Right Full Rudder! Five Tips For Righting Your Admissions Ship

Working at Capture Higher Ed is a journey. Or voyage. Just ask anyone who works here. This company moves at a lightning-quick speed when it comes to idea development … and systems change quickly. If something doesn’t work, we usually just chuck it and upgrade for the more efficient model.

However, in the academy, these kinds of “system upgrades” are not always an option. And when they are, they often take years to implement (speaking generally).

After years of working with Capture partners, I am seeing how some of them are righting the ship. And it is so good to see. What are they doing to make these changes? I’ll tell you. They:

  1. Acknowledge their bread and butter. They determine what audiences consistently respond to and identify any changes that might be occurring in these trends — and they get in front of them.
  2. Accept that bigger doesn’t always mean better. Enrollment is about getting the right message to the right prospects at the right time. If you are broadcasting to a super-sized expansion market, especially using direct mail, that message is harder to craft and more expensive to deliver. Narrow the field of vision … and go after the new market share with more precision in messaging.
  3. Know when to outsource and when to keep it in-house. The temptation is to sometimes think that in-house is always cheaper … when in fact that might not be true. Look at your resources and determine what you have the bandwidth to do in-house and then strategically outsource with partners who can offer what you cannot get anywhere else. Unfortunately, sometimes keeping items in-house means they end up half done.
  4. Get the right people on the bus. Having the right team is clutch to success. If you have employees whose attitudes are cancerous, consider how to encourage them to improve their attitudes and practice. If you cannot do this, invite them to a different seat on the bus!
  5. Set goals. Goals are good … annoying at times but good for seeing progress. Set them often — for yourself, for your staff, for your key areas of targeted growth and more.

Righting the ship takes time. Endure the hard days and commit to making life better as the recruitment cycle voyages on. Over time, systemic change will happen and you will begin to see the fruits of your labor. But, be patient. It might take a while!

By Jamie Gleason, Senior Enrollment Advisor, Capture Higher Ed