Help Students Cut Through the College Recruitment Noise

My high school class recently came together for its 30th reunion and, once again, I joined old friends and former classmates in Erie, Pa., to celebrate accomplishments and remember those we have lost. During this time of year, I often remember back to when we were making decisions about what we were going to do after high school — many of us going through the college recruitment process circa the early 90s.

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Chris Harris

Chris Harris

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I remember when I got my first recruitment letter in the mail. It wasn’t even signed … and my best friend got the exact same letter. Today, many institutions are still doing the same thing, but they have added mass emailing and texting to the mix.[/su_column] [/su_row]

More noise from more institutions.

This amount of noise can be stressful for today’s students. When you mix in what the pandemic has done to their high school careers, students are often feeling overwhelmed and helpless throughout their college search process.

As an industry we must do better by helping students find the right fit for their future success. Gen Z is unlike any other generation we have recruited. They want information readily available on your website. They want a personalized recruitment experience that gives them the information they want when they want it. And they want authentic messaging because they can tell when they are being marketed to.

Institutions that want to create meaningful relationships with the right students must utilize the right tools mixed with the right messages. Capture Higher Ed’s Behavior Intelligence Platform (BIP) utilizes marketing automation, machine learning-informed predictive modeling, and a managed service approach to help colleges focus their messaging to the right students at the right time … their time.   

The platform allows enrollment management professionals to enter the mindset of prospective students through their digital footprints and interactions with the institution’s website and other digital assets.

Imagine …

  • Viewing the profile of a high school senior named “Luke,” a name you acquired from your search list, and seeing that he frequents your Tuition and Costs webpages. He has even tried your net price calculator in the last 30 days. With Luke’s price sensitivity in mind, you can automate a banner about the availability of scholarships to be displayed during his next website visit.

Or …

  • Knowing that “Nora,” an admitted student to your theater program, has been visiting your Art Center’s webpages … in particular the events page. You can have your theater school dean or a student ambassador send Nora an SMS and personally invite her to the event she has been checking out.

The Behavioral Intelligence Platform cuts through the noise, providing students with the appropriate information based on their current behaviors as they interact with your digital assets. Students will appreciate the experience … and you will reap the benefits.

By Chris Harris, Senior Enrollment Strategist, Capture Higher Ed