recruiting and retaining millennials: assembling the pieces for the right fit february 2015 sacrao...
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Recruiting and Retaining Millennials:
Assembling the pieces for the RIGHT FIT
February 2015
SACRAO 68th Annual Meeting ~ Mobile, Alabama
The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!
Colleges are in the Driver’s Seat!
Founded in 1994 by Julia Ross
3 types of Student Services:
SAT Prep – 41%College Coaching – 28%
Tutoring – 26%Book Sales and Misc. –
5%
Nationally published author:
Staff of 8:Senior Members-JD, PhD, Masters
Junior Members-BS/BA
Presents 20+ College Admissions Seminars Annually
Middle-Class Pricing & Pro-bono Services
Local, regional & national clients
Approaching $1 million
annual gross revenue
Professional Tutoring’s Goals
“To help students search for, and to practice
passions”
“To communicate that passion with students, parents and colleges.”
“To provide a safe, supportive work
environment for students to learn, interact and
excel.”
Applications MUSTFeature each Student Ethically
Professional Tutoring Follows the National Association of College Admissions Counselors’ Statement of Good Practices
Beyond Recruitment to:
Application, Admission, Yield AND Graduation
The View from All Sides
Parent
What does each group consider? How can admissions officers affect
considerations?
College
College Coach
Student
Do you ever feel Stereotyped?
“Nerdy”
“Dumb Students”“Too Expensive”
“Party School”
How do we change this?
“With Information”
“School Visits”“Dissemination”
This is only a “blank school”(engineering, liberal arts…)
#1: Rank These Colleges!
Best Medical Schools for Primary Care Specialty:
Top 20 Programs*
East Carolina University
Emory University
Harvard College
University of Alabama
University of Minnesota
*2014 U.S. News Rankings
Myth-buster
How did you do?
7 University of Minnesota10 University of Alabama14 Harvard College19 East Carolina University29 Emory University
* 2014 U.S. News Rankings
Best Medical Schools for Primary Care Specialty
Top 20 Programs*
How can Colleges BUST the Myths?
Advertise programs!
US News Rankings
State Department Flagship Chinese and Arabic Programs – 4 SACRAO Universities
Honors Program
The Right Fit:A College Coach’s Perspective
Act as base of information:
Guide families: academic, social, athletic and financial wants/needs
Help students find, evaluate and showcase passions
Create research database to provide correct information
Introduce students to admissions officers
Support high schools AND colleges
Myth-buster
The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!
College Coaches Support the Fit.
College Coaches Bring Out-of-the-Box Thinking to College
Admissions
100% of Professional Tutoring’s College Coaching clients receivecollege acceptances. The acceptance rate for the class of 2015 is 95%
as of February 1, 2015.
What Does Professional Tutoring Look for in a College or University?
Well Established Strong Alumni
Network
Consistent Admissions
Standards
School Pride
Freshmen Retention
and Graduation Rates
50/50 20/1M-F S-F
Class Sizes Alcohol/Drug Policies
Depth in Programs& Linkages
Job Placement Rates Ranked Programs/Majors
Students Cherished
Established Programs
College Coaching Students begin the Admissions Puzzle by
9th or 10th grade
College Coaches Advise Clients about Merit Aid
The Right Fit Brings Maximum Scholarship Offers because of
Ethical Scholarship Consideration
rofessional Tutoring
College Coaching Class of 2014
39 Graduates
$3.5 million in scholarship offers. Avg: $90,000 per
student
92% offered merit scholarships
Robinson Secondary School
Class of 2014
650 graduates (2nd largest secondary school in U.S.)
$3 million in scholarship offers
Avg: $4,600 per student
Lost opportunities!
Professional Tutoring Success Story
Evaluating Passion and finding the Fit at SCAD
#2: Rank These Colleges!
Best Undergraduate Business Programs
Top 60 Ranked*
Brigham Young University
College of William and Mary
University of South Carolina
Villanova University
Wake Forest University*2014 U.S. News Rankings
Myth-buster
How did you do?Best Undergraduate Business Programs
Top 60 Ranked*
27 Brigham Young University
34 Wake Forest University
38 College of William and Mary
38 University of South Carolina
58 Villanova University
*2014 U.S. News Rankings
The Right Fit:Parent Perspective
Is this a GOOD college?
What will OUR friends think?
How will we pay for college?
Will they do more than party?
I am not ready for this yet!! Where did the time go?
Myth-busters!!!
The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!
Parents Support the Fit.
Family must be Involved with the Entire Admissions Process
Parents have Specific Concerns:
Name/Legacy
Academics Finances
Job Placement
Safety Retention Values Diversity
Structure Success
Policies: Substance,
academics, dorms
Logistics
Parents Worry about Academic Performance in College
Parents Have to Realistically Evaluate the Family’s Budget
and Discuss it with their Student
What about that college savings plan?
Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
Top 45 Colleges*
Penn State University
Rutgers University
University of Illinois
University of Virginia
Virginia Tech
*2014 U.S. News Rankings
#3: Rank These Colleges!Myth-
buster
How did you do?
Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
Top 45 Colleges*
5 University of Illinois
15 Virginia Tech
19 Penn State University
35 University of
Virginia
43 Rutgers
University
*2014 U.S. News
Rankings
The Right Fit:Students’ Perspectives
College Selection:A maze of hopes, dreams, money, and bumper stickers.
The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!
Students ARE the Fit.
Students’ Perspective of College Choice:
Designer Shoe Syndrome
Most Important: Do my friends approve?
Students Shop for a College by Looking at the PICTURE on
the Puzzle Box!
They have to look at the PIECES to find the Right Fit
What Should Prospective Students Want ?
Academics Housing
AffordabilitySports
Facilities
Major
School Spirit
Their Fit
Financial AidClass Size
Activities
Location/Culture
Students Design/Complete a Unique Application Puzzle to
Submit to Colleges
Debunk Student Myths: Only smart kids, only Eagle Scouts,
Only, Only, Only…
Students must know that:Hope is not a Plan!
Colleges need to set HONEST expectations on ALL selection criteria!!
Academic Performance is a Puzzle Border for Students
The Great Equalizers
Grades &
Course Rigor51%
SAT/ACT49%
SAT-CR
SAT-MA
SAT-WR
SAT-Subject.
ACT
GPA
Honors
AP IB
Math
ForeignLanguage
Technology
Fine ArtsElectives
Core
Science
English
History
P.E.
J-ROTC
Admissions Probability
Service Activities - Middle Pieces
Student Citizens Passion Service
Leadership Cohesion
Involvement in Activities is Crucial
Indicator for College Involvement
ATHLETICS:
CLUBS
MUSIC: Band orChorus
HONOR SOCIETIES
SGA
YouthOrganizationsDRAMA Student
Publications
J.V., Varsity,
Travel, Club
Bringing Students, Parents and Admissions Officers Together
Begin with the college
visit
Move from EHarmony to that first date!
College Visits are a Street!
Students and parents gather information about each university
Admission officers and tour leaders (front-line sales) observe students
Tour GuidesCan Make or Break a Student’s
Decision
Develop specific tour guidelines, train tour guides:Establish uniformity: dress, presentation, test and measure
results.
What NOT to Do on a College Visit
Students
Admission
Officers
TourGuides
Family
Recruiting the Right Fit:Admission’s Office Perspective
Each institution represents a unique puzzle
Private University
Private College
Public
Community
College
Public
Universi
ty
Each applicant is a possible piece of the university puzzle
The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!
Admissions Officers EVALUATE the Fit.
Do Not Force a Puzzle Piece to Fit
University
Student
Poor Fit leads to attrition of more than one student!
Admissions RepresentativesMUST Know Their University’s Puzzle
Academics
Sports
ScholarshipsSpecial Programs
HousingGreek LifeFight SongCosts
Rankings
Facilities
Class Sizes
Majors
Website
Career Placement
Graduation Rates
Written guidelines, practice, parent/student evaluation, measure!
Admissions Provides the ‘Ideal’ College Tour
Structure
Facts
Classrooms
Dorms
Meal
Interview/Meeting
Package Deal: Hotel,
MealsTransport
How Admissions Officers Can Help Showcase Your University’s
Puzzle
Understand & value your market
Encourage visits
*** Invite contact ***
Interview studentsInvolve parents
Involve college coach
Involve professors
Promote scholarships
Connect to Students
Meet with professors, teaching assistants, students Offer on campus interviews or departmental/athletic meetings.Alumni interviewsRegional Officers: Guidance Counsellors, College Coaches, Meet and Greets, Phone Calls
Admissions Officers Must Encourage Communication with
Students & Parents
Communication leads to Recruitment, Enrollment, Retention and Graduation
Improving Recruiting for Millennials:
What Admissions Officers Can Do Now
Recognize the ‘right fit’ student qualities for your institution
Prepare to showcase your university’s unique puzzle
Encourage communication with students and parents
Understand the impact of tour guides!
Provide an easy-to-find ‘printable’ version of the Freshman Application on the website
Retaining Millennials: Beyond Admissions
Develop a Comprehensive Plan for Retention
Professors
Student Health Admissions
Housing
Family
Students
RA’s
Counseling Services
- Across the University –
Retention Programs for Freshmen
Remedial Courses
Housing
“Quick Start”
Advising
Programs for
“Undecided”
Tutoring & Mentoring
SmallClass Size
Provide Safety Nets to Prevent Dropouts
Mid-termGrades
Housing issues
Social problems
Family
Issues with professors
Roommates ProgressReports
Advising
Keeping up with the “Pieces”Developing a University
Retention Plan?
How will you retain millennials?
Pre- and Post-Admissions
surveys
Communication with Parents
Checkpoints during freshman
year
Share survey results
Connect with students
Quantify/measure where you can Referrals within
your institutionAcademic &
Social Intervention
s
Reasons for leaving
Help students make their
decision
Keeping up with the “Pieces”Rules make Students Feel Safe
and Able.
Your institution’s traditions, culture, rules, structure and expectations provide the “Edge
Pieces” of the puzzle.
The Completed Puzzle will Lead to the RIGHT FIT!!
Victoria graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2014!
Recruiting and Retaining Millennials:
Assembling the pieces for the RIGHT FIT
February 2015
SACRAO 68th Annual Meeting ~ Mobile, Alabama