Keep those eNewsletters coming!

It's a very popular time of year for newsletters. The following are 6 ideas for Winter eNewsletters that we recommend incorporating into your recruitment plan:

Last Chance Application Reminders
If the application deadline for your school hasn't passed, send out one last reminder to your inquiry pool reminding them that there is still time. Here is one last chance to attract prospects, so include exciting aspects or information about your school. In the busy world of today's high school students, reminders do help!

Admitted Students/Student Days
Sure, students are thrilled to receive a "Congratulations!" letter in the mail, but why not congratulate them via email as well? This is also a great chance to present information on upcoming Admitted Student Days in an interesting, interactive way.

Winter Season Athletic News
Let your inquiry pool know how your winter sports teams are doing. Provide information on postseason competition, athletic awards, and even a preview of spring sports. Profile a coach or athlete with a unique or unusual story.

Prospect Mailings to New '08 Lists
It is never too early to start attracting fresh prospects to your school. Create a prospect mailing series, detailing different facets of your school, and begin forming your next class of students. Students who are contacted early and often will maintain an interest as they continue thinking about their college plans.

Invitations to Early Spring Visits
Spring is a popular time of year for prospective students to visit schools that interest them. Send out a mailing that features these visits, as well as any additional important information students should know about signing up for a guided tour, when it is best to come, what to see, where to park, and so on.

News for Newly-Admitted Parents
Today's parents are very involved in the college application process, so make sure you continue to keep them involved after their students are admitted. A newsletter specifically aimed at parents would be a good place to announce upcoming important dates, any special programs/information sessions for parents, and even congratulate them for their child's success.

***In case you missed it, click here to view our latest Enrollment Marketing Best Practices eNewsletter!

Don't leave these out!

If you or your organization puts out eNewsletters, this post is particularly important for you. Make sure you include the following in your newsletters without fail:

Request More Information
Send to a Friend
Subscribe/Unsubscribe
Links to other websites
Physical contact information

To read more about the above and why they are important, check out Enrollment Marketing Best Practices: January 23, 2007.

Colleges of Distinction is on MySpace!

Millions of teenagers are on the internet, many of them tuned into social networking sites. That being said, we believe MySpace is a great venue for educating students about college opportunities and attracting prospects to College of Distinction schools. Check out our profile, and add us as a friend!

In our last Best Practices e-newsletter we highlighted four reasons why joining online communities would be a great way for college admissions departments to attract prospective students to their schools:

Utilize the Power of Buzz Marketing
Gain a Direct Channel to Your Target Audience
Become Part of the Dialogue
Build Your Prospect and Inquiry Pools

Schools should tap into this growing trend if they haven’t already!

View the January 9th edition of Enrollment Marketing Best Practices.

Thanks for reading!

New Initiative in the New Year

Happy New Year!

Undergraduate Research. Study Abroad. Career Exploration/Internships and Co-ops. Service Learning/Communities. Enticing, aren’t they?

The term experiential learning can encompass any variety of learning that goes beyond lecturing and taking notes. The new Beyond the Books website highlights programs that are just that – experiential. These are innovative programs that are engaging and hands-on.

A sample site is currently live at www.beyondthebooks.org. It is still in development, with several new pages added daily, but gives a good idea of the layout and features. The site is expected to be up and running in its entirety for students in the first quarter of 2007.

Until then, visit the site for more information. And, if you are a school that has excellent opportunities of this kind, please contact Julianne Salisbury, Director of Beyond the Books, at jsalisbury@studenthorizons.com or 301.951.7101 ext. 202.

Stay tuned for updates!

An Afternoon with Steve Syverson

Student Horizons, Inc. recently had the pleasure of meeting with Steve Syverson, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Lawrence University.

During our meeting, Steve shared his thoughts on the current state of admissions and student recruiting. We discussed the huge changeover occurring in admissions and higher education as a whole, between old and new. Institutions have begun incorporating electronic mediums into enrollment strategies to compliment print, and older faculty have started working with their younger counterparts as the retirement of their peers makes way for additional staff. The transition sometimes causes tension, and as a result, many schools find themselves caught somewhere in between. Steve suggested that, as a vendor of the higher education market, we always remember to know our individual clients well and cater accordingly.

Steve also shared his thoughts on the decreasing level of control that colleges have over the dissemination of messages, the challenge of “stealth inquiries,” how society has created the need for our kids to overachieve, and colleges’ attempts to out-do each other.

Steve has been at Lawrence University since 1983. Lawrence recently adopted the test-optional admissions policy. The university has focused its marketing efforts toward individual attention in recent years, seeing less inquiries yet a higher volume of applications.