At each stage of the admissions funnel, it’s important to determine how to best deploy your limited resources. For example, converting search names into inquiries or applicants is different than working with applied and admitted students.
“How do you narrow down your pool of students to focus on those who need particular interventions at the right times?” said Tom Green, PhD, AACRAO Associate Executive Director, Consulting and SEM. “Imagine if you have 1500 admitted students: Who are the ones who need that personal touch?”
Often, admissions offices use a shotgun communications approach when a more nuanced and layered strategy would be more effective.
Leverage data and faculty
A deposit does not a commitment make, Green cautioned.
“Students will multiple deposit -- if they’re still shopping, they may deposit in five different places,” Green said. “If they haven’t done other things, such as visiting campus, completed the FAFSA, registered for orientation, and so on, they’re not likely to show up at your campus in the fall.”
Admissions offices can go beyond “did they deposit?” to consider other touch points to determine which students may enroll or may be receptive to further communication. A deeper data assessment can also lead to improved leveraging of faculty contacts, which should be deployed differently in large prospect pools than with admitted students.
New England: Get a competitive edge
As part of AACRAO On the Road, Green is leading a one-day Admissions Leadership Academy, July 25, 2018, in Salem, MA. AACRAO On the Road is an affordable, intensive way to access essential professional development workshops regionally.
In New England in particular, high school graduate numbers are down, Green noted, and admissions departments are facing more competitive environments. This admissions workshop can help give your campus a competitive edge in just one day’s training.
“This is a really low-cost, high-quality training opportunity for staff, timed to coincide with late-summer office retreat and training schedules ahead of the fall,” said Green. “This will be a great way to kick start the fall semester and get staff members to understand how all the admissions pieces fit together.”
The workshop is interactive and practice-oriented, covering recruitment, marketing, operations, staffing and relevant technologies, offered at the special summer rate of $99 per person.
Other On the Road in Salem workshop topics include:
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SEM,
- Registrar 101,
- FERPA, and
- AACRAO International.
Learn more about AACRAO On the Road in Salem, MA, July 25-26, 2018.