Don’t Miss This Important Yield Tip

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 from home, Not being able to afford the college they want to choose, Not being emotionally and socially ready for college).

Making the wrong decision has remained the cumulative number one choice the entire time.

Many of your admitted but undecided students are currently wondering…

·      What if I pick this school and it doesn’t work out?

·      What if my friends disagree with my choice?

·      Maybe there’s a better option and I just haven’t found it yet

Their fear, just like it does for us as adults when we have a big choice to make, can paralyze decision-making.

One of the easiest ways to discover if you’re battling against this is by asking a direct question like, “Jeremy, when you think about making your college decision, what’s the biggest thing you worry about?”

Another similar strategy involves sending a text message that says something like, “Hi <Student’s First Name>, it’s <Counselor’s Full Name> your counselor over at <College Name>. When you think about choosing your college how do you feel? Other seniors have told me they’re worried about making the wrong decision, but what about you?”

After a student has shared their thoughts and feelings, I encourage you to thank them and validate that it’s okay to feel that way (i.e. A lot of seniors are worried about the same thing). Normalizing their fear is important.

The final part involves helping alleviate their fear and/or putting their mind at ease. Storytelling continues to be one of the most effective ways to do that.

Be prepared to provide students with examples/success stories of current students that match with their situation or fears.

Asking and talking about fear in a way that feels helpful and feels like you’re being sympathetic to a student’s situation is always a smart strategy during the college search process.

HERE'S WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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 86 episodes are free and can be found on Apple and Spotify.

Spots are still open on my summer calendar. You can bring me to your campus to lead an in-person recruiting workshop for your admissions, enrollment marketing, and operations teams.