Ask Your Undecided Students These 4 Questions

Which of your undecided admits are close to making a decision? Who’s still waiting on information from another school? Who’s putting off their decision because they’re totally overwhelmed? Which students have chosen another college and simply not told you?

The best way to figure out where things stand post May 1 is by narrowing the conversation and asking some very casual yet direct questions. Make it your goal to better understand the when, how, and why in your upcoming messages, versus sending out another email or text with a link prompting students to submit their deposit.

Below are four questions that will help you do just that. When it comes to how you ask any of them, I would suggest you insert the question into the first sentence of your email or text. Doing that focuses their attention towards action.

As you think about your college decision, what part feels a little uncertain or is still up in the air?

<Student’s First or Preferred Name>, what still has to happen before you think you’re going to feel ready to choose your future school?

If you end up choosing another school, what do you see as the #1 reason you’d probably do that?

What would be most helpful from me as you move toward your decision?

One final note: If you start to feel like a student has already made their decision and is avoiding what they believe will be an awkward conversation, don’t be afraid to give them an out. Simply express that you understand your school isn’t the right fit for every student, and it’s okay to tell you if they’ve chosen another school.

DID YOU KNOW:

My summer calendar still has some open dates for training in July or August. Training is the not so secret tool that transforms your staff’s customer service, boosts their job satisfaction, and increases yield. Let’s start a conversation about how I can help you and your team grow.

Leadership, student recruitment, personal growth, failure, self awareness, and managing stress are just some of the topics that I’ve covered on my Mission Admissions podcast. All 88 episodes are free and can be found on Apple and Spotify.