It’s that time of year again. The school year is winding down to a close, summer is beginning and high school seniors are on their way out the door and are making their journey onward towards bigger and better things: college.
As students reflect on their educational experiences and memories of years past, universities are already in full swing of pursuing recruitment for next year’s freshmen class. College marketing is an art in itself. A true marketing machine that when operated correctly by the individuals that make up a university’s admissions department, has the ability to receive accolades and notoriety from its student body and the population in general. Many students initially gather interest in a university based upon a few factors. These include: family and friends who have attended, reputation and recognition, athletics, academics and finances. However, it can be argued that the final decision really comes down to the degree of which the admissions department reaches out to them as an incoming student, and more so, a prospect. Universities will first acquire your information via some sort of marketing activity. Whether it be through a campus visit, a college fair, a targeted direct mail piece, or by social media, they now have you in their system and you have a decision to make. You ask yourself, “Is this a good fit? Do I see myself going to this university?” Either way, your interest is now piqued and if you find that it’s somewhere you would like to be for the next four years, you apply. After you send in your application, then comes the actual recruitment process. This is where you become your university’s new best friend. A mass-mail receiving, pen-pal of sorts. You will start receiving monthly, perhaps even weekly e-mails, direct mail and promotional freebies from the universities you have applied to. While this can start to seem over-whelming at times, it’s all a part of the process to convince you that this university is the university for you. The goal of the recruitment process of universities is to make you feel like you belong on their campus, in their classrooms and as a contributing part of their student body. They want you to come to their university, and they will make sure they take every action to get you to do so. Then it’s the waiting game. For months, you wait patiently before you hear back from the universities you have applied to. Some you’ll get into, others you won’t, and in the end, you’ll most likely have a decision to make between choosing from a few different schools. This is when the university’s admissions department has to work extra hard to be sure that you’ll attend their university instead of the others you have been accepted to. Some universities will offer financial aid incentives, full-rides, academic and athletic scholarships or simply the promise of a wonderful education. Regardless, the decision is now in your hands and yours alone. So, as the year is coming to a close, here is your to-do list before you venture off into the world. First, make your final college decision. National Decision Day is May 1st, and the deadline is quickly approaching! Second, get all of your paperwork in order. Attend some courses. I learned how to write my essay with tutor to prepare for exams. Once you decide on a university you have housing applications, FAFSA applications and plenty of other paperwork to complete. Third, try to find a small circle of individuals that you can befriend before heading off to college. Knowing a few familiar faces once you get there helps to make the few days before classes a lot less nerve-wracking. And last, get involved as soon as possible. Make it a point to attend meetings, join clubs and take classes you are super-enthusiastic about.
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According to the National Center for Education Studies, there are 17.6 million undergraduate students, thirty-eight percent of those enrolled are over the age of 25 and a quarter of those are over the age of 30. Non-traditional student enrollment is expected to increase another twenty three percent in the next 7 years. This upward trend means that admission counselors must help alumni navigate the challenges they face when returning as non-traditional students. Taking a proactive role in the admission process while directing alumni to appropriate resources, will save admission counselors time and work. Receiving Financial Aid One obstacle in the way of non-traditional students is the complicated task of applying for and receiving financial aid. Admission counselors will need to work closely with their financial aid office, preferably one that is adapted to the nontraditional student’s unique financial situation, to assist alumni. Some alumni will have access to employer tuition reimbursement programs as well as any assistance they may be eligible for through military service. Admission Counselors will need to be educated in the variety of options their particular institute employs when it comes to financial aid and flexible tuition payments. Offering career counseling services to non-traditional students will help to alleviate some of the apprehension that comes with returning to school. Career advancement is one of the main reasons that people go back to school or begin postsecondary programs. Helping to provide resources that will assist with resume writing, interviewing and job searching are items to address with prospective students. Arranging job fairs can be one way to reach out and target non-traditional alumni students and bring visibility to your institution. The GRE When returning to complete a postsecondary program, students will need to be familiar with the GRE process. Knowing of the resources available for non-traditional students ahead of time will help them navigate the multitude of information currently available on the internet. Creating a guide tailored to non-traditional alumni students should also be considered. Offering information on childcare resources, flexible class schedules, university apartments or family housing, academic resources and veteran resources, will not only help them feel welcome but will also make their transition to returning student go more smoothly. Another unique way that Admission Counselors can attract non-traditional students is to suggest the university recognize non-traditional students in their mission statement. If attracting and retaining alumni students is important to the university, the success of it will depend on whether or not non-traditional students are recognized and represented in the overall miss I’ll never forget the story of a friend who was graduating from college – cum laude with a degree in anthropology. She went to a small state school on the east coast with a small, but powerful football team that was well-recognized at that time. Friends and family were all there, and a few thousand other people received their diplomas at the ceremony. In the program, a word or two from the alumni association was listed and expected – just a quick word or two before the names ceremony began. When it came time for the alumni association representative to speak, she started out by talking about the university’s history and strong commitment to education, then read out a list of how alumni association donations could be paid – online, by check in the mail, or via credit card over the phone. She then quipped about how it could be a great idea to spend some of that graduation check supporting the university that “supported all of you for all these years.” It Didn’t Go Down Too Well Students and parents at the graduation spent the next week calling into the alumni office to complain. “At the very least,” my friend’s mother said, “She could have congratulated the graduates.” This begs the question – is the graduation ceremony an appropriate place to solicit donations for the alumni fund? Could these kinds of actions from the alumni association staff cause issues with alumni admissions in the future? The answer is yes and no. There’s a right and a wrong way to ask people for money, regardless of the situation. Many students don’t know the alumni association is there – for activities, reunions, job support and future admissions, there is no better resource than a university’s alumni association. Many graduating students are more than willing to pay – under the right circumstances. Asking for Donations Alumni associates should consider a tasteful mail or social media campaign checking in on post-graduation plans for an online database while politely requesting donations. Alumni associations should also be letting graduates know the full scope of the services they help alumni with – and asking for a donation via mail at that time certainly is not unreasonable or out of line. As with anything else in life, the subject of money is always a touchy one. It’s important for college alumni associations to approach potential donations in a way that won’t eliminate the possibility of future funding. A graduate’s big day may not be the best time to solicit a donation – but post graduate mailers could be a great way to let graduates know both support and the potential to donate are there. |
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