Author: Dwyer Education Strategies

Academic Impressions is sponsoring a conference on tuition discounting for higher education administrators to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix on September 16-17, 2015. The following is an excerpt from a brief interview conducted with enrollment management expert John W. Dysart, president of The Dysart Group: 1. Conversations about the discount rate in higher education continue to steal headlines in 2015. What has especially caught your attention this year? The trends in the most recent NACUBO (National Association of College and University Business Officers) Discounting Survey are not encouraging, especially for small, private colleges and universities. Discount rates […]

Dr. Scott D. Miller President Virginia Wesleyan College Dr. Marylouise Fennell Principal Hyatt-Fennell After the excitement of college graduation ceremonies has subsided, within the enrollment operation summer affords little time for relaxation. Among the priorities: concluding and assessing the most recent student-recruitment cycle, and implementing the enrollment strategy for the coming year. Despite reports of ?application inflation?? students applying to more than 10 institutions simultaneously?and the fact that some colleges interpret the increased number of applications as a sign of their growing popularity and reputation, there is a hard reality: although many students are serious about their applications at several […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Social media outlets are becoming a standard tool for college and university recruitment. A recent study indicated that 95% of institutions utilize social media as an element of the recruitment plan. There are a variety of available mechanisms for social media being used by admission offices. Among the most popular are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and to a lesser extent Pinterest and Ning. Facebook is still the most popular outlook for schools followed by YouTube and then Twitter. Regardless of the outlets you are using, there are a number of effective strategies […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Dr. Marylouise Fennell Principal Hyatt-Fennell If you could find a cost-effective way to expand your visibility to targeted audiences while promoting your institutional brand, would you take advantage of it? Social media allow you to do this and more, yet only about 175 of some 3,500 college presidents nationwide actively use Twitter or Facebook; approximately 900 use LinkedIn, YouTube and other tools. Those who do not employ social media are missing out on opportunities to enhance their message. Here are some proven reasons we think you will ?like? social media applications for your institution. […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. We are rapidly approaching the end of another recruitment cycle. If you are still hoping to improve your outcomes or at least maintain your current trends, you should make sure your enrollment division administrators are doing the following: Aggressively encourage new and returning students to apply for financial aid. Send written reminders, email messages and text messages to encourage completion of the FAFSA. Don?t hesitate to get on the telephone and call students who have not applied for financial aid. Make sure all of the students who have applied for financial aid […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. As colleges and universities seek to increase enrollments, many are attempting to expand their geographic reach by trying to recruit more out-of-state students. There are real challenges for schools seeking to grow the pool of out-of-state students: Studies show that 72% of high school graduates attend college in their home state and that only 14% leave their home geographic region to enroll in college. Out-of-state students usually are not eligible for state grants and this can increase the financial aid costs for the institution. There can be new expenses associated with dedicated […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. The higher education landscape is changing quickly. Demographic realities are impacting public, private and for-profit institutions. We are seeing, at many colleges and universities, increasing numbers of minority students, first-generation college students and high need students. Such trends are likely to continue for years to come. The good news is that there are literally hundreds of institutions willing to recruit and enroll students of color, students with high financial need, students with low standardized test scores, students with lower than average high school grade point averages and students coming from families with […]

Dr. Marylouise Fennell Principal Hyatt Fennell Dr. Scott D. Miller President Bethany College Competition among peer institutions is the most intense we have seen in over 30 years, with the demand for student-centered programs, services and facilities forcing significant shifts in institutional spending. But such ?cool? offerings come at substantial cost. It?s no secret that today?s Millennial generation expects amenities beyond what their grandparents and parents could have imagined in their wildest dreams. Food courts, shopping malls, fitness centers, state-of-the-art athletic facilities, high-end residences and well-equipped recreation attractions are not only expected, but essential to driving enrollment and retention. A […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. It is that time of year again. Students and families are in the midst of the college selection process. Up until now, choosing a college has been an abstract exercise. Now that the choices have narrowed, affordability comes into play. There is no question about the importance of price and financial aid. While we may hope that the final decision will be made based upon academic offerings, the quality of faculty and the opportunities for co-curricular activities, net price certainly influences the decision and sometimes is the determining factor. The role of […]