Live Where Your Audiences Live: Engaging Students Virtually Throughout the Enrollment Cycle

Live Where Your Audiences Live: Engaging Students Virtually

Throughout the Enrollment Cycle

Live Where Your Audiences Live:

Engaging Students Virtually

Throughout the Enrollment Cycle

Marty BennettManager of International Partnerships, CollegeWeekLive

Brittany WrightSchool of Engineering & Applied Sciences, GWU

Erica LutesExecutive Director, Fulbright Belgium

Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

Marty BennettManager of International Partnerships, CollegeWeekLive

@CWLIntl@martybennett


Overview

• What motivates (and prevents) international students to attend a foreign university?

• What interactions influence international students’ choice of university?

• Which aspects of the enrollment process do international students need the most help with?

• How can admissions capture the attention of international students & their families

2nd Annual Study on the Expectations of International Students


About the respondents

More than 2,400 respondents from

164 countries


Institutional brand #1 reason to study abroad

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Interested in a particular university

Currently attending international high school

Private scholarship offered

No higher education opportunities in home country

Interested in studying with particular professor

Government funding

Siblings studied abroad

No post-high school career opportunities

No post-undergrad career oportunities

Avoid home country tests and requirements

No graduate education opportunties in home country

Parents studied abroad

What factors influence the decision to attend university outside of the home country?


Yet - most international students do not appear to be locked into one campus

17%

38%

21%

7%

4%

12%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

1 - 2 3 - 5 6 - 10 11 - 15 More than 15 Don't know

How many colleges do students intend to apply to?


Funding and Safety are Top Concerns

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Funding

Safety in surrounding area

Safety on campus

No friends or family nearby

Language barrier

My parents are concerned

Cultural differences

Other

I don't have any concerns

What are students' concerns about studying abroad?


Financial Decisions & Visa Process –where most help needed

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Financial decisions

Applying for a visa

Writing application essay

Deciding where to apply

Researching colleges

Completing applications

Moving to campus

Traveling to colleges

Deciding where to enroll

Standardized test prep (ACT/SAT)

English language prep (TOEFL/IELTS)

Which aspects of the enrollment process do students need help with?


Prospective students highly value conversations with campus representatives & current students

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

University website

College rankings

Conversations with reps

Student conversations

Campus tour

College search sites

Brochures

Guidance counselor

Local education/U.S. office

Independent counselor

University Facebook

How influential are the following experiences in the application decision? (1-5 scale, 5=most influential)


Prospective students highly value conversations with

campus representatives & current students

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

E-mail

Traditional college fairs

Live chat (IM)

Campus tour

Phone

Live video Webcast

Social media

Webcam call

Text messaging

Interest in using the following resources to communicate with college representatives (1-5 scale, 5=highest interest)


Intl Students Will Likely Not Visit Campus Before

Enrolling

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

All schools My top schools Might visit one ormore

No plans to visit

Plans to visit campuses

Before applying

After acceptance


Recruiting Strategies (based on the findings)

• Build your brand in target markets abroad

• Adapt your website & communications to mobile devices

• Use a variety of communication methods

• Build strong relationships early with key international prospects

• Involve parents in the communication flow

• Offer assistance with campus visits to top prospects

• Make funding information easily availableEurope & Eurasia Regional Forum

Tbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

Value Across the Enrollment Cycle

Recruit everywhere you can’t

be physically

195 Countries

Engage prospects through entire

enrollment process

Save cost over traditional recruiting

methods

Improve yield

Amplify your institutional

brand

Reach new high school counselors



School of Engineering & Applied Science Office of Graduate Admissions

• 70% of graduate student population are international students

• Core Markets: China, India & Iran • Growth Markets: Eurasia, South America,

GCC, Southeast Asia, MENA • Exploratory Market: Indonesia, Sub-Saharan

Africa• Online recruiting efforts are reflective of the

accessibility prospective students have to technology and applications

Social Media Efforts


Graduate.seas.gwu.edu

Graduate Admissions Website

Translated Pages for Parents Mobile Ready


Translated Job FAQ and BudgetsTertiary pages on website and flyers


Hobsons Connect CRM

Hobsons ApplyYourself

OnlineCommunication Plans:

Prospective & Applicants


Erica Lutes, Executive DirectorFulbright Belgium


Videos


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJ-mOqavQs&list=UUn_YjM5wVQ2tO0iupKl6T7A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJ-mOqavQs&list=UUn_YjM5wVQ2tO0iupKl6T7A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsfI7xqTFg4&list=UUn_YjM5wVQ2tO0iupKl6T7A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsfI7xqTFg4&list=UUn_YjM5wVQ2tO0iupKl6T7A

From the EdUSA Advising perspective:Social Media Goals

• Become more accessible

• Widen outreach

• Make dynamic website

• Promote events

• Refresh website

• Communicate through new open media

channels


Results: Statistics

193 interviews – 660+ videos available on our You Tube channel

Channel Views: 602,000+

Channel Subscribers: 1,200+


Feedback“Well done to you and the Fulbright Belgium team for putting that short, to the point, and visually appealing video clip together”

“I especially like the young women who participated in an LLM at Columbia, because you can sense her enthusiasm, which only feeds my own determination”

“It allowed me to get a real feel for her experience”

“So, if I have a difficult moment in the next couple of months where I wonder if going on an LLAMA is really worth all the trouble, I know I just have to watch these interviews again to get a new boost of energy”

“One of the main things I got from all of them was the clear message to start on time!”



Engage prospective students multiple times throughout the enrollment process - and win them over

• Meet new sophomores and juniors starting the search

• Interact with seniors deciding where to apply

• Target specific segments

• Introduce enrolled students to campus resources

• Improve yield - give admitted students a window to your school

• Invite admitted students to meet with representatives & current students

PROSPECTS

INQUIRIES

APPLICANTS

ADMITS

DEPOSITS


University of San Diego Case Study:Increasing yield and retention via…

1. Improving the admissions experience for students

2. Having meaningful conversations at the right time

3. Expanding their reach (international students)

4. Providing greater access (shaping the class)


University of San Diego Case Study:On-campus vs. Virtual Open House

• On-Campus Open House

Attendance: 87% from California

Ethnic Diversity: Primarily Caucasian

Cost: $18,900

Staff time: 3 months

• Virtual Open House

Attendance: More out of state & international students

Ethnic Diversity: greater increase

Cost: $1,290

Staff time: 3 weeks

194 Registrants from USD Outreach

1,132 new leads

Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014Europe & Eurasia Regional Forum


University of San Diego Case StudyVirtual vs. On-campus Open House

• Virtual Open House: Attendance: 45 states and 104 countries

Northeast 11.0%Southeast 6.5%Midwest 9.8%

Southwest 8.0%West (includes AK & HI) 34.8%

Non-U.S. 29.8%Europe & Eurasia Regional Forum


University of San Diego Case StudyOn-line Opportunities: Applicants and Admits

– Applicants: Chats with counseling staff

– Admits: Theme Chats with Staff and StudentsHonors students

Out of state

Torero Life

Academics & Undergraduate Research

University Ministry

Changemaking


University of San Diego Case Study:On-line Opportunities: Deposits

– Summer Orientation: Webcasts & using Always On chats

4 Webcasts from May-August: Get Classes: Registration with Dean’s Office and Faculty Advisors Get Down to Business: Paying your Bill, Getting Your Financial Aid

& Avoiding Long Lines with Financial Aid, One Stop and Student Accounts

Get Ready: Parent Webinar on Supporting Your Student During the College Transition with Parent Relations and Student Wellness Center

Get Excited: Countdown to Arrival with Student Affairs


University of San Diego Case Study:Their Success

• Yield increased by 2% from Fall 2012

• Enrolled second largest class in USD’s history for Fall 2013

• Yield rate continues to go up for Fall 2014 class


Engage Students on Their Preferred Communication Channels

Live chat example, Western Michigan University• This example shows Western Michigan admissions

engaging with a student about their intended major

Mobile & Tablet Accessible


Expand Access to InternationalHigh School Counselors & Advisers

CollegeWeekLiveHigh School Connect

• Enables 2-way communication with US/Intl High Schools, EdUSA Advising Centers

• Build new relationships with high schools & their counselors Honduran High School Students &

Counselor engaging with colleges using CollegeWeekLive


Greatly Expand Reach

Harness a Growing Audience • Students from 195 Countries

• 660 high school counselors & EducationUSA advisers

• 231% projected growth in new annual registrants since 2012

• 188% growth in number of college visits since 2012

• 2014 Intl Undergrad Registrants projected to have 93% Growth

• 2014 Intl Graduate Registrants projected to have 99% Growth


State Department/ CollegeWeekLivePublic-Private Partnership

• Following several successful virtual fair partnerships

• Private – Public Partnership MOU agreed upon between State Department and CollegeWeekLive and signed in May 2014

• Partnering on 7 Virtual Fairs a year (3 regional + 4 Global)o One of the global fairs is during International Education Week (IEW) which the

State Department is is using as the flagship event with an additional marketing/ social media push + on the ground viewing events

o Also on the ground events planned for the upcoming Latin America Day as part of 100K Strong Americas Initiative.


Thank You & Questions
