Recruiting Intelligence

Many admissions officers will say: I wish that I had this problem. We are hearing more frequently from university officials concerns about having too many Chinese students with the consequence of isolation and limited contact with American students.  

“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. 

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.

The recruiting environment is getting more competitive in China for international universities. International admission officers have to find ways to broaden the pool of students they can reach. As a result, it is even more important to understand the Chinese high school system to craft a successful recruitment strategy for your college or university. 

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.

What do I mean by "rudimentary?" Maybe I should have stated that U.S. domestic student recruitment has become more and more sophisticated over the past few years. This trend will accelerate with increased competition among schools across larger territories, more entries into hybrid and online brands that lend themselves to larger territories, and broader marketing campaigns. 

In the spring and summer of 1988, I was sitting in Germany with three U.S. graduate school admissions in hand, two of them to similar prestigious programs in Washington D.C. - Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and Georgetown University. I didn't get to visit either campus. I had never been to the United States, had no emotional, family and other ties to either university. Where to attend?