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Organizational Membership

Connect to the world of higher education

With AACRAO membership you'll be connected to more than 11,000 members from institutions around the world. Facilitate your professional development by attending discounted meetings, gaining complimentary subscriptions to our College & University journal and more.

Why should you join? State higher education coordinating boards, higher education associations, accrediting bodies and international ministries of education and more can collaborate with our members and lend their voices to discussions about practices in the field. 

Annual Membership Price: $710

Requirements: YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC SECTOR AND/OR A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION WHOSE INTERESTS ARE CLOSELY ALIGNED TO AACRAO.  

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Work on your skills like change management, technical knowledge and professional development and contributions to the field. We have the tools for you.

Online Learning

Strategic enrollment management. Admissions & recruitment. Transfer & articulation.  AACRAO regularly partners with organizations to hold joint discussions. No matter what your focus is, our webinars are loved by our members, and can raise the profile of your work. 

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AACRAO's Career Navigator is a wealth of job postings and resources for training. 

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AACRAO's professional journals College & University and SEM Quarterly are always accepting articles and have a wide circulation base.

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Leverage the expertise of our over 11,000 members and contribute to one of the premier sources of practice related research within the global higher education community. 

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Do work you're passionate about, with support and mentoring from fellow members. From Caucuses to specialized topics, it's all one community, no matter where in the world your institution is located. 


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AACRAO's bi-weekly professional development e-newsletter

Finding best-fit students

Nov 5, 2019, 11:09 AM
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Summary : 5 keys to a successful search program
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As the market for traditional students diminishes, colleges and universities are facing increased competition for students. What’s your institution doing to make an impression on prospective students and how are you targeting your search to be truly effective? 

In their session, 5 Keys to a Successful Search Program, Cindy Cammack of Peru State College and Jennifer Crump of Central Methodist University presented strategies for improving response rates from students targeted in their searches. 

Challenges

The presenters began the presentation with challenges that many institutions face when attempting to find and reach students. First and foremost, schools must stay up-to-date with rapidly changing technology in order to capture the attention of students. In addition, students are inundated with marketing materials—and they expect personalization and immediate response. To respond effectively, you need to clearly communicate who you are, what you stand for, and what value you provide—and to maintain that consistency and brand identity in all of your communications.  

The Five Keys to Success

The presenters listed five ways that schools can reconsider their marketing and recruitment processes by transforming their student search strategies:

1. Plan Your Work; Work Your Plan

One of the first things to do is make a plan and set goals, and consider items such as historical data, target audience, how many searches to do, and expected response rate.

2. Use Print

Supplementing email communications with printed items can increase the open rate by 37%, the click-thru rate by 14%, and generate a 98% increase in traffic after receiving a postcard.* 

3. Digital Advertising

Students operate in a digital world and are increasingly online, using search engines to find schools and researching and engaging with institutions on social media. The presenters found that when digital materials are added to a traditional search campaign, the response rate doubled.

4. Have an Immediate and Relevant Response Plan

This generation of students expects immediacy in its interactions, and a significant percentage of students enrolls at the school that makes first contact. Don’t keep students waiting and be sure to respond with personalized, relevant content—basically send the right message at the right time.

5. Automate Search and Response through One Platform

It’s important to develop holistic marketing and communications that are integrated and strategic. Examples of a multi-channel approach include: viewbook, email, visits, phone calls, text, social networks—all of which lead to deposit and enrollment. 

By recognizing and addressing challenges, your institution can utilize these strategies to develop and implement your own successful search processes and materials.

*According to data from Liaison


Categories :
  • Admissions and Recruitment
  • Competencies
  • Enrollment Goals
  • Enrollment Management
  • Enrollment Mix
  • Leadership and Management
  • Meetings, Workshops, and Trainings
  • SEM Conference
  • Student Recruitment
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Questions? Contact us at membership@aacrao.org or (202) 355-1040