7 Secrets to Recruiting more Students during

UniversityClearing By Liz MurphySpecialist Student Recruitment/ Marketing & Media Consultant07939 167313 UK

Clearing - a Key Recruitment Channel • 61,300 students were placed during Clearing in 2014, 23% more than 2010*

• Applicants - more likely to be placed via Clearing than insurance choice*

• 18 of the 24 Russell Group Institutions actively recruiting in Clearing 2014*

• 5,000 students changed provider during Clearing*

You have to be in it, to win it! *Source – UCAS Media summer 2015

Who is in Clearing?• Only 35% of those who missed their grades*• Almost a quarter (24%) wanted to change course

or provider* • 20% applied late*• 24% didn’t previously receive an offer* • 16% placed in Clearing have ABB+ grades*• So some excellent students

*Source – UCAS Media summer 2015

Use UCAS Extra Before Clearing

• Students who have not received any offers from their five applications are eligible for UCAS Extra.

• You can buy from UCAS Media emailing opportunities to reach such students by subject to promote your university and courses.

Maintain Brand Awareness after Exams • Often students know if they didn’t do well or want to change subject.

• After exams candidates who will ultimately be in clearing are already re-considering universities and courses so help them find your institution.

• Some brands are absent in the summer months so it’s a less crowded market thus promotion or email activity can really ‘cut through’.

Lead Management • Every lead matters, at any time of the year, but especially around

Clearing.

• Each student is worth £27k over 3 years plus housing, retail, PG potential and alumni revenue – so each one ‘lost’ has big financial implications.

• Create an hotline of trained staff to deal with all leads including those by phone, social media, email etc.

Select Media Wisely • There are many options and media choices depending on number of places available and

the scale of demand. Thus a few places on Dentistry needs a different media strategy to 50 places in Engineering.

• Traditional press is still recommended but digital media can be highly targeted and personalised so very effective.

• Promoting course availability can be a sensitive issue at academic universities. Using direct email is a discreet way to promote.

• Mainstream Pay Per Click could be an excellent and inexpensive addition to larger campaigns.

Promote on Results Day• The university website is ideal. If internal sensitivities allow, the landing page

works really well.

• Obviously the first few days are the busiest and it is important to be part of this market.

• But it’s not all about the first 48hrs. In 2014 only 7,280 students secured a place in this period. Just 12% of the Clearing market*

*Source – UCAS Media summer 2015

Use the Phone• While targeted email is an excellent approach some

candidates will receive around 20 emails per day during the start of Clearing.

• It’s easy for your message to get lost or not even opened.

• By calling candidates it’s possible to gain ‘cut through’.

• It is also possible to have a dialogue and address any misperceptions.

• While course content and academic standing are the most important criteria, remember to highlight the other good things.

• Offering accommodation – even with a third party supplier could make the difference between a student accepting or not.

• If there any else such as study abroad options, scholarships, sports etc include them.

• Bring everything together in a simple message.

Offer the Full Package

Keep Going Until the Start of Term!• There are major misperceptions that Clearing is

over in just a few days. This is untrue.

• Only 12% of the clearing market were placed in the first 48 hours in 2014. Two thirds are placed by the end of the first week. 20,150 students were placed between week two and the close of cycle*.

• So keep your campaign running until either the university is full or it the start of term.

*Source – UCAS Media summer 2015

Review Placed Students Before New Cycle

• The biggest secret to making a success of Clearing is not to reject candidates at the beginning of the cycle that you would have been happy to accept during Clearing.

• Applicants clearly like your brand but if you reject them it can be difficult to get them back.

• Be realistic about what your university brand can command in terms of grades.

Need Some Help? • I’m a successful, freelance, education marketing & media

consultant at director level.• You can hire me for a few weeks, a few months or offer me

a job.• My activities genuinely recruit extra students and improve

brand perception. I could do that for you. • I have worked for several universities & UCAS so have

extensive experience. • Feel free to ring me for a chat

Liz Murphy lizmurphywork@gmail.com 07939 167313 in the UK or find me on LinkedIn