Improving Yield Among Domestic & International Students

Improving Yield Among
International & Domestic Students

Today’s presenters
Marty Bennett
CollegeWeekLive
Anna Reithmeier
University of British Columbia
Minh-ha Hoang
University of San Diego

Some Findings from the 2nd Annual Study on the
Expectations of International Students

Overview
• What motivates (and prevents) international
students to attend a foreign university?
• What interactions influence international students’
choice of university?
• Which aspects of the enrollment process do
international students need the most help with?
• How can admissions capture the attention of
international students & their families
2nd Annual Study on the
Expectations of International Students

About the respondents
More than 2,400
respondents from
164 countries

Institutional brand #1 reason to study abroad
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Interested in a particular university
Currently attending international high school
Private scholarship offered
No higher education opportunities in home country
Interested in studying with particular professor
Government funding
Siblings studied abroad
No post-high school career opportunities
No post-undergrad career oportunities
Avoid home country tests and requirements
No graduate education opportunties in home country
Parents studied abroad
What factors influence the decision to attend university outside of the home
country?

Yet - most international students do not
appear to be locked into one campus
17%
38%
21%
7%
4%
12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1 - 2 3 - 5 6 - 10 11 - 15 More than 15 Don't know
How many colleges do students intend to apply to?

More than ½ of all international students make
the decision to attend with their parents
40%
58%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Student makes the decision Joint decision Parents make the decision
Who makes the decision on which campus to
attend?

Funding & financial assistance
are top concerns
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Funding
Safety in surrounding area
Safety on campus
No friends or family nearby
Language barrier
My parents are concerned
Cultural differences
Other
I don't have any concerns
What are students' concerns about studying
abroad?

are top concerns
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Personal/Family
U.S. college aid/scholarship
Foreign government or university
Sponsorship program in the U.S.
Sponsorship program in my country
Other
How do students plan to fund their educations?

are top concerns
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Financial decisions
Applying for a visa
Writing application essay
Deciding where to apply
Researching colleges
Completing applications
Moving to campus
Traveling to colleges
Deciding where to enroll
Standardized test prep (ACT/SAT)
English language prep (TOEFL/IELTS)
Which aspects of the enrollment process do students
need help with?

Prospective students highly value conversations
with campus representatives & current students
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
University website
College rankings
Conversations with reps
Student conversations
Campus tour
College search sites
Brochures
Guidance counselor
Local education/U.S. office
Independent counselor
University Facebook
How influential are the following experiences in the
application decision? (1-5 scale, 5=most influential)

Prospective students highly value conversations
with campus representatives & current students
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
E-mail
Traditional college fairs
Live chat (IM)
Campus tour
Phone
Live video Webcast
Social media
Webcam call
Text messaging
Interest in using the following resources to communicate
with college representatives (1-5 scale, 5=highest interest)

1/2 of international students will not visit a campus
before enrolling; 1 in 5 will not visit a campus at all
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
All schools My top schools Might visit one or
more
No plans to visit
Plans to visit campuses
Before applying
After acceptance

Recruiting Strategies
(based on the findings)
• Build your brand in target markets abroad
• Adapt your website & communications to mobile devices
• Use a variety of communication methods
• Build strong relationships early with key international prospects
• Involve parents in the communication flow
• Offer assistance with campus visits to top prospects
• Make funding information easily available

The University of British
Columbia
Anna Reithmeier
Sr. International Student
Recruiter/Advisor, eRecruitment

UBC’s International Recruitment Goals
1. Increase international undergraduate student
enrollment
2. Increase the diversity of undergraduate
students

Most Popular Online Recruitment Practices
• Email communication
• Recruitment websites
Source: Noel-Levitz. (2014). 2014 E-recruiting practices and trends at four-year and two-
year institutions. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from:
www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports

What We Have Considered
• Prospective international students want:
• To connect with universities that interest them
• Information that is relevant to them
Source: Noel-Levitz. (2014). Meeting the Expectations of International Undergraduate
and Graduate Students. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from:

UBC’s Website Engagement
• In August 2013, UBC launched a new, unified
website for prospective undergraduate students
you.ubc.ca
• Responsive-design on all pages
• The homepage brings in live content from our
social media channels
• Incorporates the UBC Admissions Blog

UBC’s Social Media Engagement
• All channels are dedicated to prospective
undergraduate students only
• Instagram: 1350+ followers
• Twitter: 5550+ followers
• Facebook: 17 000+ likes
• YouTube: Includes prospective student video content
with up to 30 000 views
• Developed prospective student hashtags with a
comprehensive communications plan
(ex. #askUBC)

UBC’s Social Media Engagement

This year…
• We implemented a comprehensive schedule,
which schedules the information shared with
prospective students and connects:
• The web
• Social media channels
• The Admissions Blog

UBC’s Online Recruitment Activities
2008-2009
• Fall 2008 (August to December)
• 4 Online Information Sessions hosted on
Wimba Classroom
• Investigating CollegeWeek Live
• Spring 2009 (January to May)
• 7 Online Information Sessions hosted
Wimba Classroom
Total Participants: 302

Online Recruitment Program
Resources
• Technical equipment (ie. laptops, webcam,
microphones)
• Full-time staff person, to coordinate Online
Recruitment program
• Recruiters / Admissions Advisors, to present and
advise during live chats
• UBC students, to provide an authentic student
voice and experience to online events

UBC’s Fall 2013 Calendar of Events
Event Name Activity Date Time
(24H)
Platform Region
"Back to School" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 8-Aug-13 11:00-
19:00
CollegeWeekLive Africa, Americas, Europe
"International Day" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 21-Aug-13 02:00-
16:00
"Virtual UBC Day" on CollegeWeekLive Video Webinar Presentation
and Live Q & A
28-Aug-13 15:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas
"International Universities Day" on
CollegeWeekLive
Virtual College Fair Live Chat 10-Sep-13 09:00-
17:00
"September Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 19-Sep-13 07:00-
19:00
CollegeWeekLive Worldwide
"Always On Live Chat" on CollegeWeekLive Live Chat 25-Sep-13 12:00-
14:00
Always On Africa, Europe, Americas
"Always On Live Chat" on CollegeWeekLive Live Chat 2-Oct-13 12:00-
14:00
14:00
Always On Africa, Americas, Europe
"October Fair" CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 24-Oct-13 07:00-
19:00
14:00
"International Day" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 13-Nov-13 02:00-
16:00
"November Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 21-Nov-13 07:00-
19:00
"December Fair" CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 12-Dec-13 07:00-
19:00

UBC’s Spring 2014 Calendar of Events
Event Name Activity Date Time (24H) Platform Region
"Paying for College" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 9-Jan-14 08:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas – US
“Study in Canada Day” on CollegeWeekLive Live chat + Video Presentation 23-Jan-14 11:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas
"February Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 13-Feb-14 08:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas - US
"International Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 19-Feb-14 05:00-
16:00
CollegeWeekLive Asia, Europe, Middle East,
Central and South America
UBC Vantage College Recruitment
Presentation
Video Webinar Presentation
and Live Q&A
28-Feb-14 18:00-
20:00
CollegeWeekLive All
"International Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 12-Mar-14 05:00-
12:00
"March Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 20-Mar-14 08:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas- US
"April Fair" on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 17-Apr-14 08:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas - US
“International Fair” on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 7-May-14 05:00-
16:00
“May Fair” on CollegeWeekLive Virtual College Fair Live Chat 22-May-14 08:00-
18:00
CollegeWeekLive Americas – US

UBC’s Online Recruitment Activities
2013-2014
• Fall 2013 (August to December)
• 9 CollegeWeek Live virtual fairs
• 4 live chats
• 2 live webinar presentations
• Spring 2014 (January to June)
• 9 CollegeWeek Live virtual fairs
• 7 live webinar presentations
Total Participants: 14962

UBC’s Online Recruitment Engagement
2013-2014

UBC’s Online Recruitment Engagement
2013-2014
TOP 10 INT’L COUNTRIES
(EXCLUDING CANADA and USA)
TOTAL STUDENT
LEADS
INDIA 572
PAKISTAN 368
CHINA 358
NIGERIA 335
VIETNAM 307
BANGLADESH 208
MEXICO 183
EGYPT 162
BRAZIL 155
GHANA 148

UBC’s Future Plans
• Develop a more sophisticated communication
plan that considers the level of engagement and
interest of student leads
• Match the themes of online events to the
information shared with prospective students in
emails and via our other online channels

Source: www.collegeweeklive.com

• Research ways to reach out to parents online
• This year’s E-Expectations results reinforce the
influence parents often have in recruiting traditional-
aged college students.
Source: Noel-Levitz. (2014). 2014 E-Expectations Report: The Online Preferences of College-Bound
Seniors and Their Parents. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from:

• Expand live chat opportunities for prospective
international students

UBC’s Online Recruitment Tips
• Make a communication strategy and plan
• Market/advertise events in advance to drive attendance
• Follow up with students who interact with you
• Consider the local time-zone of the students you are
trying to engage
• Provide technology details and advice about how
students can access your event on mobile devices
• Ask students to submit questions for sessions in
advance
• Use post-event surveys – implement feedback
• Create a live chat (FAQ) cheat sheet for your advisors

Students Applying to More
Colleges Than Ever Before
The average student applies to 10-12
schools, vs. 5-6 a few years ago – making
yield much more hard-fought

When is it most important to talk to
university representatives?
Before applying After acceptance After decision
67%
83% 84%
73%
88% 89%
Seniors
Parents

Yield Challenges
(Big) Challenges
Students courted by multiple,
brand-prominent institutions
Accommodating needs of admitted
students & influencers from afar
Decision-making process longer &
more complicated (especially for
int’l students )
Navigating I-20, obtaining F-1 visa,
and high TOEFL score, etc University of Notre Dame
online yield event
Solution
Engage w/accepted
students online:
• Student & campus life
• Housing & student services
• Financial aid
• I-20 & visa process
• Cultural preparation

Increasing Student Retention
Challenge
Low retention rates - especially
among international students
‘Outside of the classroom, (int’l)
students struggled with their
language skills as well as their
limited knowledge of the
American culture.’
- NAFSA Int’l Student Retention Report
Solution
Build retention before
students get to your campus
Engage with current
int’l students & faculty
Live, online
access to
services
Programming on navigating process & culture

Late Funnel Communications
Tactics to Improve Yield, Retention
Focus on swaying decision Prepare students for
the transition
Q&A with Bard College Leadership
University of Notre Dame
online yield event

Building personal connections with accepted
students to improve yield and retention rates
Minh-Ha Hoang
Director of Admissions

Increasing yield and retention through:
1. Improving the admissions experience for prospective
students
2. Having meaningful conversations at the right time
3. Expanding our reach (international students)
4. Providing greater access (shaping our class)

Where does yield start?
Prospects-
Virtual Open House
Applicants- On-line Chats
Deposits-
Summer Webcasts
Enrolled
Admits- Themed Chats

On-campus vs. Virtual Open House
On-Campus Open House
Attendance: 87% from
California
Ethnic Diversity:
Primarily Caucasian
Cost: $18,900
Staff time: 3 months
• Virtual Open House
Attendance: More out of
state & international
students
Ethnic Diversity:
greater increase
Cost: $1,290
Staff time: 3 weeks
194 Registrants from
USD Outreach
1,132 new leads

Virtual vs. On-campus Open House
• Virtual Open House: Attendance: 45 states and 104
countries
Northeast 11.0%
Southeast 6.5%
Midwest 9.8%
Southwest 8.0%
West (includes AK & HI) 34.8%
Non-U.S. 29.8%

Virtual vs. On-campus Open House
• Virtual Open House: Attendance
White or
Caucasian
29%
Puerto Rican
2%
Other
7%
Native
American
0%
Multicultural
9%
Mexican /
Mexican
American
8%
Hispanic /
Latino
10%
Asian / Pacific
Islander
24%
African
American /
Black
13%

Moving to On-line: Challenges and
Opportunities
What do we lose by moving to on-line?
Creative solutions and opportunities for going
virtual

On-line Opportunities: Applicants and Admits
• Applicants: Chats with counseling staff
• Admits: Theme Chats with Staff and Students
Honors students
Out of state
Torero Life
Academics & Undergraduate Research
University Ministry
Changemaking

On-line Opportunities: Deposits
• Summer Orientation: Webcasts & using always
on chats
4 Webcasts from May-August:
Get Classes: Registration with Dean’s Office and
Faculty Advisors
Get Down to Business: Paying your Bill, Getting Your
Financial Aid & Avoiding Long Lines with Financial
Aid, One Stop and Student Accounts
Get Ready: Parent Webinar on Supporting Your
Student During the College Transition with Parent
Relations and Student Wellness Center
Get Excited: Countdown to Arrival with Student

Results from Using Webcasts
 Get Classes: Registration:
Prior to using webcast: Registration dragged out for 2
months
Current: 63% completed registration within 2 weeks of
webcast
97% completed registration within one month
 Get Down to Business:
Prior to using webcast: long lines during orientation
Current: 41% attended live webcast
 Get Excited: Countdown to Arrival:
 60% viewed webcast in 2013

Our success
We increased yield by 2% from Fall 2012
We enrolled second largest class in USD’s history
for Fall 2013
Our yield rate continues to go up for Fall 2014 class

Thank you!
Q&A
Marty Bennett
CollegeWeekLive
Anna Reithmeier
University of British Columbia
Minh-ha Hoang
University of San Diego

Improving Yield Among Domestic & International Students

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