July 2010 Lawlor Focus

Managing “TweenTime”

College and university admission officers currently find themselves in between traditional recruitment cycles, or as we like to call it, in “TweenTime.” Before they can focus all of their attention on increasing the interest of their prospects for Fall 2011, most institutions still must take steps to prevent too much summer melt of their recruited students for Fall 2010—or in some cases, even to finish recruiting the class. And while these two student audiences inhabit drastically different stages of the admission process, nevertheless there’s one message that can and should be delivered consistently to both of them: the worth of the college’s value proposition.

The following data points reveal the importance of communicating the value of the educational investment:

• The Student Poll conducted during late Fall 2009 revealed that prospective families “are willing to stretch financially if they believe the value of the education they will receive is worth the higher cost.” For example, despite perceiving a given college as too expensive, 83 percent of high school seniors were still considering it because it had “really strong academics in the student’s field of interest,” and 75 percent because it was “a place where they could fit in and feel comfortable.”

• Prior to May 1, the E-Expectations study (.pdf) found that 46 percent of college-bound high school students (compared to 34 percent last year) claimed the current economic crisis had caused them to reconsider the colleges they would apply to or attend. Of these students, 26 percent (compared to 11 percent last year) reported they were avoiding private college options.

• After May 1, a poll conducted by Noel-Levitz (.pdf) indicated that the most frequently cited change in student behavior observed by four-year private institutions’ admission officers was a heightened sensitivity to cost. The most frequently cited yield strategy was to increase the volume of contacts aimed at addressing student’s concerns about costs and finances. The most popular strategy for combating summer melt was a planned increase in the volume of personal contacts and communications.

During this “TweenTime” of the recruitment cycle, reinforcing the value proposition not only can prevent prospects in the early stages of the admission process from eliminating a college from their consideration lists based on cost alone, but also can help validate the decision of accepted and deposited students to enroll. Both types of students—new, incoming students and prospective students—are looking for cues that reinforce their decision to either attend a particular college or continue considering it. Both groups have an expectation of personal attention, responsiveness, and college-related experiences consistent with their perceptions or aspirations.

Lawlor Recommends

The Great Recession has produced a consumer ethos of heightened expectations, so you cannot fall short in meeting those expectations. Even in the middle of the summer and in between traditional recruitment cycles, you must focus on sustaining interest and reinforcing value. Consider enhancing your efforts in these areas:

• Summer send-off events that are held off campus, as well as on-campus summer visit events, must be targeted to the individual audiences with “user-friendliness” as a foremost priority. Setting, timing, content and hospitality are all important ingredients for success.

• Transfer students are a growing segment of incoming students at many colleges and universities. Make sure to include these students in your scheduled activities and events, and be prepared to customize the experiences for them.

• Provide adequate training to all staff and volunteers, so that correct information is always communicated. Anticipate frequently asked questions and be prepared to answer all of them privately or publicly.

• Phone calls and e-mails will most likely increase during the coming weeks, with many inquiries going to non-admission offices. Are those offices prepared to respond promptly, personally and accurately? Does your institution’s website have the appropriate information necessary to answer the most frequently asked questions? It may be summer vacation on campus, but the needs of new students and prospects are generally not on hiatus—especially during the last weeks of summer.

All of these situations are wonderful opportunities for new and prospective students to sustain a connection with your college or university. They can also be experiences that create situational disconnects that call into question the overall value of your college institution.

“TweenTime” is therefore a time to harvest seeds of contentment, not create moments of doubt. Plan accordingly, practice consistently, and before you know it, you may even get some time to enjoy the summer.

In the news

The Christian Science Monitor reported that the University of California “hopes to become the country’s first top-tier research institution to offer a bachelor’s degree over the Internet that is comparable in quality to its campus program.” Faculty will be submitting proposals for fully online versions of classes they currently teach, with a goal of finding a new way to deliver the university’s quality that will keep pace with growing enrollment demand.

Did you know?

E-mail marketing messages that include a social sharing option boost the click-through rate by 30 percent.

Source: MarketingVOX