colleagues near and far who share our conviction. The conversations have been honest, the insights hard-won, and in between, we shared our thinking to help your team move forward with topics covering:

• How to use World Cup momentum to spur internationalization innovation
• 3 steps to improve AI-driven visibility for prospective students
• How to rethink your India strategy as the competitive landscape shifts
• What the upward trend in US students studying abroad means for recruitment and retention
• 2 focus areas and 2 resources to help you move the enrollment needle in turbulent times
• What to do now to shore up your Fall ’26 cohort (2026 time is about run out on this one - but useful for perspective on future cycles)
• NAFSA takeaways worth keeping

Missed one? This quarterly wrap-up has you covered. Read on…

So, where should enrollment leaders focus as the new year begins? If 2025 reader engagement is any indication, the answer sits somewhere between the integration of smarter admissions technologies, clearer career outcomes, strategic education agent relationships, and a more resilient mindset.  

Nothing forces the drive for clarity like experiencing chaos.  

Good news in years like these, we suppose. The policy swings and shifts in student demand have tested every institution’s agility and fortitude. But for leaders paying attention, the volatility is forcing a refining of strategy and development of a sharper view of what truly drives enrollment growth. 

The never-ending quest for content that helps you move the needle. This year that means a serious focus on ideas and tools your enrollment team can use to adapt to the opportunities out there and reach enrollment goals. The pressure our clients and so many others are under right now feels daunting, to say the least. Our goal: help keep them (and you) focused on effective recruitment and retention.  

In troubled times, we do not sit on our hands. There are always actions we can take despite the challenges that throw us off our original game plan. 

For tens of thousands of international students, community college has been the secret to earning an affordable US degree. And the interest is growing. 

The latest numbers out of IIE show 59,315 international students enrolled in US community colleges in 2023/24. This option for international students peaked in 2016/2017 at 96,472. With the pandemic, the total dropped to 49,099 in 2021/22. The latest figure shows a 21% increase since then.

What’s behind the uptick? According to the international students we’ve spoken to in recent months, it comes down to: 

• Affordability (tuition) 
• Transferability (credits)
• Flexibility (study options)

Here’s the thing: Many of these students had never heard of community college until they began researching their options for studying in the US. Yet, once introduced to the idea, they were ready to sign on. 

Meet Intead!  

• If you’re at NAFSA, let us know! We’d love to connect. Or, find us at APLU in June, NACUBO in July, and NACAC in September.
• AI and the Future of Student Recruitment. A new webinar all about university recruitment in this dynamic, AICA's Emily Pacheco, Ashley Kern (MeetYourClass, Sightline), Ben Waxman (Intead). Register here.

IIE, UNESCO, the British Council, and other global student mobility evaluators all point to market growth over the next decade. Some of those projections are exceedingly rosy with US international student numbers hitting 2M or more in the next 5 to 10 years. We’re not so sure about that. We’ve seen these kinds of outsized predictions from reputable players before. And they didn’t pan out.  

Nevertheless, our own evaluation of the future is that there will continue to be a significant and growing number of students around the world seeking an international education (see our recent post explaining our thinking).

IIE is absolutely accurate in pointing to the significant capacity (number of seats) available in the US as compared to other common destinations (Canada, UK, Australia, Germany). Which brings us back to purchasing power – the growing number of internationally motivated students from countries around the world who will have the desire will also have less money. We see opportunity in that reality. 

US community colleges, this is your moment, if you are ready for it. Most of you are not.  

One proactive example worth talking about: College of the Canyons. The Intead team has been working closely with this institution which boasts a strong partnership with the University of California system. They use the internationally focused conferences (NAFSA, etc.) to build their network and regularly attend ICEF to connect to and manage a valuable agent network. And they deploy targeted digital campaigns to raise awareness and build the volume of student leads. The digital campaigns support their targeted recruitment travel.  

They do all of this work with a conscious effort to deploy messaging that educates students and their families about the value of community college as a route to a 4-year degree. 

The financial benefits alone are enough to pique prospective students’ interest. Community colleges cost a fraction of what a 4-year institution charges. And, depending on the institution, the ability to transfer credits to a nearby 4-year university to complete a bachelor’s degree is incredibly appealing. After all, these are visa-holding students who’ve already proven their academic capabilities. So, doing the math, many realize this approach to US education significantly cuts the cost of their desired degree while also lowering the barrier to entry for their preferred 4-year program. Win for the students. Win for the community colleges. Win for the 4-year institutions. 

But it’s not just about cost (though a lot of it is). Flexible programming, like online coursework, has opened the door to a wider range of students. Institutions offering international students the chance to start earning credits online before transitioning to on-campus studies are drawing in those who might otherwise hesitate—such as students with limited budgets, those who are still working on their English skills, or those who are simply getting themselves ready for university-level study.  

Take the story of one Taiwanese student we met. We’ll call him Chih-ming (not his real name). He spent his first year earning community college credits online from home. By the time Chih-ming moved to California to complete his associate degree, he had already adapted to the US education system and classroom expectations. This gave him the confidence to focus on adjusting to cultural differences when he arrived, making his transition much smoother. 

For students like Chih-ming, online courses are the bridge to achieving their aspirations, giving them the initial courage to pursue a US degree that will bring them closer to their dream careers. It is a low-risk confidence builder at a time when making the transition to a US university may seem daunting.  

Below we get into the considerations when recruiting (and retaining) international students who see online community college as their way into the US higher ed system. Whether you are an enrollment leader at a community college or a 4-year institution, there is something here for you. Read on...

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.

Clearly, India's education leaders have some planning to do.

Take a step back and consider: India is enjoying a big year. They just landed on the moon. Hosted the G20 summit. Are top-dog population-wise. And its fast-growing economy is as strong as ever. A Pew Research Center survey this year even shows a full 68% of Indians feel their country is growing in global influence. All really good news for India.

But the devil is always in the details with rising nations and the truth is, there are too many young Indians who can’t get the higher education they want. At least not now and not at home.

Opportunities to Meet In Person 

The Intead team is gearing up for some amazing presentations and we hope you can join us. 

• PIE News Live in Boston, Nov 13-15, 2023 
• AIRC Annual Conference – we’ll be offering our full day digital marketing workshop here in Phoenix, Dec 6-9, 2023 
• ICEF North America Workshop in Miami, Dec 11-13, 2023 

Let us know if you’ll come share a cup of coffee and a conversation about all things global and digital (info@intead.com) 

The Indian government is fully aware of this growth and for the first time its University Grants Commission has taken strides to welcome foreign universities into the country. (Note: only institutions in the top 500 global rankings need apply.) Deakin University and University of Wollongong, both of Australia, are the first to be granted approval. You can bet others (and we’ve had interesting conversations with a few) are doing the financial analysis and considering the blueprints for academic collaborations of their own.

One key caveat of the regulations, India is not recognizing online degrees from foreign institutions. India’s leadership wants in-person set-ups. As the former vice-chancellor of New Delhi’s National University of Educational Planning and Administration puts it, “Online education goes against the expected gains of internationalization.” Plus, the government would like to increase on-campus higher education access in-country while also attracting foreign students to India. Makes sense on multiple levels.

You know what else makes sense? US institutions vying for Indian students’ attention. And yes, of course you are already recruiting in this key region and have seen an uptick in actual enrollments. US visa approvals of Indian applications have hit record numbers since the pandemic.

Trust us, there’s so much more we think you should consider doing to tap this market effectively. Let us tell you why. Read on…

Not to brag, but Intead is a pretty great place to work. When the team gathered at an all-day retreat earlier this fall, I was reminded why I love what I do. I work with some really interesting and insightful people. And the work we choose to engage in is something I’m so proud of.

While Ben and Iliana are presenting at NACAC in Baltimore this week, I'm stepping into the Intead blog to offer some perspective on how you might step back from your day to day and apply some big picture thinking. The Intead team invested some serious and playful energy in a full day off-site retreat to push us all forward. 

I know this tale sounds familiar, so let me back up and be clear as to why it’s anything but, I’m new(ish) here as the marketing communications director, but definitely not new to student-focused marketing or team dynamics.

When you engage with a team that clicks, you know. This is one of those. And our clients notice it, too.

The retreat, led by our fearless leader, who you absolutely do know (Ben, of course!), was an immediate and personal introduction to all the internal members, even those streaming into our Boston-area event from Portugal and India. Until the retreat, I hadn’t actually yet had a chance to sit in one room with everyone on our international marketing team all at once. I’m so glad we took the time to do it. 

It’s amazing how easily the banter flowed regardless of distance. Having worked at tech start-ups and large marketing agencies with global presence alike, I know it requires special effort to make distance and valuable communication work. But here, it’s clear that people are the priority, which makes connecting so much easier and genuinely enjoyable. If you’ve worked with us, then you know just what I mean. And if you haven’t, let us show you!  

The retreat gave us each time, space, and encouragement to explore how we tackle business challenges as individuals as well as a collective. And yes, some of the “business” problems involved linguini and marshmallow. But we got real, too.

Read on for a couple of salient strategic growth recommendations around points of tangency and infinite games. Yes, this relates to your work in enrollment management.

The most common topics of conversation throughout #NAFSA2022:

• So much is in flux right now globally and central to it all: China is not what it used to be. When will China come back?
• The proliferation of tech tools for student recruitment is overwhelming. They all promise great things and we’ve seen these promises before. Which ones should I evaluate? Will they actually work? How do I know?
• Boosting yield on applications is a struggle, especially with my team’s limitations on time, experience, and skills. We are understaffed to make this stuff work.
• I need to find ways to make JEDI efforts more impactful in my recruiting programs and on my campus. 

These issues are being discussed in forums far beyond the NAFSA conference. How we tackle these topics will affect immediate and long-term recruitment priorities for all of us doing this work.

Intead’s NAFSA presentations addressed much of this. A BIG thank you to our amazing collaborators and colleagues from Benedict College, San Diego State University, Clark University, Northeastern University, CIEE, ICEF, and GNET.

Whether or not you were able to attend our live sessions, we’re making our presentations available to you. We think you’ll find them valuable resources as you move into the 2023-24 recruitment cycle. And where the slides don’t give you all the context you need, reach out with your questions.

In the meantime, read on to download our decks.

As I sat out most of the #NAFSA2022 conference in my Denver hotel room due to a positive covid test the day after I arrived, I worked the phone, email, and social media to keep as many balls in the air as possible. From my 34th floor room across the street from the real action, I provided helpful reports on Downtown Denver traffic patterns ; -)

If you missed our Big 10 Digital Campaign Case Study download, you'll want to grab that here. We ran out of the handouts at NAFSA but PDFs are forever!

During NAFSA, what I missed most, what I regret, is simply those moments when the Intead team is presenting and the NAFSA crowd is clearly taking in new ideas and sharing their excitement about how digital marketing, new tools, and deep insights into target audience decision-making (the stuff of real marketing: voice of the customer) all come together to create successful recruiting initiatives.

Despite what I did NOT get out of the conference, the Intead team (Patricia Tozzi + Iliana Joaquin on-site, and Rachel Trahan behind the scenes) took all matters into their own hands bringing their usual level of amazing. Meanwhile, I sat in my hotel room patching into all the important chats by phone and trying to avoid feeling pathetic.

There is a theme that has been running across international student conferences for many years, and #NAFSA2022 was no exception. It is a lament one often hears from department leads – in most institutions and across all industries. It is the cry of the under-resourced. The “If they only knew how important our work is" dirge.

These department chairs and administrative leaders are frustrated by colleagues and bosses up the chain who somehow do not recognize the value represented by the real work being done and the outcomes produced.

• “How do they think they will get the growth outcomes they want if they don’t support us?”
• “Why are they not seeing or valuing our success? Our potential? How hard we work?”
• “Why do the resources always go to those guys?” (read: domestic marketing)

So, we get it. Your department needs more funding. For marketing collateral, for digital media buys, for tech tools and analytics. For more hands to simply do the work.

But, let’s turn the questions around. Read on for new perspectives on these longtime frustrations…

Like you, we spend a lot of time getting into the mindset of students. We need to understand their behavior, their decision making process, by region, by study interest, by age and other demographics.

So, when we read that education luminaries Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner released a book based on more than 2,000 interviews with higher ed students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, and more, we couldn’t help ourselves. We had to get it.

The book, The Real World of College, What Higher Education Is and What It Can Be, is an analysis of interviews conducted at ten US institutions representative of a range of schools, from the highly selective to the lesser so. For us, the results reveal new insights and confirm long-held beliefs. It’s worth the read for anyone who cares about the student experience, student outcomes, and the long-term viability of our industry.

Reading it through the lens of student recruitment, of course, we’ve gathered key takeaways that can inform the work you’re doing now (recruitment marketing) as well as the longer-term stuff (onboarding, student services, career services, and alumni relations).

Always insight and action-oriented: Below we offer our top 5 takeaways from this great read and importantly, your clear action item for each insight.

Let’s meet in person!

If you’re at NAFSA next week, be in touch. We will absolutely do our best to fit in another meeting while in Denver. You’ll see Ben, Patricia, and Iliana racing from our presentations to a bunch of IEM sessions and all those networking events.

Our 2022 can’t miss sessions:

Read on for our top 5 book review takeaways for your admissions team…