How to Ensure Stronger Class Start Rates

Improve Class Start Rates by Focusing on Three Core Areas of Admissions

• Strategies for selecting and interviewing potential applicants• Maintaining new applicant interest• Best practices for following up with new applicants

1. Strategies for Selecting and Interviewing Potential Applicants

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Selecting and Interviewing Potential Applicants

Everyone knows there are benefits to obtaining a degree, but we also know not everyone has the ability to do so given their personal or financial status.

Therefore, it is crucial for your institution to have a clearly defined interview process in place that determines:

• Career interests• Commitment • Financial resources

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Initial Phone Consultation

Begin with a well-designed phone script that includes:

Discovery questions to determine:

• Interests • Potential career

path • Motivation • Support system

A complete overview of your institution’s:

• Degrees and programs available

• Features and benefits

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Interview

Create a well-defined interview that includes the following six components:

1. A recommendation process2. An interview questionnaire that probes for career

interest, commitment, red flags, and personal/financial support

3. Program/degree information4. Features and benefits of your institution5. Explanation of tuition costs6. Discussion of ability to pay

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Tuition Costs and the Applicants Ability to Pay

Tuition and the applicants ability to pay needs to be discussed after reviewing features and benefits.

• Present full costs of program• Introduce options for covering tuition costs• Consider a preliminary financial assessment

or a warm transfer to the Financial Aid Department

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Summary of Best Practices

• Create a well-defined phone script• Schedule an admissions interview• Create a structured interview process that not

only determines an applicants interests but probes ability to start

• Clearly define admission requirements• Set timeline and review next steps• Provide documentation that reflects timeline

and next steps• Keep communication lines open and follow up

on due dates

2. Maintaining New Applicant Interest

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• Organize online and campus-based admitted students activities (very important with high school applicants)

• Send out reminder mailers and e-mails

• Mail new applicants your campus newsletter (if e-mail based, invite them to subscribe)

Application Received! Now What?

Keep in mind, your competitors will continue to call your applicants. The longer your enroll to start time is, the more crucial it is for your institution to have an effective communication plan in place.

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Using Social Media

• Consider creating an environment for prospective students to interact prior to starting

• Create a Facebook page that allows prospective students to communicate with current students and staff

• Use Twitter to actively monitor conversations regarding your institution and, when appropriate, engage in a conversation

Social media provides an outlet for interaction.

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Other Resources

Provide resources and tools to help the student feel like a part of the institution before their first class even starts by:

• Creating a project to complete prior to starting class

• Allowing communication with professors and other applicants

• Providing opportunities to meet other students and make friends

3. Best Practices for Following Up with New Applicants

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In order to streamline your admissions process, you need to develop a strategic admissions enrollment plan which includes:

Strategic Admissions Enrollment Plan

A breakdown of all departments involved in the student enrollment lifecycle

Key deliverables and accountabilities for every team member

Clearly defined workflow process and check list

Measuring and evaluating performance

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Focus on Applicant Follow-Up

• Establish a timeline• Schedule reminders for important deadlines• Acknowledge milestones completed• Make it easy for students to ask advisors

questions over the phone and through email during business hours

• Provide useful online resources, including frequently asking questions

• Have the Director of Admissions call all applicants

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Best Practices for Measuring and Evaluating Performance

• Hold weekly scrub meetings to go through the applications one by one to determine status

• Be prepared, be organized

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Summary

Improve Class Start Rates by Focusing on Three Core Areas of Admissions

• Strategies for selecting and interviewing potential applicants

• Maintaining new applicant interest• Best practices for following up with new

applicants

CUnet School Operations Consulting Services

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School Operations Consulting

At CUnet, we work closely with our school partners to drive results. Our team is comprised of seasoned higher education management professionals with local regional, and national experience—we understand the unique challenges of higher education.

We help schools identify challenges, then we make clear recommendations and help implement changes.

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Enrollment/Inquiry Process Consulting

This comprehensive review of inquiry processes includes an audit of all departments involved in the enrollment process, including:

• Marketing• Admissions• Registrar• Financial Aid• Student Services• The NSC department

We conduct a competitive review before making recommendations. Additionally, we provide staff and management training and conduct follow-up monitoring.

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Quality Assurance and Compliance Consulting

We provide a comprehensive review of all departments to ensure they are providing superior service to students and are in compliance with national and regional accrediting institutions and USDOE regulations.

Through Inquiry Process Consulting, we help schools address enrollment and admissions compliance.

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School Strategic Management Consulting

We draw on our broad experience in higher education to provide a full range of Strategic Management Consulting services, including:

• Management coaching• Technology assessments• Staffing services consulting• Department of Education regulations and

compliance• Vendor management consulting• Mystery shopping

Questions?

````````Contact:Lauren BauserMarketing Manager

E-mail: lauren.bauser@cunet.comPhone: 609.896.1800, ext. 53093

For more information, go to: www.CUnet.com or check out CUnet’s blog: http://blog.cunet.comFollow us on Twitter @CUnetCo