After reading last week’s article, a new subscriber from my newsletter community emailed and asked for more context about students who are on the verge of making their college decision, but seem stuck because they’re worried about making the wrong decision. Over the past 12 years I’ve been asking students on surveys after a final decision has been made, which one of these was their biggest fear during the college search process (Choices: Making the wrong decision, Moving away

At some point during the college search process, usually towards the end, a lot of students tend to communicate less with schools, or in some cases they stop communicating entirely. No matter how excited a student might be about your school or college in general, I continue to find that many become tired of the nonstop messaging and all the decisions and stress that come with making a final decision. Because of all that, it’s important to consider adjusting or tweaking your c

We both know how important the “feel” of campus is as it relates to a student’s college choice. According to my Top Tier Higher Ed survey research, those feelings remain the most influential decision-making factor for the majority of traditional students - ranking higher than affordability, the customer service of your admissions staff, student outcomes after graduation, and a laundry list of other factors.   Unfortunately declining visit numbers and rising no-show rates are

Over the past few weeks I’ve had multiple admissions counselors who are part of my newsletter community message me for advice about handling two fairly common situations this time of year. I thought I’d share their questions along with some of the advice I gave each: Question: What should I say if an admitted student tells me we’re one of their top choices but they aren’t ready to make a decision? Start by thanking the student for sharing, then follow that with “What do you s