Recruiting Intelligence

Universities rarely go out of business or let's say out of existence. Maybe we should carefully add "so far" since we know that financial pressures are increasing dramatically. Competition is intensifying. Public funding has decreased and as we all know tuition has increased to a level where it is difficult to raise net tuition. Students and their parents are more reluctant or unable to take on the financial burden. I am a strong believer that education is one of the best investments young people can ever make. Financial pressures, among other reasons, have pushed many colleges to recruit more international students. Full paying students are rare in the United States, so adding a cohort of more or less full paying international students can make a difference.  As a result, we see many universities entering the international markets. And by the way, we don't mind since we enjoy working with colleges and it is helping us grow our business as well.

Well we've done it again. It provided such a fascinating glimpse into how institutions engage with prospective students that we decided to run the experiment all over again. If you are an avid reader of our blog (thanks, Mom!) then you know that last May we published the results of our mystery shopper experiment, phase one. We could hardly believe that nearly 25% of institutions we contacted to request information for a prospective Chinese undergraduate student never replied. For the full report, read our blog 25% Don't Reply to Prospective International Student Inquiries. Since we ran that experiment in the spring, April to be exact, we decided we would try it again in the fall. And so we bring to you, dear readers, the results of the mystery shopper experiment, phase two.

Every month the 2nd and 4th Thursdays will be devoted to highlighting our library of podcasts. We believe stongly that information can be conveyed in a number of ways. We hope that you will continue to read our blog and also take advantage of the opportunity to listen to our podcasts at your desk, the gym or during your commute. Through 20-30 minute podcasts we hope to introduce our readers/listeners to a variety of compelling topics related to international higher education. We hope you enjoy our podcasts and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

In my last post, I discussed my experience at Bahcesehir University and gave some of my impressions about what drives students to study abroad.  Working at BAU didn’t just give me a chance to observe students, though.  It also allowed me to look at overseas university systems close up.  I was able to see how their programming and administrative organization compare with older American schools, and how they differ.  Below are four things that I saw overseas schools doing right, to keep themselves relevant and sustainable in a global education community.

In addition to working for Intead as the Academic Advisor, I also work alongside high school students counseling and preparing them for the college application and admissions process. As an independent counselor I don't work for a specific high school or college. I am paid directly by my clients. I treat each family as if the students were my own children, eager to go into the world, but in need of advice to get to the next step. Because of my work with Intead I am incredibly interested in the great agent debate primarily because it affects our clients and their ability to recruit students, but more personally because, abroad, I would likely be assigned the title "agent." This post isn't intended to perpetuate the agent debate but given my unique perspective as one who works with students and parents, in the US and internationally, and who partners with universities, I have an ability to see these issues from numerous sides.

Pearson recently released a global report on education comparing major factors in education, such as expenditure per student, GDP, graduation rates, etc. One of the top countries in Pearson’s list is South Korea. According to the report, there are some interesting differences between Korean education and American education. Understanding the Korean system can help in international student recruitment.

Marketing to prospective students, especially prospective international students can no longer rely on print materials and websites alone. The array of digital engagement tools available for marketing and admission departments is vast. These engagement tools are affordable, entertaining and can help to distinguish your institution from the competition.

Do you know the travel books from Lonely Planet? If you do, you probably love them as much as I do. If not, you should get to know them if you travel anywhere in the U.S. or in the world. They are great guides for your travels. What does that have to do with St. John's University in New York? 

College admission cycles are like the seasons of the year. If you follow a traditional admissions cycle you know what it's like to live through the cycles of the process. Many schools are admitting more frequently than annually but there is still a big new start in the fall.  

The Education Sector gets covered a lot in the Indian media and on Tuesday this week the Indian newspapers reported that foreign universities will be allowed to establish a campus in India, to operate independently and to issue foreign degrees locally.  While this may not be in the plans for all institutions, it is certainly something to keep an eye on, as it will potentially have a big impact on student recruitment, research collaboration and the local public perception of foreign education providers.