A new trend in the college application and acceptance process is gaining steam and it’s called “test-optional”. More than 1,000 colleges and universities in the US have adopted the test-optional route which does not require applicants to submit their SAT or ACT scores. As a result, students can now opt-out of taking college entrance exams […]
We live in a world of big data. Everything we do creates a larger and larger stream of consumer data. Online or credit card purchases, web searches, our location, who we call, what apps we use, even what we say – think of Amazon Echo, Google Dot, etc. In 2016, Forbes reported that companies would […]
Colleges rely heavily on email and print advertising to market to prospective college bound students by buying or renting lists. These lists provide basic information but tell colleges very little about the student in terms of interest level or fit. As a result, colleges struggle to deliver a relevant and personalized experience and can only […]
This is a hectic time for college bound high school seniors. As they complete their academic work and prepare for the next stage in life, they must weigh the pros and cons of their college acceptances. They have an important decision to make that will affect them for the next several years; Which college or […]
It’s clear that there are different advantages in life afforded to people that have more money than to those who don’t. This crosses into educational opportunities, whether it be at the grade school level or in higher education. The Operation Varsity Blues admissions scandal has highlighted the higher education access gap with vast resources and […]
When asked, most college admissions and enrollment professionals will say they rely heavily on one primary method of accessing college bound students. It’s not much different than a retail brand buying consumers data from credit card companies of individuals who have purchased competing products. Colleges purchase or license lists of student PII: names, email addresses […]
Big brands like Under Armor, Nike, Mountain Dew, Gap and others have been effectively using social and mobile apps to market their brands to GenZ, people born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, for quite some time. You don’t see big brands attempting to reach their “digital age” GenZ audience with email, direct mail, […]
What’s in a name? Are you “purchasing names” of unknown suspects, and relying heavily on traditional channels like email and direct mail to reach potential candidates, promote your institution, get candidates engaged, and differentiate your college’s brand? We created this infographic to illustrate the difference between traditional student search approach that most colleges use versus […]
As we celebrate National School Counseling Week, I would like to thank the thousands of counselors at high schools who help our children manage all the aspects of day-to-day life. You all wear many hats, are mostly under-resourced and in some cases under-appreciated. You are there for them in many capacities. You advocate for your […]
Why Colleges Rely on Demonstrated Interest Demonstrated interest, or the level of consideration an applicant is giving a school, is a huge factor in higher ed admission decisions. The Wall Street Journal recently examined the growing weight it has on the admissions process over the past decade. Most people outside of the enrollment management field […]