Admissions, Publications and Marketing
Marc Williar VP for Enrollment Management Flagler College [email protected]
Wayne Sigler VP for Enrollment Management George Mason University [email protected]
How I approach recruitment …
Old School
• Cyclical; one and done
• Disparate
• No “search” or outreach – Or minimal effort
• Reactive – waited for students to pick my institution
• Marketing focused on branding
New School
• Year-round recruiting
• Multi-class recruiting
• Integrated, multi-channel
• Multiple audiences
• Everywhere – Print
– Online
– Social media
• The right students at the right time (50/30/20 rule)
When do the students you seek make themselves available?
Percentages represent unique student populations
Seniors
20%
Juniors
30% Sophomores
50%
Who performs my marketing …
Old School
• In-house
• Mail shops
• Publications firms
• “Vendors”
New School
• Email deliverability specialists
• Strategic print
• Marketing departments partnering with Admission (in many cases)
• Strategic “partners”
What marketing includes …
Old School
• 4-color view book
• Paper application
• H.S. visits
• Postcards
• Targeted to students only
• Offer: Add you to our mailing list?
New School
• Strategic visits to H.S.
• Leverage alumni
• Push students to campus visits and online channels
• Personal, 1:1 direct marketing
• Multiple audiences
• Custom online application
What marketing includes …
Old School
• 4-color view book
• Paper application
• H.S. visits
• Postcards
• Targeted to students only
• Offer: Add you to our mailing list?
New School
• Strategic visits to H.S.
• Leverage alumni
• Push students to campus visits and online channels
• Personal, 1:1 direct marketing
• Multiple audiences
• Custom online application “experience”
Break down barriers
Where I market …
Old School
• Publications (magazine)
• Billboard
• Radio
• Limited mass mail
New School
• 1:1 direct mail
• Mobile media – Smartphone
– Tablet
Pop quiz: How many students responded to Flagler’s 2012 Search using their mobile device?
2,085 students responded directly to Search via
a smartphone or mobile device – 18% of our
total electronic response
Engage students through channels most familiar and often preferred by them
2,601 students accessed the Flagler Mobile Application on
a smartphone.
Of the 2,601 students who accessed the application:
• 301 submitted their application on a smartphone.
Application marketing helps engage students through channels most familiar to students
2,601 students accessed the Flagler Mobile Application on
a smartphone.
1,669 applicants navigated to our “Explore Flagler” page,
featuring links to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and campus
visit information, following the submission of their
application.
More than 2,100 Custom App applicants provided a parent
email address (84%).
Accessibility invites the application
A strong brand presence should exist consistently
across platforms
Who is my target audience?
Old School
• Students – Self-initiates
– Students like the ones on campus
– Juniors
New School
• Multi-class approach – consistently recruiting 3 classes
• Choosing the students we want – developing a relationship
• Senior Search: key strategy
– Immediate return
• Sophomores: the best playing field for improvements
– Quality, diversity
• Parents and counselors
Why are parent email addresses important? Student behavior study:
Students who provide parent email addresses at
the inquiry stage are 45% more likely to apply
Parent Email Submissions
Search 2010-2012
20%
57% 58%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2010 2011 2012
Drive application completion and electronic document transfer from counselor
• Easy, immediate transfer
• Counselor can tailor recommendations
• Counselor can add new materials
• Secure
• No software required
• Free from partner
Please Complete Joe Deloria’s Application File
What is my message?
Old School
• Institutional focus – “Choose our school – we’re great!”
• Features vs. benefits
• One size fits all
• Mass generic publications
• Offer: Info about the school – Put you on our mailing list
New School
• Student-focused – “I’ve chosen you – you’re so great!”
• Counseling tone … about fit
• Voice of Dean or VP
• Benefits vs. features
• Scales 1:1 communication
• Available all the time
• Bite-size
• Sets up the application invite
• Public service offer
How I measure success …
Old School
• # of H.S. visits
• Inquiry cards
• Applications
• Accepts
• Enrollments
• Discount rate
New School
• Key Performance Indicators, Point-in-Time and Return on Investment (KPI, PiT & ROI)
• Response rate
• Conversion rate
• Completion rate
• Net tuition revenue
• Improvement vs. goals
A decade at Flagler … application growth
1,994 1,897
2,313 2,248 2,377 2,345 2,368
2,585 2,653
3,928
5,346
1,700
2,200
2,700
3,200
3,700
4,200
4,700
5,200
5,700
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Submitted Applications
102% increase in applications …
Flagler College
New Web
Application
FTFT freshman enrollment growth
481
443
497
458 469
534
618
564
614
671
646
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
First-Time, Full-Time Freshman Enrollment
40% increase in enrollment …
Flagler College
FTFT freshman average ability (SAT)
1122 1130 1128 1132 1120 1113 1101 1105 1102 1118 1117
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Average Score
While maintaining average ability …
Flagler College
Minnesota’s Freshman inquiry growth
93,681 94,650
95,852
93,754
103,686
80,000
85,000
90,000
95,000
100,000
105,000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
11% increase in inquiries…
University of Minnesota
Minnesota’s Freshman out-of-state inquiry growth
64,041
66,255 66,469
65,048
75,505
58,000
60,000
62,000
64,000
66,000
68,000
70,000
72,000
74,000
76,000
78,000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
18% increase in out-of-state inquiries…
University of Minnesota
Minnesota’s Freshman application growth
29,043
33,822
36,839
39,778
38,038
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
First-Time, Fall Freshman Applications
31% increase in applications…
University of Minnesota
Minnesota’s Freshman enrollment growth
5,166
5,738
5,921 5,911
6,030
4,600
4,800
5,000
5,200
5,400
5,600
5,800
6,000
6,200
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
First-Time, Fall Freshman Deposits
17% increase in deposits…
University of Minnesota
Minnesota’s search programs continue to be a driving force of academic quality
26.9
28.3
28.0 28.1
26.0
26.5
27.0
27.5
28.0
28.5
Other Sources Soph/Jr Search Senior Search Search Non-Responders
Deposit ACT Scores by Inquiry Source
Entering Class 2012
Your questions and discussion …
Marc Williar VP for Enrollment Management
Flagler College [email protected]
Wayne Sigler VP for Enrollment Management George Mason University [email protected]