By Jeremy Tiers, Vice President of Admissions Services
2 minute read
Here’s an assumption that a lot of colleges, universities, and admissions counselors continue to make each year when it comes to their admitted student population.
If a student has received their financial aid award, the thought is they now have all the information they need to make their final decision.
That’s the wrong assumption.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to continue to communicate and engage in a personal way with this population – and their parents/guardians. They need to receive more than just deposit pushes and information about upcoming admitted student events.
Remember, you’re dealing with young people who don’t read every email or text that colleges send. It’s been proven that the average person needs to hear a message 7 or 8 times before it sticks with them. Because of that you need to continue to reiterate some of your school’s key value points when it comes to topics like location, campus life, the academic experience, outcomes, etc., especially from the current student point of view. Prospective students want to hear from current students and incorporating quotes into an email or having a current student record a video with their thoughts on a topic/subject are both great strategies.
Another smart yield tactic with this group would be to ask a direct question like, “What’s the biggest thing you’re worried about when it comes to making your college decision?” According to the latest Tudor Collegiate Strategies data, making the wrong decision remains the top worry that the majority of students have during their search.
You can help alleviate that fear (or any other fear/concern) by sharing stories of your current first-year students and how they dealt with the same feelings during their search. Or, if you have other decision-making tips, offer them up.
Continuing to consistently ask direct questions of your admitted students is also helpful because many of them actually aren’t ready to make their final decision just yet. If you want to know whether a student is close (or not close), try asking, “What do you have left to do before you make your college decision?” If they’re still waiting on financial aid packages from other schools or they’re planning to attend one or more admitted student events then you’re jumping the gun and you risk annoying the student and creating unnecessary extra pressure by sending a bunch of deposit pushes.
Understanding a student’s timeline allows you to make your “ask” when the student is actually ready to make their decision.
Caring more and exceeding expectations have and will continue to be competitive advantages.
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