Improving Yield Among Domestic & International Students

Improving Yield Among International & Domestic Students

Today’s presenters

Marty Bennett CollegeWeekLive

Anna Reithmeier University of British Columbia

Minh-ha Hoang University of San Diego

Some Findings from the 2nd Annual Study on the Expectations of International Students

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?

More than ½ of all international students make the decision to attend with their parents

40%

58%

2% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Student makes the decision Joint decision Parents make the decision

Who makes the decision on which campus to attend?

Funding & financial assistance 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?


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

Personal/Family

U.S. college aid/scholarship

Foreign government or university

Sponsorship program in the U.S.

Sponsorship program in my country

Other

How do students plan to fund their educations?


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)

1/2 of international students will not visit a campus before enrolling; 1 in 5 will not visit a campus at all

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 available

The University of British Columbia

Anna Reithmeier Sr. International Student

Recruiter/Advisor, eRecruitment

UBC’s International Recruitment Goals

1. Increase international undergraduate student enrollment

2. Increase the diversity of undergraduate students

Most Popular Online Recruitment Practices

• Email communication • Recruitment websites

Source: Noel-Levitz. (2014). 2014 E-recruiting practices and trends at four-year and two-year institutions. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from: www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports

What We Have Considered

• Prospective international students want: • To connect with universities that interest them • Information that is relevant to them

Source: Noel-Levitz. (2014). Meeting the Expectations of International Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from: www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports

UBC’s Website Engagement

• In August 2013, UBC launched a new, unified website for prospective undergraduate students you.ubc.ca

• Responsive-design on all pages • The homepage brings in live content from our

social media channels • Incorporates the UBC Admissions Blog

UBC’s Admissions Homepage

UBC’s Admissions Homepage

UBC’s Social Media Engagement

• All channels are dedicated to prospective undergraduate students only

• Instagram: 1350+ followers • Twitter: 5550+ followers • Facebook: 17 000+ likes • YouTube: Includes prospective student video content

with up to 30 000 views

• Developed prospective student hashtags with a comprehensive communications plan (ex. #askUBC)

UBC’s Social Media Engagement

This year…

• We implemented a comprehensive schedule, which schedules the information shared with prospective students and connects:

• The web • Social media channels • The Admissions Blog

UBC’s Online Recruitment Activities 2008-2009

• Fall 2008 (August to December) • 4 Online Information Sessions hosted on

Wimba Classroom • Investigating CollegeWeek Live

• Spring 2009 (January to May) • 7 Online Information Sessions hosted

Wimba Classroom

Total Participants: 302

Online Recruitment Program Resources

• Technical equipment (ie. laptops, webcam, microphones)

• Full-time staff person, to coordinate Online Recruitment program

• Recruiters / Admissions Advisors, to present and advise during live chats

• UBC students, to provide an authentic student voice and experience to online events

UBC’s Fall 2013 Calendar of Events Event Name Activity Date Time

(24H) Platform Region

"Back to School" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 8-Aug-13 11:00-19:00

CollegeWeekLive Africa, Americas, Europe

"International Day" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 21-Aug-13 02:00-16:00


"Virtual UBC Day" on CollegeWeekLive Video Webinar Presentation and Live Q & A

28-Aug-13 15:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas

"International Universities Day" on CollegeWeekLive

Virtual College Fair Live Chat 10-Sep-13 09:00-17:00


"September Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 19-Sep-13 07:00-19:00

CollegeWeekLive Worldwide

"Always On Live Chat" on CollegeWeekLive Live Chat 25-Sep-13 12:00-14:00

Always On Africa, Europe, Americas

"Always On Live Chat" on CollegeWeekLive Live Chat 2-Oct-13 12:00-14:00



Always On Africa, Americas, Europe

"October Fair" CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 24-Oct-13 07:00-19:00




"International Day" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 13-Nov-13 02:00-16:00


"November Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 21-Nov-13 07:00-19:00


"December Fair" CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 12-Dec-13 07:00-19:00


UBC’s Spring 2014 Calendar of Events Event Name Activity Date Time (24H) Platform Region

"Paying for College" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 9-Jan-14

08:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas – US

“Study in Canada Day” on CollegeWeekLive Live chat + Video Presentation 23-Jan-14 11:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas

"February Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 13-Feb-14 08:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas - US

"International Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 19-Feb-14 05:00-16:00

CollegeWeekLive Asia, Europe, Middle East, Central and South America

UBC Vantage College Recruitment Presentation

Video Webinar Presentation and Live Q&A

28-Feb-14 18:00- 20:00

CollegeWeekLive All

"International Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 12-Mar-14 05:00-12:00


"March Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 20-Mar-14 08:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas- US

"April Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 17-Apr-14 08:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas - US

“International Fair” on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 7-May-14 05:00-16:00


“May Fair” on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 22-May-14 08:00-18:00

CollegeWeekLive Americas – US

UBC At Work

UBC’s Online Recruitment Activities 2013-2014

• Fall 2013 (August to December) • 9 CollegeWeek Live virtual fairs • 4 live chats • 2 live webinar presentations

• Spring 2014 (January to June)

• 9 CollegeWeek Live virtual fairs • 7 live webinar presentations

Total Participants: 14962

UBC’s Online Recruitment Engagement 2013-2014

UBC’s Online Recruitment Engagement 2013-2014

TOP 10 INT’L COUNTRIES (EXCLUDING CANADA and USA)

TOTAL STUDENT LEADS

INDIA 572

PAKISTAN 368

CHINA 358

NIGERIA 335

VIETNAM 307

BANGLADESH 208

MEXICO 183

EGYPT 162

BRAZIL 155

GHANA 148

UBC’s Future Plans

• Develop a more sophisticated communication plan that considers the level of engagement and interest of student leads

• Match the themes of online events to the information shared with prospective students in emails and via our other online channels


Source: www.collegeweeklive.com


• Research ways to reach out to parents online • This year’s E-Expectations results reinforce the

influence parents often have in recruiting traditional-aged college students.

Source: Noel-Levitz. (2014). 2014 E-Expectations Report: The Online Preferences of College-Bound Seniors and Their Parents. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from: www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports


• Expand live chat opportunities for prospective international students

UBC’s Online Recruitment Tips • Make a communication strategy and plan

• Market/advertise events in advance to drive attendance • Follow up with students who interact with you

• Consider the local time-zone of the students you are trying to engage

• Provide technology details and advice about how students can access your event on mobile devices

• Ask students to submit questions for sessions in advance

• Use post-event surveys – implement feedback • Create a live chat (FAQ) cheat sheet for your advisors

Yield Challenges & Solutions

Students Applying to More Colleges Than Ever Before

The average student applies to 10-12 schools, vs. 5-6 a few years ago – making

yield much more hard-fought

When is it most important to talk to university representatives?

Before applying After acceptance After decision

67%

83% 84%

73%

88% 89%

SeniorsParents

Yield Challenges

(Big) Challenges Students courted by multiple, brand-prominent institutions

Accommodating needs of admitted students & influencers from afar

Decision-making process longer & more complicated (especially for int’l students )

Navigating I-20, obtaining F-1 visa, and high TOEFL score, etc University of Notre Dame

online yield event

Solution Engage w/accepted

students online: • Student & campus life • Housing & student services • Financial aid • I-20 & visa process • Cultural preparation

Increasing Student Retention

Challenge Low retention rates - especially among international students

‘Outside of the classroom, (int’l)

students struggled with their language skills as well as their

limited knowledge of the American culture.’

- NAFSA Int’l Student Retention Report

Solution Build retention before

students get to your campus

Engage with current int’l students & faculty

Live, online access to services

Programming on navigating process & culture

Late Funnel Communications Tactics to Improve Yield, Retention

Focus on swaying decision Prepare students for the transition

Q&A with Bard College Leadership University of Notre Dame

online yield event

Building personal connections with accepted students to improve yield and retention rates

Minh-Ha Hoang Director of Admissions

Increasing yield and retention through:

1. Improving the admissions experience for prospective students 2. Having meaningful conversations at the right time 3. Expanding our reach (international students) 4. Providing greater access (shaping our class)

Where does yield start?

Prospects- Virtual Open House

Applicants- On-line Chats

Deposits- Summer Webcasts

Enrolled

Admits- Themed Chats

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

Virtual 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%

Virtual vs. On-campus Open House

• Virtual Open House: Attendance White or

Caucasian 29%

Puerto Rican 2%

Other 7%

Native American

0%

Multicultural 9%

Mexican / Mexican

American 8%

Hispanic / Latino

10%

Asian / Pacific Islander

24%

African American /

Black 13%

Moving to On-line: Challenges and Opportunities

What do we lose by moving to on-line? Creative solutions and opportunities for going virtual

On-line Opportunities: Applicants and Admits

• Applicants: Chats with counseling staff • Admits: Theme Chats with Staff and Students Honors students Out of state Torero Life Academics & Undergraduate Research University Ministry Changemaking

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

Results from Using Webcasts

Get Classes: Registration: Prior to using webcast: Registration dragged out for 2 months Current: 63% completed registration within 2 weeks of webcast

97% completed registration within one month

Get Down to Business: Prior to using webcast: long lines during orientation Current: 41% attended live webcast

Get Excited: Countdown to Arrival: 60% viewed webcast in 2013

Our success

We increased yield by 2% from Fall 2012 We enrolled second largest class in USD’s history for Fall 2013 Our yield rate continues to go up for Fall 2014 class

Thank you! Q&A

Marty Bennett CollegeWeekLive

Anna Reithmeier University of British Columbia

Minh-ha Hoang University of San Diego

Improving Yield Among Domestic & International Students

Education

prospective students

key international prospects

particular university

foreign university

campus visits

university sponsorship

home country parents

funding financial assistance