Like most areas of higher education these days, the student recruitment picture has changed dramatically since March 2020, due to COVID-19. While the past nearly two years have certainly been disruptive, the restrictions and changes have also brought lessons. Colleges and universities are now implementing changes to their recruitment process based on what they’ve learned.
While institutions formerly relied on campus visits, college fairs, high school guidance counselors and in-person interviews to sell their school, today, students are learning about prospective college and universities almost solely online. The digital higher education space is crowded and often overwhelming
Having to rely on the digital channel to guide their decisions, students and their parents are poring over a dizzying amount of information on various websites.
According to The College Board, applying to five to eight schools should be sufficient – but many students apply to many more, to ensure that they’ll have a variety of institutions from which to choose, after acceptances. There are currently more than 2,800 four-year institutions of higher education in the U.S., according to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Institutions need to find a way to help them get the attention of prospective students – or risk getting lost in the very sizable crowd.
Colleges and universities can take several measures to help their institution stand out online, present a realistic and positive view of the campus, programs and student life, and ease the search process for parents and students.
Develop virtual campus tours. If prospective students can’t come to you, bring the campus to them. Creating a virtual tour is not only a great tool for now, when COVID is prohibiting some from on-campus visits, but also valuable after pandemic restrictions ease up. Parents and students who may live far away and can’t make multiple trips to schools can still get a great feel for institutions. Consider hiring professional help – and also consider involving students in the production.
Maintain a strong social media presence. Reach students where they like to be – on social media. Post a variety of content, including a mix of campus photos and updates, spotlights on faculty or student achievements, profiles of notable alumni and more. During COVID, many institutions post updates on class schedules, remote learning tips and community outreach activities. Keep the posts coming to convey a sense of lively activity.
Use email to mine for prospects. According to Statista research, 76 percent of students researching colleges said they prefer to receive communication from colleges in the form of email. Phone calls, messaging apps and texts were far less popular. You can start out by sending blanket emails to students from purchased lists, and then build a targeted list by offering some sort of value-add item – like a handout of best practices for evaluating colleges, for instance. Once you have a list of responding students, you can then use it to send out more information on your institution, and invite prospects to indicate their specific interests for your follow-up. You can also send out information on financial aid and scholarships.
Shift marketing spend to digital. Even before the pandemic, prospective students and their parents were increasingly turning to online sources for information on possible school choices. Now that COVID-19 restrictions have severely limited campus visits and other in-person recruitment activities, digital channels have become even more critical. Look at your overall marketing budget, review your current digital marketing plan and see where you can re-direct dollars to digital outreach. Focus on areas that replace or supplement activities that cannot currently be accomplished in person.