Category: Article Archives

The Yes We Must Coalition is a group of 39 private colleges and universities dedicated to providing access and ensuring success for low income/first-generation college students. Member institutions educate large numbers of needy students and more than half of their total enrollments are comprised of students eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. The organization recently held a conference in Roanoke, Virginia that was attended by 139 administrators from 32 member institutions. The idea was to provide an opportunity for collaboration and discussion. The conference ended with the chance for attendees to sign up to collaborate on a number of future […]

Competition for prospective students? attention has never been fiercer. The congested higher education marketplace means that every communication between colleges and prospective students must further institutional branding and messaging. With the regular development of new technologies, a sound communication strategy has become paramount as we establish a public ?face? for the institution to new audiences. In this issue of ?Enrollment Manager? we will address staff communications priorities, operational strategies and accountability. We will offer some suggestions from our experience that will help you make every communication count while enabling your messaging to stand out among others. The use of an […]

I am excited to report that Louisiana State University at Alexandria has absolutely crushed nearly every all-time historic record regarding recruitment, retention and enrollment for Fall 2015.? The leadership team at LSUA contacted my firm in 2013 to assist in the design and implementation of a new approach to enrollment management with the goal of transforming admissions, financial aid and persistence.? We agreed to apply a traditional ?private school? model to a public university. The institution was at a crossroads, having experienced an eight-year steady decline in enrollment that might have threatened its very existence. Everything changed under the direction […]

April Clark -?CAS We are finding there are so many channels available to reach prospective students that it is harder to find the best ways to communicate.? This means that institutions are struggling to find the most effective channels while trying to stay competitive and still meet enrollment goals.? Managing your school?s marketing mix using data-driven methods helps the targeting, recruiting and retaining student processes to be more efficient. Here are four ways to enhance your marketing strategies in the quest to influence those students most likely to succeed at your school, and then to maximize outcomes. Utilize Market Research […]

Marylouise Fennell,?Principal ,Hyatt-Fennell Scott D. Miller,?President,?Virginia Wesleyan College In the last issue of “Enrollment Manager,” we discussed?concluding and assessing the most recent recruitment cycle, and implementing an effective enrollment strategy for the coming year. ?Because turnover in chief enrollment officers often occurs at this time of year, too, it is important not to disrupt momentum. Solid planning is a key to recruitment continuity, and essential in attracting the right vice president or dean of enrollment. ?Institutional Reviews can establish strategic priorities?including those impacting student recruitment and retention. ?We also believe, however, that a detailed assessment of the program should include […]

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 […]