3 Reasons Why Your Students Haven’t Deposited

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 conversations I also shared the three most common reasons that my Top Tier Higher Ed survey data continues to show, when it comes to why admitted students haven't made their decision yet.

1.    They still have things left to do. As I posted on LinkedIn yesterday, I continue to see way too many yield communications with only one call to action (CTA) of “submit your deposit”. For a lot of admits this adds pressure because they don’t have all the information they need to make an informed decision. In some cases they’re still waiting on financial aid packages from other schools. Or, they have an upcoming visit scheduled to another college’s accepted student event. Instead, I encourage you to mix up your CTA’s and ask an empathetic question such as “What do you still have left to do before you think you’ll be ready to make your decision?” Or, “What do you think the hardest part will be when it comes to making your college decision?”

2.    They’re overwhelmed by all the choices and decisions. Having too many choices and thinking about all the subsequent decisions that have to be made after they deposit causes mental burnout. Delaying their decision helps them temporarily escape the mental drain. I encourage you to ask probing questions like, “What’s been hardest to compare between schools?” You could also explain what the top decision-making factors are for most students or why some of your first-year students chose to deposit at this point versus waiting until April or May of last year. Last but not least, consider reminding them that once they make their decision they don’t have to navigate all the next steps alone. Let them know you will continue to be a resource for their entire family.

3.    They’re scared of making the wrong decision. For almost 12 years this has been one of the top two “fears” or concerns that most admits have during their college search. They start playing the what-if game in their head (what if I get there and I’m not happy, or what if my friends question or criticize my decision). I encourage you to start by normalizing their fear and reassuring them that they’re not alone – it’s common to feel that way. From there you can share stories of how other students who recently deposited came to their decision. You could also let them know there is no “wrong” decision. That doesn’t guarantee things will work out perfectly, but remind them that life presents challenges and it’s important to live in the present versus stressing about things that haven’t even happened yet. Trust yourself.

If you found this article helpful, go ahead and forward it to someone else on your campus who could also benefit from reading it. You can also encourage them to sign up for my weekly newsletter.

HERE'S WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW:

You can get more free professional development by listening to my podcast. There are currently 81 episodes to choose from.

You can bring me to your campus to lead an in-person yield workshop or another staff training.