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

Last week I got an email from an Assistant Director who asked, “Jeremy what else can I talk about with my admitted students? I feel like they’ve already heard everything.” Part of my response included reminding her that even though students hear or read about things multiple times, it’s been proven that as humans we need to hear a message 7 or 8 times before it really sticks. The key is finding ways to say the same things in different ways, and to always add value regardless

As you enter the home stretch with this next class of students, your admitted student events will play a critical role in helping you achieve your enrollment goals and minimize melt. So, how will your events be different, unique, or better than your competitors? I ask because in the campus visit audits I do with colleges and universities, most students describe these events as looking and sounding very similar. Students move around from room to room, sitting through a bunch o

It continues to be one of the most common mistakes that admissions counselors and enrollment marketers make each year: Not communicating separately with the parents/guardians of admitted students in a way that feels personal, and makes them feel like a valued partner in the decision-making process. Taking it a step further, there’s a very good chance you currently have multiple admitted but undecided students who have received their financial aid package and want to submit

Today I want to share something that most admissions counselors and student tour guides need to do more consistently. Once you get a prospective student talking and sharing it’s important to take the feedback you receive and in many cases dig a little deeper so you can understand the why, the how, or the when behind something. The best way to do that is by being curious and asking one or more follow-up questions. Follow-up questions not only show that you’re actively listenin

During two separate conversations last week, a pair of admissions counselors asked me for advice about admitted students who don’t seem to be in a rush to submit their deposit. My first question for each counselor was, “Do you have a sense of why that is?” Neither one seemed 100% sure, and as we started to discuss things further it became clear that for many of their students, creating additional engagement to get more context was an appropriate next step. During both convers

When was the last time an admitted student or their parent didn’t express a concern or have some hesitation about your school or college in general? You can pretty much guarantee there’s going to be something for everybody. It’s not a matter of “if,” but when (and how often). The most common concerns are cost, proximity to home (too far or too close), location (lack of things to do), and size of the school (too big or too small). The first thing to keep in mind is those objec

Within your admitted student population you have a group of students and families who shortly after they receive their financial aid package(s) will be ready to end the college search process. My ongoing Top Tier Higher Ed data says that almost 38% of students over the past three years had the college or university they ended up choosing as their #1 choice at the time they applied. Today’s strategy will help you determine who some of those students are by uncovering importa

Here’s a communication practice and habit that separates a very successful territory manager from an average one. A lot of admissions counselors and recruiters are great at answering questions when a prospective student or parent reaches out. The problem with the practice of waiting is you end up missing opportunities – to know when/why a student’s mindset has changed, to know when/why they’re feeling unsure about something, or to know when they’re ready to make their decisio