Transcript Ten Issues and Practices Facing Graduate/Professional New Student Enrollment Craig Engel Senior Vice President All material in this presentation, including text and images, is.

Ten Issues and Practices Facing
Graduate/Professional New Student Enrollment
Craig Engel
Senior Vice President
All material in this presentation, including text and images, is the property of Noel-Levitz, Inc. Permission is required to reproduce information.
The 10 issues and practices
1
Influence from
“the top”
Directive that recruitment is an important
role of faculty
No pressure to set goals and
accountability
Recognition that increases in both new students
and revenue are most likely at the master’s level
Master’s
Understanding that a commitment to
recruitment generally includes additional
Help bridge the gap
Between graduate
admissions and the
graduate/professional
program director
2
Decentralized
recruitment
Uneven quality of materials,
including Web site
Many recruitment arms
Little follow up at all
stages of the funnel
Inadequate training among
those who have contact
with prospective students
(graduate program
directors, administrative
assistants)
Decentralized
Recruitment
Faculty commitment
Lack of coordination
between graduate
admissions and
college/school/departments
3
Desire to shape
the class, not
grow the class
(or a disconnect
between the two)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Doctoral. vs. master’s
GRE/LSAT/GMAT/MCAT/Miller’s
UGPA
In-state, out-of-state, international mix
Department/school/college
Men/women
Race/ethnicity
4
Virtually ignore
the top end of the
funnel
Most graduate/professional
programs pay little attention
to the top of the funnel
Three ways to increase, or shape new
student enrollment
Increase the size of the
inquiry.
Increase the conversion
ratio at various points of
the funnel.
Combine both strategies.
Utilize historical funnel data in
your planning process
Sample Program or Professional School Funnel
Funnel Stage
2012
Actual
2011
Actual
2010
Actual
2009
Actual
4 Year
Average
Inquiries
1,569
1,723
1,755
1,410
1,614
CR %
12.5%
11.7%
12.5%
12.3%
12.1%
196
201
219
174
196
AR %
79.3%
75.6%
73.1%
84.5%
78.6%
Admits
155
152
160
147
154
YR %
38.1%
41.4%
40.6%
37.4%
39.6%
59
63
65
55
61
Applications
Enrolled
Understanding Conversion Theory for
enrollment growth
Conversion Theory
Funnel (example)
Fall 2012
Funnel Stage
Inquiries
Applications
Admits
Enrolled
CR%
AR %
YR %
Actual
2012
1,790
733
177
91
40.9%
24.1%
51.4%
Increase
Inquiries
2,000
818
197
101
40.9%
24.1%
51.4%
Increase CR
Increase AR
Increase All
1,790
770
186
96
43%
24.1%
51.4%
1,790
733
220
113
40.9%
30%
51.4%
2,000
860
258
133
43%
30%
51.4%
This model works for any market segment.
Understanding Conversion Theory for
enrollment shaping
Conversion Theory
Funnel (example)
Fall 2012
Funnel Stage
Inquiries
Applications
Admits
Enrolled
CR%
AR %
YR %
Actual 2012 Increase
Inquiries &
Decrease AR
1,790
2,000
733
818 (+85)
177
180
91
92
40.9%
40.9%
24.1%
22%
51.4%
51.4%
Increase CR &
Decrease AR
All
1,790
770 (+37)
177
91
43%
23%
51.4%
2,000
860 (+127)
172
88
43%
20%
51.4%
This model works for any market segment.
Proactively building the inquiry pool
Referral
Selfinitiated
Travel
Inquiry
Pool
Solicited/
Search
5
Inadequate
database to track
all funnel
activities
Non-existent database or multiple
databases
Ability to manage multiple entry points of
inquiries
Staffing to conduct data entry appears to
be prohibitive to input all inquiries
 Tracking the source of the inquiry
 Tracking the date of inquiry
 Recording the date of last contact
 Tracking multiple contacts
 Inputting the semester of interest
and area of study
Database training and capability among the
recruitment arms and contact points is uneven
Defining entry terms can be problematic due to
the variety of start dates for individual programs
6
Very little personal
relationship
building
Size of inquiry, applicant, and admit pools
make this seem impossible
E-mail, phone, and social media
throughout the funnel
Personal notes to key inquiries and
admits
On-campus visit program
At the inquiry and
admit stages –
cumulative, by
college/school, or by
individual program
Interviews and meetings with faculty
Segmented communications
That speak to the
dominant buying
motives of the student
7
Communication
management
Message and timing
What is it they need
to know . . .
Too few communications
Too few
communications
Inconsistent follow-up at the
department level
Comfort with centralized implementation
of general communications
8
Scholarships
and financial aid
Myth that
that students
students must
must be
be “funded”
“funded”
Myth
(masters and
and international)
international)
(masters
BAs and MAs have fueled growth in
degree production over the last 39 years
BA
MA
Doctorate
2,000,000
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Source: 2012 Digest of Education Statistics, NCES
Graduate enrollment is expected to
increase 15 percent over the next decade,
from 3.029 million to 3.495 million
3,600
3,500
3,400
3,300
3,200
3,100
3,000
2,900
2,800
2,700
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Source: 2011 Digest of Education Statistics, NCES
Grants vs. loans as a percentage of total aid
Trends in Student Aid, 2011. © 2011. The College Board.
Reproduced with permission. www.collegeboard.com.
Lack of graduate expertise in the
financial aid office
Late applications
(FAFSA) and loan
applications by
graduate students
All are high need
9
Qualifying and
grading
Are you treating all inquiries, applicants,
and deposited students the same?
There are two basic marketing strategies
Aggregation: an
undifferentiated marketing
strategy that treats everyone
basically the same
Differentiation: a strategy
that identifies and markets to
different segments based on
different interests and needs
Qualifying and grading
Qualifying is a systematic process designed to ascertain
the level of student interest.
Grading is a process whereby institutions rate the
desirability of students.
The distribution of student interest
C – Influence of opinion in either direction
C
Influence
A – Will not
enroll at your
school no
matter what
you do
A
B
B – Will enroll at
your school no
matter what you
do
10
Few annual
recruitment
plans
Craig Engel
Senior Vice President
The Value of Not Planning
The nicest thing about not planning is that
failure comes as a complete surprise and
is not preceded by a period of worry and
depression.
John Preston
Boston College
Five steps to recruitment planning
Define the
current
state of
new
student
enrollment
Establish
clear and
realistic
goals
Develop
strategies
to reach
the goals
Put your
strategies
into action:
Writing the
Action Plan
Resource
requirements
Situation analysis
An annual review
of the mission,
historical data,
driving and
restraining forces,
and environment
Goal setting
Cumulatively, by
program, by market
segment
Strategies to achieve goals
Every goal must have at least one strategy
GOAL
Strategy
Strategy
Strategy
Strategy
Strategy
Action plans
The implementation
schedule
Resource Requirements
New costs and
savings
The whole equals the sum of its parts:
Master plan with individual group plans
Define the current
state of new student
enrollment
Review institutional mission and
current strategic plan for the university
The annual recruitment plan
should be consistent with your
mission and strategic plan.
Consider including mission
and vision statements in the
recruitment plan
Assess driving and restraining forces
Factors that help or
hinder the planning
unit in reaching
goals:
• Driving forces are
strengths and
opportunities
• Restraining forces
are weaknesses
and threats
Compile and review historical data
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Name purchase (GRE, GMAT) search results by
prospect source
Advertising results, including TV and radio,
billboard, direct mail and pay-per-click advertising
College/university visit results overall and by
state or other geographic market (any contact)
Visits to employers or industries
Graduate fair results by state or other geographic
market or by program (any contact)
Information night/off-campus interview results by
program (any contact)
Webinar information sessions (any contact)
Group visit/open house results (any contact)
Individual visit results by month (any contact)
Other special on- or off-campus events you feel
should be analyzed (any contact)
In-state analysis by county, out-of-state analysis
by state
Other geographic markets (e.g., recruitment
territory)
First contact inquiry source
Staff/program director qualifying codes
Referral programs (current students, faculty,
alumni, etc.)
Establish clear and
realistic goals
Develop separate funnels for each
new student enrollment goal
A typical problem on most programs is that
only one funnel is created for all students.
Master’s
In- and
Out-State
Minority
International
Domestic vs.
International funnel
Example MBA Program
Fall Funnel Goals
Funnel Stage
Domestic
International Total
Inquiries
1,007
521
1,528
Applications
303
129
432
Acceptances
195
71
266
Enrolled
135
23
158
Conversion Rate %
30.1
24.8
28.3
Admit Rate %
64.4
55
61.6
Yield Rate %
69.2
32.4
59.4
Utilize historical funnel data in
your planning process
Sample Program or Professional School Funnel
Funnel Stage
2012
Actual
2011
Actual
2010
Actual
2009
Actual
4 Year
Average
Inquiries
1,569
1,723
1,755
1,410
1,614
CR %
12.5%
11.7%
12.5%
12.3%
12.1%
196
201
219
174
196
AR %
79.3%
75.6%
73.1%
84.5%
78.6%
Admits
155
152
160
147
154
YR %
38.1%
41.4%
40.6%
37.4%
39.6%
59
63
65
55
61
Applications
Enrolled
Utilize historical funnel data in
your planning process – goal
scenarios
Sample Program or Professional School Funnel
Funnel Stage
2012
Actual
4 Year
Average
Increase
Conversion
Increase
Yield
Combine
Both
Inquiries
1,569
1,614
1,569
1,569
1,569
CR %
12.5%
12.1%
13.5%
12.5%
13.5%
196
196
212
196
212
AR %
79.3%
78.6%
79.3%
79.3%
79.3%
Admits
155
154
168
155
168
YR %
38.1%
39.6%
38.1
40.1%
40.1%
59
61
64
62
67
Applications
Enrolled
Develop strategies to
reach the goals
Strategies must be tied to new
student enrollment goals
• Does each
recruitment activity
have an intended
goal?
• Are there some
activities that you
currently do that are
not helping you reach
the goals?
Key recruitment strategies
Building
interest in the
program
Converting
interest into an
applicant
Processing
Yielding
accepted
students into
enrolled
students
Sample strategies – inquiry pool
development
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Search
Advertisements
College travel
Grad/prof fairs
Web site
Social media
Referrals
Inquiry pool development
Source
Inquiries
Travel-initiated
250
Referrals
350
Student-initiated
500
Solicited
500
Total
1,600
Sample strategies – conversion
•
•
•
•
•
•
E-communication
Snail mail
Phone
Campus visits
Social media
Current students
Sample strategies – yield
• Merit assistance
• Faculty
• Current and former
students
• Written and e-comm
flow
• Phone
• Campus visits
Sample strategies – processing
• Database management
• Timely decision making
• Timely awarding of
merit
• Centralization of
administrative duties
Break out session: Compile a list of
some of your primary strategies to
achieve goals
Put strategies into
action: Writing the
Action Plan
Action plan components
What are you going to do?
When are you going to do it?
Who will be responsible?
How much will it cost?
How will you know when it has
been accomplished?
• Describe in detail activities that are generally
quantifiable and measurable
• Provide timetables that clearly show key dates and
deadlines
• Assign specific tasks and communicate assignments
clearly to those who will be responsible for performing
them
• Include budget information showing the cost of
implementation
• Define the methods of evaluation or control that will be
used to monitor progress or measure success or failure
of the actions undertaken
Be strategic and specific
An action plan cannot
be too detailed.
Make the action plan
so clear that a new
staff member could
almost pick it up and
run with it.
Assign and communicate responsibilities
to individuals, rather than groups
Break down the timeline
of tasks that need to be
completed and assign
individuals to those
responsibilities.
Provide detailed timetables
• When does the task
need to be completed?
• Backwards planning is
key for creating
workable timetables.
Sample Action Plan
Goal: To enroll a total of 70 new students for fall.
Strategy: To generate 1,600 inquiries of the right type to achieve
enrollment goals.
Activity
Responsibility
Conduct GRE Jill Smith
direct e-mail
search
Timetable
Budget
Control/
Evaluation
November
name
purchase;
Mailed
in midDecember
GRE = $.30
per name;
$x for e-mail
service
Response
rates;
presence of
prospects in
final applicant
pool
How will we evaluate the
effectiveness of the
strategy?
Each action plan should include a method of
evaluation.
Examples of evaluation methods:
• Conversion and yield rates of students who attended an
event
• Positive feedback given on evaluation forms for an oncampus event
• Increase in alumni referrals after a referral campaign
was implemented
Track results!
Implement a method to track the
effectiveness of each strategy:
• Inquiry source analysis
• Search response rates
• Conversion and yield on campus
visitors
• Conversion and yield on students
seen during college visits
• Increase in test scores
• Other results?
Resource
requirements
Resource requirements
Example College/School/Program
Resource Requirements
Action Plan
Anticipated Savings or
Increased Expenditures
Explanation
Break out session: Work to develop
one or two strategy action plans
Discussion and questions
A trusted partner for enrollment and student success