By Jeremy Tiers, Senior Director of Admissions Services
1 minute read
I was having a conversation with a Director of Admissions last week about the need for her admissions counselors to consistently find ways to understand and evaluate the mindset of their students.
One of the most effective ways to do that involves asking certain direct questions in your emails, text messages, phone calls, and during any in-person visits.
Today I want to help you focus on the group of students that was at the core of my conversation with that Director – inquiries who have visited campus in the past six months and have not applied.
Over the next week I encourage you to email or text those students and ask what they want to see happen next in the process. More specifically, say, “<First Name>, you’ve seen our campus, so what do you see as the next step in the process?”
Instead of wondering what they’re thinking, put it in their hands and see what happens.
If the student has unanswered questions, things they’re wondering about, or a concern that’s been holding them back from starting their application, you’ve now opened the door in a low pressure way for that conversation to take place.
If they don’t have anything specific, go ahead and ask if they’re feeling ready to start your application.
For those who respond with some version of, “I’m not really sure”, be prepared to ask follow-up questions like, “Help me understand what you’re not sure about.” Or, “What’s the biggest concern you have about filling out our application?”
As you might imagine there is another possible outcome. The student may let you know that they don’t think your school is a good fit, and/or they don’t plan to apply to your school.
That’s okay.
The goal of asking the question in the first place was to better understand the student’s mindset, and now you know.
If you have questions related to this article, go ahead and reply back or email me here.
And if you found this article helpful, I encourage you to forward it to someone else on your campus who could also benefit from reading it.