Getting to “Yes!”
Encouraging Admitted Students to Enroll
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Objectives:
- Understand what incoming freshman want - Evaluate acceptance packages from selected colleges and universities based on how well they: • Recognize pressures of the current recession • Personalize their offerings • Created aesthetically appealing communications
About the Author:
Katie Halpern is a junior at Northwestern University majoring in International Studies (with a Russian focus) and Creative Non-Fiction Writing. She is an intern at Lipman Hearne.
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Great, they want me! Now, do I want them?
• Students are worried about the economy, and want to know that their school can address these fears. • Students do not want to feel anonymous – they want to be treated as an individual, not a statistic. • Prospects need to be courted – a mailbox should be fed only the nicest ingredients, and eyes only shown the prettiest pieces. • Students care about the world – and want to know that colleges do, too.
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The Basics: What Students Want
How much has today’s economic climate changed college plans?
Nationally: • 34% changed plans somewhat • 28% did not change plans • 26% do not know • 12% changed plans dramatically
Source: 2009 Report on the Impact of the Economy On College Enrollment by Longmire and Company
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The Basics: What Students Want
What will these changes look like?
• 53% will enroll in a less expensive school • 47% will work while attending college • 44% will rely more heavily on financial aid counseling • 38% will obtain a larger loan • 38% will attend a college closer to home • 25% will visit fewer college campuses • 24% will change from a private to a public • 21% will live at home while attending college
Source: 2009 Report on the Impact of the Economy On College Enrollment by Longmire and Company 5
The Basics: What Students Want
What are entering freshman concerned about?
The latest CIRP report tells us that incoming freshmen want to: • Be politically active • Gain real-world experience in the workplace • Be free of financial constraints • Go “Green” • Develop a meaningful philosophy of life / “find oneself”
Source: 2009 The American Freshman CIRP report
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The Basics: What Students Want
Are prospects going to their first choice school?
Yes, but:
The gap between acceptances at students’ first choice colleges and actual attendance is growing – there has been a rise from 16.5% in 2007 to 17.1% in 2008.*
Source: 2009 The American Freshman CIRP report
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The Basics: What Students Want
Acceptance packages can make a difference.
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Case Studies
• The University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) • Tufts University • The University of Michigan • Skidmore College • Oberlin College • Carleton College • Macalester College • Knox College • Princeton University • Yale University • Washington University in St. Louis
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Evaluation Criteria
Financial Aid Packages – Transparency, offers of assistance* Personalization – Mentioning student by name, focusing on interests Aesthetics – Visually appealing communications Other – Recycled materials, mention of political involvement, etc. *Note:
• Most financial aid packages involve a combination of scholarships (merit-based), grants (needbased), work study jobs, and federal loans. • One key difference is whether or not schools will subtract from their amount offered if a student obtains a non-university issued scholarship.
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The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois (Urbana)
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What is notable about the Illinois acceptance package?
• Letters include inconsistent information. • Illinois sent multiple mailings – a dry informational packet followed by a gorgeous photo book of campus life. • The admitted student received calls inviting him to talk to one of the Chancellor’s Scholars.
Economic Content: 0/5
Personalization: 1/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4/5
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Tufts University
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What is notable about the Tufts acceptance package?
• While the admissions packet is extremely pleasing on the eye, there is a lack of substance. Most of the materials are comprised almost exclusively of pictures. This would might feel more convincing as a brochure encouraging a student to visit and apply, but is too light on content to come this late in the game. • There is no personalization– not even a brochure specific to one school or segment of Tufts.
Economic Content: 1/5
Personalization: 0/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5/5
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University of Michigan
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What is notable about the Michigan acceptance package?
• The materials are attractive, well-organized, well-timed. The content is concise but informative. • Though there is no personalization in the admission letter other than the accepted student’s name, the packet includes brochures about the specific school to which he was admitted. Since the university is so large, even this gesture seems like a strong demonstration of interest.
Economic Content: 3/5
Personalization: 1/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 3/5
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Skidmore College
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What is notable about the Skidmore acceptance package?
• The materials are aesthetically inconsistent but generally attractive. • The information is concise but informative. • Not all letters are personalized other than using the accepted student’s name, however the packet includes an in-depth profile of the Honors Forum which could be of interest to such a strong academic candidate. • The admitted student received a handwritten message referencing her interest in music and the banjo.
Economic Content: 1/5
Personalization: 3/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4/5
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Oberlin College
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What is notable about the Oberlin acceptance package?
• The acceptance brochure used two-color printing and low quality paper. • Materials include contact information for various departments, but no in depth descriptions of opportunities. • Materials include a parents resource list with contact information and details about their students. • After the first acceptance materials were sent out, a second round of contact arrived with a free T-shirt, a call from a student, a letter from the president of the college.
Economic Content: 3/5
Personalization: 4/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 1/5
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Carleton College
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What is notable about the Carleton acceptance package?
• The acceptance brochure was a high-quality folder with a gold seal – an impressive bit of mail. • The financial aid portion includes helpful specifics about work study. • There is a personalized acknowledgement of the admitted student’s National Merit Scholar status. • The parent letter includes references to “your daughter” but does not name the accepted student each time – this adds a bit of personalization but is still obviously a form letter.
Economic Content: 3/5
Personalization: 2/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4/5
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Macalester College
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What is notable about the Macalester acceptance package?
• Communications were well-organized, well-timed. • Letters call the accepted student by name, and give her access to an online “MacForum” where she can ask questions of current students. • She also received a call from a Macalester student offering to address thoughts and concerns about the school. • The language in this letter about the economy is among the most straightforward, honest, and direct of the materials we have seen. It opens the door for Macalester to defend the value of their education.
Economic Content: 5/5
Personalization: 3/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4/5
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Knox College
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What is notable about the Knox acceptance package?
• All of the signatures are real, and signed in the Knox color of purple. This gives each signed document a greater feeling of intimacy and deliberateness as well as an emphasis on school spirit. • Letter acknowledge the accepted student’s National Merit Scholar status. • A pamphlet provides a graph about employment rate of grads, acknowledging financial concerns during a period of high unemployment and the success of Knox alumni in a tumultuous economy.
Economic Content: 3/5
Personalization: 3/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5/5
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Princeton University
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What is notable about the Princeton acceptance package?
• The admission letter itself is impersonal, but includes details about the senior thesis specific to Princeton as well as a list of lectures the accepted student can attend when he visits • Materials provide extremely in-depth brochures, including department, faculty and administrative contacts as well as profiles of schools and lectures. Fun extras include a car decal and a full street map of the Princeton area, • Student received a letter from the Chair of the Math Department about attending a weekly department reception, and a call from a parent of a current student. • The packet included coupons for branded gear at the bookstore and information about the student’s scholarship involving award and work-study.
Economic Content: 5/5
Personalization: 4/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5/5
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Yale University
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What is notable about the Yale acceptance package?
• The admissions letter includes a handwritten, personalized note to the admitted student about his application. Thanks to the provided contact information, he has been emailing back and forth with a professor about course options. • The package includes fun extras: t-shirt, bookmark, and full poster. • He is encouraged to partake in social media such as the Yale facebook group, and invited to a pizza reception in Bucktown for local admits. • Admitted students receive an impressively thorough booklet about “Financing Your Yale Education.”
Economic Content: 5/5
Personalization: 5/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4/5
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Washington University in St. Louis
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What is notable about the Wash U acceptance package?
• The accepted student and her family were assigned a specific contact person to speak to about financial aid, rather than just being given a general number. • A travel grant was provided to come visit the school – a travel agent contact would arrange and pay for airfare. • Materials include a parents resource list with contact information and details about their students. A parent called to answer questions. • The letters to parents and the letter to student are the most highly personalized of this sample set: in the acceptance letter, a professor discusses the accepted student’s admissions essays, explains why she appreciated them and how her own work is relevant. • Brochures were not visually appealing. Economic Content: 5/5 Personalization: 5/5 Aesthetic Appeal: 1/5
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Common Denominators
• Invitations to Visit • Guidebook included with Housing Information, Academic Details, Orientation Information, and Key Dates • Financial Aid Forms
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MY IMPRESSIONS:
• There is an overall lack of economic analysis in many acceptance materials. Financial matters are priorities for even the most ambitious students, and are often a make-or-break factor in choosing a school. Addressing the economy is vital and will not add cost to acceptance materials. • Personalization could be stepped up, but is more time intensive and costly to achieve, a possible logistical hurdle. • Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University stood out as exceptionally welcoming. • Wash U’s aesthetic has a long way to go, but the personalized letter from a relevant faculty member was extremely convincing, while the travel voucher showed an awareness for economic concerns and an interest in and consideration for the student. These materials portray the university as caring and academically accessible. • Like Wash U, Yale included a personalized note about the accepted student’s interests. The university also provided options for social and in-person networking between admittees, online and at a local restaurant, respectively. The student has been corresponding with a faculty member directly. He also received a full booklet about financial concerns. These materials illustrate Yale’s strong emphasis on community between students and firsthand access to resources.
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