Does Your University Want to Enroll American Students? 33rd Annual - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Does Your University Want to Enroll American Students? 33rd Annual EAIR Forum Warsaw, Poland Maguire Associates | August 29, 2011

First, the Opportunity.

Willingness among U.S. students to consider more global educational opportunities has been increasing. Number of U.S. Students Studying Abroad 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 89/90 91/92 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 # U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit Source: Institute of International Education 2010 Open Doors Report

And, further growth is anticipated. 83% Out of 290 institutions,* the majority indicated that they were actively trying to send a greater number of students abroad. * That participated in the Institute of International Education and Forum on Education Abroad joint Survey on U.S. Study Abroad Capacity (with results reported in a May 2009 white paper).

Q: Does your University have any marketing and outreach strategies in place targeted specifically at U.S. students?

Now, insights and strategies to enroll more U.S. students.

1. Know your best target market for U.S. study abroad prospects.

Approximately half (47%) of university- bound students * indicate they plan to pursue opportunities for study abroad. Elevated interest was found among students who:  Are female  Report higher standardized test scores  Are of Asian descent  Plan to enroll at a private university or college * Among 2,387 students who participated in the May 2011 Maguire Associates & Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey (CDIS).

Study abroad participation varies by state. Source: NASFA

2. Know and understand your competition.

Your competition includes:  Students’ home institutions  Other U.S. options (domestic off-campus study, externship opportunities, etc.)  Other educational options and institutions in your country  Educational options in other countries

3. Offer an educational product that appeals to the U.S. student market.

Student priorities for a shorter- term study abroad opportunity are less focused on academic quality and tend to be more focused on side benefits of the experience.

The factors that motivate a decision to look into study abroad and other off-campus programs in the first place often include:  Seeing more of the world  Having a once in a lifetime experience  Having an adventure  Experiencing personal growth  Being exposed to a different culture Source: Results from a study abroad research study for a specific off-campus program.

Your institution will need to be more student-centric to appeal to the U.S. market, as American students tend to have high expectations for service and amenities in addition to quality academics.

Degree-seeking U.S. students* are looking for the following in their overall university experience:  Quality of the academic  Total costs & availability program of interest and of merit- or need-based other students financial aid  Career-oriented  Campus atmosphere coursework/majors and  Personal attention future employment  Preparation for opportunities graduate/professional  Academic facilities school * Among 21,339 students who participated in the January 2011 Maguire Associates & Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey.

4. Offer study abroad at an appealing cost AND demystify the costs of study abroad.

Studying abroad may be (or seem) too expensive for some U.S. students, even with tuition prices that are lower than many private institutions in the United States.

In the U.S., college tuition has for many years outpaced family income and the cost of living.  Many private colleges and universities have even surpassed $50,000 in the total cost of tuition plus room & board. Average Published Tuition and Fees in Constant (2008) Dollars $30,000 $20,000 Private Four-Year Public Four-Year $10,000 $0 1978 1988 1998 2008 Source: Trends in College Pricing (College Board, 2008). 19

However, differences between the “sticker prices” of institutions can be wiped out by differing scholarship programs. Sticker Price = $40,000 $28,000 $22,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 Financial $10,000 $2,000 $20,000 Assistance Net Cost $10,000 $20,000 $20,000 $18,000 $0 University 1 University 2 University 3 20

5. Use social media to supplement other efforts to increase awareness of your institution as a study abroad destination.

New-Age Marketing Mix

However, there are different preferences in various markets.

Facebook rules! of U.S. students view 58 % Facebook at least several times a day . Among 21,339 students who participated in the January 2011 Maguire Associates & Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey.

Social media use is the new frontier of student engagement. 93 % of high school seniors in the U.S. use at least one of the three major social networking sites a couple of times per week, or more . Among 21,339 students who participated in the January 2011 Maguire Associates & Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey.

Significant Impact Did/Does a college or university’s presence on a social media or networking site make you more interested in applying? 22 % YES Among 21,339 students who participated in the January 2011 Maguire Associates/Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey.

Social media use by prospects is huge! We asked students whether they have used social media for the following activities: 59% YE Used web service to explore “fit” with schools S 56% Searched for scholarships using social media YES 44% Became fan of school on social network YES 39% Chatted online with enrolled students YES Subscribed to school RSS news feed 19% YES Received text from school 18% YES Chatted online with faculty/admin at school 18% YES Contacted professor /admin via social network 15% YES Done campus tour via mobile phone app. 7% YE S Posted negative feedback on school’s Facebook < 3% YE S Among 21,339 students who participated in the January 2011 Maguire Associates & Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey.

Students seek “the real deal.” Among the most popular uses of social media in higher education for prospective students were: Watched YouTube video YES 57% created by school Read student blog or posts YES 51% about school on school website Read posts about a school on a YES 53% social network site Among 21,339 students who participated in the January 2011 Maguire Associates & Fastweb College Decision Impact Survey.

6. Understand home institution motivations and challenges.

Focus efforts on building programs that cater to expected growth areas. Largest areas of growth for U.S. study abroad students is expected to be:  Short term programs  Semester programs Source: May 2009 IIE report “ Expanding Study Abroad Capacity at U.S. Colleges and Universities ”

The top criteria used by U.S. universities to evaluate study abroad programs are:  Program cost  Academic quality of the program  Compatibility with programs at home institution  Student and faculty interests  Student support services

7. Don’t forget your U.S. study abroad alumni.

Communities of Influence

Alumni are stewards of a host university’s brand and tellers of the institutional story – whether or not they are up to date.

Alumni have the potential to be extraordinarily effective marketers.  Offering to talk with families about their own study abroad experiences and the current programs of the host institution  Conducting interviews  Sending notes of congratulations to newly approved study abroad candidates and newly accepted degree candidates  Sponsoring receptions for accepted students and their parents

Some strategies we’d like to offer.

10 Strategies for Enrolling U.S. Students 1. Conduct research to track and understand your university’s best markets.  Collaborative  Institution specific 2. Study the Institute of International Education (IIE) white papers.  www.iie.org

10 Strategies for Enrolling U.S. Students 3. Learn what other types of programs/countries your university competes with and develop positioning strategies. 4. Make investments in facilities and support systems that are expected by U.S. students.

10 Strategies for Enrolling U.S. Students 5. Communicate “real” costs early.  Tuition  Scholarships  Living costs  Travel costs 6. Develop a “value proposition” statement.  Based on research: student preferences and assessments of your university and competitors

10 Strategies for Enrolling U.S. Students 7. Include social media in your marketing strategy to engage U.S. students. 8. “Americanize” your recruitment process.

10 Strategies for Enrolling U.S. Students 9. Engage study abroad alumni in the recruitment process. 10. Market to home institutions as well as students.

“ Bridging cultures, promoting diversity: higher education in search of an equilibrium .”