QS Quacquarelli Symonds’ Post

Your Q4 snapshot on matters impacting international student recruitment – marketing strategy, digital marketing, industry reports, + our conference slides. This post will catch you right up. https://hubs.ly/Q0300Dw-0

On the second day of insights ✨, we dive into student communication preferences. 📨 Email remained the top channel for prospective students in 2024, with 69% students saying it was their preferred way to communicate with universities. 💬 However, this year, we saw instant messaging increase in popularity – particularly with Bachelor/undergraduate students. We took a deep dive into international student preferences, as part of our 2024 State of Student Recruitment Report. You can find out more about international student communication preferences on page 15. Link in comments ⤵️

Here is what your institution has been missing: a two-way messaging feature for improved communication in the admissions process. 👇 🌟 One of the most-requested and longest-anticipated features is now available in every DreamApply system. When admins send a message, a notification, or even an offer to applicants, the applicants can now simply respond to the email, and their messages and submitted documents will appear in the system, ensuring all threads remain in one place. How can educational institutions benefit from this? The new feature captures all applicant messages in DreamApply, ensuring a complete and uninterrupted conversation history. It enables a more dynamic and responsive admissions process, making applicants feel valued through quick responses and ongoing dialogues in a familiar email-like environment. This also allows administrators to focus on fostering relationships with prospective students, reducing time spent on external emails. Explore how the feature will benefit educational institutions, how to activate it and leverage the new workflows in our recent blog. Want to increase student enrollment by 30%? Request a free consultation personalized to your institution's specific needs. 👉 https://buff.ly/3wCoybb #DreamApply #EdTech #University #Admissions #Marketing #International #Education #Student #Enrollment #Software #Sales #Productivity #Innovation

Personalized interactions can make all the difference for prospective international students! 🌍🎓 One-on-one engagement helps address specific concerns, build trust, and highlight your institution's unique benefits. Investing in these relationships can significantly boost your recruitment efforts. Check out more valuable digital marketing tips that will help your school achieve its recruitment goals: https://lnkd.in/gY3_2_-3 #HigherEd #EducationMarketing #InternationalStudents #StudentEngagement

According to Encoura, campus visits primarily influenced students' decisions about where to apply in 2019. However, by 2023, the preference for campus visits had declined by 63%. 💻 Currently, the universities’ websites have emerged as the top influence, with email communications closely following. While getting students on campus remains important, enhancing your digital channels beforehand and maintaining engagement afterward will significantly ease the conversion process. Now is the perfect time for you to stop and reflect on the following questions: 💭 How effectively are you utilizing your digital presence to engage with prospective students? 💭 Is your website designed to provide a comprehensive and engaging virtual experience? 💭 Are your email communications personalized and informative enough to keep prospective students interested? Visit our blog for more insights on optimizing your institution's digital presence: https://hubs.li/Q02BbfY20 #HigherEd #StudentRecruitment #SchoolWebsite #EducationInnovation #EducationMarketing #MarketingforSchools

To hit enrollment goals, marketing and admissions can no longer operate in silos. According to University Business, well-coordinated efforts between these two departments create stronger, more cohesive strategies that improve enrollment outcomes. 🎯 The more aligned marketing and admissions are, the better they can engage prospective students. Whether through sharing data, consistent messaging, or integrated outreach strategies, collaboration ensures prospective students experience a seamless journey—from initial interest to enrollment. By fostering strong partnerships, institutions can better tackle the challenges of enrollment and build long-term student relationships. Is your institution bridging the gap between marketing and admissions? 💡 #HigherEdMarketing #Admissions #Collaboration #MarketingStrategy

🔍 Beyond a Call: Prospective Students Demand More! In today's dynamic admissions landscape, mere phone calls won't cut it. Let's delve into the multifaceted approach needed to truly engage prospective students. 🚀 Diverse Communication Channels: 📞📧📱 Reach prospective students through various means to suit their preferences. Personalization Matters: 🎯 Adapt communication methods based on individual preferences for effective engagement. Avoid Wasted Efforts: ⏳ Recognize the importance of utilizing multiple channels to prevent missed opportunities. Empower Through Connection: 💡 Connect with students effectively to support and empower their educational journey. Strategic Follow-Up: 🔄 Implement a comprehensive follow-up strategy to maximize engagement and success. Let's connect and empower every student's journey. DM to know more! #StudentEngagement #AdmissionsStrategy #UnlockPotential

Need to revolutionize your student recruitment strategy? Check out our conversation with DJ Menifee where we explore the 'enrollment ecosystem'—a dynamic approach that goes beyond traditional enrollment funnel methods. Learn how to adapt to the fluid paths of today’s students and create a nurturing environment that enhances both recruitment and retention. https://lnkd.in/gU3uT-cs

Come along to hear key insights and findings from this year’s global mystery shopping study. You’ll also get practical advice on how to improve the enquiry management and drive conversion at your institution. #intled #mysteryshopping #prospectivestudents #highereducation #universities #studentrecruitment #studentexperience 

📊 Admissions Outreach: Who Should Own Program-Specific Communications? I am currently tracking academic program-controlled comm flows and messages. Some institutions are sending message primarily from the academic unit (college, school, department), giving them control of their own outreach. This is mostly with larger institutions.   Case study: One university in our #collegesearch has sent 53 emails in 6 months. The split? - 50 from their academic school (from: AwesomeU College of Business) - Only 3 from central #Admissions (from: AwesomeU Admissions) I'm seeing two risks: 1️⃣ While the institution above has sent many emails, as a consultant (not as a parent), I know that they have outsourced their campaign to one of the large firms. But of the other institutions with academic program-controlled messaging, most of those messages are sporadic, and the experiences for event sign up, reminders and follow-up have been quite poor. They also rarely involve SMS. 2️⃣ What happens when a prospect shifts academic majors from Business to History? Are we losing potential students in these silos? Real-world impact: With the institution above, my son has opened 5 of those 53 emails – with all 5 occurring before his academic interests changed. Also, 2 of those 5 he opened were about an event confirmation. 🤔 💡 Proposed solution steps: - Audit your program-based communication efforts and test the experience - Create a hybrid model blending central + program messaging - Build in tracking mechanisms to capture when a prospect's interests have changed (Not sure how? Ask me) #HEmarketing and enrollment leaders: How do you handle this at your institution? 👉 Drop a comment or DM me – I'd love to brainstorm solutions specific to your school. #HigherEducation #EnrollmentManagement #EMchat #StudentRecruitment #higheredCRM #enrollmentmarketing